Book 33, Question 13
Are all marsupials from Australia?
Most marsupials live in Australia and nearby New Guinea.
But other marsupials, called opossums, live in North and South America. The Virginia opossum is the only marsupial in the United States and Canada. Long ago, marsupials lived in many places. Today, they live where there are few kinds of placental mammals competing for their homes.
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Quick answers
Are all marsupials from Australia?
The Virginia opossum is the only marsupial found in North America.
Source: San Diego Zoo
More fun facts
- Australia has the largest and most diverse collection of marsupials in the world, ranging from the kangaroo, the wombat, the Koala bear, the Tasmanian devil among others.
- Of the 101 species of marsupials, 60 are found in Australia.
- The southern opossum is a species that lives primarily in Mexico, while the Virginia opossum is found primarily on the eastern United States, though its habitat is expanding with humans.
- The Virginia opossum has 52 teeth, the most teeth of any North American mammal.
Sources: National Park Service, San Diego Zoo