Marsupials are an interesting animal, mainly because of the way they give birth. They give birth to babies that are not yet developed, but they still manage to climb into a pouch located on the front of the body of the mother.
When the infant is protected in the pouch, it continues to grow. It feeds by attaching itself to the nipple protected inside the pouch. Most of them are found in Australia, but some can be found in the Americas.
Continue reading to find out about all the different types of Marsupials.
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Types of Marsupials
Black Shouldered Opossum
The black-shouldered opossum is a woolly opossum. This opossum is only found in the southeast Peru and adjacent Brazil. This opossum is thought to face a high risk of extinction.
They tend to have big ears that are not covered with fur. Some have a stripe down the middle of their face or markings on their back that stand out.
This opossum has the pouch that is typical for marsupials. They eat bugs, fruit, eggs, and small animals.
Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby
The Brush-Tailed Rock Wallaby is a marsupial is unique because they can leap like acrobats around ledges in the country near the eastern coast of Australia.
At one time, there were 15 species of the rock wallaby, but most of them have since disappeared and are threatened. The most obvious feature on this animal is the bushy tail, hence its name.
This is an agile animal that moves with confidence and has balance. They are distinct because of the white stripe across their cheek. Thee have brown bodies that are grey at the shoulders and dark feet.
They are able to camouflage themselves and are difficult to see. They are social and live in groups.
Brush-tailed Bettong
The Brush-tailed Bettong grows to two and half feet long, and their tail is half the length. They weigh only three pounds. The fur is a gray-brown, but the underneath is light.
Their muzzle is naked and the color of flesh. They are nocturnal and eat fungus, tubers, insects, and seeds. They build nests out of sticks, bark, and grass. The brush-tailed bettong use their tails to carry the materials they use to build their nests.
Two offspring are conceived at the same time, but because their bodies allow for temporary stoppage of development of one of the embryos, so it delays implantation in the uterus.
This means the second offspring is born many months after the first one. The can dig as many as 115 holes every night.
Common Brush-tailed Possum
These may be considered common, but this brush-tailed possum likes to be alone in the Australian Bush. Their size and color change based on where they live.
When they live in wet and cold places, such as Tasmania, they are dark, fluffy, and large. The weather is warm in the Northern Territory because it is more tropical, and the brush-tailed possum is small and a light grey color.
They have a 17-day pregnancy, and most are born in the autumn, from March to May, or spring, from September to November. At 10 months old, they are considered adults and can begin to breed at 12 months.
They communicate through sharp hissing and coughing during breeding times.
There are really noisy and a bit scary.
Common Echymipera
The Common Echymipera is also known as the common spiny bandicoot or just bandicoot. It is native to the New Guinea area, where it is actually hunted to be eaten by humans.
It has a long snout, and the upper part of the bandicoot is a red-brown color and is flecked with buff and black hair. The hair is coarse. It has a short tall that does not really have any hair.
It now has been found in the Admiralty Islands because it was brought there by humans.
Common Mouse Opossum
The Common Mouse Opossum lives in the areas from eastern Mexico and south through much of Central America to eastern Panama. It is believed that the common mouse opossum does not live much longer than one year in the wild.
They are a pouchless marsupial that is small with big ears and eyes that stand out. They are usually anywhere from four to six inches long. Not much is known about this little marsupial, but it is thought to eat insects and fruit.
There is some evidence that they might eat eggs and small vertebrae. Snakes and owls are natural predators for this animal.
Common Ringtail Possum
The Common Ringtail Possum is a little guy that only weighs about 2.2 pounds. They can live about 4 to 5 years in the wild and probably longer in captivity. Black rats are often mistaken for common ringtail possums.
These are the only possums where the male helps to care for the young. They only like to come out at night and are rarely on the ground. They prefer to hang out in trees with family.
They live in Australia and are the most encountered marsupial. Their teeth are sharp and pointed. Two of their toes are fused together on their back feet to help them climb.
They usually have gray fur with a white underside. Their tales are long and distinctive because from the tip to a quarter of the way down, it is white.
