Marsupials: description, signs, where they live and classification

Marsupials (Marsupialia) are a large group (infraclass) of mammals that are united by a unique method of reproduction.

The indigenous peoples of America and Australia have known marsupials for a long time, but the rest of the world learned of their existence only in the 16th century. The first marsupial seen in Europe was the Brazilian opossum. In 1500, the traveler Vincent Pinzón brought it as a gift to the Spanish Queen Isabella. And only three centuries later, zoologists came to the conclusion that marsupials are not deviant rodents, but a separate group of mammals that differs from placental, or higher animals, in features of anatomy and reproduction.

Marsupial animal

The rarest marsupial

Gilbert's potoroo is considered the world's rarest marsupial.

from the
kangaroo rat
.
For about 120 years
, the animal was considered extinct until
1994

about forty of these rodent-like creatures were discovered in one of the Australian reserves near the city of
Albany, Western Australia

This area was supposed to be settled, but Prince Philip

, husband of Elizabeth II, campaigned to protect these areas and protect rare birds.
For example, the noisy bushbird
, once native here, was also thought to be extinct until

its representative was discovered in 1961

Potoroo Gilbert

is still seriously endangered.
Conservationists have created opportunities to breed these animals in captivity
to increase their numbers and protect them from predators. Some of them are released into the wild.

Researchers hope to learn more about these rarest animals in the world

and find them other suitable places to live where they have a better chance of survival.

Marsupials of Australia

Baby marsupials

Marsupials, as their name suggests, are distinguished by the presence of a special pouch

, in which newborn offspring are carried. The cubs are born underdeveloped and must spend some time in the mother's pouch.

The embryos of vertebrates have a general order of development, that is, at some stage the embryos of mammals, fish, reptiles and birds

very similar.
The internal organ systems develop first, then the limbs. In marsupials, the order of growth is somewhat different: they first develop limbs
, which are necessary so that the baby can move into the mother’s pouch, where its development continues.

This premature birth of offspring is unique among mammals.

, as it gives them one more property: an underdeveloped baby is able to breathe through the skin.
For example, a baby Douglas marsupial mouse
is born 12 days after conception.
The baby's lungs are completely undeveloped, so he receives oxygen through his own skin
.
After three weeks in his mother's pouch, his lungs have developed enough to breathe normally.

Placental animals

The most highly organized mammals belong to the placental

animals, or real beasts. Their development occurs entirely in the uterus, and the membrane of the embryo fuses with the walls of the uterus, which leads to the formation of the placenta, hence the name of the subclass - placental. It is this method of embryo development that is the most perfect.

It should be noted that mammals have well-developed care for offspring. Females feed their cubs with milk, warm them with their bodies, protect them from enemies, teach them to look for food, etc.

Most mammals belong to the placental

.
There are over 4,000 species, living in a wide variety of conditions: on land, in water, in soil, in the air. They have various adaptations for this, special features, both in external and internal structure, in methods of movement and obtaining food, place and lifestyle, methods of nutrition and significance for humans. Taking into account the above characteristics, placental mammals are united into a large number of orders. The most widespread are representatives of such orders as insectivores
,
chiropterans
,
rodents
,
lagomorphs
,
predators
,
pinnipeds
,
cetaceans
,
even and odd-toed ungulates
,
proboscis
and
primates
.

There are two subclasses of mammals - primal beasts and real beasts. The first group includes the order Monotremes. They differ from the latter in that they lay eggs, but the young that hatch from them are fed milk. Real animals are divided into two superorders - marsupials and placental mammals.

The former differ from the latter in that during pregnancy the female does not form a placenta - a temporary organ that provides a connection between the maternal and daughter organisms. But such animals have a pouch, which is intended for carrying a baby that is born incapable of independent life. This superorder includes only one order - Marsupials. And all other orders belong to the placentals, such as artiodactyls, pinnipeds, carnivores, primates, chiropterans, etc.

