This might be a really weird question, but why do Kangaroos jump instead of walk?
As a human jumping takes a lot more energy than jumping, so it must be something biological, but they are like the only animal family that does that (I’m sure there are more kangaroo-like animals I don’t know about)?
Edit – After seeing a few comments, this post isn’t about why the evolved to do so (even though it is an interesting question), I was asking what is the anatomical reasoning for it.
In: 418
It takes a heap of energy for you to keep jumping but it is extremely efficient with their biology.
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1986-01-19-0190220124-story.html
>The red kangaroo of the Australian plains is probably the most efficient ground animal in the world. When hopping along at the speed of a world-class marathon runner, it uses half as much energy as a human.
>A marathoner’s speed is nothing for this 7-foot pogo stick. Its top speed is three times faster — about 40 miles an hour, with each hop extending as much as 18 feet.
Worth reading the whole thing if you have a few min.
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