What are marsupials?
When European travelers came to the New World, they often brought with them what they thought was strange and new. Thus, the South American opossum was brought from Brazil in 1500, and in 1770 Captain Cook spoke about the kangaroos he saw in Australia. Until that time, no one in Europe knew about such animals - they were marsupials. Marsupials are a separate order of mammals. Their scientific name comes from the Greek word "marsupion", which means "bag".
These animals are distinguished by the fact that after their birth they live and feed while in a bag on the body of their mother. This is necessary because at birth marsupials are so small and helpless that they cannot take care of themselves. They don't even know how to eat. Even when they grow quite large, young kangaroos and opossums still run to hide in their mother’s pouch when something scares them. Judging by the fossils found in the mountains, marsupials were once common in all parts of the world.
Nowadays, almost all of their species are found in Australia and its adjacent islands. The only true marsupial living in the Northern and South America, are different types of opossum. Australian marsupials come in a variety of forms, from tiny mole-like creatures a few inches long to huge kangaroos. Some of them, such as bandicoots, look like rabbits. Others, such as wombats, are similar to beavers. And thylacines (or Tasmanian wolves) look like wolves.
Marsupials can live on the ground or live in trees, like monkeys. Some of the cuscus, which belong to the same family as marsupials, can even fly from tree to tree like flying squirrels. Marsupials eat a wide variety of foods. Some of them eat only vegetables, others eat insects or meat, and some even eat whatever they can find.
Amazing marsupials
Most of the mammals known to us, such as the bison, hedgehog, mole, lion, elephant, wolf and bear, belong to the placental class, which inhabit Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. Another infraclass of viviparous mammals is marsupials, which live mainly in Australia. The earliest marsupial fossils found in Canada date back more than 70 million years, meaning their evolution began much earlier.
Scientists are still arguing about the place of origin of marsupials, suggesting that it could be any of the Americas. After 40-50 million years ago, Australia separated from the hypothetical continent of Gondwana, which also united modern Antarctica, South America, India and Africa, it became like a huge “island”, animal and vegetable world which began to develop in its own, independent way. In this world, marsupials did not encounter competition from other, more highly organized mammals, which led to two consequences.
Opossum
Firstly, marsupials differ in placental brain structure and embryonic development. Secondly, it was precisely thanks to isolation and lack of competition that the evolution of marsupials led to the formation of many forms adapted to the most different conditions a habitat. Most species of marsupials are similar in general structure and way of life to placental mammals living in similar conditions in Europe, Africa or America. Although marsupials inhabit mainly Australia and Tasmania, several species live in southern and North America, in New Guinea and adjacent islands, and some of them were introduced by humans to New Zealand.
Marsupial marten
Interesting to know. Marsupials number 80 genera and about 250 species; they consist of two main groups: the opossums of South and North America and the Australian-New Guinea group, whose representatives have a huge variety of appearance and variability in adaptation to different living conditions.
Diversity and similarity of marsupial species
The well-known kangaroos in their way of life are very similar to herbivorous ungulate mammals, such as deer, antelope and zebra. Philanders and bendicuts resemble a hare in behavior and lifestyle, and bilbies resemble a rabbit. The Tasmanian devil looks like a hyena, only very small with a long tail. Marsupial flying squirrels are the Australian analogue of ordinary flying squirrels; the marsupial mole is very similar in appearance to the common one, although it is not related to it.
Marsupial animal bandicoot
Couscous and tree kangaroos eat, look and behave like small monkeys, and the climbing flying squirrel can be compared to a lemur. Small marsupial mice and related species resemble our mice and shrews. Rock kangaroos play the same role in Australia's natural environment as goats or wild sheep. The wombat is somewhat similar to the South American capybara, and the paws of the floater are equipped with flippers, like those of an otter, with which it is similar in behavior and living conditions.
Marsupial anteater
Little brain. The marsupial brain, in relation to the entire body, is much smaller than the brain of a placental mammal. This fact is often cited as evidence of a lower level of development and as a reason why marsupials lose out in competition with other mammals brought to Australia by humans. On the other hand, the complex behavior of many marsupials related to nest building or food search does not at all indicate their “stupidity.”
