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A kangaroo is any of several large macropods (the marsupial family that also
includes the wallabies, tree kangaroos, wallaroos, pademelons and the quokka:
45 species in all). The term kangaroo is sometimes used in a broader sense
to refer to all members of the macropod family. Kangaroos are native to the
continent of Australia, while a number of tree kangaroos are found in New
Guinea.
The word kangaroo is said to derive from the Guugu Yimidhirr (an Australian Aboriginal language) word gangurru, referring to the Grey Kangaroo. The name was first recorded as kangaru by Joseph Banks on James Cook's first voyage of exploration, when they were beached at the mouth of the Endeavour River in the harbour of modern Cooktown for almost 7 weeks repairing their ship which had been damaged on the Great Barrier Reef.
Kangaroo soon became adopted into standard English where it has come to mean
any member of the family of kangaroos and wallabies. The belief that it means
"I don't understand" is a popular myth. Male kangaroos are called
bucks, boomers or jacks; females are does, flyers, or jills and the young
are joeys. The collective noun for kangaroos is a mob.
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