There are many animals in Australia that you cannot see anywhere else, and talking of the animals, we should mention kangaroos in the first place. There are many different types of kangaroo. The biggest are the great grey kangaroos. They are 213 centimetres tall and can run at 56 kilometres per hour. Some run from you then stop and stare.

Wombats and koalas have many similarities and are probably related. The number of koalas is getting smaller. This is partly because of fumes from bush fires. Rescue teams help the koalas by catching them, putting them on respirators, then returning them to their original location when they are better. Australia also has a lot of native marsupial mice that live in the desert. Many of these only come out at night.

You know, there are many animals that are "unpopular" in Australia including spiders which are dangerous. You can find these in Sydney. If they are hungry, they will attack anything that moves. They have sharp teeth and poison. Luckily, there is an antidote if you can get to hospital quickly. There have been 12 deaths since 1927.

Another animal with sharp teeth and a fatal bite is the shark. However, there are normally a lot of beach patrols and protective nets to stop these from eating you for breakfast. Other animals that are a problem for beach lovers are jellyfish. They look like bubbles of blue bubble gum and they have a painful sting therefore people do not swim when there are many in the water. Other "unpopular" animals include dingoes. These are a cross between wolves and dogs. They are unpopular because they eat farmers' animals.

Now what about the ugly animals? A word that people often use to describe a cane toad is ugly! Other words include fat, noisy and disgusting. They are also as big as footballs!' The Queensland Government brought cane toads to Australia to eat cane beetles. Unfortunately cane toads can't fly but cane beetles can. Now the toads are more of a problem than the beetles. Hundreds of thousands are born every year. The toads eat everything including rare Australian animals. The toads are also poisonous to eat. Animals that eat them die. Though they are unpopular animals, some people like them and keep them as pets or write songs about them.There are a number of types of crocodiles found in northern Australia, ranging from the potentially dangerous saltwater crocodiles to smaller, more shy, harmless varieties.

They have got snakes too although fears of the poisonous types are largely exaggerated. They are generally shy creatures, only too ready to avoid trouble. The taipan and the tiger are worth keeping away from.

That is only a small selection of the creatures of the country. Others include penguins, turtles, seals and opossums.In the dry areas, you can see an amazing variety of lizards; some grow to a very hefty size.

Источник: www.native-english.ru

List Of Australian Animals – Introduction

Australia is a big country with many different animal habitats. Australia’s deserts, rainforests, reefs, swamps, bushlands and mountains provide homes for many different types of animal.

Many of Australia’s animals are ‘endemic’ to the country. This means that they are only found in Australia, and nowhere else on Earth.

The main reason for this is because Australia is surrounded by sea, and isolated from the rest of the world. Many Australian animals have evolved on their own, and haven’t been able to spread to other countries or continents.

Australia is particularly well known for its marsupials,

Marsupials are mammals whose young – known as ‘joeys’ – are raised in special pouches in the mother’s body. Although marsupials are also present in the Americas, there are many more species found in Australia.

Many of Australia’s most famous animals, such as kangaroos, wallabies, and koala bears, are marsupials, and naturally they’re all on this list!

We’ve also included other famous Australian animals, such as crocodiles, dingoes and emus, together with many animals that are just as amazing, but maybe not quite as well-known.

However, if you’re an Australian wildlife expert, then you should have heard of most, if not all, of these animals.

If you’re not an Australian wildlife expert … you soon will be!

Active Wild Australian Animals List

Our Australian animals list is by no means definitive, and we’ll be adding new species regularly!

Bandicoot

Bandicoots are marsupials that are endemic to Australia and New Guinea. (As we saw above, if an animal is ‘endemic’ to an area, then it isn’t found anywhere else.)

There are over 20 species of bandicoot – most are rabbit-sized, and all have long legs, thin tails and pointed noses. Bandicoots are omnivores that forage for food in their bushland habitat.

• You can find out more about bandicoots here.

Bilby

Bilbies are small marsupials that are well adapted for life in a desert environment. They have strong legs and claws for burrowing and finding food. Their long tongues help them to forage for seeds, insects and bulbs.