Kuzu is an "Australian" squirrel. There are several species of marsupial “cats” and “weasels,” and the extinct marsupial wolf hunted in the same way as our European one. There are even marsupial anteater. Evolution on the island has also led to the emergence of several species that have no analogues on other continents. One of these species is the symbol of Australia - the koala.
Marsupial wolf
Marsupial koala bear
However, if we consider the fauna of marsupials as a whole, one important feature can be discovered that distinguishes them from placentals. Even taking into account the recently extinct marsupial wolf and the fossil marsupial tiger, it can be said that very few large predators lived and live in Australia. The largest marsupial predators currently living in Australia are the size of a cat or slightly larger.
Short pregnancy and unusual bag
The method of birth and development of marsupials is characteristic and unusual. Gestation lasts a very short time and the young are born at an extremely early stage of development. Newborn possums are about the size of a bee, and small kangaroos are slightly larger than a grain of beans. The baby marsupial is born near the base of the mother's tail, and from here, wriggling like a lizard, it crawls into the pouch along a strip of fur that the female has moistened with her tongue.
Sensation. When at the beginning of the 16th century the navigator Piso, who served under Columbus, brought the first opossum from Brazil to Europe, this animal caused a real sensation. Even the King and Queen of Spain stuck their fingers into the bag to make sure there was indeed a baby inside.
Marsupial mouse
Marsupial flying squirrel
The bursa is formed by a fold of skin on the abdomen. Its depth and isolation varies greatly among different types: from a barely defined fold in some small marsupials to the waterproof pouch of a swimmer. The newborn falls into it and attaches itself to the nipple, which increases in volume and clogs the baby's mouth as firmly as a wine cork stops a bottle, as a result of which the nipple becomes attached to the source of nutrition. It grows and develops in the bag even after it leaves it - from time to time it returns there, escaping from danger or simply to feed itself.
Marsupial kangaroo
How does the baby get into the bag? There used to be a lot of incredible speculation about how baby marsupials get into the pouch. For example, opossums, according to the popular version, reproduced by rubbing their noses against each other. Some time later, the female stuck her nose into the pouch and blew the cubs into it. This tale was undoubtedly born from the fact that the female opossum, before giving birth, puts her muzzle into her pouch and carefully licks it from the inside. She does this, however, for hygienic purposes, and not because small opossums are born through the nose.
In Australia, 93% of amphibians, 90% of fish, 89% of reptiles and 83% of mammals are endemic. They are not found outside the mainland. An exception is when Australian animals are kept in zoos, aquariums, or as pets.
Their uniqueness is due to the early separation of the continent from the mother land. It is no secret that all the lands of the planet were once a single Gondwana. Due to movement lithospheric plates, splits in them, territories were disconnected. This is how modern continents appeared.
Since Australia separated, so to speak, at the dawn of time, it has retained the once thriving marsupials and lower mammals. Let's start the review with them.
Marsupials of Australia
Marsupials animals of Australia They are distinguished by the presence of a skin fold on the abdomen. The fabrics form a kind of pocket. Females have nipples inside it. IN old times scientists believed that marsupial cubs were developing on them, like apples on branches.
In fact, the offspring matures in the mother's womb, but is born prematurely. A bag serves as a kind of hospital. In it, animals begin to see, begin to hear, and grow hair.
quokka
Illuminates animal world Australia with your smile. The corners of the quokka's mouth are turned up. The front teeth stick out a little. It seems that you are looking at a large rodent. However, zoologists classify the animal as a kangaroo. Compared to ordinary quokkas, the quokka is a miniature creature, weighing about 3.5 kilos.
Quokkas inhabit islands near the continent, not Australia itself. On the mainland, smiling animals are destroyed by dogs, cats and foxes brought by settlers.
The structure of the mouth creates the appearance of a smile on the quokka's face
common kangaroo
When James Cook saw the kangaroo, the traveler decided that this was a two-headed animal. A baby was sticking out of the animal's pouch. They did not come up with a new name for the animal. Local aborigines called the wonderful creature “kangaroo”. The Europeans changed it a little.
There are no indigenous predators in Australia. However, this does not mean that the animals of the continent are harmless. Kangaroos, for example, “kick” horses. Cases of death from accidental blows from marsupials have been recorded. The front legs of a kangaroo are shortened and weak, but the hind legs are jumping and powerful.
