Kangaroo tail acts as a ‘fifth leg’

Kangaroos use their tails to help propel their walking.

Researchers from University of New South Wales videotaped red kangaroos (Macropus rufus) as they walked pentapedally ‒ using four limbs plus their tail ‒ over a platform that measured the forces being exerted on the ground.

They found that kangaroos use their tails not only for balance, but also to provide propulsion during walking. In fact, the tail provides as much propulsive force as all four limbs combined.