Course work flora and fauna of Australia. Features of the nature of Australia Flora and fauna of Australia in brief

Australia is a continent located in the Southern Hemisphere of our planet. The nature of Australia is diverse and unique. Here you can meet rare species animal and plant world.

Currently, there are about 1,000 thousand nature reserves operating in Australia. Unfortunately, every year more and more species of flora and fauna completely disappear.

General characteristics of Australian nature

Australia is considered the oldest land mass on Earth. The continent is located on an ancient Precambrian platform, which was formed more than 3 billion years ago.

Australia is located within such climatic zones: tropical, subtropical, temperate and subequatorial. Australia's river network is rather poorly developed: the reason for this is the low amount of precipitation on this continent.

Flora of Australia

Since the Australian climate is particularly arid, mainly dry-loving plants grow here - eucalyptus, cereals, succulent trees, and umbrella acacias. Trees that grow on the mainland have a very strong root system.

Thus, the roots of some types of trees go 20 m deep. In Australia, it is very rare to find trees of a rich green color; most of them have a dull green-gray color.

In some areas of the north mother

Bamboo thickets grow along the Pacific coast. The center of Australia is a semi-desert inhabited by acacia and eucalyptus bushes, as well as tall grasses. Many plant species were introduced to Australia by European colonists.

Australia's climate is conducive to the cultivation of crops such as oats, barley, corn, wheat and cotton.

Fauna of Australia

The fauna of Australia is very rich. Lives here a large number of rare animals that cannot be found on any other continent. Characteristic feature The fauna of Australia is that there is only one species of predatory mammals - the dingo.

The first Europeans who set foot on Australian soil were quite surprised by such animals as the platypus and kangaroo. Australia is also home to such unique animals as the koala, frilled lizards that walk on two legs, flying squirrels and echidnas.

The world of Australian birds is also amazing - emus, cockatoos, crowned pigeons, lyre birds. Many of them have very bright colors.

The fauna of Australia is extremely unique. The fauna of Australia is the brightest component of its nature, although it is not distinguished by its richness of species. The fauna of the islands is especially poor. The reason for this is that the mainland and islands have long been separated from other land areas, and their fauna developed in isolation. At the same time, the fauna of Australia contains elements that are common or related to some representatives of the fauna of South America, Antarctica and South Asia.

The fauna of Australia and the mainland islands of Oceania, especially New Zealand, is characterized by poverty, antiquity and endemism and has a pronounced relict character.

Thus, in the fauna of Australia there are only 235 species of mammals, 720 of birds, 420 of reptiles, 120 of amphibians. Moreover, 90% of vertebrate species on the mainland are endemic. In New Zealand, there are no mammals in the wild fauna at all, and 93% of bird species are not found anywhere except in this area.

The most characteristic feature of the Australian fauna is the wide distribution of low-organized mammals: monotremes and marsupials. Monotremes, a cloacal order, is represented by two families: platypus and echidnaidae, they are preserved only on the mainland and some islands. There are over 150 species of marsupials in the Australian region. Modern families: predatory marsupials, marsupial anteaters, marsupial moles, couscoids, wombats, kangaroos, etc.

Apparently unable to withstand competition with more viable placental mammals, lower mammals, almost extinct on other continents, found refuge in Australia, where higher representatives of the class of mammals were unable to penetrate due to the increasing isolation of the continent at the end of the Neogene period.

In areas with large supplies of food for herbivores, such characteristic representatives of marsupials as kangaroos (several genera and many species) live. Kangaroos usually live in herds; in case of danger, they move in large leaps. The jump of the largest great gray kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) reaches 10 m in length and 2-3 m in height. The length of its body, including the tail, can reach 3 m.

The fauna of the island of Tasmania has some peculiarities. For example, two representatives of marsupials that were not found on the mainland survived for a long time - the marsupial devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) and the marsupial wolf (Thylacinus cynocephalus). And if the marsupial devil is currently quite common on the island, the marsupial wolf is considered completely exterminated.

The fauna of New Zealand is very unique. Due to its long-standing island position, it is poor in species, but some ancient animals have been preserved there, which are rightly called living fossils. The fauna of New Zealand is the oldest of the modern faunas; it has preserved in its composition animals from the end of the Mesozoic era and the beginning of the Paleogene period.

For humid tropical and sub tropical forests The north and east of Australia, as well as New Guinea and some other islands, are characterized by a variety of climbing animals. Particularly noteworthy marsupial bear, or koala (Phascolarctos cinereus), also called the marsupial sloth.

In areas with grass and shrub cover, marsupial rodents and insectivores also live: wombats and anteaters.

In Australia there are no representatives of the order of carnivores (except dingoes), monkeys, ungulates and other animals that are widespread in other parts of the world.

Due to the fact that there were no higher mammals in the Australian zoogeographical region, marsupials, without encountering competition or enemies, gave an extraordinary diversity of species corresponding to the biological types of higher mammals.

At the same time, these egg-laying mammals - the platypus and the echidna - in some features of their structure are very reminiscent of the most ancient mammals. They can truly be called "living fossils."

The bushes are home to the local endemic echidna (Echidna aculeata), a mammal whose body is covered with spines. Like the platypus, the echidna lays eggs, which it incubates in a pouch and feeds mainly on ants, collecting them with its long sticky tongue. She is nocturnal, very timid and burrows into the ground when danger approaches. The echidna is hunted for its tasty meat.

The birds in Australia are also remarkable. Suffice it to recall the emu ostriches, and endemic representative of the Australian fauna, the helmeted, or common cassowary (Casuarius casuarius)

In treeless areas with thickets of bushes, Australian large flightless birds belonging to the order of cassowaries are found - emus (Dromaius novaehollandiae), grass parrots that cause great damage to crops, various waterfowl and water-dwelling birds, many of which fly from the northern hemisphere.

A feature of the island fauna is the absence of mammals and a very wide variety of birds, many of which lead a terrestrial lifestyle, as if taking on the functions of mammals.

Birds of tropical forests are very diverse and richly represented: lyrebirds (Menula superba) with magnificent plumage, motley and brightly colored birds of paradise, unusually brightly colored pigeons, including the magnificent crowned pigeon. On eucalyptus trees, numerous honey sucker birds obtain insects, pollen and nectar with their tassel tongues. Birds of paradise - the closest relatives of our crows and jackdaws - are distinguished by their fancy and bright plumage, but have the same croaking voices.

Among the reptiles of Australia there are also extremely interesting species. For example, the already mentioned frilled lizard with a huge fold of skin in the form of a cape, capable of running quickly on its hind legs (it resembles a small dinosaur); Moloch lizard covered with huge spines; numerous poisonous snakes a lot others.

There are a variety of snakes and lizards. Among snakes, poisonous ones predominate. The Moloch horridus lizard has special awl-shaped growths on its body that absorb moisture from the air - this is how this species has adapted to arid climatic conditions.

Flying foxes (Pteropus scapulatus) or flying dogs are a genus of bats in the fruit bat family. They feed on the juice and pulp of fruits and flowers. They live in New Guinea, Oceania, Australia.

During the daytime, fruit bats, like bats, spend time on tree branches, under roof eaves, in caves or, less commonly, in large hollows, alone or in clusters of up to several thousand individuals in one place. Usually the fruit bat hangs upside down, clinging with its sharp claws to a branch or unevenness on the ceiling of the cave. Sometimes he hangs on one leg and hides the other under the web; wraps its body in wide leathery membranes, like in a blanket. In hot weather, fruit bats open their wings from time to time and fan themselves with smooth movements, like a fan. Why are fruit bats called flying foxes?

9/10 animal species are endemic to Australia, meaning they are not found anywhere else in the world.

People are increasingly appreciating the unique landscapes and animals of this continent. Modern Australians and the indigenous inhabitants of these places are connected together. Despite the changing landscape, the land is rich in strange, hardy animals. Wildlife continues to exist even in the centers of large cities.

Modern Australia remains the most untamed and unique place on the planet.

A grand discovery made by scientists from James Cook University in October this year in national park Cape Melville National Park, located in the north-west of Australia, is amazing and stunning.

Scientists have discovered a “lost world” in northern Australia, home to several previously unexplored vertebrate species.

James Cook University scientist Conrad Hoskin and a National Geographic team discovered new species of lizards from the family of geckos and skinks and frogs in a jungle area where no human has set foot before.

In the near future, scientists plan to return to the cape to begin new research. Biologists will be looking for new species of spiders, snails and even small mammals.

