# Do Male Kangaroos Have Nipples? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 11, 2004, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-male-kangaroos-have-nipples/228705 "2004-02-11T19:43:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Umbriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9de053/32.png) [@Umbriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Umbriel)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-male-kangaroos-have-nipples/228705/1 "2004-02-11T19:43:17Z")
My wife posed the above question the other night, and we were pretty well stumped. My knee jerk reaction is that since female kangaroos’ nipples are inside their pouches, and males have no pouch, males also have no nipples. Any vestigial organs would be entirely under the skin. I have no real corroboration, though. Any anyone out there offer any cites? Links? First hand experience? The question came up as I was reading a bedtime story to my 4 year old daughter. After a few minutes of idle speculation between my wife and I, my daughter intervened – “Let’s not talk about this anymore. Just read the story.” I don’t expect her to become a regular on the Boards, alas… ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-male-kangaroos-have-nipples/228705/2 "2004-02-11T19:52:11Z")
No, male kangaroos do not have nipples. But then, neither do female kangaroos. Marsupials, like kagaroos and opossums, are mammals and like other mammals, they do produce milk for their young, however, it is secreted from specialized pores in the skin located inside the pouch. ---
**Author:** ![Umbriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9de053/32.png) [@Umbriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Umbriel)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-male-kangaroos-have-nipples/228705/3 "2004-02-11T20:55:00Z")
While the [Platypus](http://www.healthsci.utas.edu.au/medicine/research/mono/Platpage.html) secretes milk in the fashion you describe, I’m pretty sure female kangaroos have [actual nipples](http://www.whozoo.org/Intro98/annseitz/annseitz4.htm) in the pouch. Unfortunately, I can’t find any web resources references male kangaroo nipples. And we’re all the poorer for that. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-male-kangaroos-have-nipples/228705/4 "2004-02-12T00:06:09Z")
Yes, female kangaroos definitely have distinct teats - the embryo clambers up the mothers furn, into the pouch and lock onto one of them. ---
**Author:** ![boofy\_bloke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@boofy\_bloke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boofy_bloke)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-male-kangaroos-have-nipples/228705/5 "2004-02-12T00:08:10Z")
IIRC aren’t monkey blokes the only males with nipples? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-male-kangaroos-have-nipples/228705/6 "2004-02-12T00:15:16Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > No, male kangaroos do not have nipples. But then, neither do female kangaroos. Marsupials, like kagaroos and opossums, are mammals and like other mammals, they do produce milk for their young, however, it is secreted from specialized pores in the skin located inside the pouch. You are thinking of the platypus. Female 'roos have nips. Not as nice as Janet Jackson’s, but they’re there. I don’t know about males, but I suspect there would be some residual nip. To the OP, you might want to post this question [here](http://pub31.ezboard.com/bgdope). ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-male-kangaroos-have-nipples/228705/7 "2004-02-12T02:55:34Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > You are thinking of the platypus. Female 'roos have nips. Not as nice as Janet Jackson’s, but they’re there. I don’t know about males, but I suspect there would be some residual nip. I think you’re right. I have a vague recollection of reading what I _thought_ was an article about 'roo lactation, but it might have been the platypus or one of the two echidnas. Trying to find photos of 'roo nipples using Google Images has an interesting result, but not the one we want. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-male-kangaroos-have-nipples/228705/8 "2004-02-12T03:10:16Z")
> [@boofy\_bloke](#): > > IIRC aren’t monkey blokes the only males with nipples? Surely you’ve seen the vestigial ones on other common mammals like dogs and cats? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-male-kangaroos-have-nipples/228705/9 "2004-02-12T03:38:21Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > I think you’re right. I have a vague recollection of reading what I _thought_ was an article about 'roo lactation, but it might have been the platypus or one of the two echidnas. Trying to find photos of 'roo nipples using Google Images has an interesting result, but not the one we want. A female platypus secretes milk from what appear to be modified sweat glands in the skin. A newly born 'roo will latch on (literally) to one of the nips in mom’s pouch and be in 'roo baby heaven until it is developed enough to poke its head out. I believe this is true of all marsupials. Read about the [4 nips right here.](http://www.dierinbeeld.nl/animal_files/mammals/kangaroo/) ---
**Author:** ![boofy\_bloke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@boofy\_bloke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boofy_bloke)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-male-kangaroos-have-nipples/228705/10 "2004-02-12T23:48:34Z")
> [@MLS](#): > > Surely you’ve seen the vestigial ones on other common mammals like dogs and cats? Nope. Mind you, I can’t say I was looking. :eek: