The world’s largest terrestrial marsupial, the kangaroo is a strong contender for being Australia’s most charismatic native animal, even featuring on the national coat of arms. The four species of kangaroo – Red, Eastern Grey, Western Grey and Antilopine Kangaroos – belong to the Macropodidae family, a Latin term meaning “big foot”. (The closely related wallabies, wallaroos and tree-kangaroos also belong to this family.) The distinctively large hind feet combined with powerful hind legs allow the kangaroo to bound at great speed. The Red Kangaroo, the largest of the species, can travel at up to 60 kilometres per hour, clearing an astonishing eight metres in a single bound.