Top 5: Marsupials of Australia

Australia is home to some of the strangest, cutest and most frightening animals in the world. While you might not want to touch any of the ones on this list, they are still pretty cute.

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Wombat

This burrowing marsupial features a backward-facing pouch, allowing mothers to dig extensive tunnel networks without getting dirt on their young.

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Quokka

These tiny macropods are about the size of a cat. Having no fear of humans, quokkas will regularly approach people, especially on Rottnest Island where there is a large population. Quokkas are a vulnerable species and it is actually illegal to handle them on the island.

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Kangaroo

These animals are the unofficial mascot of Australia, appearing on the Australian Coat of Arms and currency. Endemic to Australia, there are approximately 34 million living on the continent.

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Wallaby

Wallabies can be found throughout Australia and New Guinea, though several species have been introduced to other parts of the world by accident, like in Hawai’i where a small feral population lives after specimens escaped from the local zoo.

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Koala

Between kangaroos and koalas, it’s hard to determine which animal is most closely associated with Australia. Koalas regularly appears in aboriginal mythology, with some tribes saying the koala lost its tail after the kangaroo chopped it off for being greedy.