The World's Highest Hoppers
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Grasshoppers are great hoppers. But there are many others high hopping animals. Here are some of the best hoppers in the world.

 

The impala is one of the highest hoppers. Impalas live in Africa. They can jump nearly 10 feet into the air. Impalas are also fast runners. They use their skills to get away from predators such as lions, leopards, and cheetahs.

 

Impalas grow to be about three feet tall. Males are called rams and have long, ringed horns. Females are called ewes and do not have horns. Impalas live in groups called herds.

 

Rabbits are famous hoppers, but hares are the best hoppers of all. Hares are a kind of wild rabbit. They are larger and have longer ears than rabbits. The European hare is very fast. It can run 40 miles per hour and jump 10 feet high.

 

Hares live in nests above the ground. They usually live alone, but meet in groups in the springtime. A group of hares is called a drove. The males compete to show who’s strongest. They box with each other, using their front legs like fists. The boxing matches can go on for a long time and the strongest hare usually wins.

 

Australia is home to many kinds of animals that hop. The most famous is the kangaroo, which is also the largest hopping land animal. Red kangaroos are the biggest type of kangaroo. Large males can be nearly seven feet tall and weigh 200 pounds.

 

Kangaroos have powerful hind legs, a long muscular tail, and large hind feet. These things help the kangaroo jump and hop. They are fast hoppers, too. Red kangaroos can move at 43 miles an hour over short distances. They can jump six feet high. They can travel 25 feet in a single jump.