35 Examples of Marsupials (A to Z List & Pictures)

Animals that are marsupials include Common Brushtail Possum, Dunnart, Kangaroo, Wallaby, and Koala.

Marsupials are a group of mammals that have pouches on the outside of their bodies to carry their young. The term comes from Latin and it means “pouched animal” or “to fold up.

Examples of Animals that Are Marsupials

Marsupials are mammals that carry their young in a pouch on the front of their bodies. They live in various places around the world, including Australia and North America.

1. Brown Four-Eyed Opossum

The brown four-eyed opossum is native to South America. Marsupials are mammals that carry their young in a pouch on the front of their bodies.

This species can be found in Brazil, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, and Peru. They live near rivers or other wetland areas with dense vegetation for protection from predators.

2. Common Brushtail Possum

This marsupial has a long, pointed tail and lives in trees. The average brushtail possum is about 125 centimeters (cm) long including the tail. It weighs 5.3 lbs just over two kilograms (kg).

3. Crest-Tailed Marsupial Rat

The crested-tailed marsupial rat lives in Australia. This nocturnal animal does not live underground like other rodents but instead builds nests out of leaves and grasses on top of the ground.

The crest-tailed marsupial rat is a small rodent that eats fruits, seeds, insects, and plants

4. Cuscus

The cuscus is found in Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. It eats fruit, flowers, nectar, and leaves from trees. The babies attach themselves to the mother’s teats when they’re just a few days old.

5. Dunnart

The dunnart is the smallest marsupial in Australia. It has no special protection, but it can be considered a pest because they like to eat farmers’ crops.

They are between 3.6-4.3 in long and weigh less than an ounce (28 grams).

6. Eastern Grey Kangaroo

The eastern grey kangaroo is found in Australia. The males of this species can grow to be up to ten feet tall, while the females are generally smaller.

Since marsupials have a shorter pregnancy period than most other mammals, the gestation period for the eastern gray kangaroo only lasts 36 days. After birth, their young will crawl into the mother’s pouch.

7. Echidnas

Echidnas are mammals that are native to Australia. They have several adaptations that allow them to live in the harsh Australian climate, including their spines which help protect them from predators and also keep water away from their skin while they are digging.

8. Four-Eyed Opossum

The four-eyed opossum is a marsupial that lives in South America. It gets its name from the white spots around each eye, which are said to look like buttons on glasses. They eat fruit and insects but their main food source comes from the nectar they get by eating flowers.

9. Koala

The koala is a marsupial found in Australia and is between 27-36 in (70 to 90cm) in length and weighs anywhere from 9 to 20 lbs (4-9 kg).

Koalas are herbivores that usually eat eucalyptus leaves, bark, shoots, flowers, and fruits. They have strong claws on their hands to help them climb trees when they are looking for food.

Koalas spend about 22 hours per day sleeping and the rest of their time eating.

10. Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombat

A wombat is a marsupial that lives in Australia. They are often found near water and spend most of their time sleeping.

The northern hairy-nosed wombat is one of the rarest and most endangered marsupials. They can be found in central Queensland near Epping Forest National Park.

11. Marsupial Mole

The marsupial mole lives in the deserts of Australia. It is about nine inches long and has shovel-shaped claws on its front feet that help it dig through sand to make burrows for itself.

The female goes into heat just once a year, usually during the winter months when food is scarce.

She gives birth to one baby that feeds on her mammary glands for about five months before it leaves the burrow and never sees its mother again.

12. Monito Del Monte

The Monito del Monte is a marsupial native to Chile. Its body is about the size of a mouse and it eats insects like ants, spiders, and beetles

13. Mountain Brushtail Possum

The mountain brushtail possum is native to Australia. It is a nocturnal animal, which means it becomes active at night and sleeps during the day.

These animals have been found in various habitats like rainforest and eucalyptus forests. They eat leaves and fruit from trees and they also dig for roots underground.

14. Mouse Opossum

A mouse opossum is a type of marsupial that lives throughout South and Central America. It is the only marsupial found in North America.

The mouse opossum lives primarily off of insects, fruit, and small vertebrates like lizards. It should be noted that this animal has one of the biggest brains among mammals relative to body size.

Mouse Opossum pups are born after about 12-14 days gestation period which is the time from fertilization to birth.

The young are then carried in a pouch attached to their mother’s abdomen for approximately two months before they become independent!

15. Musky Rat Kangaroo

The musky rat-kangaroo is one of the smallest marsupials that live in Australia. It has grayish-brown fur and reaches an average length of about 20 inches.

Males are slightly larger than females. This animal gets its name from a musky scent that is given off by both sexes.

It eats many types of vegetation, including fungi, grasses, mosses, fruits, and leaves.

16. Native Cat (Large Spotted Native Cat)

The large spotted native cat is a marsupial that lives in the dry grasslands and open forests of Australia.

It has distinct black spots all over its body and can weigh up to 35 pounds.

