Ancient mammals live in the forests and plains of Australia, in all respects similar to those that have lived on other continents for a long time. But today they have died out everywhere, except for Australia and the islands adjacent to it.

Marsupials

Australian mammals such as kangaroos and koalas are called marsupials. To feed the cubs, they have a special organ - a bag. Inside her are the nipples from which milk is secreted.

Interesting fact: cubs of marsupial animals are very small: several newborn cubs of a kangaroo can very well fit in a spoon.

The most extraordinary

Echidna and the platypus live in the Australian forests: they, like all mammals, feed their young with milk. However, unlike other mammals, they do not give birth to cubs, but lay eggs and incubate them.

Interesting fact: a baby kangaroo born must be able to independently get to the bag and climb into it. Mother does not help him, she only marks on the abdomen the path to the bag, licking the wool with her saliva. By the smell of saliva, the cub is guided by the mother’s body.

Opossum

Ancient marsupials also live in America: these are possums. The cubs go for a walk, climbing onto the mother’s back.

Big eyes

In Madagascar, unusual mammals live, which are a species of monkeys. Here is one of them: this rarest beast with big eyes is a lemur.

Bat

Not far from our homes is another species of ancient mammals. These are bats: instead of walking, running and jumping, like most other animals, they adapted to fly. These animals feed on insects.

The most ancient modern mammal