In Australia there are more than 378 species of mammals, 828 species of birds, 300 species of lizards, 140 species of snakes and two species of crocodiles. Of the mammals, almost half are marsupials. The rest are either placental or monotreme mammals. Australia's most famous animals include the kangaroo, koala, echidna, dingo, platypus, wallaby and wombat. Australia has more than 140 species of marsupials, including kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, wombats and the Tasmanian devil. There are 55 in Australia different varieties kangaroos and wallabies. Kangaroos vary significantly in size and weight, ranging from half a kilogram to 90 kilograms. The main difference between wallabies and wallabies is size: wallabies are usually smaller in size. Some members of this family can be as tall as a human when standing, while others are as small as domestic cats. In many rural areas where large colonies of these animals live, kangaroos are considered pests because they compete with sheep and cattle for grazing on pastures and for space near water bodies. Controlling kangaroo offspring contributes to sustainable agricultural development in some areas of Australia. Australia's kangaroo population estimates range between 30 and 60 million. The dingo is a wild dog endemic to Australia and the continent's largest carnivorous mammal. In some agricultural areas, dingoes are also considered a pest due to the threat of predation as they prey on sheep and other farmed animals. To keep fertile south-eastern Australia relatively safe for farming, the world's largest fence was built, stretching 5,320 kilometers from Queensland to South Australia.

Australia is also home to another unique group of animals - the monotremes, or oviparous animals, which are egg-laying mammals and are also often called "living fossils". The most famous members of this family are the platypus, a river-dwelling animal that has a duck-like beak, but its body is covered with hair and its feet are webbed. Of the 828 species of birds found in Australia, approximately half are found nowhere else. Isolation also contributed to development and survival unusual birds. Here you can find tiny honey suckers to large wingless emus, which reach almost two meters in height. Australia is also home to many unique species of waterbirds, seabirds and birds that live in open woodlands and rainforests. The following species are especially worth noting - cassowaries, black swans, penguins, kookaburras, lyrebirds and flute crows. There are 55 species of parrots in Australia. Many of these bird species are numerous and quite colorful, including a fascinating variety of cockatoos, rosellas, lorikeets, parrots, and budgerigars.

Australia has more species poisonous snakes than on any other continent (21 of the 25 most venomous snakes in the world). Fear of snake bites is common among people planning to visit Australia, however, bites are rare and most often occur when a snake is deliberately provoked by a person. Australia's waters are equally diverse, containing approximately 4,000 of the world's 22,000 species of fish and 30 of the world's 58 species of seagrass. Australia is also home to the world's largest coral reef system, with UNESCO designating the Great Barrier Reef as a World Heritage Site. Marine species include the predatory great white shark, which reaches six meters in length; gigantic whale shark, which can reach a length of 12 meters; a dung fly or a Portuguese man-of-war, which is the most dangerous inhabitant Australian coastal waters; and box jellyfish, which are among the most poisonous animals in the world.

Further:

Australian white-headed grebe This is one of two known species white-headed grebes, from the family of grebes. The white-headed grebe is found throughout Tasmania and Australia. You can find this bird in New Zealand, but extremely rarely. This is a squat, small bird. The length of an adult does not exceed 29-31 cm, and their weight does not exceed 250 g. The plumage is rather inconspicuous, gray-white, the iris of the eye is brown.

Australian Bustard The Australian Bustard belongs to the bustard family and is the only representative of this family in Australia. The Australian bustard lives in fields, woodlands and open agricultural areas of northern Australia and southern New Guinea. Aboriginal people in central Australia often call this bird the "bushland turkey". The Australian bustard is a fairly large representative of the family; the height of the male reaches 1.2 m, his wingspan is 2.3 m, and average weight- 7.5 kg. The female is similarly colored, but significantly smaller in size.

Australian Cattle Dog Australian herding dog, better known as the Australian Heeler, is an artificially bred breed. It appeared in the 19th century in Australia. All the experiments that were carried out to create this breed lasted quite a long time, and they all failed. But then, at one fine moment, a group of specialists finally found those breeds of dogs that, when crossed, gave the desired result. The “parents” of this breed are the dingo, dalmatian and Scottish blue collie.

Australian tree frogs are a joke of nature We know from school that Australia has inexplicably become a kind of paradise for marsupials. Whoever here isn’t running and jumping with bags on their stomachs. As for the tree frogs, nature decided to play a joke. Marsupial frogs, on a whim, settled not here, but in distant America. But Australia has become a haven for a great variety of other, most diverse and amazing tree frogs.

Australian flying foxes. For centuries, such mysterious and extraordinary creatures as flying foxes have been frequent heroes of myths and dark legends. Australian flying foxes belong to the fruit bat family, to the order Chiroptera.

Australian penguins Australian penguins are the smallest penguins in the world, with an average height of no more than 33 centimeters. Thanks to the special structure of their eyes, penguins see perfectly underwater and in twilight on land, but are very sensitive to bright flashes. For this reason, it is prohibited to photograph penguins.

Australian parrots The inhabitants of the Australian forest are very difficult to spot. Standing under a tree, you might think that its leaves are singing, but these are numerous birds, disguised under a colorful background. The most beautiful of them are cockatoo parrots, of which there are 21 species. But only a few are widely known, due to the existing law in Australia prohibiting the export of any type of fauna from the continent (permission, of course, can be obtained, but only in cases where the exported animal was not taken from the wild, but was bred in captivity) .

Australian Dancing Cranes The largest existing species of crane is the Australian crane; in addition to its size, it surprises with its incredible ability to dance in an original genre. He performs complex dances during the crane mating season.

Sandhill crane Grus rubicunda is a large bird belonging to the crane family, previously living on the entire continent of Australia, and now only on its eastern and northern parts, which is explained by the reorientation of the crane to feeding on grain. The Australian crane is a sedentary bird, roaming within its range. The crane has a height of 160 cm, a wingspan of about 180 cm, and a weight of 6 kg. The body has gray-blue plumage, except for the flight feathers: the feathers of the first order on the wing are black, very elongated and overlap the tail, like a train, the wings of the second order are gray. The crane's throat pouch and cheeks are bright orange or coral red. The crown is shaped like a gray-greenish cap, there are no feathers. The head of young cranes is covered with gray (red) feathers. Legs are long and black. The beak is gray. The eyes of an adult crane are orange. A young crane has brown eyes; after a couple of years the color changes to “adult”.

Sandhill crane The Australian crane is a large member of the crane family, similar in appearance to the Indian crane, but slightly darker and smaller. This bird leads a sedentary lifestyle and lives in Australia and New Guinea. The distribution of the sandhill crane has been poorly studied, so its number is not precisely known and may range from 20 to 100 thousand individuals. The height of this crane is about 161 cm, wingspan is 180 cm, weight is 6 kg.

Australian scalefish The scalepod is a legless, snake-like lizard from the family Squamopod, native to Australia. Quite often she is mistaken for a snake and killed for no reason. She really looks more like a snake than a lizard. And not only by his appearance, but also by his behavior. The length of the serpentine lizard is about 70 cm, it is the largest of all Australian legless lizards, while its size resembles the poisonous Bardick snake, with which this reptile is often confused. In case of danger, the scalyfoot, which has a very flexible body, raises it and takes a pose characteristic of an attacking snake, while showing a flickering tongue.

Australian coneberry The Australian cone is amazing fish, whose appearance simultaneously resembles a pineapple, a knight and his chain mail. Moreover, the character of cones is even more interesting than their extraordinary appearance. Conefishes, which closely resemble the Australian knightfish, are native to several regions in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. There is a Japanese cone, and there is a New Zealand one.

Asian - aka Indian buffalo. This type Buffalo is one of the species of animals found in Australia. In addition, as you can easily guess from its name, it lives mainly in Asia, from which it migrated not only to the territory of the Green Continent, but also to other corners of the Earth, for example, to America, and both to the south and and to the central, and in addition, also to Africa.

African ostrich. The African ostrich is considered the only one of its kind in the world. this moment time a member of the ostrich family. This ratite flightless bird can be found not only in the wild, but also in captivity it breeds and grows remarkably well.