Structural features of marsupials, photo

The appearance of modern marsupials is very diverse. These can be either slender animals with long hind legs or squat animals with short limbs. Their sizes range from small to medium (body length from 4 to 160 cm). The hairline of all representatives is well developed. Many have a long tail, sometimes prehensile.

In the photo below, the largest marsupial is the red kangaroo, and the smallest is the northern marsupial mouse.

Red kangaroos (Macropus rufus)

Northern marsupial mouse (Planigale ingrami)

One of the structural features of the skeleton is the presence of suprapubic or marsupial bones, which protrude in front of the pelvis and help support the abdominal wall and brood pouch. The bursa is a special skin device on the abdomen for bearing underdeveloped young in females.

Most species have a pouch, except some terrestrial ones. Sometimes a rudimentary bursa is formed by folds of skin on each side of the mammary region - it protects the attached young (for example, in the mouse-like opossum, marsupial martens).

Marsupial mouse and its young

The deepest pouches, completely covering the nipples, are usually found in those species that actively jump, climb or dig. Pouches that open forward are usually found in species with small litters of 1-4 young. Burrowing and burrowing species are characterized by pouches that open backwards (bandicoots, wombats).

Mother kangaroo and her baby in a safe shelter - a bag

In wombats, the pouch opens backwards

The skull of marsupials usually has a large facial part and a small brain part. There is often a sagittal crest for attachment of the temporalis muscles that elevate the lower jaw, and the orbit and fossa for the temporalis muscles are connected, as in primitive mammals. There are often holes in the palate between the upper molars. The posterior part of the lower jaw is usually turned inward, unlike placentals.

Many species have more teeth than placentals. American opossums, for example, have 50 of them. Typically there are 3 premolars and 4 molars on each side of the upper and lower jaws. Marsupials that have 4 or more lower incisors are called multi-incisor. Double-incisor marsupials have only 2 lower incisors, which are usually wide and directed forward.

American opossum showing off its teeth

Conservation status of nambat

Numbats are on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species. There are less than 1,000 mature individuals left in the wild. Foxes and birds of prey, wild cats that prey on numbats, have contributed significantly to the decline in the number of rare marsupials. In addition to the increased number of predators, there are frequent fires and habitat destruction in some places.

A number of measures to protect numbats include captive breeding, reintroduction programs, and control of protected natural areas. All program activities contribute significantly to reducing the risk of extinction for this species. But the numbats continue to die out.

If you find an error, please select a piece of text and press Ctrl+Enter

.

Marsupials ( Marsupialia

) represent a group (infraclass) of mammals.
Like most other mammal species, they give birth to live young, but only at an early stage of development. In some species, such as bandicoots ( Peramelemorphia
), the gestation period is as short as 12 days. Newborn marsupial cubs crawl along the mother's body into a pouch located on her stomach. Once inside the pouch, the baby attaches to its mother's nipple and feeds on milk until it is large enough to live in the outside world.

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While larger marsupials tend to give birth to a single young, smaller species are more likely to produce large litters.

Marsupials were common in many areas during and outnumbered placental mammals. Today, the only living marsupial in North America is the opossum.

Marsupials first appear in the record during the late Paleocene. They later appear in the fossil record from during the Oligocene, where they underwent diversification during the early Miocene. The first large marsupials appeared during the Pliocene.

Distribution map of modern marsupial mammals/Wikipedia

Today, marsupials remain one of the dominant groups of mammals in South America and Australia. In Australia, the lack of competition has led marsupials to diversify and specialize. Today, the continent is home to insectivorous marsupials, carnivorous marsupials, and herbivorous marsupials. Most South American marsupial species are small in size and arboreal.

The reproductive tract of female marsupials differs from placental mammals. They have two vaginas and two uteruses, whereas placental mammals have one uterus and one vagina. Male marsupials also have distinctive features of their genitals - they have a forked penis. The marsupial brain is also unique; it is smaller than that of placental mammals, lacking the corpus callosum and the nerve pathways that connect the two hemispheres of the brain.