Koala
Lives in the east and south of Australia. They were also found in the west, but were exterminated. The ancestors of koalas became extinct as a result of natural selection. About 30 million years ago, there lived a copy of the modern marsupial, but 28 times larger. During natural selection, the species became smaller.
Modern koalas do not exceed 70 centimeters in height and weigh about 10 kilograms. Moreover, males are 2 times larger than females.
Koalas have a papillary pattern on their toe pads. Marsupials leave imprints, just like monkeys and humans. Other animals do not have a papillary pattern. Considering that the koala is the simplest mammal, the presence of the evolutionary trait is a mystery to scientists.
Koala has human fingerprints
Wallaby
Belongs to the kangaroo order. By the way, there are 69 species of animals. Only one of them, called ordinary, is symbol of Australia. Animal is not a state sign. The symbol relates more to the military and sports fields. Suffice it to recall a boxing kangaroo in red gloves.
Australian pilots first depicted it on the fuselages of their aircraft. This happened in 1941. Afterwards, the emblem began to be used at sporting events.
Wallaby does not look as warlike and athletic as giant individuals. The animal does not exceed 70 centimeters in height and weighs no more than 20 kilograms. Accordingly, the wallaby is a medium-sized kangaroo.
There are 15 subspecies. Many of them are on the verge of extinction. Striped wallabies, for example, remain on only two islands off the west coast of Australia.
The wallaby is a “relative” of the kangaroo, only smaller in size.
Wombat
Outwardly it resembles a little bear cub. Its diminutiveness is relative. Representatives of one of the three species of wombat reach a length of 120 centimeters and weigh 45 kilos. These marsupials of Australia compact, have powerful paws with large claws. This helps with digging. At the same time, the closest relatives of wombats, koalas, prefer to spend time in trees.
Wombats are the largest among burrowing mammals. The underground passages are also large. Even people climb into them. They are the main enemies of wombats.
Marsupials dig burrows near farms. Dingo dogs make their way through the passages to the birds and livestock. By destroying “intermediaries”, people protect livestock from predators. Five species of wombats have already been extirpated. Another one is on the verge of extinction.
Wombat marsupial rodent Australia
Marsupial flying squirrel
It is not related to squirrels, but there are external similarities, in particular the size of the animals, their manner of jumping between trees. On them, the flying squirrel can be seen in the forests of northern and eastern Australia. Animals live on eucalyptus trees. Marsupial flying squirrels jump between their branches, covering up to 150 meters horizontally.
Flying squirrels - Australian endemic animals, like other marsupials, are not found outside its borders. The animals are active at night. They live in flocks of 15-30 individuals.
Given the small size of flying squirrels, their premature babies are almost invisible, each weighing about 0.19 grams. Babies reach a weight of several grams after 2 months of being in their mother’s pouch.
Tasmanian devil
One of the rare predators Australia. Interesting animals have an absurdly large head. This increases the bite force per unit of body weight. Tasmanian devils even snack on traps. The animals weigh no more than 12 kilos, and their length rarely exceeds 70 centimeters.
The Tasmanian devil's dense body appears awkward. However, the marsupial is dexterous, flexible, and excellent at climbing trees. From their branches, predators often rush at victims. They become snakes, insects, even small kangaroos.
The devil also catches birds. The predator eats its victims, as they say, with its giblets, even digesting wool, feathers and bones.
The Tasmanian devil got its name from the sounds it makes.
Bandicoot
Outwardly it resembles a long-eared rat. The muzzle of the animal is cone-shaped and long. The marsupial weighs approximately 2.5 kilograms and reaches a length of 50 centimeters. The bandicoot maintains its weight by eating both animal and plant foods.
Bandicoots are sometimes called marsupial badgers. There are 21 species in the family. There were 24, but 3 died out. Several more are on the verge of extinction. However, Australian bandicoots are not related to Indian bandicoots. The latter are rodents. Australian animals are part of the marsupial family.
Marsupials of Australia are divided into 5 classes. These are predatory animals with pouches, moles, anteaters, wolves, bears. Europeans gave them names, comparing them with animals known to them. In fact, among marsupials there are no bears, no wolves, no moles.
Monotremes of Australia
The name of the family is due to its anatomical structure. The intestines and urogenital sinus extend into the cloaca, like in birds. Monotremes even lay eggs, but they are classified as mammals.
