marsupial

mammal
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://mainten.top/animal/marsupial
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

Also known as: Marsupialia, Metatheria
Top Questions

What is a marsupial?

What animals are marsupials?

Where do marsupials live?

How do marsupial pouches work?

marsupial, any of more than 250 species belonging to the infraclass Metatheria (sometimes called Marsupialia), a mammalian group characterized by premature birth and continued development of the newborn while attached to the nipples on the mother’s lower belly. The pouch—or marsupium, from which the group takes its name—is a flap of skin covering the nipples. Although prominent in many species, it is not a universal feature. In some species the nipples are fully exposed or are bounded by mere remnants of a pouch. The young remain firmly attached to the milk-giving teats for a period corresponding roughly to the latter ...(100 of 2145 words)