When walking slowly, the kangaroo uses its tail to lift and accelerate the body. New force measurements show that in proportion to the animal’s mass, it does as much work as a human leg. (Photo credit: Heather More)
New research shows that when they’re not hopping, kangaroos use their tails as a fifth leg to help propel them forward.
Researchers trained five red kangaroos to walk over a force-measuring platform and discovered that rather than simply acting as a prop — as a pair of crutches would — the tail acts like a motor to lift and accelerate the body. In fact, in proportion to the animal’s mass, it does as much mechanical work as a human leg would, confirming that when walking slowly, the kangaroo can be considered a five-legged animal.
Original research paper published in the journal Biology Letters on July 1, 2014.
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