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| Sunday, 24 July 2005 |
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Junior Observer |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Marsupials : Mammals that grow in pouches Marsupials are a group of mammals that includes the American opossums, the Australian kangaroos, koalas, wombats, and others. It is a kind of mammal that is born before it is completely developed. The marsupial baby does not complete its growth inside the mother’s womb as other mammals do. Instead, it crawls into a pouch on the mother’s body. Marsupials are found only in the Australian continent and in America. The journey to the pouch is not an easy one because the tiny baby must somehow find its way through the mother’s belly-fur. And it does so in three minutes. Once it makes its way safely into the pouch, it attaches itself to a nipple. Then it stays there until it is fully developed and its body is protected by fur. Kangaroos are the largest marsupials. But a baby kangaroo is no bigger than 2.5 centimetres or an inch when it finds its way to the mother’s pouch. Most often, the mother licks the fur leading to the pouch and makes it easier for her baby to find its way. The baby kangaroo is suckled for about six to eight months within the pouch. But even after it leaves the pouch, it returns to her for milk and safety, for another six months. The kangaroo baby is known as a ‘joey’. Kangaroos are the best known of the Australian animals with species found in Tasmania and New Guinea. Kangaroos are not found anywhere else in the world, except in zoos. Similar to large rabbits, the kangaroos are mammals with long muscular tails, small front-legs with tiny paws, and strong muscular legs, which are much longer and bigger than the front-legs. They are completely out of proportion and rather amusing to look at. The kangaroos are not regarded as animals that possess a high level of intelligence, and their vision is relatively limited. However, their sense of hearing is well-developed. The larger ones may be two metres tall. Generally, kangaroos are docile animals. They are timid giants. Besides the Red Kangaroo and the Grey Kangaroo, there are many smaller species. The largest of the kangaroos, the Red Kangaroo is called the ‘giant with the long-distance leap’. It is capable of leaps of 8 cm (26ft) and has been known to clear fences 3m (9 ft) high. When travelling at full speed, its massive tail acts as a counterweight to balance its head and shoulders, as the animal tilts forward for maximum speed. Red Kangaroos are among the most social of the marsupials. The males may weigh around 66 kg (145 lb) and females around 26.5 kg (58 lb). Kangaroos continue to grow throughout their lives. When they do get into fights, they often box with their ‘hands’. Kangaroos are powerful animals and, when cornered, can deliver a powerful kick with their heavily clawed hindfeet.Among the smaller species, the Wallaby is a more graceful animal than the big kangaroo. There are several species, such as the Rock Wallaby which can grow up to one metre in height. It has a bright coat and lives in rocky areas. The smaller wallabies live mostly in grasslands and densely vegetated areas. Short-tailed, they are generally the size of hares. Tree Kangaroos are smaller (about 70 centimetres) and live in Queensland and New Guinea. The only marsupial in North America, the American Opossum is a cat-sized animal and looks more like a rat in appearance. It can produce two litters each year, with each one containing up to 25 infants, which are born blind. The Water Opossum is the only marsupial to have adopted an aquatic way of life. It has a pouch whose opening can be tightened so as to keep its young dry while it is swimming. The South American equivalent of the Otter, it is an accomplished swimmer. It has webbed hindfeet and dense, oily fur. The Water Opossum lives by catching fish in the murky waters of the Amazon and other big rivers. The Swamp Antechinus is the second smallest of the 10 species of mouse-sized genus (group, class or order) of marsupials. The Antechinus is found in Tasmania and the adjoining southeastern coast of Australia. Discovered less than 100 years ago, the Marsupial Mole uses its horny nose-shield to burrow its way through the soil in search of insects and worms. Like many small mammals, it eats voraciously, consuming its own weight in food each day. The tail of the Marsupial Mole is covered with curious horn-like rings of skin. It is found widely throughout Central and South Australia. Ingram’s Planigale is the smallest living marsupial mammal. It is about 50.92 mm (2.3 - 3.5 in) with a tail of 50-78 m (2.3 in). Distributed throughout northern and eastern Australia, they live in rocky areas or sandy country with tussock grass. Their diet is grasshoppers and occasionally crickets. Koalas are cuddly and bear-like in appearance. They are found in Australia and feed only on eucalyptus or gum trees. Its survival is threatened by forest clearance for city and farmland development. This curious animal is almost helpless on the ground and moves very slowly. They are the Australian teddy-bears! Marsupial without a pouch The Numbat is also known as the Banded Anteater and is the only marsupial species to subsist wholly on termites and ants. Its sister species is the Rusty Numbat. Both species have long snouts, long cylindrical tongues, and bony palates on which the termites can be crushed. They have strong claws to dig ants and termites out of rotten wood or underground nest chambers. It is unique among the marsupials because it has no pouch and the young cling to the nipples exposed to the outside world. It has the largest number of teeth among the marsupials though they are never used for biting! They are found in Southwestern Australia in open forests and woodlands. |
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