They are found in rain forests, coastal shrubs, woodlands, and eucalypt forests.
Common Wallaroo
The Common Wallaroo is found in the pastures and mountains in eastern Australia from the areas of Victoria to Queensland.
Their preference is to live in rocks or stones. They eat shrubs and grass.
They are a large kangaroo.
They usually live about 18 years in the wild and 19 years in captivity. A male wallaroo weighs from 50 to 100 pounds, and a female weighs about 40 to 50 pounds. Their offspring are called a joey.
They usually hang out in the pouch of their mother from the age of six months to about nine months.
A wallaroo can have a dormant offspring in her uterus while having a joey in the pouch and another one out of the pouch.
Common Wombat
The Common Wombat is a stocky mammal that is found in Australia. They live in burrows and use their strong and sharp claws to dig those burrows through eucalyptus and grass.
Not only do they create and live in burrows, but they create an extensive tunnel system underground. Wombats tend to alone more often instead of spending time with other wombats. Since they are nocturnal, they come out at night to eat. They have two teeth that never stop growing.
They keep their teeth from getting out of control by gnawing on tough food. Farmers do not like wombats, and they hunt them.
Their burrowing becomes a nuisance and interferes with what they are growing.
Crest-tailed Mulgara
The Crest-Tailed Mulgara is found only in central Australia and also known by the name Ampurta. They are ginger-colored so that they blend in with the sand in Australia.
They have long black hair on the end of their tail that makes them look like they have a mohawk. They are perfect desert animals because they do not drink water.
They get all the water they need from the food they eat. They tend to eat seeds and fruit. After they eat, they digest their food, and their kidneys emit urine that is highly concentrated, which helps them hold on to as much water as possible.
These animals are climbers and have a heightened sense of hearing, smell, and vision.
Dibbler
The Dibbler is a meat-eater with a diet that focuses on insects, lizards, and birds. It is a small animal that is known for being agile and able to climb bushes.
The dibbler enjoys eating nectar of flowers. They are a brown-grey color with coarse fur that is white speckled. They have rings around their eyes that are white.
This animal lives in areas with a lot of leaves and are mostly seen at dawn and at dusk. The leaves give the dibbler protection from animals that hunt them.
They are also threatened because they are quickly losing their habitat due to changes in the area.
They face wildfires, land clearing, and disease, as well as animals that prey on them.
Doria’s Tree Kangaroo
As you might guess from the name, Doria’s Tree Kangaroo is a kangaroo that likes to hang out in trees. They are actually able to hop from tree to tree. They are considered a vulnerable species.
They are found in only two areas; southern Papua New Guinea and southern New Guinea. This kangaroo prefers to be alone and likes to hang out in the nighttime.
They have the face of a bear and a stocky build. They are hunted for food and are easy prey for hunters who can shoot them out of trees.
Unlike many of the marsupials, the joey nurses for 300 days in the pouch and are not completely weaned for 600 days.
Eastern Quoll
The Eastern Quoll is considered endangered. They used to thrive throughout all of Australia but have been extinct on the mainland since 1963. Now, they are only found in Tasmania.
They only come out at night and are usually napping in nests under rocks or logs during the day. Their fur can be black, brown, or fawn with white spots on it.
Females usually stay close to their nests while males will travel over a kilometer throughout the night. They give birth to about 30 offspring at a time, but only have 6 teats in their pouch.
Only the first ones to latch on will survive. Within a year of life, they have reached maturity and begin breeding.
Eastern Barred Bandicoot
The Eastern Barred Bandicoot gets its name from the three bands across its back. They live in shallow nests throughout the day and come out at night to eat. They usually make a meal out of grubs, worms, and beetles.
These animals like to be alone. Marsupials have a short gestation period with pregnancy lasting only 12 days. The species has declined dramatically thanks to cats and foxes preying on them.
It is listed as extinct on the mainland of Australia.
Fat-Tailed False Antechinus
The Fat-Tailed False Antechinus is most commonly found in central and western Australia. This marsupial comes out at night to feed on bugs and lizards. They have a fat tail, hence the name that looks like a carrot.
