A CURIOUS pouch, or fur bag, in which they carry their babies while they
are still too young to run about by themselves is the distinguishing
feature of the members of this group of animals. The name of the order,
Marsupialia, comes from the Latin, marsupium, meaning a pouch or bag.
When these babies are born they are the most helpless of all young
animals, as they are not fully developed, and the mother places them in
this pouch where they remain, like Birds in a nest, until they are
strong enough to run about by themselves; and for a long time after
that, they make use of this pouch, by hiding in it in times of danger or
when the mother is escaping from an enemy; and the little ones could not
keep up with her unless carried in this pouch.
There are several different animals that belong to this family of
Pouched Quadrupeds, like the Wombats, Bandicoots, Phalangers, Dasyures,
etc., but the most important are the Kangaroos and the Opossums.