Marsupials are very diverse in appearance. Many species have long hind legs and elongated snouts. The smallest marsupial species is the northern marsupial mouse, and the largest is the red kangaroo. Today there are approximately 334 species of marsupial mammals, of which 70% of species are found on the Australian continent (including Tasmania, New Guinea and nearby islands). The remaining 100 species are found in the Americas—mostly in South America, thirteen in Central America, and one in North America, north of Mexico.

Opening

Australians made first contact with wolves around 1000 BC. e. This is evidenced by rock paintings and engravings.

The marsupial wolf has many names. Local residents called the predator the zebra wolf, hyena, dog, thylacine and Tasmanian wolf. The species was first described by Abel Tasman, who met the marsupial mammal in 1642. The island of Van Diemen's Land where the meeting took place was later named Tasmania.

The first scientific description of the marsupial wolf was published in the proceedings of the Linnean Society of London in 1808 by the amateur naturalist Harris. Since marsupial predators were significantly different from all known species, according to the 1796 classification, a new genus Dasyurus was created. And in 1810, the thylacine was officially assigned to this genus.

Classification

Marsupials are classified in the following taxonomic hierarchy:

⇒ ⇒ ⇒ ⇒ ⇒ ⇒ Marsupials

Marsupials are divided into two modern superorders and seven orders:

• Superorder American marsupials (
  Ameridelphia )
  - there are about 100 species of marsupials living today. American marsupials are the older of the two living groups, meaning that members of this group migrated to Australia and diversified. The superorder Ameridelphia
  is subdivided into the following two orders: Order Possums (
  Didelphimorphia
  );
• Order Caenolesta ( Paucituberculata
  ).

• Superorder Australian marsupials (
  Australidelphia )
  - there are more than 200 species of Australian marsupials living today. Members of this group include Tasmanian devils, marsupial anteaters, bandicoots, wombats, marsupial moles, pygmy possums, koalas, kangaroos, wallabies and many other species. Australian marsupials are divided into five orders: Order Microbiotheria ,
  found in South America;
• Order Marsupial moles ( Notoryctemorphia
  );
• Order Carnivorous marsupials ( Dasyuromorphia
  );
• Order Bandicoots ( Peramelemorphia
  );
• The order Two-incisor marsupials ( Diprotodontia
  ) includes most of the modern marsupial species.

Marsupials are animals that give birth to premature babies. After birth, the cubs are still very tiny and cannot exist independently, their limbs are not yet fully formed, and there is no hair on their body. Therefore, after birth, they develop inside the pouch, located on the mother’s body in the form of a leather pocket.

Relationships with a person

The mass extermination of thylacines in Australia occurred when local residents and settlers blamed the predators for the destruction of livestock. Tasmanian wolves practically did not kill livestock.

The sheep were hunted by dingoes and feral dogs of white settlers. There was a bounty on the thylacine's head. At the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries, the extermination of the harmful wolf covered the entire population of Austria. The population was on the verge of extinction.

Due to human activity, marsupial predators left the inhabited plains and moved to the mountains and forests. But even there, people continued to find and destroy animals. The last remaining habitat was the island of Tasmania. Later, the colonization of the island by competitive predators and diseases led to the almost complete extinction of the species.

The structure of the reproductive organs.

Modern mammals are divided into three groups, usually considered separate subclasses: monotremes (platypus and other oviparous animals), marsupials and placentals (dogs, monkeys, horses, etc.). This terminology is not entirely appropriate, since the placenta - a temporary internal organ that connects the mother with the developing embryo before its birth - is also formed in marsupials, although in most cases it has a less complex structure.

One of the anatomical features that distinguishes these three groups of mammals concerns the location of their ureters and genital tracts. In monotremes, like reptiles and birds, the ureters and genital ducts empty into the upper part of the rectum, which forms a common excretory chamber called the cloaca. Through a “single passage”, urine, sexual products, and feces are excreted from the body.

Marsupials and placentals have two excretory chambers - the upper (rectum) for feces and the lower (urogenital sinus) for urine and reproductive products, and the ureters empty into a special bladder.

