<P> A common myth about the kangaroo's English name is that "kangaroo" was a Guugu Yimithirr phrase for "I don't understand you ." According to this legend, Cook and Banks were exploring the area when they happened upon the animal . They asked a nearby local what the creatures were called . The local responded "Kangaroo", meaning "I don't understand you", which Cook took to be the name of the creature . This myth was debunked in the 1970s by linguist John B. Haviland in his research with the Guugu Yimithirr people . </P> <P> Kangaroos are often colloquially referred to as "roos". Male kangaroos are called bucks, boomers, jacks, or old men; females are does, flyers, or jills, and the young ones are joeys . The collective noun for kangaroos is a mob, troop, or court . </P> <P> There are four species that are commonly referred to as kangaroos: </P> <Ul> <Li> The red kangaroo (Macropus rufus) is the largest surviving marsupial anywhere in the world . It occupies the arid and semi-arid centre of the country . The highest population densities of the red kangaroo occur in the rangelands of western New South Wales . Red kangaroos are commonly mistaken as the most abundant species of kangaroo, but eastern greys actually have a larger population . A large male can be 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) tall and weigh 90 kg (200 lb). </Li> <Li> The eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) is less well - known than the red (outside Australia), but the most often seen, as its range covers the fertile eastern part of the country . The range of the eastern grey kangaroo extends from the top of the Cape York Peninsula in north Queensland down to Victoria, as well as areas of south - eastern Australia and Tasmania . Population densities of eastern grey kangaroos usually peak near 100 per km in suitable habitats of open woodlands . Populations are more limited in areas of land clearance, such as farmland, where forest and woodland habitats are limited in size or abundance . </Li> <Li> The western grey kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus) is slightly smaller again at about 54 kg (119 lb) for a large male . It is found in the southern part of Western Australia, South Australia near the coast, and the Darling River basin . The highest population densities occur in the western Riverina district of New South Wales and in western areas of the Nullarbor Plain in Western Australia . Populations may have declined, particularly in agricultural areas . The species has a high tolerance to the plant toxin sodium fluoroacetate, which indicates a possible origin from the south - west region of Australia . </Li> <Li> The antilopine kangaroo (Macropus antilopinus) is, essentially, the far - northern equivalent of the eastern and western grey kangaroos . It is sometimes referred to as the antilopine wallaroo, but in behaviour and habitat it is more similar to red and grey kangaroos . Like them, it is a creature of the grassy plains and woodlands, and gregarious . Its name comes from its fur, which is similar in colour and texture to that of antelopes . Characteristically, the noses of males swell behind the nostrils . This enlarges nasal passages and allows them to release more heat in hot and humid climates . </Li> </Ul>

How many species of kangaroos are native to australia