The carrot looking tail also serves the purpose of storing fat for when there is not an abundant amount of food available. They enjoy the sunlight and can be found baking in the sun.
The fat-tailed false antechinus usually is able to protect itself from predators, so there is no belief that they will face extinction any time soon.
Fat-Tailed Dunnart
The Fat-Tailed Dunnart is a small little creature that looks like a mouse.
They have big ears and eyes with a pointed snout and thick tail. If there is not an abundant amount of food available, the fat-tailed dunnart stores fat in the tails, as their name indicates.
They are only able to store fat for a short period of time. When they store fat, their tails swell and get thinner through the winter. This enables them to survive food shortages.
They are able to eat their own weight in food. They do not drink water but get moisture from the food they eat. When newborns are born, they are smaller than a grain of rice.
They enjoy eating hard-boiled eggs, no matter if they are in the wild or captivity. When the fat-tailed dunnart are in the same nest together, the huddle to stay warm.
Feather-Tailed Possum
The Feather-Tailed Possum is part of the same family as the Pygmy Glider. The feather-tailed possum is the larger of the two with a body that is about 5 inches long.
Their tail is longer than their body coming in around 6 inches. They only weigh about 2 ounces. The feather-tailed has gray fur with black and white stripes on its face.
They like to climb trees and have claws and pads on their feet that allow them to grip. They can be found in New Guinea. They are mainly active at night, and their tails help them hang on to and climb trees.
Their diet consists of bugs, flowers, nectar, and fruit. As typical for marsupials, they have a pouch for their undeveloped offspring.
The feather-tailed prefer to live alone or in pairs and have only 1 to 2 offspring at a time.
Greater Bilby
The Greater Bilby is often thought of as the Easter Bunny of Australia because of its long ears that are pink in color. It is really a bandicoot. The bilby has fur that is silky and long. It is also in danger of becoming extinct.
It has a long tongue and a pointed snout. Its tail is black and white. The bilby likes to burrow and uses its strong arms and claws to assist with that, as well as to find food.
They do not care for the heat of the day, and they only come out at night. They eat all types of food, including bugs, seeds, fruit, and fungus.
Their pouches are facing backward so that no dirt gets in the pouch while they are digging their burrows.
Greater Glider
The Greater Glider is found only in Eastern Australia eucalyptus forests.
The only way you might find one is to look at the base of trees for droppings that are pea-shaped. The can move quietly among the trees.
The glider has a layer of skin that can pull flat to create a parachute, allowing them to glide from tree trunk to tree trunk. Their diet consists mainly of the leaves on a eucalyptus tree and gum flowers.
They survive all year on patches of trees. They are not easily kept in captivity because of their specific diet. They are typically considered a low risk for extinction but is primarily based on the forests being able to survive long enough.
The taller trees provide more protection, shelter, and food.
Honey Possum
The Honey Possum is called such because it survives mainly on honey and pollen. This possum is small with a tail that is longer than its body. They have aa grey coat with a brown stripe that runs across its back.
They live in trees and are great climbers and fast runners. They have bristles on the tip of their tongue to help them eat nectar from the flowers that are native to where they live.
The top of the tongue has bristles to help it eat pollen. Its tongue is about one-quarter of the length of its body and head. Most of the honey possum are found where the land has not been burnt in over 20 years.
The female of this species are larger than the male.
Inland Ningaui
The Inland Ningaui is also called the wongai ningaui.
It is a small marsupial that is native to Australia. Its diet is mainly small bugs but can include spiders and cockroaches. When there is not enough food, it can go into a state where it does not need to do much, so it reduces its need for a large amount of food.
They hunt at night and rest during the day.
They stand out because the first two toes on their back feet are longer than the rest of their toes.
Koala
Koalas may look like a bear, but they are not even close. They have pouches, which designates them as marsupials. They appear fuzzy, but their fur is actually coarse.
They have opposable thumbs on their hands that assist them with climbing trees. They have pads on their hands and feet and claws that help them grab onto branches.
