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.
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Kangaroo are actually hopping on their toes. The lever is around their ankle, where some muscles from your knees to your toes are being stretched and pulled back (like that reflex test that the doctor does on your knee ).
Compare with when you run. It’s easier and less tiring to run on your toes than your whole feet. Because the reflex from the muscles use less energy than actively using the same muscles.
Because it’s actually a very efficient way of travelling. Kangaroos have elastic tendons and ligaments that store energy when they land, and recycle it into the next leap. Tests show that they’re actually [among the most efficient users of energy for movement](https://www.upi.com/Archives/1986/01/08/Science-Today-Kangaroo-Energy-Efficiency-Just-Like-A-Pogo-Stick/5720505544400/).
With the way they evolved, jumping is a more efficient method than walking.
They have long feet and incredibly strong leg muscles designed for jumping, using their feet as leverage they can jump very far very easily, and over long distances and time periods. They are built for jumping in the same way cheetahs are built for running: very good at that, awkward at doing anything else.
Plus, being able to move quickly is a survival trait in a country that regularly catches fire in a catastrophic manner. Jumping they way they do is faster than walking.
Also a fun fact, their digestive organs actually move in rhythm when they jump, so they get a benefit to their digestion when they jump from place to place.
Hopping is much more efficient than walking, they have anotomically evolved to gave two giant springs for legs that propel them forward with minimal use of energy. I did hear that they are the most efficient movers in the animal world when considering energy spent.
I’ve also heard humans move more efficiently while skipping rather than walking/running. I don’t remember where I heard that but I do like the idea of our ancient ancestors skipping about all day looking for a feed.
So now that we got that out of the way, how far can a “roo” travel without stopping or in a day? I must know, TYIA
Because their legs work like springs. The kangaroo uses less enery when it jumps because it stores the energy from landing and uses 8t for the next jump.
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