Bandicoots Bandicoots are small terrestrial animals, members of the family of marsupial mammals. They live in Australia, New Guinea and several eastern islands of Indonesia. There are representatives of very small sizes, weighing about 140 g, others are slightly larger, their weight reaches 2 kg. But most species weigh 1 kg. The animal has a compact body with a thin tail and a long, pointed muzzle with large ears.

great egret The great egret is a member of the heron family, a wading bird that is common in tropical and warm temperate latitudes of both hemispheres of the earth. She settles along reservoirs, on sea ​​coast, on the banks and floodplains of rivers, in swampy lowlands, near salt and fresh lakes, mangroves and estuaries. But it can also be found in farmers' fields, rice fields and drainage ditches. The white heron hunts only on land or in shallow water. The white heron has a height of 94-104 cm, weight - 912-1140 g. The wingspan reaches 131-145 cm. Males are larger than females.

Bigfoot or weed chickens Bigfoots or weed chickens are a large family of birds in the order Gallinae, which includes 6 genera and 19 species. Their representatives live in Australia and on the islands to the north. From most of all other birds, megapods differ, first of all, in that they do not hatch their eggs, but bury them in a pile of humus or simply in the ground, where they develop, thanks to the heat of the sun and the heat that is released when plants rot. Only the male always looks after the eggs

Great Lyrebird The Greater Lyrebird can rightfully be called one of the most amazing birds in the world. Two features make it so unique - it is a very beautiful tail and the gift of adopting and reproducing a wide variety of sounds.

Bronze-winged dove The crested bronze-winged pigeon belongs to the pigeon family. It is endemic to Australia and lives in arid areas. It makes nests in trees. The bronze-winged pigeon has a relatively thin long body, 32-34 cm long, the head is decorated with a crest of long thin feathers, the beak is dark, gray at the base, the beak is strongly bent downwards.

Bronze-winged dove The bronze-winged crested pigeon is a member of the pigeon family. It lives in the arid regions of Australia, building nests high on tree branches in cities, gardens, parks and fields. Distinctive feature from ordinary pigeons - take-off and flight techniques. Taking off, it makes several strong flaps of its wings, after which, without moving them, it rises up. It can live in captivity; caring for it is similar to caring for a turtle dove. It reproduces even in captivity; eggs incubate for 17-19 days. At the age of three weeks, the chicks leave the nesting site, but their parents feed them for another two weeks.

Wallabies - tree kangaroos Wallabies are a genus of tree kangaroos with 6 species. Of these, Dendrolagus Bennettianus - Bennett's wallaby (Tharibina) and Dendrolagus Lumholtzi - Lumholtz's wallaby (or bungaree) are found in Australian Queensland. These tree kangaroos originally lived in New Guinea, and now they are found in Australia. Wallabies live in mountainous areas and live in tropical forests. Their body length is 52-81 cm, quite a long tail can be from 42 cm to 93. Depending on the species, male wallabies weigh 7.7 - 10 kg, females - 6.7 - 8.9 kg.

Encountering a Taipan - Kill or Die When faced with a taipan against his will, a person is faced with a choice: kill this reptile and stay alive or die. If a person deliberately went out to catch a taipan, the choice changes a little - to stay alive after catching it, to kill the deadly snake, thereby losing the chance, or, again, to say goodbye to life. The fact is that even an already invented antidote gives only one chance out of two of a successful outcome in case of a bite. Every second person bitten, alas, still dies, since he is given no more than three minutes to administer the vaccine.

The Australian cuttlefish is a giant representative of the cephalopod species and belongs to the genus Cuttlefish. The length of the mantle of one individual reaches 50 cm, and the weight is 10.5 kg - this is the largest cuttlefish in the whole world, which is why the Australian cuttlefish is called giant. Its habitat is coastal waters off the southwestern and southeastern coasts of the Australian continent. This mollusk is an endemic species; it is found in algae thickets, rocky reefs, muddy and sandy seabed depth up to 100 m.

Giant Australian cuttlefish The giant Australian cuttlefish belongs to the genus true cuttlefish and is a cephalopod of the cuttlefish family. The length of this mollusk is about 50 cm along the length of its mantle, and its live weight is 10.5 kg. Of all the cuttlefish living on Earth, this is their largest representative.

Giant snake-necked turtle This species of turtle, called the giant snake-necked or broad-shelled turtle, naturally lives on only one continent - Australia. It is most common in the basin of the South Australian Murray Darling River. Also found in Queensland, its south-eastern regions and adjacent rivers, Fraser Island and New South Wales.

Giant Australian monitor lizard The giant Australian monitor lizard is often confused with the Komodo dragon, whose size and strength are unmatched by other species of the monitor lizard family and ranks first. In second place is the striped monitor lizard, capable of living on land and in water. Third place is shared by two species of monitor lizards - the giant Australian monitor and the crocodile monitor (El Salvador monitor). The crocodile monitor lizard differs from other monitor lizards in having a very long tail, due to which its total length can even exceed the body length of the Komodo monitor lizard.

Giant monitor lizard Native to Australia, the giant monitor lizard is sometimes confused with the Komodo dragon, the largest and strongest of all lizards. However, despite such a sonorous name, the giant monitor lizard is only the third largest among living lizards (after the famous Komodo monitor lizard and striped monitor lizard). In addition, the giant monitor lizard competes for its honorable third place with another equally huge lizard - the El Salvador monitor lizard, or crocodile monitor lizard.

Deep sea "hell" vampire The family Vampyroteuthidae is represented by only one species - Vampyroteuthis infernalis (“ Hell Vampire"). It is unclear where this relict deep-sea mollusk got such a nickname, since it is not aggressive, not poisonous, is not a predator and has a medium-sized body.

Blue Australian tree frog The Australian blue tree frog is a large tree frog. Its habitat is Australia and New Guinea. The name of these frogs is not at all indicative of them, since they are not actually blue. Their color can range from dark brown to light green. True, there is one subspecies that is blue. Some Australian tree frogs have yellow or white spots on their backs. The abdomen is cream to light pink

Two-clawed turtle The flattened carapace and head of the two-clawed turtle are dark olive in color. Its head ends with a funny, blunt proboscis (hence its other name - pig-nosed turtle). The paws of this turtle are flipper-shaped and also dark olive in color. Its front paws are equipped with two claws, and its hind paws visually resemble oars. The neck from below, the forelimbs in their lower part and the plastron are colored White color. The blunt proboscis on the turtle's muzzle is somewhat elongated and resembles a pig's snout. The total length of the turtle can reach up to 50 cm, and its weight exceeds 15 kg. Distributed in the northern territories of Australia, as well as in Guinea, in the lowlands of its southern regions.

Denisonia splendid Denisonia splendor is a rarely seen snake with a very strong poison neurotoxic effect. In its family, it is not the largest representative - only 1.5 meters in length. There are 19 species of Denisonia on the Australian mainland, so this genus is considered endemic to Australia. The main distinguishing property of Denisonia splendor is viviparity - a quality that is practically not characteristic of reptiles.

Wild brumbies Best friend and from time immemorial, the noblest animal – the horse – has been an unsurpassed assistant for humans. Brumby is also a horse, but all of the above does not apply to it, since the fate of this breed of horses is sad.

Wild rabbit in Australia Since Australia is a country of rich vegetation, a warm climate and a small number of predators, rabbits began to breed en masse on this continent. There is an opinion that the reproduction of these animals in Australia is associated with the single importation of several individuals. However, in reality this fact was not unique. Rabbits very quickly eat up grassy vegetation, gnaw tree branches, and compete with local rodents and marsupials. They do not dig many holes; they hide in bushes and low trees, in ditches and holes. The twentieth century was a time of constant struggle against rabbits in Australia, without much success. Sometimes the number decreased slightly due to the implementation of the following measures:

Wood and maned ducks The Eaton's wood duck is also called the yellow-legged wood duck. This is a representative of a species of birds of the duck family, whose habitat is Australia and New Guinea. In Western Australia it occurs in the Kimberley region of southern Queensland, and also breeds in New South Wales in the northern part of the mainland.

Tree kangaroo Despite the fact that there are as many as 55 species of tree kangaroos, this animal is considered very rare. The name speaks for itself - the tree kangaroo lives not on the ground, but in trees. This strange and rare animal is found in Australia not on the mainland itself, but on nearby islands. Compared to ordinary Australian kangaroos, the arboreal relative is smaller in stature - together with the ears, it barely reaches half a meter. Adult males weigh no more than ten kilograms, the female is correspondingly smaller and lighter.

Dugong - general information In the order of sirens there is a family of dugongs, the only representative of which is modern look an aquatic mammal with the name dugong. This name has Malay roots and means “sea maiden” or “mermaid”.

