A marsupial is a type of mammal in the infraclass Marsupialia, characterized primarily by its distinctive reproductive process. Marsupial animals give birth to their young at a very early stage of development, and the newborns then continue to grow and develop outside the mother's womb, typically inside a special pouch on the mother's abdomen called a marsupium. In this pouch, the young, often called joeys, nurse from the mother’s teats until they are mature enough to survive outside. Marsupials have typical mammalian traits such as hair, mammary glands, and three middle ear bones, but they differ from placental mammals in their reproductive anatomy and brain structure. They are found mostly in Australasia (Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea) and the Americas (mainly South America). Examples of marsupials include kangaroos, koalas, opossums, wombats, wallabies, and Tasmanian devils. Marsupials have a short gestation period, and instead of a long-lasting placenta like placental mammals, their young are nourished mainly through the mother’s milk after birth, often inside the protective pouch. Not all marsupials have a fully enclosed pouch; in some species, it may be just a fold of skin. The word "marsupial" comes from the Latin "marsupium," meaning pouch. In summary, a marsupial animal is a mammal that gives birth to underdeveloped young who continue their development outside the womb, usually in a pouch on the mother’s body.
