<P> As with the terms `` wallaroo '' and `` wallaby '' , `` kangaroo '' refers to a polyphyletic grouping of species . All three refer to members of the same taxonomic family , Macropodidae , and are distinguished according to size . The largest species in the family are called `` kangaroos '' and the smallest are generally called `` wallabies '' . The term `` wallaroos '' refers to species of an intermediate size . There is also the tree - kangaroo , another genus of macropod , which inhabits the tropical rainforests of New Guinea , far northeastern Queensland and some of the islands in the region . A general idea of the relative size of these informal terms could be : </P>
<P> As with the terms `` wallaroo '' and `` wallaby '' , `` kangaroo '' refers to a polyphyletic grouping of species . All three refer to members of the same taxonomic family , Macropodidae , and are distinguished according to size . The largest species in the family are called `` kangaroos '' and the smallest are generally called `` wallabies '' . The term `` wallaroos '' refers to species of an intermediate size . There is also the tree - kangaroo , another genus of macropod , which inhabits the tropical rainforests of New Guinea , far northeastern Queensland and some of the islands in the region . A general idea of the relative size of these informal terms could be : </P>
where does the name of kangaroo come from
where does the name of kangaroo come from
As with the terms `` wallaroo '' and `` wallaby '' , `` kangaroo '' refers to a polyphyletic grouping of species . All three refer to members of the same taxonomic family , Macropodidae , and are distinguished according to size . The largest species in the family are called `` kangaroos '' and the smallest are generally called `` wallabies '' . The term `` wallaroos '' refers to species of an intermediate size .
As with the terms `` wallaroo '' and `` wallaby '' , `` kangaroo '' refers to a polyphyletic grouping of species . All three refer to members of the same taxonomic family , Macropodidae , and are distinguished according to size . The largest species in the family are called `` kangaroos '' and the smallest are generally called `` wallabies '' . The term `` wallaroos '' refers to species of an intermediate size .