Kangaroo

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Macropus giganteus 

     Different members of this family can be as small as a rat or as big as a man. Kangaroos are found chiefly in Tasmania, Australia, and New Guinea. In Australia, kangaroos occupy the position held on other continents by grass eaters such as antelope, deer, zebra, and bison. 
     The man-sized kangaroos of Australia are capable of speeds up to 88 km/h for short distances, their means of locomotion being their powerful hind legs, which carry them over the ground in jumps of 9 m or more at a time. 
     Kangaroos are not greatly bothered by predators, but when pursued by dogs, for instance, often head for water, standing submerged to the chest, and attempting to drown the attacker by holding him underwater. Another defensive tactic is to get their back to a tree and kick at their adversary with their clawed hind feet, sometimes with sufficient force to kill a man. 

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