Australidelphia facts for kids

The Australidelphia is a special group of marsupial mammals. These are animals that carry their babies in a pouch. Most of these amazing creatures live in Australasia, which includes places like Australia and New Guinea. This group contains most of the marsupials found around the world today.

What are Australidelphia?

Australidelphia is a superorder of mammals. A superorder is a very large group of animals that are related to each other. This superorder includes five main groups, called orders, that are still alive today. It also includes one order that is now extinct, meaning it no longer exists.

Living Orders of Australidelphia

There are five main orders of Australidelphia that you can find living today:

• Microbiotheria: This order has only one living species, the Monito del Monte. This small marsupial lives in the forests of Chile and Argentina. It is a very old type of marsupial, and scientists believe it might be related to the ancestors of all Australidelphia.
• Dasyuromorphia: This group includes many carnivorous (meat-eating) or insect-eating marsupials. Famous animals in this order are the Tasmanian Devil, Quolls, and Dasyurids (like the Antechinus). They are known for being fierce hunters.
• Peramelemorphia: This order includes the Bandicoots and Bilbys. These marsupials are often small to medium-sized. They have long snouts and strong claws, which they use for digging for food like insects and roots.
• Notoryctemorphia: This is a very unique order with only two species of Marsupial moles. These moles are blind and live almost entirely underground in the deserts of Australia. They are amazing diggers and have many special features for their underground life.
• Diprotodontia: This is the largest and most diverse group of Australidelphia. It includes many well-known marsupials like Kangaroos, Wallabys, Koalas, Wombats, and Possums. Most animals in this group are herbivores, meaning they eat plants. They are also known for having two large lower front teeth.

Extinct Orders of Australidelphia

One order of Australidelphia is no longer alive:

• Yalkaparidontia: This order is known only from fossils. The animals in this group, like the Yalkaparidon, lived a very long time ago. Scientists are still learning about what these ancient marsupials were like.

See also

In Spanish: Australidelphia para niños