Their two toes are fused together, and they use them to comb their hair. They are either eating or sleeping. Even though they can eat up to a pound of leaves per day, they do not get much energy from them, which makes them sleep a lot.
Eucalyptus is a toxic leaf, so the digestive system of the koala works hard to break down the toxins. They get moisture from the leaves they eat. The like to store the leaves in the pouches in their cheeks.
They often smell like eucalyptus because they eat so much of it.
Kowari
Many think the Kowari are the cutest of all the Australian marsupials. It is difficult to find them in the wild. You are most likely to find them in refuges. They are listed as vulnerable and may soon be moved to endangered.
They are at risk because of changes to their habitat, and they are prey to many animals. These small animals only weigh about 4 ounces. They mate between April through December.
Their gestation period is 30 to 36 days. Their offspring are fully weaned after 100 days. The longest living Kowari survived 6 years and 4 months. That animal lived in captivity.
They live in burrows and will build their own, but prefer to use one that another animal has dug.
Kultarr
The Kultarr is a small marsupial that looks like a mouse with brown fur and a white belly. Their ears are large, big eyes, and long legs with long toes.
They use materials like logs, stumps, and the burrow of other animals for their nest. They have been known to live up to 5 years in captivity. They are found in the Brewarrina and Cobar region, but they are starting to have low numbers.
Their population changes based on the season. Flood, drought, and stress on the environment can cause a decrease in their numbers. They prefer to live in the woods.
They come out at night and take shelter in logs or the stumps of trees during the day.
Leadbeater’s Possum
The Leadbeater’s Possum was thought to be extinct but found again in the early 60s. They live anywhere from 7 to 9 years. They are small and fast. Like many other marsupials, they sleep during the day and hunt for food at night.
They have aa diet of bugs and nectar. They have tails that are in the shape of clubs to help them carry bark to help build their nests. The Leadbeater’s Possum like to form groups in which to live.
These groups consist of 4 to 8 possum. They are monogamous when they mate. One male mates with only one female. Their gestation period is only 20 days, but the offspring lives in the pouch for 85 days.
Wildfire and logging are the major threats to the population of this species.
Lemuroid Ring-tailed Possum
The Lemuroid Ringtail Possums are incredibly similar to the common ringtail possum. They are about the same size and are a chocolate brown color.
The bottom of them is a grey-brown color, and they have a pale ring around each eye. Both their ears and muzzle are short. Their tail is long and bushy. There is a rare version of this species that is all white and is found only in the rainforest on Carbine Tableland.
They prefer a tall rainforest that is moist and mature and located at 450 meters in altitude. The lemuroid ringtails prefer the shelter of a tree hollow during the day.
They come out at night to eat. They are noisy while jumping around the rainforest while eating their meal of leaves, fruit, and flowers.
They tend to get lazy when the temperature is below 14 degrees Celsius.
Little Pygmy-Possum
The Little Pygmy-Possum is the smallest of all possums. They only grow to 5 to 6 cm and weigh 7 grams. They were originally thought to live only in Tasmania, but have also been found in north-western Victoria and also on Kangaroo Island.
They live in various different habitats, except the rainforest. It prefers to live in the dry forest and nests in the hollow of old trees. They eat a diet of bugs and lizards.
The female gives birth to up to 4 offspring that stay in the pouch for close to 6 weeks. The young are left in the nest while she looks for food. In some cases, the young cling to the mother’s fur when she hunts for food.
It is hard for the little pygmy-possum to stay warm in the winter because of all the skin it has; it loses a lot of heat.
It can lower its metabolism and decreases the energy it expends so that it can overcome the obstacles presented by its environment.
Little Rock Wallaby
The Little Rock Wallaby is also known as a Narbarlek, which is mostly found in Australia. It has a red, dull fur that also has black and gray marbling.
The tip of its tail is black and bushy. It has short fur that is soft and silky. The Little Rock Wallaby has thick padding on its feet that allows it to grab on to rocks. It uses friction from its skin to climb because it does not have claws.
They are great swimmers because they are able to kick their legs independently from one another. When they are on land, they can only move their back legs together.
