  The Koala:Yes, the Koala. Do not be mistaken, it is not a 'Koala Bear' as the Koala is in no way related to the bear family. Native to Australia these gorgeous creatures have soft fur and sharp claws! They also have a maximum life span of about 20 years!! They feed on a limited amount of vegetation, mainly leaves and flowers of the eucalyptus trees but also mistletoe and box leaves. Did you know that the Koala is a marsupial ? And that the female Koala has a different shaped snout to the male Koala? |
 The Platypus:Did you know that the Platypus has a painful weapon of defence used against anything that may harm it? It is the male platypus which has this, a spur on the inside of its hind leg that will inject a toxic fluid into anything threatening its existence. Not to worry though, these animals are placid, mainly active only in the early morning and late afternoon. They are also excellent swimmers that use their keen sense of sight and hearing while hunting in the water despite their small eyes and absence of external ears. |
 The Tasmanian Devil:The wonderful Tasmanian Devil! These Australian animals once were distributed throughout all of Australia but are now only found in Tasmania. Being marsupial also, they give birth to 3 or 4 young at a time, keeping them in a pouch until they become too big. They live in burrows during the day and hunt at night, capable of consuming whole kills (small to medium sized animals), including all of the bones! Beware folks... a vicious animal, please do not mistake as 'cute'. |
 The Kangaroo:The Kangaroo is a marsupial with strong hind legs that it uses to 'hop'. The larger Kangaroo's can cover a whole 9 metres in a single jump! They also have strong tails which aid them when sitting or walking as their hind legs aren't designed for this. Normally a placid animal but beware also! These creatures will attack!! Using its small forepaws and slashing whatever it can with its strong hind legs, they can cause some severe damage to its victim when it feels that it's in enough danger. |
 The Dingo:Dingos are a wild form of domestic dog and are believed to have been hunting companions for the Aboriginal people if they were caught young enough! These animals are carnivorous, but eat almost anything including insects, rodents and vegetables, but the most interesting thing about the dingo is their ability to 'couple'. Male and female come together to raise a litter of pups and both contribute in taking care of them! The dingo is a short haired mammal, usually yellowish in colour and stands about 50cm (20in) at the shoulder. |
 The Echidna:These animals are sometimes called a 'spiny ant eater' but are mostly known in Australia as an Echidna. They are about 35 to 53 cm long (14 to 21 in) and have powerful, sharp claws on their legs that help them to dig rapidly into tough ground. Their back is a mixture of thick hair and spines and their nose looks like a slender snout. The snout has no teeth but does have a sticky tongue that can be stretched out to catch feed (which usually consists of ants, termites and small insects). The echidna is an egg laying mammal. It lays an egg into a pouch where it raises its young until they are strong enough to live outside of the pouch. |
 The Kookaburra:The laughing kookaburra... you swear it is laughing at you when it laughs! This bird, a member of the kingfisher family, is about 46cm long (18in) and feeds mainly on mice, small birds, small snakes and large insects. The bird is native to eastern Aussie, but has been introduced to other areas around the country. Its call or laugh usually signifies ownership of territory but I have been woken a couple of mornings by a kookaburra outside my bedroom window. They are definitely not a quiet animal. Download kookaburra_laugh.mp3 to hear (110Kb). |
 The Emu:Apart from the ostrich, the emu is the largest of all birds! It has an approximate height of 1.8 metres (6ft) and a weight of 59kg (130lbs). It is a flightless bird, but makes up for that in the speed and distance it can run. It usually lives around open plains and brush areas and feeds off roots, fruits, and herbage. They lay eggs which are about 10cm length and green in colour into a scooped and scratched out hole in the ground and the male incubates the eggs for two month before they hatch and then takes on the role of caring for the young! |
 The Wombat:The wombat, also a marsupial, carries its young in a pouch until there are ready to fend for themselves. They are nocturnal animals, emerging only at night from their burrows to feed off grass and other plants. And they dig their own burrows with the long, sharp claws they have on their feet. The common wombat is the largest (70 to 120cm long - 28 to 47in) and is quite a stocky animal. Its colour can range from yellow to black. The hairy-nosed wombat differs in that it is smaller, has longer more pointed ears, soft fur and... a hairy nose! |
