Best Marsupial

With its rounded ears and compact body, the quokka is a small Australian marsupial in the macropod family, the group that includes kangaroos and wallabies. It occurs on Rottnest Island and in other parts of Western Australia. Its face often appears to be smiling, a feature that has made photographs...

Across Australia's dry interior, the red kangaroo inhabits open grasslands and shrublands suited to its grazing lifestyle. It is the largest living kangaroo and the largest living marsupial, with adult males generally much larger than females. Powerful hind limbs support hopping, while the long musc...

The numbat is a small Australian marsupial distinguished by a pointed snout, a bushy tail and pale bands across its back. It is the only living member of the family Myrmecobiidae. Associated especially with southwestern Australia, it feeds almost exclusively on termites, using a long, sticky tongue...

Fossils of Sthenurus document an extinct genus of heavily built, short-faced kangaroos from Australia, including species known from the Pleistocene. It belongs to Sthenurinae, a subfamily within Macropodidae, rather than a separate family called Sthenuridae. Some species were large enough for body-m...

Thylacoleo was a genus of carnivorous marsupials from Australia, best known through the large Pleistocene species Thylacoleo carnifex, often called the marsupial lion. It belonged to Diprotodontia, the order that also includes kangaroos and koalas, despite having a very different diet. Its powerful...

Native to eastern Australia, the koala is a medium-sized, tree-dwelling marsupial in the order Diprotodontia. Its rounded ears and stout body make it recognizable, but its defining biological trait is a diet centered on eucalyptus leaves. These leaves offer limited energy and contain compounds that...

A membrane stretched between the wrists and ankles gives the sugar glider its distinctive way of moving through woodland. This small, tree-dwelling marsupial belongs to the genus Petaurus and glides between trees rather than flying by flapping its limbs. Glides can extend roughly 50 meters under sui...

The central greater glider (Petauroides armillatus) is an arboreal, nocturnal gliding marsupial native to the forests of Queensland, Australia. It feeds almost exclusively on eucalyptus leaves and glides between trees using a membrane extending from elbow to ankle. Genetic research published in 2020...

Goodfellow's tree-kangaroo is an endangered marsupial native to the rainforests of New Guinea. Its reddish-brown coat carries golden markings, including two stripes running along the back. Unlike the ground-dwelling kangaroos familiar from Australia, it is adapted to life in trees, using strong limb...

The common spotted cuscus (Spilocuscus maculatus) is an arboreal marsupial in the family Phalangeridae, native to New Guinea, the Cape York Peninsula of Australia, and several nearby islands. Adult males are typically marked with irregular blotches of grey, white, and reddish-brown, while females an...

Gilbert’s potoroo is a small marsupial native to southwestern Australia specifically the forests of Western Australia. It's notable as one of the most critically endangered macropods in Australia and was rediscovered after being thought extinct for over fifty years. The species is primarily found wi...

The northern greater glider (Petauroides minor) is a large arboreal marsupial native to the eucalypt forests of northeastern Queensland, Australia. It is recognised as one of three Petauroides species following genetic work published in 2020 that supported splitting the greater glider complex into P...

The tiger quoll is a carnivorous marsupial native to eastern Australia. It’s notable for its distinctive spotted coat and unique diet, primarily consuming venomous snakes. As the largest living quoll species, it plays an important role in controlling snake populations. Researchers and wildlife biolo...

The Sangay shrew opossum (Caenolestes sangay) is a small marsupial species belonging to the family Caenolestidae, a group of primitive, insectivorous mammals native to South America. It was formally identified and described as a distinct species in 2013 based on specimens collected from Sangay Natio...

Diprotodon was a massive extinct marsupial native to ancient Australia. It represents one of the largest land mammals ever to exist, reaching sizes comparable to modern rhinoceroses. This giant herbivore, belonging to the Diprotodontia group, thrived during the Pleistocene epoch until approximately...

The water opossum, *Chironectes minimus*, is a unique South American marsupial. It’s notable as the only extant semiaquatic species within the order Marsupialia found across Mexico and Argentina. This small animal spends significant time in rivers and wetlands, using its webbed feet and flattened ta...

The blue-eyed cuscus (Phalanger ornatus) is an arboreal marsupial endemic to the Indonesian islands of Ternate and Tidore in the Maluku archipelago. Recognizable by its distinctive bright blue eyes—a rare trait among mammals—this nocturnal possum has dense gray-brown fur with lighter undersides and...

The feathertail glider is a small marsupial native to eastern Australia. It’s notable for its unique semi-feathery tail which aids in precise aerial maneuvering and balance during gliding between trees. This extant species, belonging to the Acrobatidae family, is particularly interesting to biologis...

The Eastern Grey Kangaroo is a sizable marsupial native to eastern Australia. It’s notable for being one of the continent’s most frequently observed kangaroos and a key species within its grassland ecosystems. These animals are primarily herbivores, consuming grasses and shrubs. They are particularl...

The yellow-footed rock-wallaby is an Australian marsupial belonging to the Petrogale genus. Distinctive for its bright yellow feet, this extant species inhabits rocky inland areas of Australia. It’s notable as a key indicator of healthy desert ecosystems and is primarily studied by ecologists and co...

The Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat is a large marsupial native to Queensland, Australia. It’s notable as one of the planet’s most critically endangered mammal species with an estimated population of under 300. This diprotodont relies on dense scrub and sandstone ranges for survival. Zoologists, conserv...

The Leadbeater’s possum is an arboreal marsupial native to Australia’s Victorian forests. It’s notable for its distinctive grey fur and unique diet of fungi. As a critically endangered species, it's vital for conservation efforts. Ecologists, wildlife researchers, and organizations focused on Austra...

Zygomaturus is an extinct genus of diprotodontid marsupial from the Pleistocene of Australia, closely related to the larger Diprotodon. It was a heavily built herbivore distinguished by a broad skull and prominent cheekbones (zygomatic arches). Fossils have been recovered primarily from sites in sou...

Matschie’s tree-kangaroo is a small arboreal marsupial native to the Huon Peninsula of Papua New Guinea. It's notable as one of only two surviving species of tree-kangaroos and is critically endangered. The species plays a vital role in its ecosystem. Conservation efforts focus on protecting this un...

The Southern greater glider is an arboreal marsupial native to eastern Australia. It’s notable for its unique gliding ability across eucalyptus forests and plays a key role in seed dispersal. Primarily found in Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland, this extant species faces increasing threats d...

The Sulawesi bear cuscus (Ailurops ursinus) is an arboreal marsupial endemic to Sulawesi and several smaller Indonesian islands including Buton and the Togian Islands. It is among the largest possum species, with adults weighing approximately 6–7 kilograms, and is named for its dense, dark fur resem...

The broad-toed feathertail glider (Acrobates frontalis) is a tiny, arboreal marsupial native to the forests of eastern Australia. It belongs to the Acrobatidae family and is distinguished from the narrow-toed feathertail glider by subtle differences in the morphology of its toes and its slightly lar...

The desert rat-kangaroo was a small, nocturnal marsupial native to arid regions of central Australia. Belonging to the potoroid family, it’s notable for its unique adaptations to survive in harsh conditions including large ears for heat dissipation and specialized teeth suited for eating roots and t...

The Western Grey Kangaroo is an extant marsupial native to Australia. It’s notable for its adaptability and widespread distribution across southern regions. This kangaroo species thrives on grasslands and open woodlands, primarily through grazing. It's a key part of the Australian ecosystem and is f...