The young koala is carried in the pouch for 6 months and is dependent on its mother for a year. Sexual maturity is not reached for 3 or 4 years. The teeth are ever growing and the incisors have enamel on the anterior surfaces only. The enamel, as in rodents, is much harder and wears more slowly than the dentine on the posterior surfaces, so the front of the teeth stays sharp for cutting vegetation. The short powerful limbs with broad long claws are used for digging burrows.
Wombats are nocturnal and completely herbivorous.
The pouch opens to the rear. The typical macropodid has very large hind legs with a long powerful tail, structural adaptations for a jumping progression. The first digit is usually absent, digits 2 and 3 of the hind foot are syndactylous, and digit 4 is long and strong. Digit 5 is moderately long. The front legs are short and have 5 digits.