AUSTRALIAN ANIMALS

INDEX

Introduction

Kangaroo

Koala

Cassowary bird

Wombat

Platypus

Tasmanian devil

Saltwater crocodile

Other Australian animals

The end

INTRODUCTION (1)

Australia has many different animal habitats for example:Deserts Rainforests Reefs

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Swamps Bushlands Mountains

INTRODUCTION (2)

Many of Australias animals are endemic to the country. This means that they are only found in Australia, and nowhere else on Earth.There are also lots of dangerous animals for example saltwater crocodiles, poisonous jellyfish...

KANGAROO

Kangaroos are only found in the wild in Australia. Kangaroos dont move around by walking, instead they movefrom place to place jumping.

They have short front legs, powerful hind legs, huge hind feet and strong tails.

Baby kangaroos are called joeys.

Kangaroos have long, strong tails that help them to keep their balance.

KOALA

Koalas live in eucalyptus trees and spend almost all the day time sleeping. It is a marsupial like the kangaroo. They are cute and cudly with grey wooly fur. It has sharp claws that are used to clime up the trees. Koalas can sleep for up to 18 hours per day to conserve energy.

KOALA

CASSOWARY

The cassowary is a large bird that cant fly.

Their bodies are covered with bushy black feathers that look like thick hair. Their legs are long and powerful, and their large feet are equipped with sharp claws. They also have a hard structure in their heads called casque. Female cassowaries are bigger and more colourful than males. Cassowaries can be dangerous to people.

WOMBAT

Wombats are marsupials. They resemble badgers or small bears.

They have short legs, a thick, muscular body with a large square head, short neck, round ears and very small eyes. Their hind-legs are longer than their fore-legs. A group of wombats is called wisdom.

Wombats live in burrows which they excavate with their powerful claws. They are herbivores and nocturnals.

PLATYPUS

The platypus is a venomous and uncommon animal. It is a mammal and it lays eggs.

It lives near freshwater streams and rivers and is highly adapted for its semi-aquatic lifestyle.

Platypus looks like a strange mixture of several different animals:it has the webbed feet and brown coatof an otter, the flattened tailof a beaver, and the large beak of a duck.

The Platypussbody and tail are covered with dense, waterprooffur.

The platypusis acarnivore,and eats worms, insect larvae, freshwater shrimps and crayfish, all ofwhich are found in its freshwater habitat. They are normaly nocturnal.

TASMANIAN DEVIL

The tasmanian devil is the biggest carnivorous marsupial in the world.

Thousands of years ago it was found on mainland Australia, but todayits only found in the Australian island state of Tasmania. They are nocturnal and they use teir wiskers to detect preys at night. Tasmanian devils are cannibals, they eat the younger and the weaker ones.

Their diet is varied and includes small kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, birds, and lizards.

The name Devil comes from the animals loud nocturnal screams and grunts, and from its aggressive behaviour.

CLICK on the image above to hear the sound of a tasmanian devil

SALTWATER CROCODILE

The saltwater crocodile is the worlds largest specie of crocodile. These huge reptiles can grow over 6 metres long. Saltwater crocodiles are top of the food chain wherever they are found, and sometimes even attack humans! They have 66 teeth and they have the strongest bite of any living animal.

Baby saltwater crocodiles are a pale yellow-green, with black stripes and spots. As they get older, the crocodiles become much darker, and are less marked.

Saltwater Crocodiles are capable of swimming long distances and have been found far out at sea.

OTHER AUSTRALIAN ANIMALS

DINGO

EQUIDNA

QUOLL

EM

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