• Click here to find out more about bilbies.

Black Swan

Black swans are elegant birds with black feathers and bright red bills. Black swans inhabit wetlands across Australia. They eat plants and algae, and use their long necks to find food.

Cane Toad

Many Australians would rather the cane toad was not on a list of Australian animals! Cane toads secrete poison from behind their ears as a defence against predators.

The cane toad is an invasive species in Australia and has spread rapidly across the country since its introduction in the 1940s. Cane toads are a threat to many native Australian animals, who fall ill after eating the toads.

• Find out more about cane toads here: Cane Toad Facts.

Cassowary

Cassowaries are large, flightless birds. There are three species of cassowary; only the Southern Cassowary is found in Australia.

Cassowaries are fast runners, and they can also use their powerful legs and clawed feet as weapons.

• Learn more about cassowaries here: Cassowary Facts.

Crocodile

There are two types of crocodile found in Australia: the Freshwater Crocodile, and the larger Saltwater Crocodile.

Both are dangerous animals, with armour-plated skin and strong jaws full of sharp teeth. Crocodiles are ambush predators: they lie in wait for their prey to draw near before attacking with explosive speed and power.

Saltwater crocodiles are not only the world’s largest reptiles … they’re also the world’s largest land predators!

• You can read all about saltwater crocodiles here.

Dingo

The dingo is a wild dog that lives in the deserts, grasslands and forests of Australia. It is a subspecies of the gray wolf.

Dingoes play an important role in indigenous culture, and feature in stories and ceremonies. Depictions of dingoes have been found in aboriginal stone carvings.

• Read more about dingoes here.

Dugong

Dugongs are closely related to manatees. The dugong has a unique snout that is shaped downwards as an adaptation to feed in seagrass habitats. Dugongs can live for up to 70 years, and in the past have been hunted for meat and oil.

• Read more about dugongs here.

Echidna

Echidnas are members of a very strange group of animals called ‘Monotremes’ – mammals that lay eggs.

Echidnas are also known as ‘spiny anteaters’, but – although their diet consists of ants and termites – they are not related to the anteaters of the Americas.

• Read more about echidnas here.

Emu

Emus are large, flightless birds that are able to run at high speeds thanks to their long legs. Emus use their sharp claws and webbed feet to defend themselves against aggressors.

Flatback Sea Turtle

The flatback sea turtle is found off the coastlines of northern Australia and New Guinea, and only nests on the beaches of northern Australia. Its shell is flatter than those of other sea turtles and turns up at the edges.

• You can find out more about this animal here: Flatback Sea Turtle Facts

Frill-necked Lizard

The frill-necked lizard is found mainly in the northern tropical regions of Australia. The species gets its name from the large ruff of skin around its neck.

When the lizard feels threatened it opens its ruff out like an umbrella. This impressive display makes the lizard look much larger (and more frightening) than it actually is.

The brightly-coloured ruff is connected to the lizard’s jaw bone.

• Find-out more about this reptile here: Frill-Necked Lizard Facts.

Great White Shark

One of the great ocean predators, great white sharks can grow to up to 6 metres in length. These big fish prey upon seals, sea turtles, other fish, and sea birds. Great white sharks sometimes come close to land and have been known to attack people.

• Read more about great white sharks here.

Inland Taipan

The inland taipan is the world’s most venomous snake. Luckily it’s only found in uninhabited areas and doesn’t have an aggressive nature.

• Find out more about the inland taipan here.

Kangaroo

No list of Australian animals would be complete without the kangaroo! There are over 30 million of these leaping marsupials in Australia.

Kangaroos travel by jumping rather than walking, and their tails and legs are specially developed to help them do this.

Kangaroos, like many of Australia’s most famous animals, are marsupials. Marsupials are ‘pouched mammals’. After being born their babies – known as ‘joeys’ – climb up into special pouches in their mothers’ bodies. Here the joeys continue to grow for several more months before being able to jump around by themselves!

• Learn more about kangaroos here.