Here's what animals live in Australia. They appeared on the planet approximately 110 million years ago. Dinosaurs are already extinct. Monotreme mammals were the first to occupy the empty niche.
Platypus
On photo animals of Australia orders of monotremes are vaguely similar to beavers. This is what English naturalists decided at the end of the 17th century. Having received a platypus skin from Australia, they decided that what they were looking at was, as they put it today, a fake. George Shaw proved the opposite. A naturalist captured a beaver with a duck's nose in nature.
The platypus has webbed feet. By straightening them, the animal swims. Picking up membranes, the animal exposes its claws, effectively digging holes. The strength of the hind legs of a monotreme is not enough to “plow” the earth.” The second limbs are useful only when walking and swimming, working like a caudal fin.
Something between a porcupine and a hedgehog. It's external. In fact, the species are not related to the echidna. Unlike hedgehogs and porcupines, she has no teeth. The tiny mouth is located at the end of the monotreme's elongated, thin snout. Pulled from the mouth long tongue. Here the echidna resembles an anteater and also feeds on hymenoptera.
The echidna has long claws on its front paws. Animals, like platypuses, do not dig the ground. Claws are needed to destroy anthills and termite mounds. They are attacked by echidnas of two kinds. The third became extinct, originating approximately 180 million years ago.
Chiroptera of Australia
There are so many bats in Australia that in 2016 the authorities declared a state of emergency when hordes bats landed on Batmans Bay. This is a resort town in the country. Due to the invasion of bats, the streets and beaches were covered with droppings, and there were power outages.
As a result, property prices in the resort fell. Travelers were frightened not only by the number of animals, but also by their size. The bats Australia's are the largest in the world with a wingspan of one and a half meters and a weight of about a kilogram.
Flying foxes
They are compared to foxes due to their reddish tone, sharp muzzles and large size. Bats reach a length of 40 centimeters. Flying foxes feed only on fruits and berries. Mice enjoy the juice of the fruit. The animals spit out the dehydrated pulp.
Flying foxes are active at night. So, having “flooded” Batmans Bay, the animals also did not allow people to sleep. Australian bats, unlike true bats, do not have echolocation “equipment.” Foxes have average orientation in space.
Reptiles of Australia
Snake-necked turtle
With a 30-centimeter shell, the turtle has a neck covered with tubercles of the same length. The head at the end seems tiny, like a snake. Snake and habits. Caught Australian turtles wriggle at the expense of their necks and bite their offenders, although they are not poisonous.
Snake-necked turtles - animals natural areas Australia, located throughout the continent and on nearby islands. The shell of animals expands significantly at the back. Reptiles can be kept in an aquarium. However, long-necked turtles need space. The minimum volume of an aquarium for one individual is 300 liters.
Australian snake lizards
They often lack legs or have underdeveloped ones. These feet are usually too short to be used for walking and have only 2-3 toes. Animal groups differ from snakes by the absence of ear openings. Otherwise, you can’t immediately tell whether you see a lizard or not.
There are 8 species of snake lizards in Australia. All are burrowers, that is, they lead a lifestyle similar to worms. Externally, the animals also somewhat resemble large worms.
Australian tree monitor
They live in trees. Hence the name. The animal is endemic and reaches 35 centimeters in length. A third of them are in the tail. The lizard weighs approximately 80 grams. The back of the tree monitor is brown. This allows them to camouflage themselves on branches. The sides and belly of the lizard are gray.
Fat-tailed gecko
An eight-centimeter-long creature painted orange brown tones and decorated with light dots. The skin has brushes and looks rough. The gecko's tail is shorter than the body, fleshy at the base and pointed at the end.
The fat-tailed gecko has a terrestrial lifestyle. The color of the animal helps it hide among the stones. The reptile chooses variegated rocks in warm colors such as granite and sandstone.
Giant lizards
Their gigantic length is not so much as their width. The body of the animal is always thick and powerful. The length of the gigantic lizards is 30-50 centimeters. The tail takes up about a quarter of them.
In some species it is even shorter. An example is the short-tailed skink. Accordingly, gigantic lizards are a general name for the genus of Australian reptiles.
The smallest among the giants is the 10-centimeter Adelaide lizard. The largest in the genus is the blue-tongued skink, reaching almost 80 centimeters in length.
