Kangaroos Genus and Species: Macropus Giganteus HOW THE KANGAROO GOT ITS NAME When European explorers first saw these strange hopping animals they asked a native Australian (aborigine) what they were called. He replied "kangaroo" meaning "I don't understand" your question. The explorers thought this was the animal's name. And that's how the kangaroo got its name. Description: Kangaroos are marsupial mammals and comprise 47 species within the family Macropodidae. The three largest species of kangaroos belong to the genus Macropus; they are the gray kangaroo, or forester, Macropus canguru (sometimes called M. giganteus or M. major); the wall