The females are able to produce two different kinds of milk. One nipple gives one kind of milk to a joey in the pouch while the other nipple gives another kind of milk to a joey outside of the pouch.
When it is sitting, the little rock wallaby leans back on its tail. It also uses its tail to alert others of danger.
Long-clawed Marsupial Mouse
The Long-Clawed Marsupial Mouse is also known as a speckled dasyure.
They have limbs that are short but powerful with long claws. Their tail is the same size as the length of their head and body, which is about 16 cm.
They weigh about 200 grams. They have been found in Papua, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. They survive on a diet of worms and grubs. They use their claws to dig for their food.
Long-footed Potoroo
The Long-Footed Potoroo is a small kangaroo that is more like a rabbit size. It must live in areas that have a lot of vegetation on which they can feed. They have a long nose and a tail that is just about hairless.
Their tails are almost as long as their body, and they weigh about 2 kg. Their fur is grey-brown and gets lighter as the fur goes underneath their belly. They have leather pads on the soles of their feet just behind the inner toe.
This is a rare species and is difficult to find. They live in Victoria. They prefer to live in moist forests that range from an altitude of 1000m to 150 m. They must live in a habitat that has soil with high moisture content all year long. Its primary source of food is fungi, fruit, and small invertebrates.
The make small pits that look like a cone in search of fungus at night. It prefers to take shade during the day. They breed ay any time throughout the year, and they give birth to one offspring at a time.
One is born in winter, another in spring, and then another in the early summer.
Musky Rat-Kangaroo
The Musky-Rat Kangaroo looks like a kangaroo, but it is a small version of one. They are part of the kangaroo family, but they are a link between opossum and macropods.
What really sets them apart from kangaroos is they have a scaly tail. They do a bunny hop movement so get around. They hop on all four limbs, but they do it slowly.
They also gallop by pushing its hind limbs in front outside the shorter forelimbs. They have 5 toes on each of its back feet. They are clawless, and the first digit on each of their back feet are not nonopposable.
They give off a scent of musk, which is why they have their name.
Northern Common Cuscus
The Northern Common Cuscus lives in the tropical rainforest and the thick scrub of the southwest Pacific. They can be found in gardens surrounded by edible plants. They have a tail that is naked on the end.
It is covered with horns. The tail can be anywhere from 28 to 42 cm. The male has a tail that is totally white, and their body is white to grey. The female tail is only white at the tip, and their body is red-brown to brown-grey.
They have claws that are long and curved, and the paws have opposable digits. The northern common cuscus has big eyes, long teeth, and a long snout.
They use their teeth to grind their food.
Numbat
The Numbat is also called a banded anteater. They are native to Australia but are also currently endangered. They are endangered of losing their habitat and new predators like cats and foxes.
They feed on a diet that is exclusive of termites, with a sticky tongue that allows them to pick up the bugs. They have a pointed head and small ears that point upright.
They have four legs that are short with claws. They are small and slender with a brown or red coat. They have a long black stripe that goes across its eyes.
Parma Wallaby
The Parma Wallaby was once considered to be extinct but have made a resurgence. They usually like to be alone but will join a group to eat. They prefer the nighttime and are most active from night until dawn.
They are similar to the kangaroo in that they keep their joey in their pouch for up to the first six months of their lives. They can get pregnant again just a few days after giving birth.
They prefer to live in the sclerophyll forest where they exist on plants with thick leaves such as eucalyptus and acacia. Their tail is the same length as their body.
Predators such as dingos, cats, and foxes pose a danger to the Parma Wallaby.
Pygmy Glider
The Pygmy Glider is part of the same family as the feather-tailed possum.
The glider is the smaller of the two with a body that is only 3 inches long. Their tails are also about 3 inches long. They weigh less than .5 ounces.
They have round ears and large eyes. They are gray with white on their belly. The pygmy glider is mainly active at night, and their tails help them hang on to and climb trees.
They have a membrane that goes from the back legs to the front legs to allows them to glide. Pygmy gliders often live in groups and make nests out of dry leaves in branches or hollows in trees.