Black snake
Two-meter endemic Australia. About animals we can say that they are slender and strong. Only the back and part of the sides of snakes are black. The underparts of the animals are reddish. This is the color of smooth, symmetrical scales.
Black snakes - dangerous animals of australia, have poisonous teeth. There are two of them, but only one performs the functions. The second is a reserve in case the first is lost or damaged.
Viper-shaped death snake
The reptile imitates the appearance and behavior of a viper, but is many times more poisonous. The animal lives in the forest floor, getting lost among the foliage and grasses. The size of the viper-shaped reptile is identical to the prototype, does not exceed a meter, and often extends only 70 centimeters.
Birds of Australia
There are about 850 bird species on the continent, 350 of which are endemic. The diversity of birds indicates the richness of the continent's nature and serves as evidence of the low number of predators in Australia. Even the dingo dog is actually not native. The animal was brought to the mainland by Austronesians. They traded with the Australians from 3000 BC.
Emu
It grows up to 170 centimeters in height, weighing more than 50 kilograms. At this weight the bird cannot fly. Too loose feathers and an underdeveloped skeleton also prevent this from being done. But emus run well, reaching speeds of 60-70 kilometers per hour.
An ostrich sees surrounding objects just as clearly when running as when standing. Each step the bird takes is 3 meters long. Emu - not only big animals of australia, but also the second largest birds in the world. The championship also belongs to the ostrich, but the African one.
Bush bigfoot
Not found outside Australia. There are about 10 species of bigfoot on the continent. Shrubby is the largest. The animal has a bare head with red skin. There is a yellow patch on the neck. The body is covered with brown-black feathers. The length from head to tail does not exceed 85 centimeters.
The bigfoot has a mixed diet. The feathered one gets it on the ground. Sometimes the bird eats seeds and berries, and sometimes invertebrates.
Australian duck
The bird is 40 centimeters long and weighs about a kilogram. The bird has a blue beak, black head and tail, and a brown body. The white-headed duck is a waterfowl and is a duck.
Among her relatives she stands out for her silence and love of solitude. Australian ducks gather in flocks only during the breeding season.
The Australian duck is endemic with a small population. Therefore, the species is considered endangered. The bird is not listed in Krasnaya, but is under the supervision of zoologists.
Magellanic penguin
It lives up to its name and does not exceed 30 centimeters in height. The mass of a flightless bird is 1-1.2 kilograms. Another distinctive feature is the blue plumage.
Little penguins are secretive, hiding in burrows and hunting fish at night. Molluscs and crustaceans are also on the animal menu. By the way, there are 13 species of penguins in Australia. The proximity of the continent to the south pole influences. It is a favorite place for penguins. Some species live at the equator, but none are found in the northern hemisphere.
Royal albatross
The largest among flying birds. The bird is also long-lived. The animal's age ends at the age of 6.
The royal albatross weighs about 8 kilograms. The length of the bird is 120 centimeters. The wingspan of the bird exceeds 3 meters.
Australian pelican
The length of the animal exceeds 2 meters. The weight of the bird is 8 kilos. The wingspan is more than 3 meters. The color of the bird is black and white. The pink beak stands out against the contrasting background. He's massive. There is a pronounced feather line between the beak and eyes. It seems that the bird is wearing glasses.
Australian pelicans eat small fish, catching up to 9 kilograms per day.
Bittern
Two feathers resembling horns protrude from the head. For this, the bird of the heron family was nicknamed the water bull. Like other bitterns, it can produce heart-rending sounds, which “form” the basis for the name of the genus.
The bittern is the least numerous on the continent. There are 18 species of herons living on it.
Australian brown hawk
Weighs about 400 grams, and reaches 55 centimeters in length. Despite the name, the bird is found outside the continent, for example, in New Guinea.
The brown hawk is named for its chestnut plumage. The bird's head is gray.
Black cockatoo
The impression is that the body of a raven is connected to the head of a parrot. The bird is black with red cheeks. On the head there is a crest characteristic of a cockatoo.
Black cockatoos are rarely kept in captivity due to their picky eating habits. Serve canary nuts. Outside of Australia the product is expensive and difficult to obtain.
Insects of Australia
The continent is famous for its large and dangerous insects. Only 10% of them are found outside Australia. The rest are endemic.
