Australia has a reputation for being full of deadly \u2013 and often wonderfully weird \u2013 wildlife.<\/p>\n
But many of its endemic animals, such as the\u00a0wombat,\u00a0koala\u00a0and\u00a0platypus, aren\u2019t known for their fast pace \u2013 apart from one.<\/p>\n
The fastest terrestrial mammal in Australia is the\u00a0red kangaroo\u00a0which can clock up a top speed of around 56 kmph (34 mph) over shorter distances.<\/p>\n
And its ability to hop is an incredibly efficient way of travelling. Rather than straining and contracting their muscles to hop, kangaroos have large Achilles tendons which act like huge springs.<\/p>\n
Their hopping motion also drives their gut up and down, inflating and deflating their lungs \u2013 which saves them effort while breathing.<\/p>\n
Their tail (which has been described by\u00a0researchers as a \u201cfifth leg\u201d) also supports, propels and powers their gait.<\/p>\n
But kangaroos actually spend most of their time at a more leisurely pace while grazing \u2013 choosing to hop when they need to cover vast distances.<\/p>\n