MARSUPIALS

Foto: AP / Roland Weihrauch

Marsupials live only in Australia, Tanzania, the Americas and New Guinea. The name marsupial comes from the marsupium, or pouch, in which these animals carry and nurse their young. Marsupials are different from other mammals because they have a pouch to carry their young.

Marsupials first evolved in South America about 100 million years ago. At that time, South America, Australia and Antarctica were connected together in one big continent. Australia and Antarctica gradually moved away from South America and both continents became isolated. Marsupial mammals were free to evolve in isolation, and evolution produced the characteristics found in present day Australian mammals.

Australia has about 120 species of marsupials, New Guinea has 53 species of marsupials, South and Central America have 90 species of marsupials, and North America has only two species of marsupials.

Marsupials range in size from tiny shrew-like creatures (5 grams) to large kangaroos (over 100 kilograms). There are marsupials that have developed every possible eating habits from tiny insect eaters to large plant eaters. There are even marsupial moles!

Most marsupials are night creatures so their most important senses are their sense of smell and their hearing. Most marsupials have extra scent glands which tell their neighbors whether they are boys or girls, if they are a stranger to the group, or if they are frightened or angry.

The largest marsupial in the world is the Red Kangaroo. Red Kangaroos can weigh 100 kilograms, hop up to 60 kilometres per hour, and leap over obstacles up to 3 meters high. Kangaroos move more efficiently at high speeds than at low speeds because the tendons in their hind legs store energy and their tail acts like a pendulum. They can hop long distances because their body motion pumps air in and out of their lungs like a bellows.

There are over 40 species of kangaroos. The smaller kangaroos are called wallabies in English. Kangaroos are grass eaters that live in grasslands that can be very dry with little rainfall. They may be able to go several months without water because they are capable of getting water from the food they eat.

A male kangaroo is called a boomer, a female kangaroo a flyer, and a baby kangaroo a joey in English. The name kangaroo came from the Aborigines through a mistake. An early European explorer asked an Aborigine what these strange hopping animals were, and the Aborigine replied kangaroo, meaning "I don't understand." The explorer thought he was naming the animal. Kangaroos usually eat during late afternoon or in the evening when it is cooler.

Kangaroos fight with each other by boxing with their front paws, but defend themselves with powerful kicks from their hind legs. When danger approaches, they warn other kangaroos by stomping the ground with their hind feet or thumping it with their tail.

Marsupials have very short gestation periods (the time the young spend in the mother's tummy). The Virginia opossum (the only marsupial in Michigan) has a gestation period of only 13 days, and the young are only the size of a question mark when they are born. The Red Kangaroo, native to Australia, has a 30 day gestation period and the single baby weighs only 1 gram  when it is born. The baby kangaroo, called a joey, spends about 235 days in the mother's pouch.
In some countries, the sugar gliders are kept as a marsupial pet.

Marsupials live only in Australia, Tanzania, the Americas and New Guinea. The name marsupial comes from the marsupium, or pouch, in which these animals carry and nurse their young. Marsupials are different from other mammals because they have a pouch to carry their young.

Marsupials first evolved in South America about 100 million years ago. At that time, South America, Australia and Antarctica were connected together in one big continent. Australia and Antarctica gradually moved away from South America and both continents became isolated. Marsupial mammals were free to evolve in isolation, and evolution produced the characteristics found in present day Australian mammals.

Australia has about 120 species of marsupials, New Guinea has 53 species of marsupials, South and Central America have 90 species of marsupials, and North America has only two species of marsupials.

Marsupials range in size from tiny shrew-like creatures (5 grams) to large kangaroos (over 100 kilograms). There are marsupials that have developed every possible eating habits from tiny insect eaters to large plant eaters. There are even marsupial moles!

Most marsupials are night creatures so their most important senses are their sense of smell and their hearing. Most marsupials have extra scent glands which tell their neighbors whether they are boys or girls, if they are a stranger to the group, or if they are frightened or angry.

The largest marsupial in the world is the Red Kangaroo. Red Kangaroos can weigh 100 kilograms, hop up to 60 kilometres per hour, and leap over obstacles up to 3 meters high. Kangaroos move more efficiently at high speeds than at low speeds because the tendons in their hind legs store energy and their tail acts like a pendulum. They can hop long distances because their body motion pumps air in and out of their lungs like a bellows.

There are over 40 species of kangaroos. The smaller kangaroos are called wallabies in English. Kangaroos are grass eaters that live in grasslands that can be very dry with little rainfall. They may be able to go several months without water because they are capable of getting water from the food they eat.

A male kangaroo is called a boomer, a female kangaroo a flyer, and a baby kangaroo a joey in English. The name kangaroo came from the Aborigines through a mistake. An early European explorer asked an Aborigine what these strange hopping animals were, and the Aborigine replied kangaroo, meaning "I don't understand." The explorer thought he was naming the animal. Kangaroos usually eat during late afternoon or in the evening when it is cooler.

