Marsupials

Marsupial Marsupial is the common name for a group of mammals in which the females have a pouch. This pouch is called a marsupium, and it is where offspring are carried. Scientists have identified 260-280 species of marsupial. Most of these species are found in Australia and New Zealand. Some do live in South America and 1 species, the Virginia opossum, lives in North America.

Marsupials All marsupials share reproductive traits that distinguish them from other mammals. One trait is the uterus, which is divided into right and left compartments. Another trait is that marsupials lack a true placenta. Instead, pregnant females have a yolk sac that provides nutrition to the embryo. Marsupial offspring are not born completely developed. They only weigh about .04 oz. at birth. After they are born, they attach to a nipple inside the mother’s pouch. This keeps the baby in place for several more weeks until it is fully developed.

Marsupials The marsupial brain is also smaller than that of other placental mammals of similar size. Marsupials have between 40-50 teeth, while humans have 32 and elephants have only 6. Smell and hearing are very important senses because marsupials are primarily nocturnal. Most marsupials are solitary animals. To mark their territory or communicate their desire to mate, they will use scent from their skin glands, urine, or feces. Males and females do not form bonds beyond the time needed to mate.

A. Kangaroo Kangaroos are very common marsupials found in Australia and New Guinea. There are about 47 species of “roos.”

Kangaroo Kangaroos can hop at about 40 mph and cover over 30 feet in one hop.

Kangaroo Roos are very shy mammals that usually live about 6 years in the wild or up to 20 years in captivity. Most are nocturnal. Many are in danger of extinction, but are also considered pests by locals because of the way they damage crops.

Kangaroo An adult male is called a buck, boomer, or jack. An adult female is called a doe, flyer, roo, or jill. A baby is called a joey. A group of roos is called a mob.

Kangaroo Joey

A mob

Kangaroo The red kangaroo is the largest marsupial. Females have 1 baby at a time, which at birth is smaller than a cherry.

Kangaroo Large male kangaroos are very powerful. Males will sometimes fight over potential mates. They will often lean back on their tail and box each other with their hind legs. Roos can also bite and have sharp claws, which they will use in battle.

Kangaroo Roos are herbivores. They swallow their food without chewing it and later will regurgitate a cud and chew it. Roos need very little water; they can go for months without it and will dig their own wells.

Kangaroo Scientific Name Macropus rufus (Red Kangaroo)

B. Wallaby Wallabies are small to medium-sized kangaroos. There are about 30 species of wallaby and they are grouped based on their habitat: shrub wallabies; brush wallabies; and rock wallabies. Some wallabies include the Quokka, Nabarlet, and the Pandemelon.

Wallaby All wallabies have pouches. Most wallabies are small, but some can get as big as 6 feet from head to tail. They have powerful hind legs and tails. These tails are not prehensile (gripping) but are still very useful. Nail-tailed wallabies have a sharp growth at the end of their tail. Wallabies are herbivores and eat mostly grasses and plants.

Wallaby Scientific Name Macropus rufogriseus (Red-necked wallaby)

C. Opossum The Virginia opossum is the only marsupial from North America. It lives in forests and prairies. Opossums are nocturnal. They sleep during the day in a den in a hollow tree or in an abandoned rodent burrow.

Opossum When opossums are attacked, they will “play possum”, pretending they are dead. They remain still, do not blink, and their tongue hangs out. This will often make their attacker lose interest. Some opossum predators include foxes and dogs.

Opossum The opossum is an omnivore. They are also scavengers and will often go to human homes looking in garbage cans, dumpsters, and other containers. They are attracted to carrion (decaying flesh of a dead animal) and will often be seen around roadkill.

Opossum Opossums are excellent tree climbers and spend much of their time in trees. To help them climb, they have very sharp claws that dig into the bark , and they also have a long prehensile tail that can be used as an extra limb.

Opossum Scientific Name Didelphis virginiana

D. Koala Koalas are often called “bears”, but they are marsupials. Their closest relative is the wombat. They live in Australia where eucalyptus trees are readily available.

Koala After birth, the female carries the baby in her pouch for about 6 months. After the baby leaves the pouch, it rides on its mother’s back or clings to her belly until it is about 1 year old.

Koala Koalas rarely leave the eucalyptus tree. They have sharp claws and opposable digits to help them stay in the tree. They are nocturnal and sleep about 18 hours a day. Koalas do not drink much water; they get most of their moisture from leaves. They eat about 1-2 pounds of leaves per day. They will even store snacks in cheek pouches.

Koala Koalas have a special digestive feature: a long gut, which allows them to break down the tough eucalyptus leaves and remain unharmed by the poison found in those leaves. They eat so many leaves that they begin to take on a distinct odor from the oil of the leaves.

Koala Koalas are about 2-3 feet long and weigh 10-30 pounds. Their fur protects them from cold weather and rain. They have rough pads on their feet and hands which are used for climbing the trees they live in.

Koala Koalas need a lot of space: about 100 trees per animal. This is a problem in Australia as their woodlands are shrinking.

Koala Scientific Name Phascolaractos cinereus

E. Wombat Wombats are rare marsupials from dry areas in Australia and Tasmania. It is the largest burrowing mammal. Wombats are solitary and nocturnal. They have very short legs, large paws, sharp claws, and a shuffling walk. Their pouch is backwards facing to keep dirt out as it digs. They have 4 incisor teeth that grow their entire life. Wombats have very unusual, cube-shaped dung.

Wombat Scientific Name Vombatus ursinus

F. Bandicoot Bandicoots are pointy-nosed marsupials from Australia and New Guinea. There are 19 different species that live in plains, forests, and deserts. Their pouch faces backward (like in Wombats) so that dirt doesn’t get in. These mammals are in danger of extinction.

Bandicoot Bandicoots are nocturnal. They dig very long, complex burrows. The bilby is a type of bandicoot that digs burrows 5 feet long.

Bandicoot Bandicoots are about 11-32 inches long with a 8 inch tail. They have very powerful, clawed hind legs. Bandicoots are omnivores. They also need very little water and get what moisture they need from their food. Bandicoots are hunted by foxes and feral cats. They will go into their burrows for protection.

Bandicoot Scientific Name Isoodon obesulus (Southern brown bandicoot)

F. Tasmanian Devil This is a solitary marsupial from eucalyptus forests in Tasmania. They are the largest carnivorous marsupial.

Tasmanian Devil They have a very bad attitude and will go into a rage if they are threatened by a predator, fighting for a mate, or defending a meal.

Tasmanian Devil Tasmanians have very coarse brown or black fur and are very stocky, which gives them the look of a baby bear. They can weigh up to 26 pounds and have an oversized head with sharp teeth and strong, muscular jaws that can deliver, pound for pound, one of the most powerful bites of any mammal.

Tasmanian Devil They prefer to eat carrion and will often do so with other tasmanians. They are really rowdy when trying to get the best position on a dead carcass. When they are well fed, their tail will swell with stored fat. When they eat, they eat everything—including hair, organs, and bones. Tasmanian devils have become endangered because of dingoes.

Tasmanian Devil Scientific Name Sarcophilus harrisii