Echidna Echidnas are the most beautiful animals of the order Monotremes, which, along with them, includes only one representative - the platypus. Not every person will be able to immediately reproduce in their memory the appearance of this mammal. Appearance The echidna is associated with two representatives of the fauna: the porcupine - for its body completely covered with quills, and the anteater - for its narrow, elongated snout, resembling a tube, as well as its usual type of nutrition. The echidna's body length is small, it can reach only 30 cm. The small mouth and complete absence of teeth are compensated by strong limbs endowed with sharp claws.

Jacaranda Jacaranda is a plant (tree), reaching 30 m in height, growing in the southern hemisphere of the Earth; it is most often planted along the streets in Australia. During the flowering period, it resembles our plum, cherry or apple trees “in bloom”. True, jacaranda flowers predominate in color in a lilac shade. Australian spring according to our calendar for October and November, our trees are already shedding their leaves, and the streets in Australia are decorated with a “lilac mist” of blooming jacarandas.

Fierce snake The fierce snake is a type of taipan, otherwise called the inland taipan. This is a large and one of the most poisonous snakes on earth; it belongs to the aspid family. The venom of snakes belonging to the taipan family is considered the most dangerous for humans. Actually, the entire family includes only two species - the taipan itself and the cruel (or otherwise called - ferocious) snake.

Animal echidna The echidna animal belongs to the echidna family. This family previously had several more subspecies, but today, unfortunately, they are extinct. Among oviparous mammals, this animal is the largest.

The mysterious kingdom of marsupials It's truly puzzling. And, of course, first of all, from the point of view of understanding the motives that motivated the creators of animals of this type. After all, such a large-scale and diverse biological kingdom could not have been created if there had not been a very numerous and at the same time influential social demand for this.

Green Sea (Soup) Turtle The Green Sea Turtle is the only member of the genus Green Turtle, which formerly included the species Australian Sea Turtle, now classified in the genus Natator. This turtle got its name from the color of its meat and its very pleasant taste qualities, which made the soup turtle also an object of fishing. Turtle soups made from green sea turtles are popular all over the world. This increased interest in this species of turtles has had a negative impact on their numbers and distribution. Green sea turtles are now endangered and are listed by the IUCN conservation union.

Spine-footed owl The cuckoo-crested owl is the smallest regional owl species in Australia, as well as the most widespread. The sizes of these owls range from 28 to 36 cm (in length). The upper side has dark brown plumage. The underparts are reddish-brown with white spots and stripes. The eyes are large yellow. The cuckoo owl lives up to its name by producing a deep, two-syllable call similar to that of a cuckoo.

The highlight of the Australian fauna is the terrier. It is not for nothing that this breed of dog is called the highlight of the Australian fauna - these small and very active dogs have a very developed sense of self-esteem, accumulating the blood of most breeds of British “ancestors”.

Mudskipper Many people believe that all fish necessarily live only in water, but it turns out that this is not so. The mudskipper is exactly the fish that prefers to live on the shore. Mudskippers appeared at a time when the inhabitants of the seas began to move onto land, thereby making them one of the pioneers who adapted to life outside of water.

Giant lizards Gigantic lizards, or as they are more often called, smooth lizards, belong to the skink genus of lizards. There are a total of 8 varieties in the genus. These animals live in Australia and on some islands of Oceania. Gigantic lizards come in large and medium sizes, their average body length is about 50cm.

A historically realistic look at Australian fauna. It is quite obvious that it is aggressive, which means it was created by an evil society, which, of course, lived with conflict, and a very serious one at that. In light of this, the question immediately arises about where the ancient idiots, and the villains are always consistently stupid, they are smart only in the movies, could have come up with such serious biological engineering technologies?!

Cassowary Cassowaries are amazing birds of the cassowary family of the cassowary order. There are three types in total. They are distinguished by their loose and soft plumage, somewhat reminiscent of animal fur. All types of cassowaries, and, as we have already said, there are only three of them - helmeted, dwarf, orange-necked - live in tropical forests in which there is dense undergrowth. Cassowaries are impressive and extremely beautiful. The smallest is the muruk (its height is only 70-80 centimeters). On its blue neck you will see small reddish spots located on the sides. Muruk also has a “helmet” on his head. Two other species of cassowaries are adorned with so-called “earrings,” which are skin projections that extend from the neck to the chest.

Cockatoo One of the brightest representatives of the parrot family is the cockatoo. This is a fairly large parrot. Its length can reach 70 centimeters. Characteristic features cockatoos are: long feathers on the forehead and crown, the color of the crest is not similar to the general plumage, white-black-pink-yellow color, complete absence of green color, the same color, but different sizes of females and males, short straight or slightly rounded tail.

Cape fur seal The Cape (or South African) fur seal is a species fur seals, belonging to the family of eared seals. It should be noted that its name is not entirely accurate, since this animal lives not only on the coast of South Africa, but also in Australia.

Karavayka Among the birds living in Australia, the locust is quite widespread. This is a bird of the ibis family. The body length of the loaf reaches 56 cm. The color of adult individuals is dark brown with a metallic tint of green and bronze. Young birds do not have a cast, but have white shading in the head and neck area, which gradually disappears as they mature.

Cuttlefish and their games Cuttlefish is an interesting marine life. It belongs to the class of cephalopods, but is very different from such typical representatives as mollusks and squids. The size of cuttlefish can reach one and a half meters due to its long arms. In total, the cuttlefish has ten arms with suction cups, two of which, in the most incredible way, can fit into the bags under the eyes. And in males, one of the arms is also an organ for procreation.

Catta or ring-tailed lemur Katta or ring-tailed lemur is one of the representatives of the lemur family identified on the island of Madagascar. This species of the lemur family is widespread in the southwestern and southern parts of the island, and can also be found in the Andringita mountains.

Quolla Due to their external resemblance, quolls are often called marsupial cats, and sometimes marsupial martens, but this separate species marsupial carnivores living in Australia. These animals are also found in New Guinea. On average, their length ranges from 25 to 75 cm, including a long fluffy tail. The pouches of these animals, or rather the females, open only during the breeding season, when quolls raise their young.

Quolla - marsupial cat Quolla (marsupial cat, marsupial marten) is one of the types of marsupial cats. In size, males resemble a small domestic cat, 60 cm long and weighing 1.3 kg. Females are slightly smaller. Quolls have thick, soft fur that is tan, brown or black in color.

Kea Kea is a bird of the parrot family. The body length is 46 centimeters, weight – from 600 to 1000 grams. The plumage is most often olive-green, less often a brownish color is present, and the feathers under the wings are usually bright red. The bird's paws are gray. They have a strongly curved dark gray beak with a long beak. The parrot received this name because of its characteristic cry “keee-aa”. Main habitat - New Zealand and regions of Australia.

Kangaroo rat Kangaroo rats (potoroos) belong to the family of marsupial mammals. These are small animals with brown fur, similar to both large rodents and miniature wallabies. By the beginning of the 19th century, kangaroo rats lived throughout almost the entire territory of Australia, except for the northeastern and extreme northern regions. Today, their numbers have decreased significantly, as they were intensively exterminated by introduced foxes and dogs. Two species of potoroo are already extinct. All other species are small in number. The remaining kangaroo rats are found in Australia and Tasmania.

Kangaroo Kangaroo is an interesting animal that lives in Australia. Most people have known about kangaroos since childhood. And in general, Australia and kangaroos - these two concepts are firmly connected in the minds of many, many people. Kangaroos were first described by James Cook. in April 1770. The body temperature of these animals is 34-36.5 °C. Kangaroos have a pouch for carrying their young (the famous kangaroo pouch), which opens towards the head, like an apron pocket. Interestingly, kangaroos are born just a few weeks after conception.

Kangaroo Eugenia This species of mammal of the green continent belongs to the category of the smallest local animals of this type. Why were they called that? But because the first such animal was found on an island with exactly the same name, and then they simply did not fantasize and assigned the same name to the discovered kangaroo, forgetting to add that they meant a creature from such and such an island formation.

Koala The most common misconception about this animal is that it is classified as a “bear”. This is absolutely false; koalas have no more family ties with bears than humans. When talking about a koala, it is impossible not to say the word “charming”; this cute animal, living in Australia, surprisingly resembles a plush toy. Well, yes, of course, a bear. The koala is fantastically lazy, his daytime sleep lasts twenty hours, so if you managed to see this lazy animal awake, consider yourself very lucky.

