Theremarkable social, anecdotal, and historical storyofAustralia's most famous marsupial, recognized the world over for its adorable pouch and trademark hoppingFromtheir ancient origins and prehistoric significance to current-day management and conservation, this book describes the ecology, history, and behavior of these unique animals.The amazing diversity of this group of animalsis revealed, from tiny forest dwellers and tree kangaroos to large majestic animals living on the open plains of central Australia and the giant kangaroos that once roamed the Pleistocene landscape.It describes their interaction with both the original inhabitants and the European settlers of Australia and addresses the issue of how the population of these animalscan bebest managed, making the points that some species are heading for extinction due to habitat loss while others have increased in numbers since humans first settled in Australia. The authors also investigate the animal's natural historytheir unique reproduction methods, intriguing behaviour, varied diet, and trademark hopping ability; and examineshumans' sustained fascination with kangaroosspanning 40,000 yearsthat allows these engaging marsupials to be instantly recognized."