Abstract
The home range of red kangaroos, Macropus rufus, and euros, M. robustus erubescens, was studied by radio-tracking in contiguous sites in semi-arid northwestern New South Wales, Australia. This paper reports the results for red kangaroos. In the short term, red kangaroos were sedentary in home ranges of 259–516 ha for week-long periods in summer and winter. Males and females did not differ significantly in home-range area but female home range increased with body weight. There was an altitudinal shift in home range between summer and winter related to thermoregulation. Home range also tended to positively correlate with vegetation cover. In the long term, a few individuals moved distances of 25 km or more. Following a prolonged dry spell, a more global shift of the population occurred to localised rainfall 20–30 km east of the study site. Widespread rainfall saw the return of at least females to their former home ranges. Movement patterns in red kangaroos are complex but the population is not generally nomadic.
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