Carpet pythons The carpet python belongs to the family of pseudopod snakes; this genus currently includes only 12 species, but a significant part of them have been studied and described in detail relatively recently. The carpet python is common in New Guinea, Indonesia, Australia and the Moluccas. It can be classified as a semi-arboreal or arboreal snake; they spend their entire lives, for the most part, in the crown of trees. The food for the carpet python includes small birds, lizards, wallabies, fruit bats, and medium or small marsupial rats.

King Penguin Birds of this type are considered one of the largest of their kind, second in size only to their imperial relatives. They live on islands located in the subantarctic territorial zone, limited by southern latitudes of forty-five and fifty-five degrees.

Kraken - an octopus and a squid rolled into one The octopus is an ancient animal that has still been studied very little. This creature is so fantastic that people preferred to create legends about it rather than study it. Ancient sailors called them krakens, considered them incredibly bloodthirsty and were very afraid. In Greek mythology, the squid was called the hydra, the one with which the fearless Hercules fought. Presumably, the terrible Gorgon jellyfish is also an ordinary squid. Sailors told terrible stories about how giant krakens dragged ships and even entire flotillas under water.

Speckled or freckled duck The Freckled or Speckled Duck is a waterfowl of the Anatidae family found in Australia. It is the only species of its subfamily. The size is average, reaches from 50 to 60 cm in length, weighs about 800-1000 g. The wingspan is usually 75-85 cm. The plumage is shiny, the color is dark, gray.

Red-eared turtles threaten Australia's ecosystem Red-eared turtles were brought to Australia in the state of Queensland in the 60s and 70s of the last century by smuggling. Once in the wild, they began to actively reproduce and in a very short time became quite common local inhabitants. They displace local flora and fauna from water bodies and even cause significant damage to the country's ecosystem. The expression “snail speed” is quite common in the world, but has nothing to do with red-eared turtles it doesn't have. In Australia they are called red-eared slider turtles, which literally means “red-eared slider.”

Hook-nosed sea snake This snake has a fairly wide distribution beyond the Australian continent all the way to India. Experts are divided on its nature. Some describe it as very shy, calm and even docile, while others consider these snakes to be aggressive and wild. Perhaps, when meeting her, some were more fortunate, and others were more fortunate.

Kookaburra - the laughing bird The kookaburra is a bird whose cry sounds similar to human laughter, but people themselves perceive it differently. Some consider laughter a bad omen, others believe that it is a good sign, and still others, walking through the thicket of the forest, are simply scared. At the beginning of the kookaburra's laughter, it is heralded by a quiet chuckle, which quickly develops into a loud, guttural laugh that can be heard several kilometers away.

Chicken goose Chicken geese were a fairly large population in the early years of European settlement of the continent. Soon they began to be killed simply and in large numbers, for fun and “chicken” soup. This continued until the beginning of the 20th century. Then ornithologists, conservationists and the state took the chicken goose under protection. After all, the number of animals began to decrease at an alarming rate. Thoughtless shooting of these birds was prohibited.

Ocellated chicken The ocellated chicken is a fairly large bird belonging to the Galliformes family. Appearance This bird weighs approximately 1.5-2 kg, and its body dimensions range from 50 to 60 cm.

Couscous Couscous is a remarkable animal native to Australia. They are not uncommon, as they live in Australian parks and forests and have easy contact with humans, accepting treats and sometimes allowing themselves to be petted. They are called possums by analogy with the name and external resemblance to American possums. Today they are presented in 20 types. The bear glider is considered the largest, growing up to 120 cm (with tail). Its weight can reach 10 kg. This species contrasts greatly with the other, smallest species, whose representatives weigh no more than one kilogram.

Lyrebirds The lyre bird or lyrebird belongs to the passerine order. It includes two species of Australian birds. These birds are revered as the national bird of Australia, but despite this, they are rarely found in the natural environment of this continent, or indeed in nature in general. Male lyrebirds have a huge tail of simply amazing beauty, thanks to which these birds have become so widely known. The male opens his tail while courting a female or simply for display.

Australia's favorite wombat. In Australia, wombats (Vombatidae) are marsupial mammals that resemble small teddy bears in appearance. Therefore, they are the closest relatives of koalas.

Malay krait The Malayan krait is another very dangerous snake for humans (and not only others). The situation is further aggravated by the fact that this snake has an extremely unfriendly disposition. Its venom is so strong that even with the timely use of a special vaccine, approximately 50% of bitten victims still die.

Little Australian penguin The little blue penguin (other names: elf penguin or small penguin) is the smallest species of its entire family, its height is 375-425 mm, its fin is 104 mm (average length). Males are larger than females and have a larger beak. Habitat: the coast of South Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania. The population of this penguin species is stable, numbering about 500 thousand individuals.

Box jellyfish The box jellyfish or wasp jellyfish is a deadly poisonous jellyfish wasp that lives in the coastal waters of the Pacific and Indian oceans and in the seas of northern Australia. The body of the jellyfish has a clear “box” shape of 20 by 30 cm, from which translucent tentacles extend up to 8 m long. The average weight reaches 2 kg. The jellyfish stings in a special way: its tentacles contain stinging cells, which, upon contact with the victim, literally shoot a tightly coiled thread at it. The victim dies almost instantly from the deadly poison.

Denisonia splendor habitats The main habitat of Denisonia splendid is the south-west of Australia, but occasionally it can be found in the northern part of the island of Tasmania. At the same time, the biotopes it chooses are very diverse. These include mountains, valleys, wetlands and coastal areas. It loves denisonia and lowlands that are subject to seasonal flooding. That is, this snake prefers those places that are located close to water. Most likely, this is due to the peculiarities of her diet.

Saltwater Australian crocodile Inhabitants of the northern coast of Australia - saltwater crocodiles - are the largest reptiles on the planet. They can often be found on the mainland. The average length is 4 meters, but there are giants that reach seven meters. The females of these individuals lay about 60 eggs at a time, but only a small part of the cubs survive to adulthood, the rest die even in natural conditions. The breeding season coincides with the rainy season. A predator by nature saltwater crocodile can easily cope in water, and sometimes on land, with a fairly large animal, for example, a water buffalo.

Mulga or brown king This poisonous species from the family of aspids, native to Australia. Despite its extreme venomousness, the mulga is not an aggressive snake at all. With the exception of the states of Tasmania and Victoria, the brown king is widespread literally throughout the entire Australian territory. Sometimes found in Papua New Guinea

Names of Australian tree frogs Australian tree frogs have so many varieties that when one of them is discovered, researchers sometimes find it difficult to choose a name for the new species. At the same time, sometimes incidents even occur, as, for example, with white litoria, which are so loved by lovers of home aquaterrariums, and which in fact are not white at all. The confusion was “due to” the researcher who described this species, whose name was John White (translated as white), who gave the name to this species.

Deceptively not very dangerous Australian fauna. It is really specific, because there are few large predators in it, among which the largest, most dangerous and nimble - the dingo dog - is already the brainchild of modern civilization, which subsequently infested the Australian fauna with feral dogs, as well as, for example, rabbits. This kind of circumstances may seem very harmless, however, this will be a mistaken opinion.

Barramundi snapper - a symbol of Australia From time immemorial in Australia, barramundi have been caught in wicker traps. Today this perch is one of the symbols of this country. Barramundi live at depths reaching 50 m. There are individuals that grow to a meter in length and weigh 15-20 kg. However, the bulk of representatives of this population are smaller.

Wedge-tailed eagle This predatory bird, body length without wings is up to 1 m, wingspan sometimes exceeds 2 m. It is one of the largest species of eagles in the world. The feather color of an adult is almost black, while that of a juvenile is rusty. There are usually no more than 2 eggs in a nest, both are quite rough looking. At the end of the summer season (or at the beginning of autumn), the female lays eggs, the nest is at the top of the tree. Until the eggs hatch, the elements of nature rule over them; when the chicks appear, the female remains to guard them, and the male takes care of the family’s food.

Octopus Dumbo The habitat of the Dumbo octopus is off the coast of Australia and Tasmania. The name of this deep-sea octopus evokes an association with the famous cartoon elephant calf, and this is no coincidence, since it was named after this hero. The reason for this was, of course, the huge ears, which in fact, of course, are not ears at all, but fins. But they stick out on both sides of what an octopus would like to call its head, but is actually a head-like organ. Be that as it may, this octopus looks impressive, unusual and bright, which makes it stand out sea ​​creature from a number of other various octopuses.

