# Kangaroos are vicious **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 8, 2011, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kangaroos-are-vicious/570705 "2011-02-08T22:34:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kangaroos-are-vicious/570705/41 "2011-02-10T21:07:20Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > Why do they always go for the groin? So you’ll roo the day. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kangaroos-are-vicious/570705/42 "2011-02-10T21:23:04Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > Why do they always go for the groin? I blame television. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kangaroos-are-vicious/570705/43 "2011-02-10T21:23:53Z")
> [@fiddlesticks](#): > > At least they aren’t poisonous like a platypus’. I had no idea that platypuses (or is the plural of platypus platipi?) were poisonous! I thought they were just cartoon secret agents. [Link](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perry_the_Platypus) ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kangaroos-are-vicious/570705/44 "2011-02-10T21:44:18Z")
Platypuses is correct. Platypi means you think “Platypus” is a latin word like “alumnus” with a latin plural form ending in -i. However, it is a Greek composite word meaning “flat foot”, just like “Octopus” means “eight foot” or “Oedipus” means “swollen foot”. You could pluralize it the Greek way, to Platypodes, but you’d only do that if you were a total douche, because although Platypus has Greek roots, it is an English word, and therefore should be pluralized by English rules. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kangaroos-are-vicious/570705/45 "2011-02-10T23:15:54Z")
> [@Turek](#): > > Yeah, that seems to be the rule: No matter how cute or ugly the critter is, if it’s from Australia, it’s capable of killing you without working up a sweat. Another rule of thumb: on any list of the world’s ten most poisonous {snakes/ spiders/ whatever you like}, nine of the top ten are from Australia and the tenth is a complete pussycat by comparison. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kangaroos-are-vicious/570705/46 "2011-02-11T01:34:42Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > I think we’re quibbling at this point. We’re talking (tangentially) about whether an eagle has any use for buffed forelimbs. I’m pretty sure that hanging on to a mountain goat(?) while gliding pretty much counts. And if you look at the video, that eagle is gliding for a significant distance. Once again, can we have some evidence that an eagle is capable of hanging onto a mountain goat with its forelimbs? Because that sounds like total bullshit. Eagles grip their prey using their hindlimbs. Your claim that they can lift things using their forelimbs is ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kangaroos-are-vicious/570705/47 "2011-02-11T05:18:18Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > Once again, can we have some evidence that an eagle is capable of hanging onto a mountain goat with its forelimbs? > > Because that sounds like total bullshit. Eagles grip their prey using their hindlimbs. Your claim that they can lift things using their forelimbs is ridiculous. As I said in post #31, an eagle can’t really be said to have forelimbs. Because they’re not quadrupeds. Or at least haven’t been for a few million years. They have wings and one set of limbs. So I’m not really sure where you’re coming from here. The limbs that an eagle does have are pretty darned strong. Now if you’re claiming that a wing is equivalent to a forelimb then I think that’s an odd definition, but no, I’m not claiming that eagles do bench presses with their wings. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kangaroos-are-vicious/570705/48 "2011-02-11T05:33:43Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > As I said in post #31, an eagle can’t really be said to have forelimbs. [Nonsense.](http://scholar.google.com.au/scholar?hl=en&q=%22bird+forelimb%22&btnG=Search&as_sdt=0%2C5&as_ylo=&as_vis=0) Find me one ornithologist or other biologist who denies that eagles have forelimbs. > [@](#): > > Because they’re not quadrupeds. WTF does that have to do with anything? Kangaroos aren’t quadrupeds either. Are you also denying that they have forelimbs? And if you are then what relevance do your comments have in this thread? > [@](#): > > They have wings and one set of limbs. Cite. Seriously, one single reference that says eagles have only one set of limbs. This is a ridiculous claim. > [@](#): > > Now if you’re claiming that a wing is equivalent to a forelimb then I think that’s an odd definition, but no, I’m not claiming that eagles do bench presses with their wings. Then why did you dispute my claim that there are no photographs of eagles lifting with their forelimbs? ME: You won’t find many photos of a buffalo or an eagle or a wolf lifting or grabbing something heavy with its forelimbs either. YOU: Well, I don’t know if an eagle can rightly be said to have forelimbs, but yeah, they carry heavy objects often. YOU: Can you provide some evidence for this claim? Like a picture of an eagle lifting a sheep with its wings for example? I am getting the impression that you have no idea what you are talking about on this subject, but I will reserve final judgment until you provide the requested references. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kangaroos-are-vicious/570705/49 "2011-02-11T05:39:48Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > Now if you’re claiming that a wing is equivalent to a forelimb then I think that’s an odd definition, but no, I’m not claiming that eagles do bench presses with their wings. But, anatomically, wings _are_ forelimbs. The bone structures are completely analogous. See, for example, [this largish chart about bird anatomy](http://www.cedarseed.com/fire/birdtut1.html). ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kangaroos-are-vicious/570705/50 "2011-02-11T05:45:24Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > Now if you’re claiming that a wing is equivalent to a forelimb then I think that’s an odd definition, but no, I’m not claiming that eagles do bench presses with their wings. > [@Blake](#): > > I am getting the impression that you have no idea what you are talking about on this subject, but I will reserve final judgment until you provide the requested references. Guys, I’m not exactly speaking as a moderator here, but I just want to point out that getting into a slugging match about this tangent based on an offhand remark is rather pointless with regard to the actual subject of the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kangaroos-are-vicious/570705/51 "2011-02-11T13:05:38Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > Once again, can we have some evidence that an eagle is capable of hanging onto a mountain goat with its forelimbs? > > Because that sounds like total bullshit. Eagles grip their prey using their hindlimbs. Your claim that they can lift things using their forelimbs is ridiculous. But what if they gripped it by the husk? ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kangaroos-are-vicious/570705/52 "2011-02-11T13:49:05Z")
> [@Turek](#): > > But what if they gripped it by the husk? Don’t be ridiculous. Mountain goats don’t have husks. They would need to sling it between them on a string or something. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kangaroos-are-vicious/570705/53 "2011-02-11T18:08:52Z")
Having come face to face with kangaroos on the loose (our zoo has a kangaroo exhibit where in theory you safely wander in a field with no fence between you and the kangaroos…in practice sometimes the critters come over and want to find out just what you’re trying to pull by coming into their area…I’m surprised no one has had an Emergency Kangaroo Beatdown yet…), I would never think of them as “cuddly” or “cute.” They’re big, scary animals which make me want to immediately start backing away. And yes, their forelimbs look strong up close. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kangaroos-are-vicious/570705/54 "2011-02-11T18:17:17Z")
> [@penultima\_thule](#): > > Wassat? Predatory, carnivorous kangaroos? :eek: > > Bloody unlikely. > A far better bet was that the roo thought the guide had some grain/pellets and was begging to be fed. No, it wasn’t trying to eat him, I never assumed that. I think it was just in a bad mood and wasn’t impressed with being disturbed. It could’ve been for food, of course. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kangaroos-are-vicious/570705/55 "2011-02-11T19:41:12Z")
This reminds me of a thread in which a doper proclaimed, quite seriously, that “koalas are assholes”. I still think of that and giggle every time I see a koala. I mean, everyone knows kangaroos wear boxing gloves and will kick your ass, but koalas? ---
**Author:** ![Noel\_Prosequi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b19c9b/32.png) [@Noel\_Prosequi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noel_Prosequi)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kangaroos-are-vicious/570705/56 "2011-02-12T03:37:09Z")
Might be confusing them with Drop Bears. On a more serious note, the local insane asylum in the city where I live has very large grounds, and they actually cultivate the presence of wild wallabies. Wild wallabies generally aren’t fierce (although they can be, like any animal) - they tend to just wander away when you approach them - but their presence seems to keep the poor patients happy. I can see why. I have to go out there regularly (it’s to do with legal proceedings involving the criminally insane) and when I’m waiting to get to deal with the patients, I often sit around just watching the wallabies. Very peaceful thing to do. ---
**Author:** ![Resung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/898d66/32.png) [@Resung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Resung)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kangaroos-are-vicious/570705/57 "2012-08-22T15:19:59Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > Like hell they are. The forearms of a kanagaroo are massive. Most kangaroos have small forearms because most kangaroos are pretty small. The large red kangaroo males certainly don’t have \*small \*forearms, but compared to the rest of them they are still relatively light. > [@](#): > > While they are only about [3/4 the length](http://bird.net.au/bird/images/a/a6/Western_Grey_Kangaroo.jpg) of a human arm, they have a [musculature](http://www.knowledgerush.com/wiki_image/2/26/Red-Kangaroo-5legs.jpg) that [no human](http://images.blockstar.com/uploads/pfunf/Red-kangaroo.JPG) could hope to achieve even with extensive steroid use. Proof? I’ve seen plenty of bodybuilders with more muscular arms than the roos you’re posting. > [@](#): > > Because roos have large hindlegs and are designed bottom