Koalas & Kangaroos

Separated from the other continents thousands of years ago, Australia has many unique animals. Classed as Marsupials, they give birth to extremely tiny babies, who grow and suckle inside the mothers' pouch. Some Australian mammals even lay eggs in their pouches instead of giving birth to live young. Read more below.

Plush Koala Baby

We're not bears! Although often referred to as koala bears, these appealing little guys are absolutely no relation to the big bruins. Item KS01 $16.00 US  Add to Cart

Cuddlekins plush animals made of quality fabric and ultra plush stuffing. Unbelievably soft plush combined with realistically adorable faces please animal lovers of all ages! Each of these Aussie critters is 12" high, plus tails.

Plush Red Kangaroo

Item KS02 $16.00 US  Add to Cart

View CCNow Cart/Checkout

Australian Marsupials

The continent of Australia has a large, diverse group of mammals known as Marsupials – over 200 species such as kangaroos, koalas, wombats and Tasmanian devils.

Marsupials are mammals in which the female has a pouch called the marsupium, from which the name 'Marsupial' derives. Young are born live, but unlike other mammals, they emerge very early (at about 4-5 weeks) and are essentially only an embryo. The newborn must make their way from the mother’s birth canal to the nipples usually located inside the pouch, where they continue to develop. They climb unaided, although the mother licks a path in her fur from the vagina to her pouch. The pregnant female develops a kind of yolk sac in her womb which delivers nutrients to the baby. As they get older, the young temporarily leave the pouch, returning for warmth and nourishment throughout the day.

Nursing continues even after most young are old enough to leave the nipple. Kangaroos may nurse their young even when they have grown to almost the mother’s size. It’s possible for a female to have a newborn attached to the nipple, an embryo in the uterus and a youngster at foot still suckling.

Fossil evidence has shown marsupials actually developed in what is now South America, around 80 million years ago.   During the Eocene Period, the continents of Australia, Antarctica and South America were attached. Marsupials could follow a belt of land all the way around from southern South America, across Antarctica into southern Australia. About 45 million years ago, the continents slowly drifted apart, leaving Australia and their marsupials isolated from the rest of the world.

Many species of marsupial have declined rapidly since the European settlement of Australia. The introduction of exotic predators such as red fox and domestic cat prey on them, introduced rabbits, sheep and cattle eat their food. Land clearing, swamp draining and changing fire regimes have also contributed to the decline and extinction of an array of species. Over hunting and habitat destruction is attributed to the extinction of the Thylacine, or marsupial wolf, which has not been seen since 1950.