Some marsupial animals of Australia: list and characteristics

Nine out of ten species of animals that inhabit Australia are endemic, that is, they are not found anywhere else. Of particular interest are the marsupials. About them will be told today.

Due to the fact that there were no higher mammals on the continent, the Australian marsupial animals, without competition, generated a wide variety of species that practically replaced the biotypes of higher mammals. For example, the now-vanished marsupial wolf, having no kinship with the ordinary wolf, successfully occupied its niche, the wombat is almost marmots, and the marsupial mole and marsupial squirrel surprisingly resemble their prototypes of the same name, not being related to them.

Marsupials of Australia (list): anteater (nambat)

Marsupial anteaters have a small growth, a sharp muzzle, a smart motley color and are famous for the fact that their long ten-centimetric tongue along the length is almost half the body. They feed on termites nembat, extracting them with their amazing language.

From the remaining marsupials, Australian anteaters are distinguished by the fact that they do not have a brood bag. Centimetric cubs make their way to the mother's nipples, and, holding tightly to the wool, hang for 4 months beside them. When the crumbs grow a little (up to 5 cm), the mother leaves them in the shelter and comes to feed only at night.

Marsupials of Australia (list): koala

Herbivorous marsupial koala is a peace-loving animal. Most of all this teddy bear likes to sleep and is, spends the rest of the time on eucalyptus trees, motionlessly clinging to a branch. After a very short pregnancy, the koala produces a crumb that can fit in a teaspoon and weighs 5.5 g. The Kid is taken for six months in a bag to the mother, and then, having strengthened, travels for a while on my mother's back.

Marsupials of Australia (list): Tasmanian devil

Unlike peaceful and sleepy koalas, the Tasmanian devil, who has an aggressive, stocky body, black color and a huge mouth, is notorious. He has a bad temper. He is able to crush his powerful jaw bone. Now the Tasmanian devil is Australia's largest marsupial predator. True, along with small animals, birds and snakes, he easily eats tubers of plants and edible roots. A special place in the diet of the devil is rotten decayed meat of dead animals.

The female brings up to 30 young, and up to her bag gets, as a rule, no more than 4. They feed them up to 5 months of age, after which the offspring go on to an independent way of life.

Marsupial animals (list): marsupial fly

Flying squirrels are small (up to 30 cm) small animals that live in hollows in groups. Can fly from tree to tree with the help of flying membranes between the legs, overcoming the distance to 60 m. They lead a nocturnal life.

They feed marsupial proteins with the sweet juice of eucalyptus or acacia, as well as worms, crickets and, of course, fruits. These cheerful and friendly little animals like to keep in the homes of locals.

Other marsupial animals in Australia: List

Of course, when talking about Australia, you can not miss kangaroos, but they have already been told a lot about it. In the same article for the story, a list of rarely described animals was chosen, although there is also a marsupial mole, marsupial mouse, bandicoot, covarians, wombat and couscous. All of them are worthy of attention.