Since all marsupials are mammals, the females nourish their young on milk from their own bodies. Marsupials are diíferent from other mammals, since their young are born small in size and underdeveloped in most ways. These young animals are really embryos which look somewhat like baby birds taken from their shells before they are ready to hatch.
After birth, the young marsupials scramble through the hair on the mother's body. Without the mother's assistance, they climb up to the pouch by clawing with their limbs. In the pouch, they cling so tightly to a nipple that it is difficult to remove them. After they have been weaned and are able to obtain their own food, they often cling to the fur of the mother's back and ride about for protection. The kangaroo allows the young to hide in its pocket, in the event of danger.
Not all female marsupials have pouches. The banded anteater, for example, carriés its young on the bottom of its body. Since they cling to the nipples, without protection, the mother must elevate its hind legs to prevent the young from being dragged off.
