Diprotodonts are native only in Australia, New Guinea, and a few islands of Indonesia. The brush-tailed possum was introduced to New Zealand, where it is considered a pest.
Diprotodonts are an order of about 131 species of marsupial mammals that live in Australia, New Guinea, and parts of Indonesia. The order also contains a family of giant diprotodonts that are now extinct. Within this order are some of Australia's best known marsupials, including the kangaroos, koalas, and wombats, as well as some of the least known species such as cuscus and potoroos. Dipro…
Diprotodontia have evolved to take advantage of almost every terrestrial habitat. This expansion into different habitats is called radiation. Kangaroos graze on grasslands, cuscus and tree kangaroos live in tropical rainforest trees. Some pygmy possums live in the mountains where it snows six months out of the year. Despite the variety of habitats where members of this order can be found, some ind…
For the most part, diprotodonts are herbivores. Those species that do not eat leaves, fruits, and roots now, probably had ancestors that did. Many species have developed extra large or extra long digestive tracts that allow them to eat leaves and grass with low nutritional value. In addition, they have evolved behaviors that reduce their need for energy. For example, koalas sleep about twenty hour…
Diprotodonts are mainly active at twilight and night. The only species that is active exclusively during the day is the musky rat-kangaroo, although some diprotodonts that live in the forest tend to be active during both day and night. The mountain pygmy possum is the only diprotodont, and in fact the only marsupial, to hibernate or become inactive in cold months. Many diprotodonts live alone, com…
Two members of this order, the kangaroo and the koala, and are national symbols of Australia, and are used heavily in tourist promotions. Kangaroos have been hunted since the first humans arrived in Australia. Today there is a market for kangaroo meat, both for use in pet food and for humans, and leather made of kangaroo skins. The common brushtail possum has adapted to suburban environments, and …
The arrival of Europeans and the animals they introduced (rabbits, red foxes, cats, sheep, cattle) significantly changed the habitats of some diprotodonts and put others in direct competition with these introduced animals for food. Hunting, clearing the land for farming, changing patterns of burning grassland, and economic development have put pressure on these animals, often forcing them into mar…
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