Koala

With a big nose, fluffy ears, and a smooth grey coat, the koala is a very recognisable creature. These marsupials spend most of their lives sleeping and digesting eucalyptus leaves. These leaves contain little in the way of nutrients, and koalas spend up to 20 hours a day sleeping in order to conserve energy.

Koalas are sometimes called ‘koala bears’, but they are not members of the bear family.

• Read more about koalas here.

Kookaburra

If you’ve ever thought someone was laughing at you in the Australian bush don’t worry, it was probably just a kookaburra; their call sounds like human laughter. Kookaburras are a kind of kingfisher. They have long beaks and brown and white feathers, with flecks of bright blue in their wings.

• Find out more about kookaburras here.

Numbat

The numbat is a small creature that looks like a cross between a rat and cat. The numbat has a reddish-yellow coat with stripes across its back, and a fuzzy tail. Numbats use their pointed muzzles to forage in the dirt for termites, which they scoop up with their long tongues.

• Find out more about numbats here.

Platypus

Could the platypus be the world’s weirdest creature? With the bill of a duck, the tail of a beaver, and the feet of an otter, it’s a very strange-looking animal.

The platypus is a mammal, but lays eggs rather than giving birth to its young. Platypuses have waterproof fur that allows them to spend most of their time in the water.

• Read more about platypus here.

Possum

There are many kinds of possum living in Australia. These small-to-medium-sized nocturnal marsupials and usually live in or around trees. The Western Pygmy possum is the smallest possum in the world, with a body length of only 6.5cm. The common Brush Tail possum is the biggest, often as large as a domestic cat.

Quokka

Around the size of a pet cat, the quokka is a herbivorous marsupial. Quokkas look like miniature kangaroos, and their curious nature and charming looks make them popular with people. The quokka uses its two front paws to forage with, and eats leaves and berries.

• Find out more about quokkas here.

Quoll

The quoll is a carnivorous marsupial that eats rabbits, lizards, and small birds. Quolls have brown coats that are marked with white rings. Quolls are nocturnal, and are often found in trees.

• Find out more about quolls here: Quoll Facts.

Sugar Glider

The Sugar Glider has flaps of skin between its arms and legs. These act as wings, and allow the sugar glider to jump from trees and glide through the air.

The sugar glider is an omnivore (i.e. it eats both meat and plants). Its diet includes insects, leaves and eucalyptus sap.

• Learn more about sugar gliders.

Tasmanian Devil

This carnivorous marsupial makes a distinctive screeching sound when feeding, hence its name, which is often shortened to just ‘devil’.

The Tasmanian devil’s survival is currently threatened by the spread of a killer disease that now affects as much as 80% of its population. Because of this, the Tasmanian devil is classified as ‘endangered’.

• Find out more here: Tasmanian Devil Facts.

Thorny Devil

This fearsome-looking lizard is found in the dry inland regions of Australia. Despite its aggressive appearance, the thorny devil is only dangerous if you happen to be an ant (it eats several thousand ants every day).

The thorny devil is only found in Australia. It has grooves in its skin that channel moisture to its mouth, and a false head to confuse predators!

• You can find out more about this amazing reptile here: Thorny Devil Facts

Wallaby

Wallabies are closely related to the larger kangaroo. Wallabies, like kangaroos, are macropods, and have powerful legs for jumping. There several different types of wallaby, and they range greatly in size and habitat preference.

Wombat

With strong claws and rat-like teeth, wombats are well adapted for their burrowing lifestyle. Their pouch even faces backwards in order to protect the new-born young from getting dirt flicked in their eyes. Wombats are nocturnal creatures and stay in their burrows when the sun is too hot. They are most likely to be seen on cooler and overcast days.

• You can find out more about wombats here.

Yabby

The final species in our Australian animals list is the common yabby (Cherax destructor). The yabby is a crayfish – a freshwater crustacean that resembles a small lobster. It is found in swamps, streams, lakes and rivers throughout much of east Australia.

The yabby has also been introduced to Western Australia, where it is an invasive species, and a potential threat to other native crayfish.

The yabby feeds on algae, plant material and animal remains. It is rated as Vulnerable by the IUCN.