Rhino cockroaches
The insect weighs 35 grams and reaches 10 centimeters in length. Externally, the animal is similar to a beetle. The animal's shell is burgundy. Unlike most cockroaches, the rhinoceros does not have wings.
Representatives of the species are found only in North Queensland. Cockroaches inhabit its forests, hiding in leaf litter or digging holes in the sand.
Huntsman
This is a spider. Looks scary, but useful. The animal eats other, poisonous spiders. That's why Australians tolerate Huntsman's love of cars. The spider often gets into cars. For tourists, meeting an animal in a car is a shock.
When the huntsman spreads its legs, the length of the animal is approximately 30 centimeters. The length of the body is equal to 10.
Fishes of Australia
There are also many endemics among Australian fish. Among them, I highlight 7 especially unusual ones.
A drop
This fish is found near Tasmania. An animal of the deep. Caught in the net with lobsters and crabs. The fish is inedible and rare, and is protected. Outwardly, the inhabitant of the depths resembles a jelly, rather shapeless, whitish, with a nose-like influx, a prominent chin fold, and lips that seem to be turned outward.
The drop has no scales and almost no fins. The length of the animal is 70 centimeters. An adult animal weighs almost 10 kilograms.
Lumpy carpet shark
Among sharks, this is a 90-centimeter baby. The carpet fish is named because it has a flattened body. It is lumpy and brown in color. This allows the animal to get lost among bottom rocks and reefs. A bottom dweller, the lumpy shark feeds on invertebrates. Sometimes bony fish end up on the “table”.
Handfish
People call it the running fish. Found only off the coast of Tasmania, discovered in 2000. The species is rare and is listed in the International Red Book. The fish is called a running fish because it does not swim. The animal runs along the bottom on powerful, paw-like fins.
Rag picker
This is a seahorse. It is covered with soft growths. They sway in the current, like algae. The animal camouflages itself among them because it cannot swim. The only salvation from predators is to get lost in the vegetation. The length of the rag picker is approximately 30 centimeters. The pipit differs from other fish not only in its exotic appearance, but also in the presence of a neck.
Knight fish
It does not exceed 15 centimeters in length and is a living fossil. The body of the inhabitant of Australian waters is wide and covered with armored scales. It was for this reason that the animal was called a knight.
The knight fish is more often called the pine cone. The animal is kept in aquariums, valued not only for its exotic appearance, but also for its peaceful nature.
Pegasus
The lateral fins of the fish have pronounced spine lines. Between them there are transparent membranes. The fins are wide, spaced apart. Otherwise, the appearance of the fish is similar to that of seahorses. This is where associations with the pegasus from legends are born.
In the sea, Pegasus feeds on crustaceans and lives at a depth of 100 meters. The species is rare and poorly studied.
In total, the continent is home to 200 thousand species of animals. Of these, 13 were imported from other countries. It is interesting that the country’s coat of arms was also designed outside its borders. The first option was proposed in 1908 by Edward the Seventh.
The King of England decided that on the coat of arms of Australia will animals. There is an ostrich on one side and a kangaroo on the other. They are considered the main symbols of the continent.
Marsupials are a special group of mammals that differ from placentals and oviparous mammals in the characteristics of reproduction and embryo development. Currently, scientists count more than 250 different species of these animals. There are 120 species in Australia, 90 species in America (South and Central), and 50 species in New Guinea.
Characteristics
The cubs are born very small (the largest reach 3 cm at birth - in the large red kangaroo) and underdeveloped. After birth, they immediately climb into the pouch - a special fold on the stomach, suck on the nipple and begin to drink milk.
In this state, receiving nutrients and being warm and protected, they remain for quite a long time. In kangaroos, for example, it takes about six months before the baby begins to peek out or crawl out of the pouch.
The pouch is a special fold on the abdomen that closes tightly with muscle contraction and opens forward and sometimes backward, depending on the type of animal. Some species of the smallest marsupials do not have a pouch, but only an absolutely undeveloped small fold, so the young are forced to hide in the fur.
This order of mammals also has a specific structure of the pelvic and abdominal bones. They have so-called marsupial bones, which strengthen the abdominal wall and at the same time protect the babies in the pouch from the pressure of the mother’s entrails.
The brain of these animals is smaller in size and much simpler in structure than that of placental mammals, so their mental capacity less developed.
