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Mammals
Mammals are a class of animals that generally reproduce sexually and develop their young through a gestation process. The two biggest groups under this class are placental and marsupial. Like the name suggests, placental mammals develop in a womb using a placenta for nourishment. For marsupials, the gestation period is shorter. Once the baby is born it will make its way to a pouch or hang onto the mother's fur to complete the development process.
Marsupium
The marsupium for which the group is named is the pouch found on the mother's abdomen, which provides a safe environment for the delicate young to mature. Literally speaking, it also refers to a temporary egg pouch found in fish and crustaceans. In marsupials, this pouch is a flap of skin that covers the nipples and mammary glands, where the babies can attach and feed for the rest of the development process.
Types
Three types of animals fall under the class of Mammalia. Monotremes, with three species, is the smallest group of the three. Placental mammals vastly outnumber marsupials, but types vary greatly within the 240 species of pouched animals. The types of animals that are marsupials include the four-legged opossums and the two-legged kangaroos. Other marsupials include wallabies, moles, gliders and wombats.
Geography
Though marsupials did outnumber placentals at one point in the Americas, most modern marsupials are found in Australia and the surrounding region. Their success as a group in this area can be attributed to the fact there just aren't as many placental mammals with which to compete. Other species are found in the Americas, which include the North American opossum. They have adapted to their specific regions in various ways and come in burrowing, grazing and gliding forms.