Moving during evolution to a lower position, the ureters either pass between the two reproductive ducts or bend around them from the outside. In marsupials the first variant is observed, in placentals the second. This seemingly small feature clearly separates the two groups and leads to profound differences in the anatomy of the reproductive organs and its methods.

In female marsupials, the urogenital opening leads to a paired reproductive organ, consisting of two so-called. lateral vaginas and two uteruses. These vaginas are separated by ureters and cannot merge, like in placental ones, but are connected in front of the uterus, forming a special chamber - the so-called. middle vagina.

The lateral vaginas serve only to carry semen to the uterus and do not participate in the birth of young. During childbirth, the fetus passes from the uterus directly into the median vagina and then, through the birth canal specially formed in the thickness of the connective tissue, into the urogenital sinus and out. In most species this canal closes after birth, but in some kangaroos and honey gliders it remains open.

In males of most marsupial species, the penis is forked, probably to direct semen into both lateral vaginas.

What animals live in Australia

The fifth continent boasts 200 thousand animal species, 80% of which are unique.

Mammals

The main Australian animals are marsupials. Of the 379 species of mammals that live here, marsupials account for 159. The animals got their name because of the thick fold of skin on their abdomen, similar to a bag. The function of this “sac” becomes clear when marsupials give birth to their young. For a long time they grow and feed in a pouch on the female’s stomach, without leaving their shelter until a certain age: nipples and access to mother’s milk are there.

Australian marsupials are represented by the list:

• Koala:
  Australian marsupial bear. Koalas live exclusively in trees. They feed on leaves and shoots of eucalyptus. Marsupial bears do not drink water because they sleep most of the day and do not expend energy, but store moisture from leaves.
• Kangaroo
  . This is an Australian marsupial that can make huge leaps using its strong hind limbs. The largest kangaroos grow up to 2 meters, and record holders in running reach speeds of up to 70 km/h.
• Quokka:
  A rodent-like, short-tailed kangaroo. It moves by jumping and is nocturnal, like carnivores, although it feeds on vegetation. Quokka can also be found in park areas. People who first saw a quokka mistook it for a rat due to its external similarity, but it is an absolutely harmless animal and is now often kept as a pet.
• Wallabies:
  tree kangaroos up to half a meter tall. They have a strong long tail and tenacious claws. They are able to jump through trees and climb to heights of up to 20 meters in search of desired food - leaves and berries. They live in flocks and are nocturnal.
• Tasmanian devil or marsupial Australian devil
  . It got its name because of the peculiarities of the scream, which can frighten an ignorant traveler. This is a predatory animal with rather aggressive habits. Fearless, capable of attacking a beast larger than himself and winning. Up to 50 cm in size, long teeth and a powerful jaw, this predator, nevertheless, being tamed in childhood, can become an affectionate pet.
• a marsupial animal, similar in appearance to the beaver and capybara. It digs long tunnels underground and lives in them. It is a nocturnal animal and feeds on plants and algae. The wombat has thick fur and thick skin. They have a slow metabolism and are able to accumulate water in the body like camels. They are on the verge of extinction.
• Sugar glider
  or
  marsupial flying squirrel:
  a very light animal of small size. Lives in eucalyptus forests. He received his nickname due to his craving for sweets and his ability to fly from tree to tree like a flying squirrel. It has acute hearing and is nocturnal. It feeds on insect larvae and plant pollen. In winter it hibernates.
• Numbat or marsupial anteater
  . A cute striped animal with a sharp muzzle and a fluffy tail. It is diurnal and feeds on termites: its long tongue helps to penetrate into the deepest crevices and reach insects. A friendly animal, not at all afraid of humans, perhaps due to the careful attitude of people towards them. After all, if there were no numbats, it would be much more difficult to cope with termites.

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Mammals of Australia

Non-marsupial mammals of Australia

Reptiles and marine animals

Reptiles in Australia are represented by almost 900 species. These are snakes, lizards, crocodiles and turtles. It seems difficult to post a complete list of these animals within the framework of the article, but it is quite possible to describe and show photos of the most interesting and famous representatives.