They also have six pads and claws on their feet to help them grip trees as they climb. Their diet consists of bugs, flowers, nectar, and fruit.
The pygmy glider lives in eastern Australia. As typical for marsupials, they have a pouch for their undeveloped offspring.
They typically have 3 to 4 offspring.
Quokka
The Quokka live on Rottsnest Island, but small amounts of them also live in the southwest forest of the mainland. They are the size of small cats and just as cute. Fox and cats pose a serious risk to the Quokka.
These adorable marsupials like to feed on shrubs and grass. If they cannot find food, they can store fat in their tails to give them energy when they cannot find food.
They do not need much water, which is good because the Quokka do not need much water. They can last up to an entire month with a drink of water.
Red Kangaroo
The Red Kangaroo lives in the deserts and grasslands of Australia. They are the largest marsupial, but when they are born, they are smaller than a cherry. Once they climb into the pouch, they stay there for two months.
For the first eight months of their lives, if they feel threatens, they will jump into their mother’s pouch. They are fast and strong. They can move up to 35 miles an hour.
They can cover 25 feet in one jump and go as high as 6 feet per jump. The females are smaller and lighter than the males and have a coat that has a blue hue. They have sharp claws and bite to protect themselves.
They can box each other with the hind legs.
Red-legged Pademelon
The Red-Legged Pademelon are wallabies that have short tails. They have small bodies that make it easy for them to move around. They are agile through the dense rainforest.
Their upper body is grey, and their underbelly is white. They have red legs and white bands on their cheeks. They are active during the day, but are less active at midnight and again midday to early afternoon.
They tend to stay by themselves and like to eat alone. In the winter, they gather close together to stay warm. Their diet consists of the fruits and fallen leaves, along with bark, fresh leaves, fungus, and cicadas.
Rufous Bettong
The Rufous Bettong has grey fur that is shaggy but have pink skin that is naked around the eyes. They have a grey tail that sometimes has a white tip.
The Rufous Bettong has a short muzzle and fur between their nostrils. They have long ears, and their underbelly is a pale grey. They live in open woodlands and the coastal eucalyptus forest.
They are found mostly along both sides of the Great Dividing Range.
Southern Marsupial Mole
The Southern Marsupial Mole is an interesting animal. It does not have eyes and really large claws. It does not really have a tail, but it has a golden coat.
The Southern Marsupial Mole only weighs around 40 to 70 grams and is just about 10 cm long. It always burrows and spends no time on the surface.
As a result, it is rarely ever seen. It is shy and spends most of its time alone. It is found in the western central desert of Australia.
The Southern Mole swims through the sand as a fish moves through the water. It can breathe the air that is found between the sand grains.
Southern Hairy-Nosed Wombat
The Southern Hairy-Nosed Wombat is a plump little guy with a cute face. It has a large nose and small eyes, but a small body and long ears. They have a plate that is solid cartilage to help them defend themselves against the predators that hunt them.
They use this cartilage as a barrier to block the entrance of the burrow. When they feel threatened, they run to protect themselves, and they can run up to 40 kph. They have large brains and are considered incredibly intelligent.
They consume a diet of plants and grass, but there is not a lot of nutrients in their diet. They have a slow metabolism that takes them up to 2 weeks to digest their food.
Due to their diet, they constantly need their teeth, so they continue to grow for their entire lives.
Spectacled Hare Wallaby
The Spectacled Hare Wallaby are found in Northern Australia, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory.
They have soft ears that are cute.
Do not be confused by their cuteness, they are tough enough to survive the worst terrains.
The temperatures in this area get to 40 degrees Celsius, and the fur on the spectacled hare wallaby gets as hot as 60 degrees. As a result, this wallaby has the ability to cool itself down.
There is little water in this area, so the wallaby does not need to drink water. They get water from the food they eat and then release urine that is incredibly concentrated, so they do not suffer from dehydration.
They hide from the heat of the day by sleeping and coming out only at night.
Squirrel Glider
The Squirrel Glider can travel from tree to tree by gliding. There is a membrane between the limbs that acts as a glider to move between the trees.
