Carnivorous Kangaroo

Carnivorous Kangaroo

Habitat: Long Island; Prairie
Type: Predatory Mammal
Length: 7 to 9 Feet
Height: 5 to 7 Feet
Weight: 180 to 260 Pounds

The Carnivorous Kangaroo is a large, marsupial predator that dominates the open grasslands of Long Island’s prairie. Although it is related to the Heavy Kangaroo; it is not an herbivore, but an active hunter that specializes in chasing down prey across the plain.

This animal has the powerful hind limbs and long balancing tail of other kangaroos, but its overall build is more muscular, with a heavier chest and shoulders. The forelimbs are large and heavily clawed, serving as grappling tools to hold and restrain prey. Its head is deep and heavily-built, holding jaws equipped with long, sharp buck teeth. These rodent-like teeth are well-suited for shearing flesh.

The coat is typically tawny or sandy brown, with darker rings dotting it. This coloring provides good camouflage against the dry prairie grasses. Its ears remain upright and mobile, allowing it to detect movement over long distances.

When hunting, the Carnivorous Kangaroo is an active, high-speed predator. It creeps as close to its prey as it can without being detected, and then uses a bounding gait to cover ground. It reaches incredible speeds as it chases other fast creatures like the Dwarf Ostrich or young Heavy Kangaroos. Juvenile Unicorn and camels are sometimes targeted as well, but these are more dangerous prey, as the adults are fiercely protective. Once it is close enough to its target, it uses its forelimbs to wrestle its prey down while delivering devastating bites to vital areas.  

It is typically solitary, though not territorial. Several individuals may join the same hunt, but not in a cooperative way. When multiple Kangaroos are targeting the same herd of prey, they each tend to chase different individuals when the herd scatters. Scavenging is also common, particularly from kills made by larger predators like Bear Wolves or Red Bears.

These larger predators are also threats to the Carnivorous Kangaroo, and prey on them when they have the opportunity. Although they are fast, the Kangaroo is particularly vulnerable to packs of Bear Wolves. 

Like most kangaroos, its young are kept in a forward-facing pouch on the mother's stomach. However, since its diet requires combating other creatures, the pouch is a dangerous place for youngsters to be. Often during attacks on their prey, babies are killed by an impact to the pouch. Because of this, once they are old enough to do so, mother Carnivorous Kangaroos leave their young in a hidden nursery while they hunt.

• Naturalist Note: The concept of a carnivorous type of kangaroo isn't a new one. We've known of at least two from the fossil record (Proleopus and Ekaltadeta). However, these two fossil specimens seem to be more closely related to the rat kangaroos. The species that Daniel describes more closely resemble true kangaroos, and may be the first documented member of that family to be a predator.
  Another noteworthy item is Daniel's mention of the "Dwarf Ostrich". This is actually the Greater Rhea, and is only called an ostrich due to Daniel's unfamiliarity with the South American Rheas. We've chosen to preserve his writing intact, and notate where he is mistaken in his identification.