Reptiles of Australia

The most amazing birds of Australia

Australia's bird fauna is represented by 800 species, 350 of which are endemic and present only on this continent. The most interesting birds are:

It is worth remembering: animals rarely attack a person without a reason and more often simply defend themselves

.

Currently, deep work is being carried out to preserve Australian endemics through the creation of protected areas, parks and the development of special laws.

Ecology

Australia is famous for its unique wildlife

: living creatures live here that are not found anywhere else in the world.
Some of the most amazing creatures that have survived in Australia are animals of the infraclass marsupials
.

Marsupials first appeared in what is now South America

, however, they were later replaced by animals of other groups.
Today there are very few of them left. The only marsupial creature that managed to survive in North America and survive to this day is the Virginia opossum
.

Wombats

Wombats, marsupial herbivorous mammals, burrow and underground caves with many passages and branches at a depth of up to 3.5 meters. In the animal world today, these are the largest mammals, spending most of their lives underground. Externally, wombats look like small bears, measuring about 1 meter and weighing up to 45 kg. They have the smallest number of teeth among marsupials, only 12. Natural enemies are only the Tasmanian devil and dingo. Having very thick skin on the back of the body and a kind of shield on the pelvic bones, wombats protect their shelter by simply sticking their butts out at the entrance. Even at the moment of danger, they butt their heads, inflicting serious blows or crushing enemies against the walls of their cave.

Evolutionary history.

In addition to the characteristics of reproduction, there are other differences between marsupials and placentals. The former do not have a corpus callosum, i.e. a layer of nerve fibers connecting the right and left hemispheres of the brain, and producing heat (thermogenic) brown fat in the young, but there is a special shell around the egg. The number of chromosomes in marsupials ranges from 10 to 32, while in placentals it usually exceeds 40. The two groups also differ in their skeletal and dental structure, which helps to identify their fossil remains.

The presence of these features, supported by persistent biochemical differences (amino acid sequences in myoglobin and hemoglobin), suggests that marsupials and placentals are representatives of two long-separated evolutionary branches, the common ancestors of which lived in the Cretaceous period ca. 120 million years ago. The oldest known marsupials date back to the Upper Cretaceous of North America. Their remains belonging to the same era were also found in South America, which was connected with the Northern Isthmus throughout most of the Cretaceous period.

At the beginning of the Tertiary period (about 60 million years ago), marsupials spread from North America to Europe, North Africa and Central Asia, but became extinct on these continents about 20 million years ago. During this time, they achieved great diversity in South America, and when it reconnected with North America in the Pliocene (ca. 12 million years ago), many species of possums penetrated north from there. From one of them came the Virginia opossum ( Didelphis virginiana

), which spread across eastern North America relatively recently - ca. 4000 years ago.

It is likely that marsupials came to Australia from South America through Antarctica, when these three continents were still connected to each other, i.e. more than 50 million years ago. Their first finds in Australia date back to the Oligocene (about 25 million years ago), but they are already so diverse that we can talk about a powerful adaptive radiation that occurred after the separation of Australia from Antarctica. Nothing is known about the early history of Australian marsupials, but by the Miocene (15 million years ago), representatives of all modern, as well as extinct, families appeared. The latter include several large herbivores the size of rhinoceros ( Diprotodon

and
Zygomataurus
), giant kangaroos (
Procoptodon
and
Sthenurus
) and large predators such as the lion-like
Thylacoleo
and the wolf-like
Thylacinus
.

Currently, marsupials of Australia and New Guinea occupy the same ecological niches as placentals on other continents. Marsupial devil ( Sarcophilius

) similar to wolverine; marsupial mice, rats and martens are similar to mongooses, weasels and shrews; wombat - woodchuck; small wallabies - for rabbits; and large kangaroos correspond to antelopes.

Marsupials

are mammals that give birth to premature offspring
. Marsupial cubs are born at an early stage of development and further develop inside a special bursa of the mother's skin. Most marsupials, with the exception of opossums, are native to the Americas. For millions of years Australia was isolated from the rest of the world. On other continents, marsupials gave way to placentals (mammals whose young fully develop in the womb) in the struggle for food and living space. Therefore, all of them, with the exception of , became extinct. But in Australia, marsupials had no rivals. The range of marsupials includes more than 250 species
.