Habitat
Currently, marsupials are most widely distributed in Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, New Guinea and other nearby islands of Oceania. The possum, the only species of marsupial living on these continents, has survived in South and North America. He managed to survive the emergence of the Isthmus of Panama, which connected the two continents more than 3 million years ago.
Marsupials do not live in natural conditions on other continents. Scientists explain this by saying that animals at a higher stage of development supplanted them many years ago. And marsupials, remaining at their rather primitive level of development, survived only in America and Oceania, which are isolated from other continents.
Lifestyle
In their behavior, lifestyle, diet and number of individuals, marsupials differ quite strongly from each other. Some of them are predators (marsupial anteater, spotted marten), some are herbivores (koala, wombat), some are diurnal, others are nocturnal, many live on the ground, but there are also those who live in trees or spend most of their lives in water.
If you do not take into account that the development and gestation of the baby occurs in a special pouch, then in many ways these animals are similar to their placental counterparts. A marsupial wolf resembles a dog, a marsupial squirrel resembles an ordinary bat squirrel, a marsupial mouse resembles a field mouse, etc. Therefore, scientists distinguish marsupials into a separate and very diverse infraclass, which is in many ways similar to the infraclass of placental mammals, but lags behind them in terms of its level development.
- The smallest representative of marsupials is
Marsupials are a group of the most primitive of modern mammals chordates. This group of animals unites nine families: badgers, opossums, predatory marsupials, caenolests, moles, wombats, climbing marsupials, kangaroos, anteaters. Distinctive feature In most marsupials, females have a brood pouch on their abdomen.
In the course of research, paleontologists have established that marsupials, in the process of evolution, appeared on Earth in the Jurassic period and, along with cloacals, were widespread in the Mesozoic era before the appearance of placental mammals. In a later period, most marsupials became extinct, unable to withstand competition with placental species. But in Australia, thanks to the geographical isolation of the mainland, many species have survived to this day. Although with the arrival of people peace marsupials of Australia has undergone significant changes. Many large representatives of this order were exterminated by people, others could not withstand climate change, and mammal species introduced by humans continued the extermination of marsupials. Currently, approximately 250 species of marsupial mammals are known.
Most are distributed in Australia and South America. Only one species is found in North America - the opossum. In terms of the variety of adaptive adaptations, marsupials are not inferior to placental mammals. Many species are terrestrial animals (e.g. marsupial jerboa, kangaroos) or live in trees (marsupial flying squirrel, koala, marsupial cats). Only a few of them are associated with bodies of water (water possum) or live underground (marsupial mole). Most species are omnivores. They feed on plants, insects, and terrestrial vertebrates.
The body sizes of marsupials range from 5 cm to 1.5 m. Appearance diverse. Among them there are mole-like animals, similar to wolves or jerboas. Climbing forms have a well-developed tail, and on the limbs one or two fingers are opposed to the rest. In burrowing forms, the nails on the forelimbs are enlarged and thickened. Jumping forms have elongated hind limbs and a long tail. Marsupials have thick and soft fur, in some cases bristly. The color of the hair is usually monochromatic, less often spotted.
Females of most species have a brood pouch on their abdomen, which is a fold of skin. The size, shape of the bag, and the degree of its expression vary among different species. In some animal species the bursa opens forward, in others it opens backward. Sometimes it appears as small folds of skin or may be reduced. The female's nipples open into the pouch to feed her young.
Reproduction occurs from one to several times a year. Cubs are born underdeveloped. Immediately after birth in the pouch, they are suspended from the nipples and feed on mother's milk for up to two months. The cubs emerge from the pouch after 7-8 months.
Due to human activities, including the hunting of certain marsupial species for valuable fur and meat or the introduction of placental mammals to Australia, some species have become extinct (for example, the marsupial wolf), and many species are in need of protection. 21 species of the order are listed in the International Red Book.
For most people, Australia is a continent home to marsupials that are not like those that everyone is used to seeing.
The marsupials of Australia differ in appearance, have a different physiology and a different body structure. Females have a pouch on their bellies where they carry their young, which are born undeveloped.
Currently, there are about 250 species of marsupials.
