World Book Trivia Challenge Advanced--1/21--marsupials

The rare rufous hare-wallaby is one of the smallest wallaby species. It measures about 22 to 30 inches (55 to 76 centimeters) long, including the tail. Hare wallabies have long fur and somewhat resemble true hares. Pademelons grow slightly larger than hare wallabies, but they more closely resemble kangaroos.

Kangaroos are the largest living marsupials. Male red kangaroos can grow about 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall. The smallest marsupials are the shrewlike ningauis, some of which weigh less than 1/10 ounce (3 grams).

Numbats feed during the day on termites, which they catch by scratching open the insect's underground tunnels. The termites are caught on the numbat's long, sticky, cylindrical tongue. Numbats live in scrub woodland. They nest at night in hollow logs. The numbat was once common over much of the southern half of Australia but is now found only in the southwest corner. It is in danger of dying out completely.

Koalas eat mainly the leaves and young shoots of eucalyptuses. They obtain liquids chiefly from eucalyptus leaves. Koalas that live in the wild rarely drink water. The word koala comes from an Australian Aboriginal word meaning "no drink."

Tasmanian devils sleep during the day in dens, caves, or other hidden places. They become active at night. Females raise up to four offspring each year. They carry their young in a pouch on the abdomen. The young remain in the pouch for about 15 weeks, feeding on the mother’s milk.

The giant wombat, a prehistoric animal of Australia, was the largest marsupial that ever lived. The animal’s scientific name is Diprotodon. Diprotodon was a relative of the modern common wombat. But it was not actually a wombat at all.

Kangaroos have few predators besides human beings and wild dogs called dingoes. The Australian government protects kangaroos with laws prohibiting their killing

The sugar glider's name comes from its preference for sweet foods. These animals eat wattle gum and sweet liquids produced by insects that suck sap. They also bite into eucalyptus trees to drink sap.

Wallaroos, also called euros, are a group of large marsupials of Australia. They are closely related to kangaroos. But wallaroos have shorter and more thick-set bodies than do most kangaroos. Wallaroos are especially well adapted to life in mountains or rocky, hilly areas.

Dunnarts eat mainly insects and sometimes small birds, reptiles, and mammals. They nest in hollows in the sand, between rocks and stones, or in tree trunks. Like most marsupials, female dunnarts carry their young in a pouch on the stomach. The stripe-faced dunnart measures about 7 inches (18 centimeters) long, including its tail. It has a pregnancy of less than 11 days. This pregnancy is the shortest known of any mammal.