Types of Marsupials

Marsupials are mammals that, unlike placental mammals (embryos develop in a placenta internal), its development occurs in the marsupium (kind of external bag where the embryo completes its formation).Inside the marsupium are the nipples where the embryos breastfeed until they are fully formed.

The place with the highest number of marsupial species is in Australia, some 200 species (Tasmania and New Zealand inclusive).But in South America and North America there are also several species of marsupials, approximately 70 species.

Continue reading this post, and Animals and Pets Online will show you types of marsupials that inhabit different continents.

Australian Marsupials

The Australian continent has the highest number of marsupial species with more than 200 species.Alli is the lowest among the marsupials: the long-tailed planigale , Planigali ingrami , which measures just 5.5 cm (half a mouse), and weighs about 4.3 gr.

Red kangaroo

In Australia too is the red kangaroo , Macropus rufus , considered the largest of the current marsupials, whose weight reaches 90 kg, with a height of 1 , 50 meters.

These large kangaroos can hit jumps of 10 m in length and 3 m in height, boosting with both legs at the same time and helped by their muscular tail.The comfort speed to move is about 25 km/h, while on short journeys they can reach 70 km/h.For a couple of kilometers they can sustain a speed of 50 km/h.

Giant kangaroo

It is followed by the kangaroo giant or eastern gray kangaroo, Macropus giganteus , whose weight can reach 66 kg, and measure almost 2 meters high.Apart from these limited examples of major and minor marsupials, there are many other species of intermediate size.

Walabi of the swamp

Although it looks a lot like kangaroos, the truth is that they are of two different genres. Wallabia bicolor is a small marsupial quite common and fortunately not threatened.

Uombat common

Also known as rough-haired uombat or Vombatus ursinus is a 3 to 7 kilogram sweet-looking marsupial.Some people once had these animals as pets, something that is currently t otally prohibited.

There are currently about 200 species of Australian marsupials which makes it really complicated detail each and every one of the species.Previously we have shown you the most popular and known.

Argentine Marsupials

According to the Guide of Argentine Marsupials, this immense country enjoys 24 species of marsupials.They are distributed from northern Argentina, to the vast Patagonian meadows.Next we will point out one of the most important:

Sheep weasel

The sheep weasel or blackberry weasel , Didelphis albiventris , is a typical opossum from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay In spite of the nickname "weasel", it is not a mustelid, it is a marsupial.It has a very short life cycle: gestation only lasts a couple of weeks.At 10 months it reaches sexual maturity and at 2 years menopause appears.A little later he dies.It can reproduce 3 times a year.Cautiva can reach 4 years.

It can measure 70 cm more the tail, and its hair reaches up to 2 kg.The females are smaller.an omnivore species that feeds on insects, rodents, batracians, reptiles, berries, birds, bananas, apples, strawberries, eggs, carrona and even garbage from human settlements.Their predators are, among others, the puma, the yacare, the Pampas fox, the pyrene and the harpy eagle.This marsupial is considered a living fossil.It is not threatened.

This marsupial , like many others, has 3 vaginas .The central is where the tiny embryos are born, and the digestive and urinary tract ends.The two sides serve for fertilization and lead to two deutero chambers.The males have the bifurcated penis ( Nature is very wise, and generous in this case).

The marsupials cannot transmit rabies , since their low body temperature (32º), prevents the development of disease.They have many lymphocytes, which makes them have very resistant defenses.

Mexican Marsupials

Four-eyed tlacuache

The four-eyed tlacuache, Philander opossum , is a possum that lives in southern Mexico, although it is distributed throughout Central America and South America to northern Argentina.It feeds on insects, reptiles, rodents and fruits.It is an arboricola and terrestrial species of nocturnal habits.You can see it in the image:

Tlacuache is a Mexican marsupial of which there are different species of different sizes.In fact the name tlacuache is the local name of the possums.

Tlacuachillo de agua

The tlacuachillo de agua, Chironectes minimus, is the only aquatic marsupial.The northeast of Argentina.It feeds on fish, amphibians and crustaceans.It measures up to 35 cm plus 40 cm of tail.It is also known as water lick, among other local names.is.

Tasmania Marsupials

Tasmanian devil

Tasmania's best known marsupial is the world known as Tasmanian devil Tasmanian devil, Sarcophilus harrisii , is a marsupial endemic of the island of Tasmania.It does not usually live more than 5 years in Nature.It is currently the largest carnivorous marsupial in the world.It has a very rough, solid and characteristic appearance.It is black with white marks, although there are some totally black.It measures about 65 cm long, plus a short tail of 25 cm.Its weight reaches 8 kg.The females are smaller.

One of its prey is the wombats, marsupials whose Weight reaches 30 kg.This fact indicates the enormous strength and aggressiveness of the Tasmanian devil.What, together with its incredible bite force ratio (BFQ 181), exceeds that of the tiger (BFQ 127) or that of the jaguar ( BFQ 137).However, it feeds mainly on carrona.

Since the mid-1990s, Tasmanian devils suffer from an epid It is a contagious facial carcinoma that has greatly reduced its population.

It is currently in serious danger of extinction .The authorities are developing plans for recovery.

Colombian Marsupials

In Colombia there are 29 species of marsupials.The most widespread are the so-called chuchas, which are different species of possum.

But there are two different endemic varieties of marsupials that are only found among the prodigious and rich fauna of Colombia.One is a tiny marsupial, which we will show below:

Colombian Tunato

The Colombian Tunato, Caenolestes fuliginosus , It is a small endemic marsupial in southern Valdivia, Antioquia.It feeds on insects and fruits.It has nocturnal habits.This species is in critical danger of extinction.

Image of zoologia.puce.edu.ec:

Colombian Chuchita

The Colombian chuchita, Gracilinanus perijae , also known as zarigueya mouse of Colombia.It is a tiny animal that lives in the forests of the tropical and subtropical lowlands of Colombia as.

If you want to read more articles similar to Types of marsupials , we recommend that you enter our Curiosities section of the animal world.