By Hee May Yee
THE kangaroo is one of Australia’s most iconic and powerful animals, often seen in viral videos showing off its strength.
Some have even encountered one up close, but could such a large, powerful creature start out so tiny?
Is it really true that a kangaroo is born as small as a jelly bean?
Verdict:
TRUE
It may sound unreal, but it's true. The newborn kangaroo, called a "Joey," is incredibly small - about the size of a jelly bean.
When it's born, it's only about 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) long and weighs less than a gram. It's pink, hairless, and completely blind.
Kangaroos give birth quite early, after about 34 days of gestation, and the infants are barely developed.
Yet don't be fooled by its tiny, jelly bean-like size: this creature is equipped for survival.
As soon as it leaves the birth canal, it crawls into its mother's pouch through her fur, purely on instinct. No help needed and all on its own.
Once inside the pouch, the real work begins. The joey latches onto one of the mother's teats and stays there for months, continuing to grow and develop.
For a little over two months, it doesn’t leave the pouch at all. Around six months in, it starts poking its head out, taking cautious peeks at the outside world.
By eight months, it finally hops out for good—but still sticks close to mom and often returns for feedings.
And an extra cool fact is that female kangaroos can support joeys at different stages simultaneously.
That means one in the pouch, one nursing from outside, and even one embryo on pause—waiting until the pouch is free again.
It's one of those mind-boggling facts you'd never believe—but now you'll definitely not forget.