What Makes Numbats Unusual Amongst Marsupials?
Most marsupials are relatively odd in terms of their reproduction, having developed as an offshoot from mammals and having specialised in Australia in particular. Marsupials do have some defining features – possession of some sort of pouch is one of them, but female numbats do not have a pouch. Once attached to their mother’s teats, the offspring are protected only by her fur. When they are old enough to be left on their own for short periods, the young numbats are placed in a nest, either in a hole in the ground or in a hollow tree, where they stay until they are fully weaned. Unusually for a marsupial, the numbat does all its foraging by day. The numbat’s forefeet are equipped with large claws which it uses to dig out the termite nests and rip off bark. Its elongated, tapering snout also makes a useful lever for prising up large stones and branches. Most marsupials come out only by night but the numbat may even bask in the sun during the summer. It spends the night holed up in a burr