The male cats tend to be much larger than the females, which usually only weigh about 14 pounds.

Unfortunately, these animals are endangered because they face threats from human activities such as habitat destruction, hunting, and traffic accidents.

17. Numbat

A numbat is a small, mostly nocturnal marsupial that lives in Australia. It has a long snout and thin tail, as well as thick fur to keep it warm during the night.

18. Patagonian Opossum

The Patagonian opossum is a type of marsupial that lives in South America. It has small eyes and ears, fur over its entire body, and long whiskers on the snout.

The claws help it to climb trees where it hides during the day. At night, this animal comes out to hunt for food including birds, eggs, and insects.

19. Pig-Footed Bandicoot

Pig-footed bandicoots are marsupials that were originally found in Australia. They have a thick coat of fur and pig-like snouts, which is where their common name comes from.

20. Pygmy Glider

The pygmy glider is a marsupial that can be found in Northern Australia. They are also known as Sugar Gliders and they love to feast on sap and nectar from trees.

These animals grow about the size of your hand, so they don’t require much space at all.

Their babies develop quickly while living inside their mother’s pouch. They become independent and eat solid food at about two months old, but they will still spend another couple of months inside their mother’s pouch before leaving.

21. Quokka

The Quokka is a small marsupial that lives in Australia. It has gray fur and a long tail. A baby Quokka is called a joey.

The joey lives in its mom’s pouch for about six months. The Quokka eats plants and leaves that grow near rivers.

22. Quoll

The quoll is a marsupial that lives in Australia. They are omnivores and eat insects, small mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, as well as plants.

23. Rabbit-Eared Bandicoots

The rabbit-eared bandicoot is a small marsupial that lives in Australia. They are nocturnal, meaning they sleep during the day and come out at night to hunt for food.

24. Red Kangaroo

The red kangaroo is the largest marsupial in the world. It can grow up to six feet tall and weigh 200 lbs.

These animals are herbivores, which means they only eat plants. They often graze on grasses or leaves found near their homes in Australia’s Outback.

25. Short-Headed Glider

The short-headed glider is a tiny marsupial that lives in northern Australia. It is approximately the size of an adult human’s hand.

As its name suggests, this species has a very small head and long limbs with sharp claws for climbing trees. Its fur ranges from medium gray to dark brown but it does not have a very thick coat.

26. Short-Tailed Opossums

Short-tailed opossums are the most common marsupial in North America. In South America, they have been overhunted for their meat and fur so not as many can be found there anymore.

They live near forests where it is warmer with a lot of insects, small mammals, and fruit to eat.

Their babies need extra nutrients, so opossums will eat the feces of other animals to get more nutrients for their young.

27. Sugar Glider

The sugar glider is a small, nocturnal marsupial that lives in Australia. It can glide through the air using membranes between its front and back legs.

28. Tasmanian Devil

The Tasmanian devil is also known as the “devil” because it’s one of the most aggressive animals in existence!

It has long been mistaken for a wild dog, but it actually belongs to the marsupial family. This animal is the size of a small dog and has black fur with white patches on its chest, belly, and rump.

29. Thick-Tailed Opossum

The thick-tailed opossum is one of the most common marsupials found in North America. It prefers to live in forests and near water, where it sleeps during the day and comes out to look for food at night.

30. Virginia Opossum

The Virginia opossum is a common marsupial that lives in North America. This animal has a white face and black eyes, with gray-and-white fur on its back and pink skin underneath the coat of fur.

In some populations, this color pattern changes to more brownish colors during colder seasons. Opossums have long, hairless tails that they can use to grasp branches. When threatened, an opossum will bare its teeth and hiss or growl at the predator or even play dead.

31. Wallaby

The wallaby is a marsupial that lives in Australia. It has four species, including the Bennett’s Wallaby and Red-necked Pademelon.

A common type of food for this animal to eat is grasses, leaves, fruit seeds, or flowers from many different types of plants.

32. Wallaroo

A wallaroo is a type of kangaroo that is herbivorous and lives in parts of Australia. They aren’t as common as other types of kangaroos, but they have been domesticated in some places. They are very large and can weigh up to 100 lbs.

33. Water Opossum

The water opossum is found in North America. It lives by rivers and lakes, but can also be seen near the coastlines of Florida.

Like all marsupials, this animal has a pouch for its offspring which it carries on its belly when they’re not inside.

34. Wombats

Wombats are marsupials that live in parts of Australia. They look a bit like pigs and have beady, black eyes.

Wombat babies spend time in their mother’s pouch before they grow big enough to come out and start to fend for themselves.

35. Woolly Opossum

The Woolly Opossum is a marsupial that lives in Central America. It has thick, woolly fur which helps it survive the cold weather of its habitat.

Garreth

Hi, I’m Garreth. Living in South Africa I’ve had the pleasure of seeing most of these animals up close and personal. When I was younger I always wanted to be a game ranger but unfortunately, life happens and now at least I get to write about them and tell you my experiences.