Australian Animals Andrea Buford Arkansas State University Andrea.buford@smail.astate.edu
Animals of Australia Many people visit Australia for its unique animals. Australia has more than 378 mammal species, 828 bird species, 4000 fish species, 300 species of lizards, 140 snake species, two crocodile species and around 50 types of marine mammal. Many of their native animals can only be found here.
Kangaroos Kangaroos are large marsupials that are found only in Australia. They are identified by their muscular tails, strong back legs, large feet, short fur and long, pointed ears. Females have pouches that hold their babies. Kangaroos are the only large animal in the world that get around by hopping. They generally hop at a speed of about 13-15 miles per hour.
Koalas Koalas are mostly nocturnal. They spend up to 20 hours a day sleeping or resting in trees. Although they look like small bears, Koalas are actually marsupials. Like kangaroos, they carry their babies in a pouch. When they are not sleeping, they feed on eucalyptus leaves. They do not drink much water and they get most of their moisture from these leaves. They eat on average two and a half pounds of leaves a day. Koalas even store snacks of leaves in pouches in their cheeks.
Platypus The platypus is considered to be a variety of different species: 1 a duck for its bill and webbed feet. 2) a beaver for its tail. 3) an otter for its body and fur. A platypus eats one-fourth of its body weight every day. This why they spend around 12 hours a day in the water looking for food. They locate their prey through electric signals from their bodies that sends senses to their bill.
Saltwater Crocodile Saltwater Crocodiles are the largest living reptiles on Earth. Adult males are able to grow up to 17 feet and can weigh over 1,000 pounds. They eat a variety of animals regularly including other reptiles, turtles, fish, and birds. They also can eat larger animals such as pigs, buffalo, horses, and cattle. Be careful not to get too close to one of these- they are known for attacking humans as well!
Tasmanian Devil Tasmanian devils are small marsupials with rat-like features, sharp teeth and coarse black or brown fur. Tasmanian Devils are nocturnal animals. During the day they hide out in logs, caves, or burrows. At night they use their long whiskers and excellent sense of smell and sight to hunt their prey. They are extremely feisty when searching for food and will eat almost any animal as well as any part of an animalincluding hair, organs, and bones.
Fairy Penguin Fairy Penguins are the smallest penguins in the world. They are also known as Little Blues due to their blue-colored feathers. They are great divers as they use this method to hunt for food. Because they are so small, usually three pounds, they do not eat a lot of food.
Leafy Sea Dragons Sea Dragons are very similar to seahorses. They are one of the most camouflaged species on Earth due to their leafy appearance. They have small, transparent fins that propel and steer them awkwardly through the water. Sea dragons survive on tiny crustaceans such as mysids and sea lice.
Emu The emu is the world s third largest bird. They can not fly, but can run speeds of up to 30 miles per hour. Their feet are long, with three toes each. One toe on each foot has a long talon, for fighting. They have very powerful kicks. The emu is Australia s national bird. Some scientists consider emus to be living dinosaurs because their bones and joints are similar.
Rainbow Lorikeet Rainbow Lorikeets certainly live up to their name. Their faces and bellies are a deep blue, with green feathers on their wings, backs, and heads. They have bright red chests with highlights of yellow and orange on the sides. The Rainbow Lorikeet mostly eats flowers of shrubs or trees to harvest nectar and pollen, but also eats fruits, seeds and some insects.
Numbat The numbat is a small carnivorous marsupial. It is recognized by its slender, graceful body reddishbrown hair with stripes taking over its back. The numbats diet consists mainly of termites. They eat up to 20,000 of these a day. Its snout is narrow and pointed, allowing it to get its tongue into narrow places. The numbat is the only Australian mammal that is only active during the day.
References http://australianfauna.com/ http://australian-animals.net/ http://www.australia.com/en/facts/australias-animals.html