Some day this little guy or girl will be about as tall as a man. But for now the weeks-old red kangaroo joey is roughly cherry-size, essentially an embryo outside the womb.<br>
<br>
Red kangaroos--along with three other species featured in the National Geographic Channel's new documentary <i>In the Womb: Extreme Animals</i>--have evolved ingenious adaptations for coping with what would seem to be gestational hazards. (National Geographic News is part of the National Geographic Society, which part-owns the Channel.)<br>
<br>
Even at this early stage, the red kangaroo's forearms are fully functional, its inner ear can tell up from down, and its sensitive nose makes up for unseeing eyes--the better to find and latch on to the tiny teat that will nourish the kangaroo almost continuously for six months, according to the documentary.
Some day this little guy or girl will be about as tall as a man. But for now the weeks-old red kangaroo joey is roughly cherry-size, essentially an embryo outside the womb.
Red kangaroos--along with three other species featured in the National Geographic Channel's new documentary In the Womb: Extreme Animals--have evolved ingenious adaptations for coping with what would seem to be gestational hazards. (National Geographic News is part of the National Geographic Society, which part-owns the Channel.)
Even at this early stage, the red kangaroo's forearms are fully functional, its inner ear can tell up from down, and its sensitive nose makes up for unseeing eyes--the better to find and latch on to the tiny teat that will nourish the kangaroo almost continuously for six months, according to the documentary.
Red kangaroos--along with three other species featured in the National Geographic Channel's new documentary In the Womb: Extreme Animals--have evolved ingenious adaptations for coping with what would seem to be gestational hazards. (National Geographic News is part of the National Geographic Society, which part-owns the Channel.)
Even at this early stage, the red kangaroo's forearms are fully functional, its inner ear can tell up from down, and its sensitive nose makes up for unseeing eyes--the better to find and latch on to the tiny teat that will nourish the kangaroo almost continuously for six months, according to the documentary.
- Animals
- Photo Gallery
In the Womb: "Extreme" Animal Embryos Revealed
From embryonic wasps that mature inside "brainwashed" caterpillars to developing sharks with "superhuman" senses, see pre-birth pictures of animals that have extreme adaptations to the rigors of gestation.
Unlock this story for free
Create an account to read the full story and get unlimited access to hundreds of Nat Geo articles.
