Marsupial Facts For Kids From the Kangaroo Island Adventure at Wonder Rotunda
This material about marsupials is drawn from the "Learn More" reading opportunities in the Kangaroo Island Adventure at the Wonder Rotunda, an on-line educational theme park for ages 7-12.
Koalas
As we've learned, Koalas are marsupials. A newborn Koala, known as a Joey, is tiny, blind and hairless, and is born about two months after mating. Dragging itself into its mother's pouch, it attaches itself to one of her two teats.
By about seven months, the Joey has outgrown the pouch. It rides on its mother's back, or rests against her chest as she sleeps in the fork of a tree.
How do Koalas crawl about so easily in trees?
They have big claws, two thumbs and three fingers on each front paw. Big toes allow them to grip with their hind feet as well.
A Koala eats about 18 ounces of leaves each day.
Koalas conserve energy by sleeping for most of the day and looking for food in the evening. Each Koala's 'home' is made up of several trees, and they visit these same trees regularly. Trees help protect Koalas from predators and harsh weather, but most importantly they provide them with food.
Koalas range in weight from 10 to 20 pounds, and live for between 10 and 20 years.
Kangaroos
Kangaroo Island has its own unique kangaroo, a smaller, long-haired, darker colored sub-species of the Western Grey Kangaroo that can be found on the mainland of Australia. Known as the Kangaroo Island Kangaroo, they like to graze on grass, herbs, leaves and the tender shoots of various plants.
On the Island, Kangaroos can be found in the parks and conservation areas. Some visitors to Island leave out human food for the Kangaroos, such as processed snacks. This can be very harmful. The processed food changes the natural balance of their diet, and can cause digestive problems and malnutrition.
The Kangaroo Island Kangaroo gives birth on a continuous cycle. Their babies, known as Joeys, are born throughout the year, with the largest number of births in the summer months. When her Joey is 7 to 9 months old, the female is ready to mate again, and if she mates successfully, a new Joey is born one month later. The older Joey leaves the pouch at this point, but continues to suckle on his mother teats until he or she is 18 months old. Joeys are fully mature and ready to have their own babies when they reach 20 months of age.
Tammer Wallabies
Tammar Wallabies have very unusual breeding habits. Most of the babies are born in the wild on exactly the same day!
Their fertilized eggs lay dormant, inside the mother until the summer solstice (December 21 in Australia). On that day the baby starts to develop in the mother's womb. Amazingly, almost all young are born approximately 40 days later, in late January or early February.
Tammar Wallabies have a dark grey-brown coat above, a pale buff grey coat beneath, with reddish arms, feet and flanks. Most also display a faint white cheek stripe.
During the day they sleep in dense shrubby vegetation, to hide from predators and venture out into open grassy areas at night to feed. They weigh between 10 and 15 lbs. Tammar Wallabies can live to 14 years of age, although this is a rare occurrence in the wild.
About Wonder Rotunda
The Wonder Rotunda is an online educational theme park (for ages 7-12) that sparks curiosity, helps kids find their interests and passions, and inspires them to think about making a mark in the world. Topics explored include marine life, space exploration, animal life, classical music, nutrition, American government, globalization, climate change, money and business, the visual and performing arts, film making and climate change. Take the Free Tour.
About the Kangaroo Island Moonlight Adventure
A moonlit speedboat ride across a rocky channel on your way out to Kangaroo Island sets the stage for this adventure. Once on the island, using special flashlights to find nocturnal animals, you learn about Koalas, Wallabies and Kangaroos. Later that night, you’ll watch quietly as a colony Little Blue Penguins swim ashore to feed their hungry chicks. Your adventure concludes with a visit to a colony of Australian Sea Lions.