Sthenurus (SciiFii)

Sthenurus australiensis (name meaning "Australian strong tail"), known as the common short-faced kangaroo, is a species of sthenurine found in the woodlands and grasslands of Australia that originally lived in the Pleistocene Australia as extinct species of Sthenurus. With a length around 3 meters (10 feet), it is twice as large as native modern kangaroo species, but is not as large as the better-known giant short-faced kangaroo, weighing about 180–220 kg (396–485 lb). The short-faced kangaroos, including the common short-faced kangaroos, have short faces, hence their names, compared with grazing kangaroos, and are browsers unlike their distant relatives, feeding primarily on leaves and shrubs, but can also feed on bark and fruit at times. Another difference from grazing kangaroos is that the feet of short-faced kangaroos, like the aforementioned common short-faced kangaroo, have only one toe on each foot ending with a hoof, as opposed to three clawed toes on each foot of grazing kangaroos, and unlike them, the short-faced kangaroos can't hop due their build and size, instead, they walk bipedally in a manner similar to non-avian theropod dinosaurs, only to lay their feet flat-footed when resting, but they aren't defenseless as many people would believe since they have strong kicking power akin to that of an African ostrich, making it a dangerous prey animal if it feels threatened. The conservation status of the common short-faced kangaroo is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts and due to being tolerate to some habitat disturbance compared with most other megafaunal kangaroos other than gray or red kangaroos.
Category:Animals
Category:SciiFii
Category:Cenozoic Park