Kangaroos fight with each other by boxing with their front paws, but defend themselves with powerful kicks from their hind legs. When danger approaches, they warn other kangaroos by stomping the ground with their hind feet or thumping it with their tail.

Marsupials have very short gestation periods (the time the young spend in the mother's tummy). The Virginia opossum (the only marsupial in Michigan) has a gestation period of only 13 days, and the young are only the size of a question mark when they are born. The Red Kangaroo, native to Australia, has a 30 day gestation period and the single baby weighs only 1 gram  when it is born. The baby kangaroo, called a joey, spends about 235 days in the mother's pouch.
In some countries, the sugar gliders are kept as a marsupial pet.

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Los marsupiales viven solo en Australia, Tanzania, América y Nueva Guinea. El nombre marsupial proviene del marsupio, o bolsa, en el que estos animales llevan y crían a sus crías. Los marsupiales son diferentes de otros mamíferos porque tienen una bolsa para transportar a sus crías.

Los marsupiales evolucionaron por primera vez en América del Sur hace unos 100 millones de años. En ese momento, América del Sur, Australia y la Antártida estaban conectadas entre sí en un gran continente. Australia y la Antártida se alejaron gradualmente de América del Sur y ambos continentes quedaron aislados. Los mamíferos marsupiales eran libres de evolucionar de forma aislada, y la evolución produjo las características que se encuentran en los mamíferos australianos actuales.

Australia tiene alrededor de 120 especies de marsupiales, Nueva Guinea tiene 53 especies de marsupiales, América del Sur y Central tiene 90 especies de marsupiales, y América del Norte tiene solo dos especies de marsupiales.

Los marsupiales varían en tamaño desde pequeñas criaturas parecidas a musarañas (5 gramos) hasta canguros grandes (más de 100 kilogramos). Hay marsupiales que han desarrollado todos los hábitos alimenticios posibles, desde pequeños comedores de insectos hasta grandes comedores de plantas. ¡Incluso hay lunares marsupiales!

La mayoría de los marsupiales son criaturas nocturnas, por lo que sus sentidos más importantes son el olfato y el oído. La mayoría de los marsupiales tienen glándulas aromáticas adicionales que les dicen a sus vecinos si son niños o niñas, si son desconocidos para el grupo o si están asustados o enojados.

El marsupial más grande del mundo es el canguro rojo. Los canguros rojos pueden pesar 100 kilogramos, saltar hasta 60 kilómetros por hora y saltar obstáculos de hasta 3 metros de altura. Los canguros se mueven más eficientemente a altas velocidades que a bajas velocidades porque los tendones en sus patas traseras almacenan energía y su cola actúa como un péndulo. Pueden saltar largas distancias porque el movimiento de su cuerpo bombea aire dentro y fuera de sus pulmones como un fuelle.

Hay más de 40 especies de canguros. Los canguros más pequeños se llaman wallabies en inglés. Los canguros son comedores de hierba que viven en praderas que pueden ser muy secas con poca lluvia. Pueden pasar varios meses sin agua porque son capaces de obtener agua de los alimentos que comen.

Un canguro macho se llama boomer, una canguro hembra un volante, y un canguro bebé un joey en inglés. El nombre canguro proviene de los aborígenes por un error. Un antiguo explorador europeo le preguntó a un aborigen qué eran estos extraños animales saltarines, y el aborigen respondió canguro, que significa "No entiendo". El explorador pensó que estaba nombrando al animal. Los canguros suelen comer al final de la tarde o al anochecer cuando hace más frío.

Los canguros luchan entre sí al boxear con sus patas delanteras, pero se defienden con poderosas patadas desde las patas traseras. Cuando se acerca el peligro, advierten a otros canguros pisoteando el suelo con las patas traseras o golpeándolo con la cola.

Los marsupiales tienen períodos de gestación muy cortos (el tiempo que los jóvenes pasan en la barriga de la madre). La zarigüeya de Virginia (el único marsupial en Michigan) tiene un período de gestación de solo 13 días, y las crías solo tienen el tamaño de un signo de interrogación cuando nacen. El canguro rojo, originario de Australia, tiene un período de gestación de 30 días y el bebé solo pesa 1 gramo cuando nace. El canguro bebé, llamado joey, pasa unos 235 días en la bolsa de la madre. En algunos países, los planeadores del azúcar se han convertido como en mascota.

Here you have a multilingual video about different marsupials/Aquí tenéis un video multilingüe sobre marsupiales

And here one about the lovely and cute wombats...¿Conocéis a los wombats?



Aquí por último la historia del último lobo marsupial o tigre de tasmania 😔