Flora and fauna of Australia briefly.  Mainland Australia description, relief, climate, flora and fauna

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

Only in Australia live unique mammals that lay eggs - echidna and platypus. Birds are also unusual there, including birds the size of half a sparrow and giant emu ostriches that cannot fly, but run fast. Another amazing creature lives there - a giant earthworm, reaching 3.5 m in length and 30 cm in thickness: it quickly glides through its underground tunnels, while making strange rustling-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, modern glaciation here.

fauna of australia

The fauna of Australia includes about 200 thousand species of animals, and among them 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. A characteristic feature of Australia has always been that it did not have indigenous predatory mammals. The only dangerous beast 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 Austronesians who traded with the Australian Aborigines from 3000 BC. e. Australia also did not have its own thick-skinned and ruminant animals.

Many plants and animals, including giant marsupials, died out with the settlement of the mainland by natives; others (for example, the Tasmanian tiger (better known as the marsupial wolf)) became extinct already with the advent of Europeans.

Many ecological regions of Australia and their flora and fauna are still threatened by human activities and non-indigenous, introduced species of plants and animals.

One of the surprising features of Australia is the absence of representatives of most of the units represented on other continents. In Australia, egg-laying mammals are found in large numbers - the platypus, an aquatic mammal covered with fur and having a beak similar to a duck, and an echidna, or spiny anteater.

Most of the local mammals are marsupials, the most famous are kangaroos, of which there are about 50 species: the largest representatives are the large red kangaroo and the real gray kangaroo, jumping up to 9 meters in length; wallabies and kangaroo rats are the smallest marsupials. Some marsupials also live on the trees: opossum and koala.

Marsupials include wombats, Australian bandicoots, marsupial mice. A rare predator lives on the island of Tasmania - the marsupial devil. One of the typical Australian animals is the dingo dog. Reptiles are also quite widely represented: among them are two types of crocodiles, one of which - the crested crocodile - reaches a length of 6 m; 500 species of lizards, among which the gecko and monitor lizard stand out. There are about 100 species of venomous snakes in Australia, notably the taipan in the north, the Australian tiger snake and viper in the south, the Australian copperhead and black snake in the rest of the regions. 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 trepang are found in northern waters. A fairly large number of dangerous animals live in the coastal waters of Australia: about 70 species of sharks, including the black shark and reef shark; Australian jellyfish (sea wasp), one touch of which can end tragically; sea ​​snake, reaching 3 m in length and whose bite is deadly; 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 on the world map

Mainland Australia, on which the only state is located - the Commonwealth of Australia - is located entirely in the Southern Hemisphere. The area of ​​the mainland state is 7.6 million square meters. km.

The Union includes the large island of Tasmania, separated by the Bass Strait, and a large number of small islands - Bathurst, Barrow, King, Kangaroo, etc.

The mainland is located on both sides of the Southern Tropic, most of the mainland lies to the south of it. The Pacific Ocean and its two seas - Coral and Tasmanovo wash the eastern shores of the mainland. The northern and western shores go directly to the Indian Ocean or to the Timor and Arafura seas. The shores of the mainland are very weakly indented, there are few convenient bays for mooring ships.

From north to south, the mainland stretches for 3.1 thousand km, and from west to east - for 4.4 thousand km. The mainland state is geographically isolated from the rest of the world, there are no land borders, and the closest are Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

This land mass is located on an ancient Precambrian platform, which is over 3 billion years old.

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For thousands of years, the nature of the mainland has developed in its own way. Remoteness from other continents contributed to the formation of the uniqueness of the flora and fauna. The uniqueness of flora and fauna is the main feature of Australian nature.

The relief of Australia is represented mainly by plains, and mountainous areas occupy about 1/20 of the territory. The eastern part of the mainland is higher, here the East Australian Mountains or the Great Dividing Range stretch along the coast from north to south. The central part of the range is the widest, and the southern part is higher, called the Australian Alps. Snow lies here throughout the year. The top - Mount Kosciuszko (2230 m) is located in this part of the ridge.

The rest of the mainland is occupied by the Central Plains, on which there are areas located below sea level, for example, the basin of Lake Eyre.

The continuation of the Great Dividing Range is the island of Tasmania, which separated from the mainland by a large fault.

• subequatorial,
• tropical,
• subtropical.

Remark 1

Only the southern part of the island of Tasmania lies in the temperate zone with cool summers and high rainfall.

The subequatorial climate is characterized by a small amplitude of annual temperature fluctuations and precipitation in summer.

Most of the mainland lies in a tropical climate. The degree of its moisture content is not uniform. Its eastern part belongs to the area of ​​humid tropical climate, and the central and western part is the area of ​​desert tropical climate.

There are three types of subtropical climate:

1. Mediterranean type in the southwest of the continent with dry, hot summers and wet, warm winters;
2. subtropical continental on the coast of the Great Australian Bight with cool winters and less rainfall;
3. subtropical humid - Victoria, areas of Sydney and Canberra, northern Tasmania.