Baby marsupials are tiny when born; they are blind and hairless. Their limbs are underdeveloped, but the babies crawl along the mother’s fur to her nipples. After a few months, the cubs leave the pouch, but may return to roost there until they reach one year of age. Marsupials eat plant and animal foods.

Carnivorous marsupials

- a number of small carnivorous marsupials, which include spotted marsupial martens, narrow-footed marsupial mice, numbats and Tasmanian devils.

Origin of the species

It is difficult to say which species resulted in the Tasmanian wolf. Animal skeletons were discovered during archaeological excavations in Lawn Hill National Park in northwest Queensland. Analysis of bone tissue confirms that the animals lived more than 23 million years ago.

Modern representatives of the species, found in Australia, are no older than 4 million years. The species has been little studied, since a complete description and documents have not been preserved. The last living representatives of wild wolves were destroyed in 1930.

Who are mammals

Mammals are animals that feed their young with milk. These animals are the most highly organized and widespread on the planet, which is explained by a well-developed nervous system and, as a consequence, high adaptive abilities. At the same time, the physiology of animals of this class is not fundamentally different from the physiology of other vertebrates.

Other signs of animals of this class are the presence of hair, a four-chambered heart, warm-bloodedness and a special structure of the brain.

Origin

According to experts, the first mammals descended from reptiles of the Paleozoic period, which had the characteristics of amphibians: a certain arrangement of limb joints, the presence of skin glands. This class of mammalian ancestors is called the subclass Animalia.

In the period from the end of the Triassic to the first half of the Tertiary period, so-called multitubercular mammals existed. There were many tubercles on the molars of these animals, hence their name.

They were small animals, similar to modern rodents. Scientists believe that polytubercles are the ancestors of monotremes.

Features of character and lifestyle

Photo: Australian marsupial wolf

While walking, the marsupial wolf will keep its head low, like a hound dog searching for a scent, and will stop abruptly to observe its surroundings with its head held high. In zoos, these animals are quite obedient to people and did not pay attention to people cleaning their cages. Which suggested that they were half blinded by sunlight. Most of the time, during the brightest part of the day, the marsupial wolves retreated to their dens, where they lay curled up like dogs.

In terms of locomotion, in 1863 a female Tasmanian wolf was documented to leap effortlessly to the top of the rafters of her cage, 2-2.5m into the air. The first was plantar walking, a characteristic of most mammals where diagonally opposite limbs move alternately, but what was different about Tasmanian wolves was that they used the entire leg, allowing the long heel to touch the ground. This method is not particularly suitable for running. Marsupial wolves have been seen spinning around their paws with only the pads of their feet touching the floor. The animal often stood on its hind legs with its forelimbs raised, using its tail for balance.

Interesting fact: There have been few documented attacks on humans. This only happened when the marsupial wolves were attacked or cornered. It was noted that they had considerable strength.

The thylacine was a nocturnal and crepuscular hunter, spending daylight hours in small caves or hollow tree trunks in a nest of twigs, bark or ferns. During the day he usually hid in the hills and forests and hunted at night. Early observers noted that the animal was generally shy and secretive, aware of the presence of people and generally avoiding contact, although it occasionally displayed inquisitive traits. At that time there was a huge prejudice regarding the “cruel” nature of this beast.

Biological significance of mammals

The importance of mammals in the ecosystem is due to the great diversity of species and the complexity of their behavior. In addition, animals of this class inhabit all natural zones, regardless of climatic conditions: walruses and seals inhabit the extremely cold continent and are a large link in the food chain there; artiodactyl zebras live on the hottest continent of the planet and play a similar role.

