Category: Mammals
These small, arboreal marsupials are able to glide through the air, much like flying squirrels. They inhabit northern and eastern Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea, and several other nearby islands. They are named for their predilection for sugary foods, but are omnivores and can obtain nutrition from a variety of sources including insects, acacia seeds, and bird eggs.
A 200 Million Year-old Iconoclast
If a defining trait of mammals is that they give live birth to their young, how do you explain monotremes? Monotremes are mammals that lay eggs like a reptile, rather than giving birth to live young. Living examples of these unusual animals can only be found in Australia and New Guinea today, though they used to be more widespread. A monotreme egg has less yolk for supplying nutrients than a reptile egg, and when a young echidna or platypus hatches, it is very tiny and less developed than its reptile counterpart. But monotreme babies are able to grow and thrive because their mothers stay with them, lactating to supply vital nutrients for their growth - just like other mammals!
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Discover Animals is a web-based educational resource offered by the NAIA