Floating snails Snails are often jokingly called “slow movers,” due to their slow movement. Having a rather vulnerable and soft body, without legs, they are forced to carry their own house on themselves. This is the lot of all representatives of the animal world who wear a heavy shell. True, there are snails that move much faster - these are swimming snails, these small creatures organize something akin to a real regatta among themselves.

frilled lizard The frilled lizard is the only species in the genus Chlamydosaurus from the agamidae family. The homeland of these lizards is northwestern part Australia and southern New Guinea. Prefers dry forests and forest-steppes. Frilled lizards can reach a length of 80-100 cm, with females slightly smaller than males. Their body can have different colors: from yellow to black-brown.

Behavior and lifestyle of Denisonia splendor The lifestyle of Denisonia splendor is not strictly daily. This snake obtains food for itself mainly at night, but is not averse to hunting during the day. The snake spends most of the daylight hours in various shelters - between stones, in cracks in the soil, in small holes of other animals, etc. If it's worth hot weather, then Denisonia splendor does not appear at all open space, and comes out of its hiding place only with the onset of coolness at night. However, like any other cold-blooded creature, it requires ultraviolet radiation and heat from external sources, for which it usually uses stones heated throughout the day, onto which the snake crawls to bask. As you know, her body is not able to independently regulate its body temperature.

Striped wallaby hare The striped wallaby hare, this marsupial mammal, is related to the kangaroo. Previously this animal was in different types was quite common throughout Australia; now only one species has survived, living on several islands off the western Australian coast.

Semi-footed goose The semi-footed goose is the only species of the family Anseranatidae, belonging to the order Anseriformes. It can also be classified as a separate genus belonging to the duck family. In the wild it is most often found on the Australian continent. This species of geese is found in New Guinea, as well as in Tasmania and northeastern Australia. But at the same time, the semi-footed goose has common characteristics with the spur-footed geese from South America. These are, first of all, rather long paws and neck, as well as reduced membranes.

possum The name "possum", which immediately evokes the name possum, is indeed in some way derived from it. Captain J. Cook, who discovered this animal, immediately noticed that it was very reminiscent of the American opossum. But in the report he made a mistake and wrote “possum”, and since these animals really belong to different groups, zoologists left this historical “typo”, and the small representatives of the family Phalangeridae were called possums.

Why did the marsupial wolf become extinct? You won’t believe it, but the Australians, their ruling majority, simply didn’t like him, after which they first strongly pushed him aside, and then completely destroyed him when they were completely tired of him. Everything is so simple in relation to the description of this issue.

Freshwater crocodile The Australian freshwater crocodile (Johnston's crocodile) belongs to the family of true crocodiles. This is an inhabitant of fresh water bodies in northern Australia. This is a relatively small species of crocodiles; even males rarely grow more than 2.5 m, unless at the age of 25-30 years. The length of the female is 2.1 m. A very narrow muzzle with sharp teeth, of which there can be from 68 to 72.

Rainbow (multicolored) lorikeet The lorikeet is a bird belonging to the parrot family. The habitat is predominantly the island of Tasmania and Australia (its eastern and northern parts). Size Total length - 30 cm, wingspan reaches 17 cm, weight - no more than 130 grams. External description It has a bright color: a bluish-lilac head, an orange beak, a blue (dark) belly and anterior cervical region. There is a bright belt on the bird's neck yellow color, the breast is red in the center and orange along the side lines. The back, wings and tail (its upper part) are painted dark green.

Rainbow lorikeet This extraordinarily beautiful parrot was called Rainbow for a reason. Here you can find, perhaps, all the colors of the famous saying about the pheasant that the hunter is looking for. There are about sixty species of lorikeets in total, but the rainbow lorikeet is the most variegated of them, despite the fact that they all have quite bright colors. Translated from Dutch, the word “lorie” itself is translated as “clown”. However, no matter how strange it may seem. But this parrot does not need bright plumage in order to attract attention to itself.

Paradise Bird Birds of paradise are probably the most beautiful birds in the world, but they are considered relatives of our crows. Now this genus includes almost fifty species living on the Australian mainland.

Horntooth The cattail is a large lungfish, a member of the Ceratodontidae family. Its massive, laterally compressed body reaches a length of 175 cm and weighs up to 10 kg. The scales are very large, and the fins are quite fleshy. The horntooth has a uniform color from reddish-brown to bluish-gray, somewhat lighter on the sides. The belly may be whitish-silver or light yellow.

Fish drop This is one of those creatures that are found, in general, only in Australia, more precisely, in its coastal waters. Especially, many of these terribly strange fish are found near the island formation called Tasmania. It’s becoming less and less common to see them these days, and not only because drops are residents of more than just depths of the sea, and their very bottom, but also due to the fact that there are fewer and fewer of them.

light hawk The light hawk is widespread in Australia, mainly in its northern and eastern parts. This is a bird of prey, lives in forests, and also often nests near rivers. Its body length is about half a meter, its wingspan can reach one meter. Males are much smaller than females.

light hawk A predatory inhabitant of the forests of the north and east of Australia, the light hawk is a typical representative of the genus of true hawks from the accipitridae family. It has relatively short, round wings, a long tail and relatively long legs. The length of the light hawk reaches 44 - 55 cm, and the wingspan is 72 -101 cm. This species has very pronounced sexual dimorphism, the height of males does not exceed 65% of the size of females.

Blue-ringed octopus The most poisonous invertebrate that lives in the seas and oceans is the blue-ringed octopus - cephalopod about 20 cm long with (with tentacles). You can meet it in the tropical coastal waters of the Australian mainland, Indonesia, the Philippines and Guinea.

Blue tongue skink The common blue-tongued skink (or tiliqua) is a large lizard belonging to the skink family, the length of which is up to 50 cm. It has a wide, flattened and long body, covered with large smooth scales. The powerful and large head of the skink is equipped with equally powerful jaws. The animal's limbs are five-fingered and short. The tail, the length of which accounts for almost 60% of the length of the lizard’s entire body, is thick and, oddly enough, short. The coloring of the blue-tongued skink varies depending on its species.

Deadly viper snake There are three phyla of Australian deadly snakes: fire snake, viper snake and New Guinea snake. Each of them settles in its own separate habitat. The viper-shaped snake is found everywhere on the mainland, except for the cold areas of the southeastern coast and the desert of the central part. Prefers rain forests, hills covered with cereals, and coffee plantations. More active at night, mainly lives on land. During the daytime, the viper-shaped snake is very secretive. Either she sits in ambush, where she is almost impossible to notice, or she rests in a secluded place.

Laughing kookaburra The laughing kookaburra is also called the giant kingfisher. This bird belongs to the category of predators, is of medium size and has a rather dense build. The wingspan is up to 45 cm, weighing on average half a kilo. The kookaburra's head is slightly disproportionately large for its body, and its beak is long. This species differs from other kookaburras in its plumage with a predominance of gray-brown and off-white tones.

Marsupial wolf, or thylacine The marsupial wolf, or thylacine, is an incredible animal, the last of which died in 1936 at the Hobart Zoo. The homeland of the thylacine is Australia, from where it was displaced three thousand years ago by dingoes brought there by settlers. The thylacine belongs to the order of carnivorous marsupials of the class of marsupial mammals. Its representatives constitute a separate family of marsupial wolves. In its appearance, the thylacine resembles representatives of the canine family (dogs, wolves and others), but if you look closely at its appearance and movements, it becomes obvious that the thylacine has nothing in common with dogs. The front part of his body resembles that of a dog, and rear end- marsupial animal.

Marsupial mole The marsupial mole is a blind animal that leads an underground life. It rarely rises to the surface and only after the rainy season. Despite their blindness, marsupial moles have rudimentary eyes that are capable of crying rather than seeing. They serve this animal as a means of rinsing the nostrils after digging underground tunnels and passages.

Marsupial anteater or numbat The marsupial anteater, also known as nambat, belongs to the family of marsupial anteaters. Habitat: Western Australia. Numbats live mainly in acacia and eucalyptus forests, as well as in dry woodlands. The animal is small in size, body length ranges from 17 to 27 cm, and the tail size is about 17 cm. An adult animal weighs up to 550 g. The muzzle is pointed, large eyes, small mouth, fluffy tail.

Taipan The very mention of the taipan causes considerable horror among Australians living in the northeast of the mainland. Of all the snakes living in Australia, many of which are poisonous, this one is the most terrible. Also found in New Guinea. Every year there are cases of people being bitten by taipan, after which not a single victim survives. Fortunately, this terrible snake lives in sparsely populated areas, and yet tragedies occur periodically.

