Jeanne Sturm - Marsupials

Koalas, kangaroos, and opossums are just a few of the that belong to a special group called marsupials. Like other mammals, marsupials give birth to live offspring. Unlike other mammals, marsupial babies are born before they are fully developed, at only 2 to 5 weeks of age. When born, the tiny babies make their way to their mothers pouch where they continue to grow and develop until they can live on their own.

Most marsupial species, including the kangaroo, koala, and Tasmanian devil, live in Australia and New Zealand. More than 60 species of opossums, including the tiny mouse opossum, live in Central and South America. Only one marsupial species, the Virginia opossum, lives in North America.

Kangaroos live in Australia. The red kangaroo is the largest of all kangaroos and the largest marsupial. Males grow to more than 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall and weigh up to 200 pounds (90 kilograms).

Kangaroos use their tails for balance while hopping and for support while standing. They can hop as fast as 40 miles (64 kilometers) per hour. In an emergency, a red kangaroo can bound across the outback with hops 10 feet (3 meters) high and 39 feet (12 meters) long. Kangaroos use different skills to move slowly. First, they balance on their front paws and tail, and then they swing their hind legs forward.

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A male kangaroo is called a boomer, buck, or jack. A female is a flyer, doe, or jill. A young kangaroo is called a joey.

Kangaroos are born after about 31 to 36 days . Once it makes its way to the pouch, a baby red kangaroo will remain there for around 190 days, continuing to develop. A mother kangaroo can use muscles to control her pouch size and opening. When she is alarmed, she can pull the pouch tight to keep the young kangaroo safe inside. When the joey is between 6 and 8 months old, it will leave the pouch to explore the outside world, and then return to the pouch to sleep and nurse. At about one year old, it will leave the pouch for good.

To drink its mothers milk, the joey must find the nipple inside its mothers pouch. When the joey is small, it can nurse inside the pouch. As the joey grows bigger and stronger, it can nurse from outside the pouch.

Kangaroos are , their highly developed sense of smell helps them locate water sources even in times of drought.

During extremely dry times, kangaroos will migrate as far as 125 miles (200 kilometers) to find water.

Wallabies are closely related to kangaroos. They also live in Australia.

Tasmanian devils live on the Australian island of Tasmania.

Tasmanian devils are the largest marsupial

As soon as they are born, Tasmanian devil babies race to their mothers pouch. The mother has four teats inside her pouch. Only the first four babies to arrive and attach to a teat will survive.

Koalas live in East Australia. They spend most of their lives in eucalyptus trees, sleeping and resting up to 18 hours a day. They drink very little. Instead, most of the moisture they need comes from their diet of eucalyptus leaves.

A newborn koala is tiny, about the size of a jelly bean. It is hairless, blind, and earless. As soon as it is born the baby koala crawls to its mothers pouch, where it continues to develop. After 6 months, the baby koala ventures out of its mothers pouch to eat eucalyptus leaves, but returns to her pouch to nurse. At about a year old, the young koala stops nursing and eats only leaves. Mother koala with her joey.

Mother koala with her joey.

Koalas must watch out for predators such as dingoes, owls, and people.

Koala Life Cycle:

1.A koala is born before it is completely formed. It is blind and cannot hear. It uses its strong front legs to crawl to its mothers pouch.

2.The baby koala, called a joey, stays inside its mothers pouch for 6 months, feeding on her milk and growing. At five months, the joeys eyes are open and it can survey the world from the safety of its mothers pouch.