Red Kangaroos Diet

All kangaroos are herbivorous, subsisting solely on plants, plants and more plants. They have chambered stomachs, and they regurgitate and chew cud just like cows. Green herbage is a major food source. The foundation of a red kangaroo diet consists of plenty of grass in different varieties, shrubs, flowering plants and foliage. Other animals need not fret in the presence of red kangaroos -- they are not predators. However, red kangaroos are prey for human beings, dingoes, foxes and wedgetail eagles.

Red kangaroos typically graze, according to the Philadelphia Zoo website. Their grazing usually takes place during both the dawn and dusk hours. When red kangaroos eat, it usually is a rather crowded scene, too. The animals partake in mealtimes in units of 10. These units are known as mobs.

If water is not easily accessible, red kangaroos can manage. This is due to the fact that they eat sufficient succulent plants, which contain ample amounts of water. When water is in the vicinity, however, red kangaroos do not hesitate to lap it up. During the coolest months, as long as ample moisture-packed plants are available, red kangaroos can handle their hydration needs very easily. When it is hotter out, drinking of actual water is necessary only about two times per week, according to the website for the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse.

Red kangaroos that live in zoos eat slightly different diets than their wild counterparts. A couple of common basics of the red kangaroo zoo diet are pellet mixes and Timothy hay. Apart from the foundation of the diet, red kangaroos residing in zoos also tend to eat a lot of apples, carrots, root vegetables, leaves, escarole and lettuce.