What Five Animals Are Marsupials?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

, , , ,

What five animals are marsupials? Marsupials include

opossums, Tasmanian devils, kangaroos, koalas, wombats, wallabies, bandicoots, and the extinct thylacine

.

Are Dolphins marsupials?


Placental mammals

are found on all continents, in the air, and in the seas. Primates, cats, dogs, bears, hoofed animals, rodents, bats, seals, dolphins, and whales are among the dominant placental mammal groups today.

Is a panda a marsupial?


A panda is not a marsupial

. Pandas are ‘placental mammals.

How many marsupials are there?

A marsupial is any of the

more than 250

species belonging to the infraclass Metatheria (sometimes called Marsupialia), a mammalian group characterized by premature birth and continued development of the newborn while attached to the nipples on the mother’s lower belly.

Is a squirrel a marsupial?


No, true squirrels are not marsupials

. Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae within the order Rodentia.


No, and they are not marsupial mammals

either. Raccoons belong to the Carnivora order, which means that they are meat-eaters, but they are actually omnivores who will eat anything, from a berry to a piece of garbage.


The kangaroo is a marsupial

from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning “large foot”). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the red kangaroo, as well as the antilopine kangaroo, eastern grey kangaroo, and western grey kangaroo.

Sharks fall under the classification of cartilaginous fish.

No, sharks are not mammals

. All species of sharks are classified as fish.

Meanwhile, hedgehogs’ faces resemble opossums’, they don’t climb trees or have have flexible prehensile tails. Hedgehogs are mammals, but

they aren’t marsupials

.


All marsupials are mammals, but not all mammals are marsupials

. Let me explain: There are three types of mammals, differentiated by the ways they reproduce. Humans, dogs, elephants, lions, tigers, bears, and many other mammals are placental mammals.


No, bears are not marsupials

; they are placental mammals. This means they have fully developed placentas that support bearing their young until they…

In the United States, it’s a different story. The only marsupial anywhere in the country is the

Virginia opossum

(Didelphis virginiana).

Fig. 15.1. Female reproductive tract of a Monotreme (echidna),

a marsupial

and a eutherian mammal.

Sugar gliders are palm-size possums that can glide half the length of a soccer pitch in one trip. These common,

tree-dwelling marsupials

are native to tropical and cool-temperate forests in Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea.


Penguins are birds

, even though they spend time on land and in water. Their motion in the water more closely resembles flying than the swimming motion used by other animals.


Lemurs are not marsupials

. They are actually primates, which puts them in a large taxonomic group with monkeys and apes.


Possums are a suborder of 70 tree-living marsupial species

native to Australia and the Indonesian islands of New Guinea and Sulawesi. While their names are similar and both are marsupials, possums and opossums are different creatures.

The meerkat is

a social mammal

, forming packs of two to 30 individuals each comprising nearly equal numbers of either sex and multiple family units of pairs and their offspring.


The Tasmanian devil is the world’s largest carnivorous marsupial

, reaching 30 inches in length and weighing up to 26 pounds, although its size will vary widely depending on where it lives and the availability of food.

Diane Mitchell
Author
Diane Mitchell
Diane Mitchell is an animal lover and trainer with over 15 years of experience working with a variety of animals, including dogs, cats, birds, and horses. She has worked with leading animal welfare organizations. Diane is passionate about promoting responsible pet ownership and educating pet owners on the best practices for training and caring for their furry friends.