It gets the squirrel part of its name due to its bushy and dense tail. This is a close relative to the sugar glider. They can glide up to 60 meters at a time.
The membrane provides balance when gliding through the air and acts as wings. When they glide, they have been known to do some acrobatics in the air. They survive on a diet of sap, pollen, and nectar.
They draw sap from the trees by stabbing the trunks of trees with their sharp teeth, and then the sap of the tree flows out of it.
When they are threatened, they jump and can flee to the thickest tree and cling to the branches.
Striped Possum
The Striped Possum has a striped and black pattern on it. It has a coarse coat that has three stripes down of black. Their fur has gradual changes between black and white.
They have a long tongue and a fourth finger and long teeth. Striped possums have a large brain that it is as heavy as its body weight. When they are mating, they release a guttural sound to attract mates.
They also emit a sound when they are in distress that goes down in pitch and sounds repeatedly. It also gives off a strong musk odor, but many are not sure why.
They make a lot of slurping and chewing noises when they eat. They gnaw on bark and leaves looking for bugs.
They will also bite into logs and branches to look for bugs.
Swamp Wallaby
The Swamp Wallaby has brown fur that gets lighter as it goes under the belly. It is found only in the Eastern region of Australia. It has actually been mistaken for a panther because it is so dark in color and its long tail.
The Swamp Wallaby has webbed feet, which is rare in this species. When they get scared, they will run because they are panicked. As a result, they have jumped off cliffs or run out in front of cars.
They hop-forward easily, but are not able to hop backward. They are amazing swimmers and can move their legs independently in the water. When they are on land, they must move their legs together.
Like other wallabies, females are able to produce two different kinds of milk. One nipple gives one kind of milk to a joey in the pouch while the other nipple gives another kind of milk to a joey outside of the pouch.
Tasmanian Devil
The Tasmanian Devil is mainly seen on the Tasmania island in Australia. They are small and look like a rat, with sharp teeth and coarse hair. They prefer to live in forests and coastal areas.
They like to sleep under rocks or logs. When it feels threatened or angry, it goes into a rage where it will growl, lunge, and bare its teeth. It also screams and sounds like a devil while its in a rage.
They usually stay to themselves and do not interact with other animals.
Virgina Opossum
This is the only opossum that is found north of Mexico. It has 50 teeth and is the size of an average house cat. The coat of the Virgina Opossum ranges from a gray-white to almost black.
It has a face that is pointy with round ears and beady looking eyes. It does not have much hair but has scales. Each front foot has five claws that are razor sharp.
The hind feet have opposable toes that allows it to grab on to branches. They will eat just about anything. If they get surprised while on the ground, they will play dead.
They have protein in their blood that is able to neutralize many different poisons from snakes and scorpions.
Water Opossum
The Water Opossum can be found from Mexico to Argentina that eats meat and can live half the time in the water. The pouch on the front of the water opossum can be made tighter to keep the young dry inside.
It lives in burrows along the bank and comes out after dusk to swim and hunt for food, such as fish and other animals. This is the only marsupial where both sexes have a pouch.
This opossum has a 12-inch body and a 15-inch tail. The underneath of the opossum has broad stripes. They mate in December and have a litter of one to five that are born 12 to 14 days after that in a nest.
In 22 days, the young begin to have fur, and around 40 days, their eyes open, and they begin to protrude from the pouch.
Western Grey Kangaroo
The Western Grey Kangaroo is a large and muscular animal that can be red-brown to gray-brown. They have small heads and large ears. The western grey kangaroo has a long tail that is used for balance.
It has short arms, strong back legs, and a large back that is perfect for hopping and standing. The kangaroo is almost seven feet long from its head to its tail. They are anywhere from six to seven feet tall, and males can weigh as much as 121 pounds.
The females are only about 63 pounds. They usually live about 9 to 13 years. They enjoy eating shrubs and grass. They remain pregnant for about 31 days, and usually, only one offspring is born at a time.
The offspring climbs from the birth canal to the pouch in around three minutes. They can be found in Southern Australia.