where does the name of kangaroo come from
As with the terms `` wallaroo '' and `` wallaby '' , `` kangaroo '' refers to a polyphyletic grouping of species . All three refer to members of the same taxonomic family , Macropodidae , and are distinguished according to size . The largest species in the family are called `` kangaroos '' and the smallest are generally called `` wallabies '' . The term `` wallaroos '' refers to species of an intermediate size .