The Complete List of Marsupials

Across Australia, New Guinea and parts of the Americas, pouch-bearing mammals have adapted to forests, grasslands, deserts and coastal woodlands. From gliding canopy dwellers to burrowing foragers and powerful hoppers, their forms and behaviors reflect the varied environments they occupy and the ecological roles they play.

There are 50 Marsupials, ranging from the Agile wallaby to the Woylie (brush-tailed bettong). For each species you’ll find below Scientific name, Average weight (kg), Native range so you can compare taxonomy, typical body mass and geographic distribution at a glance.

How were the species chosen for this list?

The list focuses on widely recognized, extant species referenced in common taxonomies and conservation databases; subspecies and historic/extinct taxa were excluded to keep the count clear and practical for readers and researchers.

Can I use the native range info to plan wildlife viewing or research?

Yes—native range notes give a starting point for where species are found, but check local guides, park authorities and recent survey data for current sightings, seasonal movements and protected-area access before planning visits.

Marsupials

Images and Descriptions

Red kangaroo

Iconic large macropod with powerful hind legs and a strong tail; grazes on grasses in open plains, lives in social mobs and can cover big distances. Males are notably larger and famed for boxing displays during mating season.

Eastern grey kangaroo

A widespread kangaroo with soft grey fur and strong hind limbs; grazes on grasses and forbs, typically in open woodlands and grasslands. Social and crepuscular, they are frequently seen in groups and adapt well to modified landscapes.

Western grey kangaroo

Stocky, grey-brown macropod found in shrubby and open habitats. Browses on grasses and herbs, is sociable but more solitary than red kangaroos, and is notable for its broad distribution and regional size variation.

Antilopine kangaroo

A lightly built, antelope-like kangaroo inhabiting tropical savannas. Grazes on grasses in groups, is more diurnal than many kangaroos, and shows sexually dimorphic size with males larger and reddish in color.

Common wallaroo

Robust, shorter-legged macropod well-adapted to rocky terrain and cliffs. Solitary and less social, it grazes on tough vegetation and uses rugged habitats to escape predators, showing impressive agility on steep surfaces.

Agile wallaby

A medium-sized wallaby with a lean build and long tail; inhabits grasslands and forest edges. Mostly nocturnal and feeds on grasses and leaves, often seen in small groups near water sources in the tropics.

Swamp wallaby

Dark, grizzled wallaby that prefers dense vegetation, wetlands, and forest margins. Browses on leaves and shoots, tends to be solitary or in pairs, and has a distinctive hunched posture and slow reproduction compared with other macropods.

Brush-tailed rock-wallaby

A nimble, compact wallaby that lives among cliffs and boulder fields. Crepuscular and herbivorous, it shelters in rock crevices and has a long bushy tail for balance. Populations have declined due to habitat loss and predators.

Red-necked wallaby

Medium wallaby with reddish shoulder patch; grazes on grasses and browses. Common in coastal forests and grasslands, they are social, often forming groups, and sometimes adaptable to human-altered environments.

Koala

Tree-dwelling, eucalyptus-specialist marsupial with thick grey fur and a stout body. Eats mostly eucalyptus leaves, sleeps up to 20 hours daily, and has a unique pouch for raising young. Highly dependent on specific habitat and susceptible to habitat loss.

Common wombat

Stocky, burrowing herbivore with strong limbs and a backward-facing pouch. Feeds on grasses and roots, constructs extensive burrow systems, and is mainly nocturnal. Wombats are notable for their tough rump and slow metabolism.

Southern hairy-nosed wombat

A burrowing, grazing wombat adapted to arid and semi-arid plains. Has dense fur and a wide nose pad for digging; lives in colonies of burrows and survives on low-nutrient grasses and shrubs.

Northern hairy-nosed wombat

One of the rarest marsupials, large and burrow-dwelling with dense fur. Grazes on native grasses and lives in protected habitat; critically endangered with intense conservation focus that includes habitat management and translocation.

