Australia is a continent in the Southern Hemisphere, bordered by the Pacific and Indian Oceans, and occupied entirely by the country of the same name. The continent's fauna is unique, as it was isolated from the outside world for a long time.
A distinctive feature of Australian fauna is the complete absence of monkeys, ruminants, and thick-skinned mammals. However, instead of these species, Australia is home to marsupials, which are the subject of this discussion.
Who are marsupials?
This class of animals is unique because they have a fold of skin on their abdomen that resembles a pocket or pouch, which contains the nipples. The young of marsupials are born small and blind and have no fur. This is where the warm and cozy mother's pouch comes in handy, where the babies are nourished and develop until they can see and move around independently. They begin to emerge from the pouch briefly at a few months old and leave it permanently at one year of age. These unusual animals live exclusively in Australia, becoming its calling card.
List of marsupials
Koala - A marsupial bear that lives in trees and never leaves them. This small, slow-moving animal feeds only on shoots and fresh eucalyptus leaves, so it inhabits eucalyptus thickets. These bears are quite peaceful creatures, and love nothing more than to sleep. Their distinctive feature is that they drink no water. A baby koala is tiny at birth, weighing no more than five grams. Immediately after birth, it climbs into a cozy pouch, and after emerging, six months later, it continues to move around on its mother's back.- Kangaroo — a herbivore that moves by hopping on its powerful hind legs. The red kangaroo holds the record for fastest leap among these marsupials, easily reaching ten meters in length and up to three meters. It is also the largest of these animals, reaching a height of two meters and weighing over 80 kg. The fastest, however, is the gray "giant" kangaroo, easily reaching speeds of up to 67 km/h.
Koala - A marsupial bear that lives in trees and never leaves them. This small, slow-moving animal feeds only on shoots and fresh eucalyptus leaves, so it inhabits eucalyptus thickets. These bears are quite peaceful creatures, and love nothing more than to sleep. Their distinctive feature is that they drink no water. A baby koala is tiny at birth, weighing no more than five grams. Immediately after birth, it climbs into a cozy pouch, and after emerging, six months later, it continues to move around on its mother's back.Other marsupials of Australia
- Quokka The quokka is a short-tailed kangaroo that resembles a rodent in appearance. It is quite small, weighing between 2.5 and 5.5 kg, and its body length is 50-90 cm. It moves by hopping, like its larger relatives. The quokka has thick fur and can even smile. It is a herbivore that prefers to feed at night. Although it spends most of its life on the ground, it can easily climb up to two meters in height in search of young shoots. Recently, the quokka has become popular as a pet.
- Wallaby Wallabies are another marsupial native to Australia. They are a species of tree kangaroo that prefer to live in packs. They are very agile and can easily leap from tree to tree. Wallabies have fairly powerful front and hind legs, topped with strong claws. Their tail serves as an organ of support and balance. These animals are nocturnal, sleeping on tree branches during the day. They feed exclusively on plants. They can be domesticated, as they are easily tamed.
- Wombat A wombat is a marsupial that shares similarities with both a capybara (a large guinea pig) and a beaver. They live in underground burrows, where they dig long, winding tunnels. Like beavers, they fell trees but do not build dams. They feed on terrestrial plants and algae. They prefer to remain in their burrows during the day and emerge at night to hunt. Unfortunately, wombats have become an endangered species. This is due to their many natural predators. However, humans also contribute to their disappearance from the face of the Earth. Due to their attractive fur, these animals often fall prey to the fur industry.
- Tasmanian devil The Tasmanian devil is a marsupial named after an evil spirit because of its chilling cry. This predator is small, measuring 45-50 cm in length and weighing 5-7 kg. They seek refuge in caves, bushes, or burrows. This solitary predator prefers to hunt at nightfall. Tasmanian devils are not averse to feeding on parrots, small kangaroos, possums, and insects. However, they have been known to attack wombats, which are many times larger than the devils. These ferocious creatures also have enemies—Australian dingoes, eagles, and, of course, humans. The Tasmanian devil population is currently protected.
Tasmanian devil The Tasmanian devil is a marsupial named after an evil spirit because of its chilling cry. This predator is small, measuring 45-50 cm in length and weighing 5-7 kg. They seek refuge in caves, bushes, or burrows. This solitary predator prefers to hunt at nightfall. Tasmanian devils are not averse to feeding on parrots, small kangaroos, possums, and insects. However, they have been known to attack wombats, which are many times larger than the devils. These ferocious creatures also have enemies—Australian dingoes, eagles, and, of course, humans. The Tasmanian devil population is currently protected.
Marsupial glider The sugar glider, or sugar glider, is a tree-dwelling marsupial. Its unusual name comes from its ability to glide and its insatiable craving for sweets. It should not be confused with the flying squirrel. This animal is native to eucalyptus forests.
This is a small and incredibly light animal: the length of its body can reach up to 40 cm, of which 16 to 20 cm is devoted to a fluffy tail. The sugar glider weighs 90-160 grams, with males being larger than females. The sugar glider's ears resemble locators—they can swivel toward sounds. These nocturnal animals navigate very well in the dark thanks to their bulging eyes.
Flying squirrels' toes are equipped with claws that help them cling to branches and forage for insect larvae under tree bark. During the day, these animals rest in nests located in trees, and at night they emerge to hunt. They feed primarily on insects, and treat themselves to dessert. sweet acacia juice, fruits or pollen. With the arrival of winter, flying squirrels hibernate. In the wild, their lifespan is 7-8 years. Thanks to their cute appearance, they have become popular pets and can live up to 12 years in captivity.
And this is far from a complete list of marsupials that live on the continent called Australia.
