Animals of Australia
Why are they so unique?
If you have seen pictures of plants and animals from Australia, you already know that many of them are unusual. Millions of years ago, the landmass of Australia separated from the other continents. The animals and plants living on these lands developed in isolation, separated from living things on other landmasses. Over millions of years, the animals of Australia adapted to live in their own unique environment.
Saltwater Crocodile
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Crocodylus Porosus
These aren't your typical crocodilians! The Saltwater Crocodile of Australia can become monsters! These crocodiles can grow, on average, to 17 feet in length, weigh over 1,000 pounds and live for over 70 years.
Saltwater crocs, or "salties," are classic opportunistic predators, lurking patiently beneath the surface near the water's edge, waiting for potential prey to stop for a sip of water. They'll feed on anything they can get their powerful jaws on.
Click the image to watch a short video about these amazing creatures!
Platypus
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Ornithorhynchus anatinus
The platypus is among nature's most unlikely animals. In fact, the first scientists to examine a specimen believed they were being punked. The animal is best described as a mixture of more familiar species: the duck (bill and webbed feet), beaver (tail), and otter (body and fur). Males are also venomous. They have sharp stingers on the heels of their rear feet and can use them to deliver a strong toxic blow to any foe
Platypuses hunt underwater, where they swim gracefully by paddling with their webbed feet and steering with their beaverlike tail. Folds of skin cover their eyes and ears to prevent water from entering, and the nostrils close with a watertight seal.
Click the image to watch a short video about these amazing animals!
Koala
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Phascolarctos cinereus
Koala's are also marsupials and are "cousins" to the kangaroo. A newborn koala is only the size of a jelly bean when born. Called a joey, the baby is blind, naked, and earless. This tiny creature makes its way from the birth canal to its mother's pouch all by itself. Koalas typically inhabit open wooded areas, and the leaves of the eucalypt trees make up most of their diet. Because this diet has limited nutritional and caloric content, koalas are largely sedentary and sleep up to 20 hours a day...much like teenagers!
Snakes...lots and lots of snakes
Over 100 venomous species live in Australia.
Australia is known for its deadly snakes. In fact, of the ten most deadly snakes in the world, all ten live in Australia. But don't worry, while Australia has over 170 different species of snakes in Australia, very few deaths are attributed to snake bits! In fact, in 2018 only six people in Australia died from snake bites. To put that in perspective, in that same year, 13 people died from vending machines!
Click on the image to the right to watch a short video about the venomous snakes of Australia.
Kangaroo
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Macropus rufus
There are four common species of kangaroos and all of them can be found in Australia. In fact, Australia has over twice as many kangaroos as they do people! Kangaroos possess powerful hind legs, a long, strong tail, and small front legs. Kangaroos belong to the animal family Macropus, literally "big foot." Thanks to their large feet, kangaroos can leap up to 30 feet in one leap.
Female kangaroos have a pouch on their belly, made by a fold in the skin, to cradle baby kangaroos called joeys. Newborn joeys are just one inch long at birth. After birth, joeys travel, unassisted, through their mom's thick fur to the comfort and safety of the pouch.
Click the image to watch a short video about kangaroos!
Cassowary
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Casuarius
The cassowary is a large, flightless bird most closely related to the emu. Although the emu is taller, the cassowary is the heaviest bird in Australia and the second heaviest in the world after its cousin, the ostrich. It is covered in dense, two-quilled black feathers that, from a distance, look like hair.
Cassowaries are generally jet black as adults, but the fabulous skin colors on their face and neck vary according to species and location. Female cassowaries are larger than the males.
Click the image to watch a short video about these amazing animals!