---

Australian Animals List Conclusion

We hope that you have enjoyed reading this list of Australian animals. This is just a tiny section of the many different species found in Australia.

You can find out more about Australia at Wikipedia here. See the Wikipedia page on marsupials here.

Have we missed anyone? Let us know if your favourite Australian animals aren’t on this list and we’ll try to include them!

• Learn more about Australia’s incredible birds here: List of Australian Birds.
• Discover more amazing animals here: Animals: The Ultimate Guide.

---

Love Animals? Join The Free Active Wild Newsletter List!

Join the FREE Active Wild Newsletter List. A must for all animal fans. Awesome animal facts and information delivered direct to your inbox. It’s absolutely free, you can unsubscribe at any time, and we’ll never share information with anyone else. Click here for info: Subscribe to Active Wild.

Источник: www.activewild.com

В Австралии обитает много различных видов диких животных. Высокий процент млекопитающих, рептилий, рыб, насекомых и земноводных, которые живут на континенте, свойственны Австралии, то есть являются привычными именно для этой страны. Этот факт объясняется долгой географической изоляцией континента и тектоническим постоянством.

Сумчатые – самая распространенная группа млекопитающих в Австралии. В нее входят кенгуру, валлаби, коалы, тасманийские волки, тасманийские дьяволы, вомбаты и многие другие.

Эти животные вынашивают свое потомство в сумке. Утконос и ехидна являются млекопитающими, которые откладывают яйца. Австралия является родиной двух из пяти известных видов однопроходных яйцекладущих, а также многочисленных ядовитых видов, включающих пауков, скорпионов, осьминогов, медуз, моллюсков и некоторых других. Стоит отметить, что в Австралии обитает больше ядовитых, чем неядовитых видов змей.

В стране существует несколько различных видов кенгуру.

Самые крупные – большие серые кенгуру, достигающие в росте 213 сантиметров и развивающие скорость до 56 километров в час.

Вомбаты и коалы очень похожи. И те, и другие имеют во рту карманы для хранения пищи. Коал становится все меньше и одной из причин является дым от пожаров. Спасательные бригады часто помогают коалам, ловя их и надевая им респираторы. Затем животных возвращают на свое место обитания.

Среди других интересных животных Австралии можно отметить дельфинов-афалин, динго, представляющие собой диких собак, эму, малых пингвинов, которые выходят из моря на закате и маршируют в свои норы на острове Филлип, и караки, находящиеся под угрозой краснохвостые черные попугаи, обитающие на юго-востоке Австралии.

Фауна Австралии действительно уникальна.

Скачать презентацию на английском языке можно прямо сейчас:

There are many different species of wildlife in Australia. A high percentage of mammals, reptiles, fish, insects and amphibians that live on the continent are endemic to Australia, or in other words common to this country. This fact can be explained by the continent’s long geographic isolation and tectonic stability.

The marsupials are the most popular group of mammals in Australia. It includes kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, Tasmanian wolves, Tasmanian devils, wombats and lots of others. These animals raise their young in a pouch. The platypus and the echidna are egg-laying mammals. Australia is also home to two of the five known species of monotremes and has numerous venomous species including spiders, scorpions, octopus, jellyfish, molluscs and some others. It should be mentioned that there are more venomous than non-venomous species of snakes in Australia.

There are several different types of kangaroos in the country. The biggest ones are called the great grey kangaroo, which are 213 centimeters tall and whose speed reaches 56 kilometers per hour.

Wombats and koalas are very alike. Both animals have pockets inside their mouths to store food. Koalas are getting smaller in numbers and one of the reasons for this is fumes from fires. Rescue teams often help the koalas by catching them and putting on respirators. Then the animals are returned to their places of living.

Among some other interesting animals of Australia we can mention bottlenose dolphins, dingos, which are wild dogs, emus, fairy penguins, that come out of the sea at dusk and go marching home to their burrows on Phillip Island and karaks, the endangered red-tailed black cockatoo of southeastern Australia.

Australia’s fauna is indeed unique.

Источник: home-task.com