Wildlife in Australia

Wildlife in Australia

Don´t be surprised to see a hopping kangaroo or running emu - a large flightless bird - while driving through Australia's countryside. Australia's geographic isolation has created a unique sanctuary for animals and plants. So Australia has for example over 100 species of marsupials, from the koala to the Tasmanian devil, and more than 300 birds which are found nowhere else. In Australia there are a large number of wildlife parks, where you can visit them, e.g. Kangaroo Island in South Australia.

Some animals in Detail:

Koala

The Koala is a tree-living marsupial, not a bear, with sub tails and large furry ears. It has captured the hearts of people all around the globe. Although koalas eat only from one specie of eucalyptus trees, they have a home range of 15 trees. Koalas sleep 19 hours a day and when they are not sleeping, they are eating. They come in different shapes from 11kg to 7kg. A good place to see koalas is in Warrumbungle National Park in NSW.

Kangaroos

Australia is the home for over 40 species of kangaroos and wallabies. Because of their short forelimbs and their powerful hind limbs kangaroos are able to reach the speed of 55 mph ( 100km/h).

In Australia you can find kangaroos in all sizes, from the musky rat-kangaroo (0.5kg) to the large grey and red kangaroos ( up to 85kg).

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Wombat

A Wombat is a hairy mamma witch can weight up to 39kg an be approximately one meter long. Wombats have a short tail and stumpy legs.

If you see a wild Wombat, you may notice that he lives alone, beeches he needs his own feeding grounds. Wombats make large burrows which can last almost 20 meters, and sometimes they are interconnected, and so Wombats show a little bit community spirit. Wombats eat grass, roots and herbs only at night, because they are nocturnal.

Tasmanian Devil

The Tasmanian Devil is a fascinating carnivorous marsupial. In former time you were able to find Devils everywhere in the Outbacks, but today you can only find them in Tasmania, a large island on the south coast of Australia. Like the Wombat he is nocturnal. The Tasmanian Devil has got a loud screech and powerful jaws.

Platypus

The Platypus is one of two egg laying mammals and is looking like a cross between a duck and an otter. You can find a Platypus in nearly all freshwater systems in Australia, from Mountain tops to tidal flats. Because it's difficult to see a Platypus in wild, you can see them in all Australian zoos.

Echidna

The echidna is Australia's other egg laying mammal and it is one of the most widespread Australian mammal. It is often compared with the North American porcupine. Be careful: You may have a prickly encounter if they feel threatened.

Dingoes

Dingoes are wild bush dogs. They have been introduced to Australia over 5000 years ago by fishermen from Asia. Although almost indistinguishable from a domestic dog, dingoes are not able to bark They are wary of humans, although they look for food in campsites. You must not feed a Dingo because they have very big teeth.

Brumby

A brumby is a kind of wild horse living in Victoria. The name "Brumby" comes from the

Aboriginal Word "baroomby" witch means "Wild". Brumbys are often domestic horses that got lost.

Camels

Believe or not, many Camels live Down under. They were introduced in the 19th Century to explore the dry Outbacks and to help in the development of the railway lines. Today you can find thousands of camels in the Outbacks and you can join camel safaris in Alice Springs.

Crocodiles

In Australia you can find two kinds of Crocodiles, the freshwater and the saltwater Crocodile They can reach 5 to 8 meters. Saltwater Crocodiles can be found in rivers and coaster Waters in the north of Australia, freshwater Crocodiles live in tropical Australia. Crocodiles have been completely protected since 1972.

Warning - Obey crocodile warning signs - do not swim or fish in these areas!

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Lizards

Australia has 520 different species of lizards. From small Geckos to big frill-necked lizards. They are very common especially in the north.

Birds

Discovering Australia's birds is for most people one of the delights of their holiday. Australia is home for 750 different species, 300 of which are found nowhere else on Earth. The most important Australian Bird is the Emu, a large flightless, nomadic, running Bird. It's one of the national signs of Australia, because it can't go backwards. It prefers wide open spaces where he can achieve his top speed of 50km/h.

Another Austrian bird is the cockatoo, which you can often find in cages in Europe, because it can speak so well.

Other Birds are penguins, galahs, kookaburras and Budgerigars.

Used Websides: global.australia.com, www.Boomerang.au , www.A-Z.au