A USTRALIAN A NIMALS By Sophie, Ella, Carley, Caitlin and Julia.

AUSTRALIAN KOALAS THE KOALA GETS ITS NAME FROM AN ANCIENT ABORIGINAL WORD MEANING "NO DRINK" BECAUSE IT RECEIVES OVER 90% OF ITS HYDRATION FROM THE EUCALYPTUS LEAVES (ALSO KNOWN AS GUM LEAVES) IT EATS, AND ONLY DRINKS WHEN ILL OR TIMES WHEN THERE IS NOT ENOUGH MOISTURE IN THE LEAVES.

AUSTRALIAN EMU’S Emus have long necks, sharp beaks and small ears. They have two sets of eyelids, one for blinking and one to keep out the dust. Their feet are long, with three toes. One toe on each foot has a long talon, for fighting. The emu is the largest bird in Australia, and the second largest in the world after the ostrich.

AUSTRALIANS DANDROUS DINGOES HTE DINGO (CANIS LUPUS DINGO) IS THE LARGEST MAMMAL PREDATOR IN AUSTRALIA AND WAS INTRODUCED SOME YEARS AGO FROM SOUTHEAST ASIA, WHERE IT IS STILL COMMON (ALL SUBSEQUENT INFORMATION REFERS ONLY TO AUSTRALIAN DINGOES). THEY ARE THOUGHT TO HAVE SPREAD RAPIDLY ACROSS THE CONTINENT OF AUSTRALIA, PROBABLY WITH HUMAN HELP, AND ARE THOUGHT AT LEAST PARTIALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EXTINCTION OF THE MARSUPIAL THYLACINE AND DEVIL FROM THE MAINLAND. THIS WAS PROBABLY DUE TO THE DINGOES' SUPERIOR HUNTING ABILITY, ESPECIALLY IN TIMES OF DROUGHT, WHEN THEY WILL HUNT IN PACKS. IT IS STARTING TO BE RECOGNISED THAT DINGOES PLAY A KEY ROLE IN THE PROTECTION OF AUSTRALIAN WILDLIFE.

AUSTRAALIANS WILD LIFE KANGAROOS KANGAROOS ARE BIG-FOOTED MARSUPIALS. THEY ARE GROUPED INTO TWO FAMILIES: THE MACROPODIDAE (KANGAROOS, WALLABIES, WALLAROOS, PADEMELONS, TREE KANGAROOS AND FOREST WALLABIES) AND THE POTOROIDAE (RAT KANGAROOS, POTOROOS AND BETTONGS.

PUSSOMS! POSSUMS ARE SMALL MARSUPIALS WITH BROWN OR GREY FUR, RANGING IN SIZE FROM THE LENGTH OF A FINGER (PYGMY POSSUMS AND SUGAR GLIDERS), TO THE LENGTH OF A FOREARM (BRUSHTAILS AND RINGTAILS). ALL POSSUMS ARE NOCTURNAL AND OMNIVOROUS, HIDING IN A NEST IN A HOLLOW TREE DURING THE DAY AND COMING OUT DURING THE NIGHT TO FORAGE FOR FOOD. THEY FILL MUCH THE SAME ROLE IN THE AUSTRALIAN ECOSYSTEM THAT SQUIRRELS FILL IN THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE AND ARE BROADLY SIMILAR IN APPEARANCE.

AUSTRALIAN KOOKABURRA’S KOOKABURRAS ARE VERY LARGE TERRESTRIAL KINGFISHERS NATIVE TO AUSTRALIA AND NEW GUINEA. KOOKABURRAS ARE BEST KNOWN FOR THEIR UNMISTAKABLE CALL WHICH IS UNCANNILY LIKE LOUD, ECHOING HUMAN LAUGHTER— GOOD- NATURED IF RATHER HYSTERICAL MERRIMENT IN THE CASE OF THE MORE COMMON LAUGHING KOOKABURRA (DACELO NOVAEGUINEAE), MANIACIAL, ALMOST INSANE CACKLING IN THE CASE OF THE SLIGHTLY SMALLER BLUE-WINGED KOOKABURRA (DACELO LEACHII).

AUSTRALIAN SNAKES SNAKES BELONG TO THE ORDER OF ANIMALS CALLED REPTILES. THIS GROUP ALSO INCLUDE CROCODILES, LIZARDS, AND TURTLES. AS WITH THE OTHER REPTILES, SNAKES MAINTAIN A FAIRLY STEADY BODY TEMPERATURE BY THEIR BEHAVIOR. THEY RAISE THEIR TEMPERATURE BY LYING IN THE SUN OR LOWER IT BY CRAWLIN

AUSTRALIAN CROCODILE. CROCODILIANS ARE THE WORLDS LARGEST AND PERHAPS MOST EXCITING REPTILES. THEY ARE ALSO GREAT SURVIVORS AND THEIR PREHISTORIC ANCESTORS, THE ARCHOSAURS, DATE BACK OVER 240 MILLION YEARS TO THE TRIASSIC PERIOD. THEY HAVE SURVIVED MAJOR UPHEAVALS SUCH AS THE BREAK UP OF THE CONTINENTS AND THE ICE AGES. THEY HAVE WITNESSED THE RISE AND FALL OF THE DINOSAURS AND HAVE SEEN THE EVOLUTION OF MAMMALS AND BIRDS. SINCE MAN COLONISED THE WORLD, NO SPECIES OF CROCODILE HAS BECOME EXTINCT; HOWEVER 17 OUT OF THE 23 SPECIES OF CROCODILIANS AROUND THE WORLD ARE ENDANGERED.

A USTRALIAN PLATYPUS ! The platypus is found in eastern Australia. They live aside freshwater rivers or lakes, and create burrows for shelter and protection. They are active mainly at nighttime hours, and use their webbed feet for swimming. When swimming the platypus has its eyes shut. They swim underwater for 2 minutes, before returning to the surface for oxygen. They can however stay underwater for up to 10 minutes, and due to their natural buoyancy, they need to be underneath another object to do this

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