Tasmanian devil The Tasmanian devil, or marsupial devil, marsupial devil is a mammal of the family of predatory marsupials. The black color of his fur, huge mouth with sharp fangs, terrible screams at night and ferocious disposition earned him the name “devil”, given by the first European settlers. The phylogenetic analysis proved the close relationship of the Tasmanian devil and quolls, and a more distant relationship between the devil and the marsupial wolf thylacine.

Tiger snake The distribution range of the tiger snake is Australia, New Guinea and the island of Tasmania. This is not just a deadly poisonous snake, its poison is considered one of the strongest and most dangerous for humans. The color varies, from olive to dark brown, and sometimes there are varieties with transverse stripes. And on the island of Tasmania the tiger snake is generally black.

Tiger snake - lifestyle and habitats The tiger snake deservedly belongs to the brightest representatives of the slate family. Its length (1.5-2 meters) is inferior to the taipan, but its toxicity is not only ahead of it. According to herpetologists, of all existing land snakes, this large Australian snake has the most powerful venom. It ranks 5th on the list of all poisonous snakes in the world. Small animals die instantly from its bite. And if we take into account that representatives of this species are distributed in large numbers throughout almost the entire territory of the Australian mainland (with the exception of Darwin and the regions located north of it), then it can well be considered the most dangerous snake.

Platypus One of the most amazing and mysterious animals on earth: on the one hand, very similar to a waterfowl due to its paws and beak, on the other hand, to an animal due to its body covered with hair. The unusual nature of the platypus is amazing. His image combines the species of several other animals. For example, with its nose it resembles a duck (although it is a muzzle covered with skin with nerve endings, adapted for catching food), and with its tail it resembles a beaver; its paws have membranes, like those of waterfowl.

Firs – dangerous but peaceful Another of the extremely poisonous snakes found in Australia is the firs. Its habitat is small, a desert area in the middle of the Australian continent. Despite the fact that its poison is extremely toxic and can kill a hundred people with one dose, loud “fame” has bypassed this fatal dangerous snake side. The reason for this is that firs live extremely secretly, far from human settlements, so their chance encounters are practically impossible. If such a meeting for some reason (oh omnipresent man!) took place, then the firs will do everything to avoid closer contact. But if a person leaves her no other choice, and this contact takes place, then the outcome is known.

Frigate - bird of war The bird with the name "Frigate" is considered the closest relative of cormorants and pelicans. Now there are five species of this amazing bird, the most interesting of them is the magnificent frigatebird, a large and very beautiful bird.

fruit pigeon The Pied Violet-breasted Pigeon (or Wompoo, also called fruit pigeon) is native to New Guinea and, for the most part, Australia. Habitat: lowland tropical forests, where palm trees grow in large numbers. This is the east coast of Australia from central New South Wales all the way to Cape York. Sometimes the fruit pigeon can be found within the city. Its appearance is incredibly beautiful; females and males have almost the same plumage.

Proboscis-headed cuscus One of the two-incisor order of the family of marsupial mammals, the only one of its kind is the Proboscis-headed Cuscus, otherwise known as the Honey Possum. Its habitat is the southwestern coastal region (Western Australia), bushland and open forests. During the cold season it hibernates. It feeds on flower nectar and pollen, which it takes out from the bud thanks to its muzzle extended into the proboscis and long tongue(protrudes 2.5 cm), covered with long bristle-like papillae. The length of the Honey Possum to the tail is 7-8 cm, the tail itself is about 10 cm, the total weight of the animal is 13-17 grams. The tail is long and bare, the fur of the animal is short, coarse, gray in color with three longitudinal brown stripes, one stripe along the spine from the back of the head to the tail. The other two stripes are located on the sides of a pale orange color at the level of the shoulder-hip line.

Great Grebe Great Grebe (Great Grebe) is a waterfowl, a member of the Grebe family. This bird is smaller in size than a duck, its appearance is extraordinary - it has a thin neck, a straight and somewhat elongated beak. The color of the feathers on the back is reddish-brown, on the head, neck and belly - white. Only in the spring, with new plumage, the grebe grows two tufts of dark-colored feathers on its head, similar to ears, and around its neck there is a rufous feathering in the form of a collar. By winter, these decorations disappear until next spring.

Bowerbird - a skilled decorator During mating season many birds transform significantly and become very original - they spread their tails, sing, dance or organize massacres. But the male bowerbird, without unnecessary fuss, knows how to show that he is a real man.

Schindleria In the same ocean that washes the shores of Australia, the largest animal living on the planet lives, and the tiniest sea creature, such as Schindleria, swims. Everything about this creature is measured in small quantities - weight - in milligrams, size - in millimeters, and short life - in weeks.

Emu The Emu bird is quite large in size and looks like an ostrich, which is why these birds were previously called Australian ostriches. Today, after numerous studies, it has been proven that Emu can be classified as a cassowary. Although the Emu is similar to an ostrich, it is significantly smaller in size. The height of an adult bird ranges from 150 to 180 cm, weight is in the range of 35-50 kg. As for peculiar features, Emu simply does not have them. For example, the same ostrich has two-toed paws, etc. Outwardly, it looks like an ordinary bird.

Echiopsis Bardika Echiopsis Bardik is an inhabitant of the Southwestern part of Australia, which can sometimes be found in the eastern United States. These snakes are most active in the spring, but during rainy summers they do not slow down even in the fall. Echiopsis Bardika is a stocky snake no more than 71 cm long, with a wide head and a keel raised along the back. The color range is quite wide: from gray to brown in different shades, in some cases there are small dark spots. There are good white scales on the neck and around the mouth. Echiopsis are nocturnal animals, but can hunt at dusk or on cloudy days. These snakes are viviparous, with females giving birth to 3 to 15 young per year.

Yabiru The species of black-necked storks belongs to the stork family. Its representatives live in northern Australia in aquatic or swampy places. The local population calls the black-necked stork “yabiru,” although this name goes to a separate genus of storks living in South America. The Australian jabiru is a large bird, reaching a length of up to 150 cm, its wingspan is 230 cm, and its average weight is 4-5 kg. The black-necked stork has a very impressive color: the whole body is white, only the head, neck, wing edge and tail are jet black with purple,

Venom of the cruel snake When bitten by a cruel snake, there are practically no visual changes at the site of the lesion, neither redness nor swelling. But the venom of this snake, like others belonging to the species of asps, has a neurotoxic effect on humans (and animals). The victim dies quickly due to paralysis respiratory system and all nervous system generally.

Poisonous and dangerous arthropods “Wolf spiders” live on the outskirts of Australian cities, and there are dozens of their varieties. They are most widespread in gardens, where they hunt flies in old fallen leaves. These spiders are relatively small sizes and are not aggressive. However, gardeners can get into their living space quite often. The bites of these spiders lead to local necrosis (death) and swelling of the skin. Very painful ulcers can sometimes appear at the sites of their bites. They are usually treated with antibiotics, systemic and local vasodilators, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

Moloch lizard The horned devil (or moloch) is the name of a species of lizard with a terrifying appearance, belonging to the agama family, common in Australia - in its western and central sandy semi-deserts and deserts. With a body length of 22 cm, it has a rather small head, a polished and wide body, covered with horn-type curved and short spines of different sizes. In the area of ​​the cushion-shaped outgrowth on the neck and above the eyes, there are also spikes, which gives the moloch’s muzzle a terrifying appearance.

12/21/2009 Snakes

Marsupial mole

Kalong, the flying dog The Great Bat (Pteropus vampyrus) is the world's second largest bat by weight, and has the largest wingspan. The Latin name of the species is P. vampyrus, however, this animal is not a vampire, this bat- what is called a megabat or large fruit bat. They are sometimes called flying foxes; however, they have no direct relation to foxes and only resemble them in passing in appearance. The large flying dog has a wingspan of seven feet (2 meters), and weighs 3 pounds (1.5 kg), has small pointed ears, large eyes, and resembles a fox in appearance.

Ornithoptera priamus Ornithoptera priamus is a widespread butterfly species in Australia and Oceania (eastern New Guinea - Solomon Islands - southern Australia).

Giant Australian cuttlefish The giant Australian cuttlefish (Sepia apama) can be found in waters ranging from less than one meter deep to probably about 100 m in southern and eastern Australia.

The continent of Australia is called "the land of prehistoric creatures."

