Australian Mammals by Kinga Krzysiak https://padlet.com/kinia_krzysiak/p6erpvjjlft3 en-us 2017-11-28 18:24:06 UTC 2026-01-22 05:09:08 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Beartoy.png Kangaroo kinia_krzysiak https://padlet.com/kinia_krzysiak/p6erpvjjlft3/wish/211090522
Kangaroos are large marsupials that are found only in Australia. They are identified by their muscular tails, strong back legs, large feet, short fur and long, pointed ears. Like all marsupials, a sub-type of mammal, females have pouches that contain mammary glands, where their young live until they are old enough to emerge.


The largest kangaroo, as well as the largest marsupial, is the red kangaroo, according to National Geographic. The length from the red kangaroo's head to its rump is 3.25 to 5.25 feet (1 to 1.6 meters) long. Its tail adds another 35.5 to 43.5 inches (90 to 110 centimeters) to its length and its entire body weighs around 200 lbs. (90 kilograms).


The smallest kangaroo is the musky rat-kangaroo. It is only 6 to 8 inches (15.24 to 20.32 cm) long and weighs only 12 ounces (340 grams). Its ratlike tail adds another 5 to 6 inches (12.7 to 15.24 cm) to its length.

]]> 2017-11-28 18:43:19 UTC https://padlet.com/kinia_krzysiak/p6erpvjjlft3/wish/211090522 Koala kinia_krzysiak https://padlet.com/kinia_krzysiak/p6erpvjjlft3/wish/211095411
Koalas are tree-hugging marsupials with big, round ears and black oval noses. They are an iconic symbol of Australia, the only place in the world where they are found. Like kangaroos, wombats and opossums, koalas have pouches in which they carry their newborns. Koalas spend most of their time sleeping and eating.


They are often called koala bears, but that is incorrect. Koalas are not bears at all. Both animals are mammals, so they are distantly related. However, koalas are more closely related to kangaroos and wombats. They got the "bear" tagline from English-speaking settlers in the late 18th century because of the koala's bearlike appearance and behavior. The mistake is reflected in the name of the genus, Phascolarctos, which is derived from Greek phaskolos, "pouch," and arktos, "bear."


Koalas are 2 to 3 feet (60 to 85 centimeters) tall when fully grown. Their weight varies, depending on where the koala lives. Northern koalas weigh around 9 to 19 lbs. (4 to 8.5 kilograms) and southern koalas weigh around 15 to 29 lbs. (7 to 13 kg). Typically, males weigh 50 percent more than females, according to San Diego Zoo.


]]> 2017-11-28 18:50:47 UTC https://padlet.com/kinia_krzysiak/p6erpvjjlft3/wish/211095411 Swamp wallaby (Wallabies) kinia_krzysiak https://padlet.com/kinia_krzysiak/p6erpvjjlft3/wish/211099743
Wallabies are a smaller version of the kangaroo.  ‘Swampies’ have a distinctive bicolor coat and live in groups called mobs.
Found on the eastern coast of Australia from southeastern South Australia, Victoria, eastern Queensland and eastern New South Wales.

Generally live in dense forests, thickets, mangroves, woodlands and swampy areas.  Hide in thick grass and dense brush during the day and come out at dusk to forage for food.

They are sexually dimorphic in size.  The males can weigh 26-45 lbs. and 84.7 cm long.  The females can weigh 22-34 lbs. and 66.5 cm long.]]> 2017-11-28 18:57:31 UTC https://padlet.com/kinia_krzysiak/p6erpvjjlft3/wish/211099743 Wombat kinia_krzysiak https://padlet.com/kinia_krzysiak/p6erpvjjlft3/wish/211105188
Wombats are small marsupials that look like a cross between a bear, a pig and a gopher. They are built for digging, with short legs, compact heads, short broad feet and strong claws. Like kangaroos, koalas and other marsupials, they have a pouch. But a wombat's pouch is backwards. And their poop is cube-shaped.

Wombats are about as big as a medium-size dog, typically 30 inches (76 centimeters) long. The common wombat weighs 55 to 88 lbs. (25 to 40 kilograms), and the hairy-nosed wombat weighs 42 to 71 lbs. (19 to 32 kg), according to the San Diego Zoo.]]> 2017-11-28 19:05:14 UTC https://padlet.com/kinia_krzysiak/p6erpvjjlft3/wish/211105188 Short-beaked echidna kinia_krzysiak https://padlet.com/kinia_krzysiak/p6erpvjjlft3/wish/211107633
Echidnas, also called spiny anteaters, are walking contradictions. They are mammals, but they lay eggs. They are often classified as long- or sort-beaked, but don't have beaks at all, in the traditional sense; they have fleshy noses that can be either on the long side or rather short. They don't really look like true anteaters (Myrmecophaga tridactyla), either, and they are not closely related to them. They are spiny, though; their bodies are covered with hollow, barbless quills.

Echidnas are monotremes, egg-laying mammals. The only other living monotreme is the platypus.

Echidnas can grow from 14 to 30 inches (35.5 to 76 cm) long and weigh 5.5 to 22 lbs. (2.5 to 10 kilograms), according to the San Diego Zoo. Their spines can grow up to 2 inches (5 cm) long.

]]> 2017-11-28 19:08:33 UTC https://padlet.com/kinia_krzysiak/p6erpvjjlft3/wish/211107633