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So, the role of mammals in natural systems:

1. They are large links in the food chain. Representatives of some orders are food for representatives of other orders of mammals.
2. Herbivores influence the flora by destroying some plants while spreading others by consuming and then excreting their indigestible particles. Most often this is done by various representatives of the rodent order.
3. They have a beneficial effect on the soil: moles and shrews loosen the soil, thereby enriching it with oxygen. In addition, the droppings of all animals make the soil more fertile.
4. Representatives of the order insectivores, by eating insects, restrain the excessive growth of their numbers. Representatives of the order predators play a similar role: they restrain the growth of populations of their prey.

Lifestyle

Among marsupials there are both terrestrial and arboreal lifestyles, and the water possum has adapted to life in the water. Most are nocturnal animals.

Koala is a marsupial adapted to an arboreal lifestyle.

Diet

Among marsupials there are herbivorous, predatory and omnivorous species. Some people prefer only one type of food. For example, the proboscis-headed cuscus specializes in nectar and pollen. Others, such as four-eyed opossums, are very picky eaters. Their diet includes fruits, earthworms, insects and small vertebrates.

Social life

Four types of social organization of marsupials can be distinguished. In the first case, the structural unit is an individual whose area partially overlaps with several other areas. Males have large ranges that include those of several females, and mating is promiscuous. This is how small opossums and the proboscis possum live.

In the second type, the structural unit is also an individual, but with limited overlap of areas. The male's area overlaps with the areas of 1-2 females, with whom only he can mate. This type of social organization is characteristic of leaf-eating tree species.

The third type is family associations that share a common, often protected, territory among themselves. Groups may consist of a monogamous couple and their offspring or a dominant male, several adult females and young animals. Marsupial flying squirrels and some possums live in groups.

The fourth type are families of large kangaroos. In this social organization, the structural unit is a group of heterosexual individuals. Mating in such groups is promiscuous, and access to females is based on the size and dominance of the males.

Communication

In the communication of marsupials, the main role belongs to hearing and smell. Thus, arboreal species use sound signals to communicate over distances of up to several hundred meters. Some, such as small gliders, may chirp or squeak, while others, such as the koala, may roar.

Scent communication is carried out by passively leaving urine and excrement, and small species actively mark using the secretions of the skin glands.

Since marsupials are mostly active at night, vision is not of great importance for them.

How long do marsupials live?

The lifespan of a kangaroo in the wild is about 25 years. Small marsupials live shorter lives than large species. The shortest age of all is some species of predators, which die at the age of 12 months. The exception is the mountain cuscus, which lives longer than all small mammals: a female in nature can live more than 11 years.

Marsupials of Australia are the main inhabitants

There are over 140 different species of such animals in this country, the most famous are kangaroos, their population numbers more than 60 million. There are 55 species in total. These Australian animals come in different sizes, their weight ranges from 0.5 to 90 kg. Outside the city they are found quite often. You can watch them from afar on the small Kangaroo Island and on the Flinders Ridge. If you want to take a closer look at them, you should visit Kosciuszko and Namadgi parks, as well as Mary Island or Pebbly Beach. If the area is sparsely populated, then these animals can be found quite often and right on the roads.

Another common species is the koala. Many people think that this is a small bear, but this is incorrect. You can watch koalas in eastern Australia, mainly on the coast. The most popular habitats are Port Stephens and Tidbinbilla and Lone Pine Nature Reserves, Yanchep Park and Phillip Island.

Wombats are marsupials of Australia. Quite obese, living in burrows and often reaching 36 kg. It’s not easy to find them in their normal habitat, but it’s still possible. To do this, you need to visit Australian parks and the Wilson Promontory Peninsula. I also call them Australian rabbits. Although the wombat is similar to the latter only in its general outline. But compared to a rabbit, he is very large.

Australian marsupials - list and description with photos

Australia is a continent of the Southern Hemisphere, washed by the waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, the entire area of ​​which is occupied by the state of the same name. The fauna of this continent is unique in its own way, because for a long time it was isolated from the outside world.

A peculiarity of the Australian fauna is the complete absence of monkeys, ruminants and thick-skinned mammals. But instead of these species, Australia is inhabited by marsupials, which will be discussed.

Variety of shapes

The table of mammal orders describes body structure, diet, and habitat.