Tasmanian devil

Stocky carnivorous marsupial with a loud screech and powerful jaws; scavenges and hunts small prey. Solitary and nocturnal, it plays a key role in ecosystems but faces decline from a contagious facial tumor disease affecting populations.

Numbat

Diurnal, termite-eating marsupial with striking banded coat and long tongue. Active during day, uses keen eyesight and rapid tongue flicks to feed on termites; endangered due to introduced predators and habitat loss.

Eastern quoll

A small spotted carnivorous marsupial once widespread on mainland Australia, now primarily in Tasmania. Nocturnal hunter of invertebrates and small vertebrates, with distinctive white spots and a bushy tail.

Spotted-tailed quoll

Largest carnivorous marsupial on mainland Australia, slender with spots and a long tail. Agile forest predator and scavenger that feeds on mammals, birds, and insects; vulnerable from habitat fragmentation and introduced predators.

Northern quoll

Small, spotted nocturnal predator that eats insects, small mammals, and fruits. Vulnerable populations impacted by habitat change and invasive cane toads, with males often dying after intense breeding seasons.

Western quoll (chuditch)

Medium-sized spotted carnivore that hunts small vertebrates and invertebrates. Nocturnal and solitary, it inhabits woodlands and is a conservation success story after reintroduction efforts in parts of its former range.

Fat-tailed dunnart

Tiny, nocturnal insectivore with a distinctive fat-storing tail used during food scarcity. Solitary and active at night, feeds on insects and small arthropods, and survives in open habitats and shrublands across arid regions.

Brown antechinus

Small, shrew-like carnivorous marsupial that feeds on insects and spiders. Notable for male semelparity in some species (single intense mating season followed by death), and a high-energy nocturnal lifestyle in forests and woodlands.

Sugar glider

Small arboreal glider with a membrane between limbs, enabling controlled glides. Omnivorous—nectar, sap, insects—and social, living in family groups. Popular in the pet trade but requires complex care and regulation.

Squirrel glider

Larger than sugar gliders, these nocturnal arboreal mammals glide between trees using a patagium. Feed on sap, nectar, and insects, live in family groups, and require connected forest canopy for movement and survival.

Feathertail glider

The world’s smallest gliding mammal with a feather-like tail; weighs about 10 grams. Nocturnal and arboreal, it feeds on nectar and insects and glides short distances between branches using skin flaps.

Greater glider

Large nocturnal gliding possum with enormous membrane and dense fur; feeds almost exclusively on eucalyptus leaves. Solitary and slow-reproducing, it’s highly dependent on mature forest and vulnerable to logging and fire.

Common brushtail possum

Adaptable, medium-sized arboreal marsupial with bushy tail and omnivorous diet—leaves, fruit, insects. Nocturnal and often lives near humans, sometimes considered a pest in urban areas.

Common ringtail possum

Small arboreal folivore with prehensile tail and a dense curled nest (“drey”). Nocturnal, feeds mainly on leaves and flowers, forms family groups and uses nesting sites for communal care of young.

Leadbeater’s possum

Small nocturnal possum with a long tail, critically dependent on old-growth eucalypt forests and hollow-bearing trees. Lives in family groups, feeds on nectar and insects, and is threatened by habitat loss and fire.

Brush-tailed phascogale

Arboreal, carnivorous marsupial with a bushy tail; males often die after mating season. Nocturnal and insectivorous, they nest in tree hollows and are indicators of healthy woodland ecosystems.

Marsupial mole

Fossorial, blind marsupial adapted to a subterranean lifestyle with smooth fur and shovel-like forelimbs. Feeds on invertebrates underground, rarely seen, and has a backward-opening pouch to prevent sand ingress.

Greater bilby

Long-eared nocturnal bunyip-like marsupial with soft fur and a long snout. Omnivorous, feeding on insects, seeds and bulbs; digs extensive warrens and is the focus of active reintroduction programs.

