How Many Vaginas Do Kangaroos Have?

How many vaginas do kangaroos have? Three! It’s true, female kangaroos have three vaginas.

While this probably seems quite odd at first, there are good reasons why kangaroos, and all marsupials for that matter, have three vaginas. Let’s explore this interesting topic below.

Why Do Kangaroos Have 3 Vaginas?

Female kangaroos have three vaginas—one vagina in the middle that’s used for birth and two additional vaginas on either side which lead to separate uteri. Not only do kangaroos have three vaginas, but all marsupials including koalas, wombats, and Tasmanian devils also have three vaginas.

Let me point out that female kangaroos don’t actually have three separate holes. Kangaroos have a single vaginal opening that divides into three vaginal tubes.

The medial vagina, the one in the middle, carries the jellybean-sized embryo during birth. In other words, this narrow, medial vagina serves the purpose of a birth canal.

On the other hand, the vaginas on either side of the medial vagina carry sperm to the two uteruses.

Kangaroo Reproductive Anatomy

The symmetrical anatomy of a female kangaroo’s vagina makes sense when you consider the anatomy of a male kangaroo’s penis. A male kangaroo’s penis splits into two columns making it bifurcated. Consequently, a male’s bifurcated penis corresponds perfectly with a female’s two outer vaginas.

In addition to three vaginas, marsupials have two separate ureters which transport urine from the kidneys to the bladder.

Furthermore, the combination of multiple vaginas and a pouch allow a kangaroo to nurse up to three joeys simultaneously—a developing embryo, a young joey in the pouch, and an older joey who has left the pouch.

In the end, the fact that kangaroos have three vaginas isn’t that strange after all. It’s actually a beautiful thing when you consider the symmetry of male and female kangaroo reproductive organs.