The kangaroo reproduce their young ones in a very special way. The female kangaroos produce eggs from their ovaries and the egg moves to the uterus where fertilization takes place. The newborn, called joey is born 25 - 35 days after fertilization. This joey is only a few centimeters long when born.
Immediately after birth, the new born crawls into one of the mother's teats which enlarges to form a pouch. Joey stays in the pouch until it is able to survive on it's own. The new born lives in the pouch for a period of 8 to 12 months. The female kangaroo is able to freeze a fertilized egg in the uterus until the joey in the pouch has grown to a certain point.
Kangaroo mating takes place during rainy season when there is plenty of vegetation available to feed on. Once mating has occurred, females are able to delay the attachment of the embryo so she can control when she becomes pregnant. This means that the development of baby kangaroos (joeys) can happen year-round.
If there is not enough food or water in the area, females will not become pregnant. About a month after conception, a joey will be born. When the babies are born, they are in a very fragile state. Immediately they will pull themselves to their mother's pouch and begin nursing.
