This review examines gaits used by marsupials and their coupling with
respiratory and cardiac cycles. It also examines the energy requiremen
ts and heat balance in exercising marsupials. Marsupials have mass-spe
cific metabolic rates that lie at the lower end of the mammalian range
but this is not reflected in locomotory energetics as quadrupedal mar
supials fit the Predictive model derived from placentals. The group th
at does not conform to the model contains the larger hopping macropods
in which an independence between metabolic rate and hopping speed is
achieved on treadmills at most speeds by the storage of elastic strain
energy in tendons. This yields a saving of up to 50% of the energy th
at would be otherwise used for locomotion. The carriage of pouch young
appears to reduce the maximum running speed in quadrupedal marsupials
but may be cost-neutral in hopping species. Respiration is entrained
to the step cycle in wallabies by means of a visceral piston, but no e
ntrainment of the cardiac cycle has been observed. The consequences of
these phenomena are discussed. Marsupials appear to exploit their low
body temperatures as a means of storing heat generated during running
. Paradoxically, this does not lessen their dependence on evaporative
heat loss.