Kangaroo skin

Eastern Gray Kangaroo Macropus giganteus

Description

The skin from any of the long-legged marsupials in the family Macropodidae (Macropus rufus, Macropus giganteus, Macropus fuliginosus) native to Australia and nearby islands. Kangaroos and wallabies have a soft, durable skin that is thin and strong. Usually prepared with a chrome-tanned finish, wallaby or kangaroo leather does not scuff easily and polishes to a high gloss. The skins have been used for bookbinding, shoe uppers, and gloves.

Synonyms and Related Terms

wallaby; kangaroo leather; gangurru (Aborigine); cuir de kangourou (Fr.); piel de canguro (Esp.); kangoeroehuid (Ned); pele de canguru (Port.); pademelon; quokka; macropod; joey

Resources and Citations

• Matt Roberts, Don Etherington, Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books: a Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington DC, 1982

• Encyclopedia Britannica, http://www.britannica.com Comment: Kangaroo." Accessed 2 Sept. 2004.

• Edward Reich, Carlton J. Siegler, Consumer Goods: How to Know and Use Them, American Book Company, New York City, 1937

• American Leather Chemists Association Glossary at www.leatherchemists.org

• Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo (accessed Nov. 25, 2004)