Hobbies And Interests
Usually Occupied
The pouch on a flyer is nearly always occupied after a flyer reaches sexual maturity. The joey climbs into it as soon as it is born, being no bigger than the size of a lima bean. From there, it will spend the next six to nine months in the pouch, depending on the species of kangaroo. As a joey gets older, however, it will spend more time out of the pouch. Flyers have usually already conceived again before the present joey leaves the pouch.
Provide Milk
There are four teats inside the pouch that provide milk to the joey. When a joey is first born, it crawls into the pouch and begins drinking from a nipple immediately. The teat then swells as a way of securing the joey to it. A joey returns to nurse inside the pouch until it is 6 to 9 months old, depending on the type of kangaroo. Unlike many other animals, it continues to nurse even at a rather large size.
A Place of Shelter
Other than providing milk to the joey, the other principal function of the pouch is to provide a place of shelter. Since the joey is born mostly undeveloped, the pouch must keep it protected until it is able to grow and gain mobility. Since it is small and hairless when it first enters it, the pouch's dark, warm environment is essential in its vulnerable state. Even as the joey grows older, it jumps into the pouch as a place of refuge.
Contractible
Unlike some other marsupials, such as koalas, the pouch on a flyer opens forward. It is slightly elastic, stretching marginally as the joey grows and expands inside. It is also flexible enough to allow the joey to turn around inside of it. The mother can prevent the joey from leaving the pouch during times of danger by contracting the muscles that close it. She may also close it during harsh weather or when experiencing other forms of stress.