Hobbies And Interests
Dry Grasslands and Deserts of Australia
Australia has no shortage of grasslands and deserts. Several marsupials are prone to living within these water-scarce regions, most notably the kangaroo. Kangaroos eat mostly grass and other plants and are well-adapted to the desert as they can survive without water for months. The majority of their water they extract from their food. Kangaroos, along with wallabies, belong to the family Macropodidae. Other Australian marsupials include the Phalangeridae, nocturnal marsupials, and the Peramelidae, including bandicoots.
Tropical Forests
Tropical forests consist of abundant plant life as rainfall reaches very high levels in these regions, usually remaining consistent throughout the year. Trees also offer shelter that has been adapted for use by varieties of animal life, including marsupials, such as koalas. Eucalyptus leaves make up the majority of the diet of koalas. Other small mammals, including Dasyuromorphia, also live within the confines of tropical forests.
North American Forests
North American forests also have a few small marsupials, including the opossum, a tree-dwelling species. Opossums are rugged survivors and usually live anywhere that has an adequate amount of food, water and shelter.
Climate Changes
Scientists from Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) believe that the extinction of marsupials is being caused by a two-degree global warming beginning over 5,000 years ago. Marsupials once thrived; however, as Earth's temperature has gradually increased, marsupial populations have inversely responded, gradually declining in population. The recent increases beginning over the last century are thought to have sped up the decline.
Deforestation
One of the other critical issues surrounding the lessening populations of marsupials involves deforestation, which has threatened many forest-dwelling species within the last 100 years. As deforestation increases, human populations and cities also continue to spread through natural regions, destroying habitats in their wake.