Long-nosed bandicoot

Small omnivorous marsupial with a pointed snout and rear-facing pouch; forages by digging for invertebrates and roots. Common in coastal forests and urban fringes, active mostly at night.

Southern brown bandicoot

Stout bandicoot that feeds on invertebrates and plant material, using its long snout to forage. Nocturnal and shy, lives in dense vegetation and is vulnerable to habitat fragmentation and introduced predators.

Eastern barred bandicoot

Small, barred hindquarters and a pointed snout characterize this nocturnal omnivore. Historically widespread, now restricted and conserved in reserves and predator-free enclosures due to decline from foxes and habitat loss.

Kowari

Small, carnivorous desert marsupial with a slender body and nocturnal habits. Hunts insects and small vertebrates, shelters in burrows or spinifex, and is adapted to hot, arid environments.

Tasmanian pygmy possum

Tiny, nocturnal possum with sticky feet and a prehensile tail, feeding on nectar and insects. Roosts in tree hollows or rock crevices, and can enter torpor during cold periods to save energy.

Long-tailed pygmy possum

Minute arboreal possum with a long, prehensile tail used for balance. Nocturnal and omnivorous—nectar and insects—lives in rainforests and exhibits agile climbing and nesting behaviors.

Eastern bettong

Small, rat-kangaroo-like marsupial that forages for fungi, tubers, and insects, contributing to soil health. Nocturnal and digging-oriented, many species were heavily reduced by introduced predators; some have been reintroduced.

Rufous bettong

Stocky, nocturnal macropod that digs for tubers, fungi, and roots. Prefers forest and woodland habitats, plays an important role in soil turnover, and has a distinctive reddish-brown coat.

Woylie (brush-tailed bettong)

Small, social forager that eats fungi, seeds, and roots, using cheek pouches to carry food. Populations declined drastically but conservation programs have achieved local recoveries.

Gilbert’s potoroo

Critically endangered small potoroo that eats subterranean fungi and contributes to fungal spore dispersal. Nocturnal and shy, it was once thought extinct and now has intensive recovery and translocation efforts.

Long-nosed potoroo

Small, rat-kangaroo-like marsupial that digs for fungi and invertebrates. Nocturnal and shy, it helps disperse fungal spores and is vulnerable to habitat change and introduced predators.

Rufous hare-wallaby (mala)

Small, hopping macropod historically common in deserts, now restricted and conserved through reintroductions. Nocturnal and solitary, it grazes on shrubs and grasses and is adapted to arid conditions.

Virginia opossum

North America’s only widespread marsupial, an opportunistic omnivore that eats fruit, carrion, and invertebrates. Nocturnal and adaptable to urban habitats, notable for playing dead as a defensive behavior.

Common opossum

Medium-sized nocturnal omnivore with a prehensile tail, flexible diet and habitat tolerance. Forages for invertebrates, small vertebrates, and fruits, and raises young in a pouch before they cling to the mother’s back.

White-eared opossum

Adaptable, nocturnal omnivore with a distinctive white ear patch; forages widely in forests and disturbed areas. Plays a role in seed dispersal and pest control, and tolerates various habitats including human environments.

Four-eyed opossum

Named for light-colored spots above the eyes that look like extra eyes; nocturnal and omnivorous, it eats fruits, insects, and small vertebrates, often sheltering in tree cavities and dense vegetation near water.

Monito del monte

Small arboreal insectivore-frugivore considered a living relic of ancient marsupials; occupies cool temperate forests, nests in tree hollows, and is important for dispersing seeds of some native plants.

Shrew opossum

Small, shrew-like marsupial feeding on insects and small invertebrates, with an elongated snout. Lives in dense understory of high-elevation forests; relatively secretive and poorly known compared with other marsupials.

Mountain pygmy-possum

Tiny, endangered marsupial adapted to cold alpine habitats, feeds on insects, seeds and nectar. Hibernates in winter, has very restricted range and specialized habitat requirements, making it vulnerable to climate change and fire.