The kowari is a small marsupial midway between a mouse and rat in size. It is grey with a large tuft of bushy black hair at the end of its tail (the species' alternative name is brush-tailed marsupial rat). The kowari is found in deserts and shrublands in the Channel Country in the Australian outback. It lives in burrows, and feeds on insects and spiders. Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, the palm-sized predators are related to Tasmanian devils and quolls and are being driven ever-faster toward extinction by land degradation for cattle grazing, feral cats, and other forces and it is now rated vulnerable. Had you ever heard of the kowari before this survey?

Despite being one of the most famous marsupials, the koala's conservation status is vulnerable and its population is decreasing. The distinctive grey-haired, furry-eared, black-nosed marsupial is found in forests and woodlands in eastern Australia. The koala is a solitary, tree-dwelling animal. Its diet consists mainly of the leaves of trees of the genus Eucalyptus. Adaptations to the koala's teeth and stomach allow it to live on the leaves, which are toxic and low in both energy and nutritional value. Koalas have many unique traits, including six opposable "thumbs," downward-facing pouches, and an ability to sleep nearly all day in tree branches. Have you ever told anyone that you're "all thumbs" when it comes to your hand dexterity?