Only Australia is home to unique egg-laying mammals - the echidna and the platypus. The birds there are also extraordinary, including birds the size of half a sparrow and giant emu ostriches, which cannot fly, but run quickly. Another amazing creature lives there - a giant earthworm, reaching 3.5 m in length and 30 cm in thickness: it quickly slides through its underground tunnels, making strange rustling and gurgling sounds.

The nature of Australia has many features that distinguish it from the nature of other parts of the world. Australia is primarily a continent of relics - animals and plants preserved from past geological eras. There are no young folded mountains, active volcanoes, or modern glaciation here.

Fauna of Australia

The fauna of Australia includes about 200 thousand species of animals, and among them there are a huge number of unique animals. 83% of mammals, 89% of reptiles, 90% of fish and insects and 93% of amphibians are indigenous to Australia and completely unique to the rest of the planet. Australia has always had no indigenous predatory mammals. The only dangerous animal of prey and almost the only enemy of sheep herds is the dingo dog, an animal of medium size between a fox and a wolf. Dingoes were introduced by the Austronesians, who traded with Aboriginal Australians from 3000 BC. e. Australia also did not have its own pachyderms and ruminants.

Many plants and animals, including giant marsupials, became extinct with the settlement of the mainland by aborigines; others (such as the Tasmanian tiger (better known as the marsupial wolf)) became extinct with the arrival of Europeans.

Many of Australia's ecological regions and their flora and fauna are still threatened by human activity and non-indigenous, imported plant and animal species.

One of the surprising features of Australia is the absence of representatives of most of the orders represented on other continents. Oviparous mammals such as the platypus, an aquatic mammal covered with fur and having a duck-like beak, and the echidna, or spiny anteater, are found in large numbers in Australia.

Most local mammals are marsupials; the most famous are kangaroos, of which there are about 50 species: the most major representatives are a large red kangaroo and a real gray kangaroo, jumping up to 9 meters in length; Wallabies and kangaroo rats are the smallest representatives of marsupials. Some marsupials also live in trees: opossums and koalas.

Marsupials include wombats, Australian bandicoots, and the marsupial mouse. A rare predator lives on the island of Tasmania - the marsupial devil. One of the typically Australian animals is the dingo. Reptiles are also quite widely represented: among them are two species of crocodiles, one of which, the saltwater crocodile, reaches a length of 6 m; 500 species of lizards, among which the gecko and monitor lizard stand out. Australia has about 100 species of venomous snakes, notably the taipan in the north, the Australian tiger snake and pit viper in the south, and the Australian copperhead and black snake in the rest of the region. Coastal waters serve as a refuge for a large number of marine animals: several species of whales are observed in the south, seals are found on some parts of the southern coast, and dugong and sea cucumber are found in northern waters. The coastal waters of Australia are home to a fairly large number of dangerous animals: about 70 species of sharks, including black sharks and reef sharks; Australian jellyfish (sea wasp), one touch of which can end tragically; a sea snake reaching 3 m in length and whose bite is fatal; warty fish and blue octopus. Among insects, giant termites are especially notable, and giant earthworms in Victoria are the largest in the world (from 0.9 to 3.7 m in length). There are more than 700 species of birds on the continent: emu, cassowary, kookaburra, lyrebird, a large number of parrots and cockatoos, black swans, thin-billed petrel and many others.

Australia delights tourists with unique landscapes and partially untouched nature. Here the flora spreads across different climatic zones. Animals live that are found nowhere else except Australia. So, let's take a closer look at the flora and fauna on the Australian continent.

Flora of Australia

Australia has been separated from the rest of the world by oceans for over 200 million years. Thanks to this, a wide variety of plants and animals appeared. The fifth continent has very specific vegetation and contains about 22,000 plant species. Of these plant species, approximately 90% are found nowhere else.

Fascinating flora in the rainforest. Eucalyptus and acacia trees are part of the Australian vegetation, numbering about 600 species, found in many areas, even in hot and dry central Australia. IN flora Australia has three large zones, broken down as follows:

tropical zone

The tropical zone is located along the northern coast to the middle of the eastern coast. It falls in the monsoon climate region and is densely planted mainly deciduous trees. Ferns and palms thrive among the ash, oak, cedar and birch trees.

Temperate zone

The temperate zone runs through the south-eastern coastal plain and Tasmania and extends north along the east coast into the tropical zone. The temperate zone is famous for its many shrubs and low-growing plants.

In the Australian Alps and the mountain landscapes of Tasmania, predominantly alpine vegetation is found. There are pine reserves along the east coast to Tasmania. The latter are in second place after eucalyptus trees in terms of their economic importance.

Eucalyptus species predominate in wooded, warm, and well-watered areas of the southeast and southwest. Tasmania is famous for its beech forests.

Dry zone

The dry zone is located throughout the middle, arid zone and the west of the fifth continent. The vegetation here is adapted to the arid climate. These are mainly eucalyptus trees and acacia (500 species in total). IN Western Australia There are two species of eucalyptus, the so-called Jarra and Karri Eucalyptus. They are prized for their hard and durable wood.

There are approximately 2000 introduced plant species in Australia. Most of them came to the country with the development Agriculture, livestock and forestry. It is believed that before colonization by the first Europeans, a quarter of the country was covered with wooded savannah, shrubs and forests. Much of the native flora was destroyed to make way for colonization and agricultural use. This has led to the permanent extinction of more than 80 species of native plants. Today, another 840 species are threatened. That's why there are big ones in Australia nature reserves. About 12% of the area has been declared protected.

Fauna of Australia

The highlight of any trip to Australia is a special Live nature fifth continent. The peculiarity of the animals is that they live either only in Australia or in the zoo.

Kangaroo

The national animal of Australia is the kangaroo. This is the most famous marsupial subspecies. It is found in Sydney, Tasmania, New Guinea and other offshore islands in Australia.

Parrots

Found in almost all areas of Australia. They are only found on the coast of New South Wales and Tasmania. Only one sixth of Australia's native parrot species can be seen worldwide. The so-called lorikeets are very trusting. They eat bread straight from their hands. Cockatoos can be seen everywhere.

Mammals

Australia is home to six of the ten most venomous snakes in the world. The most dangerous is the taipan. In addition to it, Australia is inhabited by: tiger snake, brown snake, deadly viper and copper serpent. Due to their camouflage color, they are barely distinguishable.

Crocodiles

The world's largest crocodiles, the so-called saltwater crocodiles, are also found in Australia. Salmon crocodiles can grow up to 6 meters in length and are considered very aggressive and cunning. Therefore, you should never swim in rivers or lakes that are not developed. This can be deadly. Crocodiles live not only in salt water, but also in river mouths. Reptiles have been spotted even 300 km from the coast.

Koala

Australia is also home to koalas. They can be seen not only in zoos, but also in the open air. They mostly sit high in the crowns of eucalyptus trees. Koalas don't just jump from tree to tree, they also live on the ground. To return to their food source, leaves, they dig their claws into the bark and climb up the tree.

Sea turtle

Australia is home to about 20 species of turtles, six of which are marine. Their appearance has not changed for more than 200 years.

Whale shark

Reaches a length of up to 15 m and is not only the largest shark, but also the largest fish in the world. It is harmless to people, despite its enormous size. It feeds mainly on plankton and other microorganisms that it filters from the water.

Dangerous animals in the water

I wonder how many different dangerous animals live off the coast of Australia? Many of them look quite harmless, but some are deadly.

The reef shark, about 2 m long, is quite harmless to humans. According to statistics, more people die each year in Australia from coconuts than from shark attacks. The temperature of the water determines how many sharks will be off the coast.

The blue-eared octopus is one of the most poisonous animals in the world. The poison can kill an adult in a matter of minutes. There is currently no antidote; the only known treatments are cardiac massage and artificial respiration until the body processes the poison.

For swimmers, sea wasps are more dangerous than sharks. The sea wasp is a cube jellyfish, considered the most poisonous marine animal in the whole world. It has up to 15 tentacles up to three meters long, and the available venom is enough for 200 people. Every year, more people die from exposure to these jellyfish than from shark attacks.

The so-called stone fish, as the name suggests, looks more like a stone. She has about 70 spines distributed throughout her body. Of the 70 spines, 18 are poisonous. If treatment is not promptly initiated after exposure to stonefish, the venom can be fatal. Found mainly in the southern half of Australia. There, fish live on coral reefs, mainly near rocks or directly on rocks.