The main difference between marsupials is that their cubs are born underdeveloped and for several months they grow, being in this very pouch on the mother’s stomach. Even when they grow up and can move and feed independently, they do not part with the bag and hide in it at the slightest danger. This continues until his little brother takes his place.
The fauna of Australia is very diverse. There are several dozen animals in Australia, mostly marsupials. The most famous of this order is the kangaroo. Probably everyone is familiar with this animal, although from hearsay, because the kangaroo is a kind of business card Australia. Kangaroos are found only in Australia, with the exception of several species found on the islands of Oceania.
In general, there are several types of kangaroos. The most famous is the large red kangaroo. Large red kangaroos reach a height of 2 meters and a weight of up to 80 kg or more. As you know, kangaroos move by jumping, so the red kangaroo’s long jumps can be up to 10 m. And these jumpers can overcome up to 3 meters in height. “Redheads” live mainly in flat areas such as “savannas”. They eat plant foods.
The second species is the gray “giant” or forest kangaroo. These kangaroos are a bit smaller in size, but not with agility. A gray kangaroo can easily reach speeds of up to 65 km/h. So hunters, even in a car, cannot always catch up with him. Although, in principle, the “Big Gray”, although of impressive size, is a completely peaceful and trusting animal.
The third species is the wallaroo mountain kangaroo. They have a more massive build and relatively short hind legs - they are perhaps the most agile of the kangaroos. They live in mountainous areas and easily jump from rock to rock and along mountain steeps, perhaps better than any mountain goat.
There is a type of kangaroo that lives in trees. They are somewhat different from those living on earth. This is understandable, because climbing trees requires its own characteristics. But, nevertheless, they are the same interesting creatures and they also carry their children in a bag.
Very small kangaroos also live in Australia. Rather, it is something between a kangaroo and a rat. They are called quokkas. They are somewhat similar to our jerboas, but they are also marsupials. These herbivores are very shy and are mainly nocturnal.
No less interesting is another representative of Australian marsupials, this marsupial bear koala. Very cute, looks like a teddy bear. The koala lives in eucalyptus groves. Spends all his time in the trees. He doesn’t drink water because he eats eucalyptus leaves, and their juice is enough for him. Koalas do not recognize any other food.
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There is also the largest burrowing animal in the marsupial family, the wombat. Outwardly, it looks like a small bear, but it is a herbivore. An adult wombat reaches a meter or more in length and can weigh more than 40 kg
There is another amazing mammal in Australia - the marsupial anteater nambat. This is quite a beautiful animal, measuring from 20 to 30 cm with striped coloring. In principle, it is a predator, because it feeds on living creatures. Its food is termites. Nambat belongs to the class of marsupials, although it does not have a bag as such. On his belly there is a milky field framed by curly hair. Newborn naked and blind cubs, clinging to the fur, hang on the nipples and live like this for almost 4 months. When they become larger, the female leaves them in a hole or hollow and feeds them at night, because she is very shy.
One of the rare marsupials is the spotted marsupial marten. This beautiful animal is a real predator that eats everything that is smaller in size: rabbits, birds, it can eat a snake, a fish, well, anything that comes along. The marten is more than half a meter in length and can weigh up to 10 kg. In the spotted marsupial marten, the brood pouch is not permanent. It develops during the breeding season, is located at the back and opens towards the tail. Normally it's just a fold of skin. Unfortunately, this animal is on the verge of extinction and can only be found in national parks.
Another of the now rare marsupials is the rabbit bandicoot. Outwardly, bandicoots are similar to rats, only they have a more elongated muzzle and large ears, like a hare. These animals can be up to 45 centimeters long, plus a tail up to 20 cm. Bandicoots, or bilbies as they are otherwise called, feed on everything that comes their way. They can eat both insects and their larvae, and easily cope with small lizards and other living creatures. But they can also get by with various roots, mushrooms and other plant foods.
Previously, Australia was home to many marsupial predators called the marsupial devil. This is a rather unpleasant, vicious and foul-smelling animal. The appearance matches its name. But over time, this animal was supplanted by the Dingo dog, and now the marsupial devil can only be seen in the zoo. IN wildlife it can only be seen in Tasmania, where it is called the Tasmanian devil.
Of course in this brief overview It is impossible to tell about all the marsupials living in Australia, but we hope that the information obtained in this article gives a general idea of these amazing animals living only on this sunny continent.