heavy, people who have never seen one up close seem to assume they have small fore limbs. Most roos do. It’s only the large males, of the largest breed of kangaroos, that have large arms. > [@Blake](#): > > 1. The point I was addressing is the misconception that the arms are small. they are not, they are at least as large as human arms. It’s not a misconception, most kangaroos have far smaller arms than humans. > [@](#): > > 1. Since this is your first post in this thread, I have no idea how useful you originally thought the arms to be. However if you think they are of limited utility, perhaps you should ask yourself this simple question: What are all those huge muscles for? Animals don’t develop huge, energy consuming muscles that have no utility. I’ve read elsewhere that they are used for fighting other males. But as a general point, animals often develop energy-expensive adaptations that have very little utility, simply as a form of display. Think of a peacock for example. 1. These are kangaroos, not primates. The arms are not designed to lift or carry. What does a kangaroo ever need to lift or carry? You won’t find many photos of a buffalo or an eagle or a wolf lifting or grabbing something heavy with its forelimbs either. Does that mean that buffalo, eagle and wolf forelimbs are tiny and less useful than you thought? [/quote] This is silly. Wolves and buffalo use their forelimbs to run on, and eagles use their forelimbs as their primary means of movement. Comparing them to kangaroo forelimbs that play very little role in kangaroo movement is comparing apples and oranges. > [@](#): > > Kangaroo forelimbs are designed primarily to push and swipe. If you want photos of them dong that with impressive force, well, here, [knock yourself out](http://www.google.com.au/images?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=s&hl=en&q=kangaroo+fighting&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&biw=1024&bih=578). I personally like [this shot](http://www.libbyhobday.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/kangaroo-punch-woman.jpg) to give some idea of the power involved. Or [this one](http://xmb.stuffucanuse.com/xmb/image.php?&aid=2559&runner-kangaroo.jpg)showing the aftermath He has a black eye. Take away the scratches and it’s not even a big black eye. > [@Blake](#): > > No, kangaroos fight by standing on their tails and swinging the hindlimbs. Against dogs they try to get their backs against a tree or a patch of thorny brush. The dogs can’t attack the low sections because of the reach of the legs, so they then forced to jump to get at the head or neck, and the roo then grabs the dog and kicks. This [old illustration](http://www.diggindeepkennels.com/assets/kangaroo%20hunt%20circa%201890.jpg) gives the basic impression of what happens when a kangaroo fights dogs. Have you ever seen a kangaroo and a dog fight? > [@](#): > > They can certainly grab dogs (or humans) that are stupid enough to get within arms length, and when they do grab they will kick. But they would never reach down to grab an attacker. That is pointless when their own primary weapon is located at ground level. They rely on the attacker bringing themselves within reach of the arms and then holding them while the hindlegs are brought to bear. > > And lest anybody think that kangaroos have useless arms and are incapable of inflicting serious injuries or drowning people or dogs: [think again](http://weinterrupt.com/2009/11/aggressive-kangaroo-tried-to-drown-bloodied-man/). So an old white haired man ran into a lake, took his dog back off of the kangaroo, and then carried the dog out of the lake while the kangaroo was still trying to drown him. It’s not an impressive display of kangaroo strength in all honesty. > [@Blake](#): > > Can you provide some evidence for this claim? Like a picture of an eagle lifting a sheep with its wings for example. > > Because my BS meter is going off. This part here is really a different argument, but i had to include it to point out the fact that nowhere in his post does he say eagles use their forelimbs to lift other animals, and i really dislike the fact that you’re trying to put words in his mouth in order to justify talking down to him. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kangaroos-are-vicious/570705/58 "2012-08-22T18:42:26Z")
Quick! Call the [Z.O.R.T.](http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NTAwWDUwMA==/$%28KGrHqRHJEQE88dEze0oBP,ZZ00Z!!~~60_35.JPG)!!! ---
**Author:** ![XRaeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/f14d63/32.png) [@XRaeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XRaeth)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kangaroos-are-vicious/570705/59 "2012-08-23T06:56:28Z")
How the heck do you even find stuff like this? Do you just have a massive repository of zombie related pictures to cover any subject you need, because zombies and kangaroos have to be about the least likely combination I can think of. Seriously though that is an awesome picture. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kangaroos-are-vicious/570705/60 "2012-08-23T08:59:26Z")
Hi Resung and welcome to the Straight Dope message board! Just so you know, the conversation in this thread is over a year old, so while Blake is a regular poster he may not see it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kangaroos-are-vicious/570705.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kangaroos-are-vicious/570705.md?page=4)