Australia is a country that occupies a whole continent. This continent was separated from other continents for a long time, and many small animals unique to Australia have evolved. These small animals live on this continent of Australia, if not from the sea age. Appears, may never be discovered.
According to statistics, there are about 650 species of birds in the world, 450 of which are unique to Australia. Most of the world's marsupials, except South America, are distributed in Australia. Even the national emblem has animal designs, which shows how important these small animals are to Australia. How much do you know about Australia's characteristic animals? Read on!
A large inventory of Australian characteristic animals!
01
kangaroo
Kangaroo is a representative animal of Australia and a national treasure of Australia. However, this national treasure can be hunted legally in Australia due to excessive reproduction. There are more than 50 species of kangaroos, ranging in size from 30 cm to 3 meters. Some are as tall as a muscular man, and some are as short as a mouse.
There is such an interesting anecdote about the name Kangaroo (Kangaroo). It is said that in 1770, a British navigator arrived on the east coast of Australia. He saw this animal for the first time in his life, so he gestured to ask an aboriginal man what it was. The aboriginal did not understand what the navigator said, so he just said it. Answered: "Kangaroo". Since then, this leaping marsupial has been written into the English dictionary under the name "Kangaroo". In fact, Kangaroo means "don't know" in the aboriginal language.
02
koala
Koala, also known as koala, is also Australia’s national treasure. Koalas do not drink water, their food contains enough water in the eucalyptus leaves. Koalas also have bags, but unlike kangaroos, koalas have their pouches facing downwards.
The Australian fire that lasted from last year to this year has caused a great impact on the koala. The rare animals that were originally small in number make survival even more difficult. Fortunately, the disaster has passed. La's cultivation work has been carried out in full swing, and I believe that in the near future, there will be many new faces of cute little cuties appear in front of everyone.
03
emu
On the national emblem of Australia, the other animal besides the kangaroo is the emu! Kangaroos and emu have something in common. The first is that they do not have kneecaps, which means that they can only move forward and not back, which represents the spirit of moving forward. The second is that both animals are physically strong Huge, but small head.
Emu is also a unique animal of Australia. It looks like an ostrich in the Arabian desert, but it is taller and larger than an ostrich. It is one of the largest birds in the world, generally more than 1 meter tall. Weigh several kilograms. Emu has degenerated wings and tail, so it can't fly, but it is good at swimming and better at running. It can run 60-70 kilometers per hour, so it has the reputation of "long-distance runner".
04
platypus
As we all know, mammals do not lay eggs, and the animals that lay eggs do not suckle. But the platypus is a strange flower because it both breastfeeds and lays eggs, and it hatches like a bird. However, the platypus mother does not have nipples, so the little platypus does not suck, but licks its mother’s breast, and comes out as soon as it licks the milk.
Is the platypus a bird, a beast, or a reptile? This "unanswered case" has been debated in the zoology community for nearly 100 years. The reason is that this animal is only distributed in the southern part of the Australian mainland and Tasmania, restricting research work. Until the 1880s, zoologyThe family classified it as a monotreme of the subclass of Mammals Protozoa and named it "platypus".
05
echidna
Echidna is a close relative of platypus, with thorns on its back, it looks like a hedgehog. Although it has small eyes and poor eyesight, it can keenly detect very slight vibrations in the soil. It has a pointed mouth and eats ants and termites.
When an echidna is frightened, it will quickly curl up into a spherical shape like a hedgehog, so that the enemy sees only a headless "thorn ball", which is difficult to start. Another is that its limbs are short and powerful, which can quickly dig the soil, then bury its body in the ground, or hook the root of the tree, so that the opponent cannot eat it.
06
Tasmanian devil
This name sounds terrifying at first glance, but it is actually a little cute, the original name is Tasmanian Badger , "Tasmanian Devil" is a name given by Europeans because they think the Tasmanian devil's cry is terrible. It sounds like an irritated donkey's cry. 10 times the animal!
Tasmanian badgers are not good at hunting. They mainly live on carrion. They look like cute little bears, but don't be fooled by them. Once they open their mouths, you will see a powerful jaw, strong enough to crush bones. When its gray ears start to turn red, run fast, this is its attacking posture.
07
宮熊
Don't confuse wombats and koalas! The wombat is a marsupial only distributed in Australia. It has a short stature, short legs, a thick body like a bear, small eyes and a mouse-like face. Regardless of their short feet, they are muscular. They are about 1 meter long and have a short tail. They are shorter and thicker than koalas. They look very cute.
In the Australian wildfire two months ago, it is a well-deserved hero! Wombats like to live in caves and are good at digging holes. During the wildfire, they opened their caves and accommodated many small animals who came to take refuge. Many small animals escaped in the caves of wombats.
There are many ancient species in the world that are unique to Oceania. These animals are not natively distributed on other continents. Once Australia is gone, many types of wild animals will disappear together. So Australia currently has the highest extinction rate in the world.
Australia lacks large carnivores. Standing at the top of the food chain are birds of prey, medium and large reptiles, and medium-sized carnivorous marsupials. Even wild dingoes are not indigenous animals in Australia. , But it was introduced by aboriginal people around 3000 BC.
Walk into Australia, find a zoo to see these unique Australian animals, listen to the narrators tell their historical stories, and get in close contact with them, how interesting!