Remark 2

The hydrographic network is poorly developed, the flow into the ocean has only 3/5 of the territory. There are temporary streams, called screams.

Features of the Australian flora

The Australian flora is unique in that it is dominated by elements that are not found in other parts of the world. Its main features are antiquity, and a high degree of endemism which accounts for 75% of the species.

The most popular are some types of eucalyptus and acacia trees. Eucalyptus thickets cover a significant part of the continent, of which there are three thousand species. They perfectly disinfect the air, grow quickly and drain the wetlands. Eucalyptus wood sinks in water but does not rot.

Bottle trees growing in the central and northern parts of the mainland are also characteristic of Australia. The tree got its name for its resemblance to a bottle. The inside of the trunk of this tree has two chambers. The chamber close to the root system is filled with water during the rainy season, the second, located above the first, is filled with juice, similar to thick sweet and edible syrup. The plant uses the accumulated water during the drought period.

Eucalyptus, bottle trees, cereals feel very good here.

Within the Mediterranean type of climate in the northwest of the mainland, there is more precipitation, so tropical forests grow here, in which eucalyptus trees, large-leaved ficuses, and sprawling palm trees can again be found. The rainforest is generally damp, dark and gloomy. The tropical coast, protected from the surf by coral reefs, causes the development of peculiar plant formations, called mangrove forests or thickets - "trees growing in the sea" - as travelers describe them. At high tide, their crown rises above the water, and at low tide, bizarre respiratory roots are clearly visible.

Deserts have formed in the central part of the mainland in an arid climate, so the flora is represented by thorns and shrubs that do not have leaves. Acacias and eucalyptus trees become stunted, in some places the plants disappear completely, and in some places they form impenetrable thickets - these are scrubs. Wild cereal crops grow here.

The eastern and southeastern slopes of the Great Dividing Range are covered with tropical and subtropical evergreen forests, again dominated by eucalyptus. Tree-like horsetails and ferns grow here, the height of which reaches 10-20 m. The top of tree-like ferns is a crown of pinnate leaves up to 2 meters long. Higher up the slope of the mountains, an admixture of damarra pine and beech appears.

Features of the Australian fauna

Remark 3

Due to the amazing diversity of the animal world, Australia is not accidentally singled out as a special zoogeographic region. The species composition, it must be said, is not rich, but in most cases it is endemic, which is one of the features of the animal world.

About 200 thousand species of animals live on the mainland, and 83% of mammals, 89% of reptiles, 90% of fish and insects, 93% of amphibians are indigenous.

Another feature of the Australian fauna was the absence of indigenous predatory mammals, except for the wild dog dingo, which was brought here by the Austronesians.

There were no own pachyderms and ruminants on the mainland. Some animals died out with the settlement of the continent by the natives, including giant marsupials, and with the advent of Europeans, other animals disappeared, for example, the marsupial wolf.

The kangaroo, numbering 17 genera and more than 50 species, and the koala have become the symbol of Australia. These are representatives of marsupials, the presence of which is another feature of the fauna of the mainland.

Among the kangaroos there are dwarfs, 20-23 cm tall and giants, whose height can be more than 160 cm. There are kangaroo rats, rock and tree kangaroos, derby kangaroos. I must say that the Australians consider only the giant gray and red kangaroos to be real kangaroos, and the rest are called wallabies.

Amazing platypuses and flying squirrels, echidnas, wombats and opossums.

Since ancient times, emu ostriches, huge cockatoo parrots, have lived on this earth. The sound of a musical instrument resembles the chirping of a lyre bird. Human laughter is emitted by amazing kookaburra birds.

In the south of the mainland there are penguins, huge whales, dolphins and sharks in the waters. Crocodiles live in Australian rivers. The Australian barrier reef has become the realm of corals, polyps, moray eels and rays. With the advent of Europeans, domestic animals were brought to the continent - sheep, goats, cows, horses, dogs and cats.

The smallest continent on planet Earth is Australia. With a territory of 7,659,861 km2 (with islands 7,692,024 km2), it occupies only 5% of the entire land mass of the planet. At the same time, the size of the mainland, if viewed from north to south, will be 3.7 thousand kilometers, and from west to east, approximately 4,000 kilometers. In this case, the length of all coasts of the continent will be approximately 35,877 kilometers.

The continent is located in the southern hemisphere of the planet. From the north, south and west, mainland Australia is washed by the Indian Ocean, and from the east it is washed by the Tasman and Coral Seas. Australia is also famous for the largest coral reef in the world (more than 2000 km), which is located on the northeast coast of the continent.

The entire territory of the mainland belongs to one state, which is called Australia. Officially, this state is called the Commonwealth of Australia.

Extreme points of mainland Australia

There are four extreme points that are located on mainland Australia:

1) The most extreme point in the north is Cape York, which is washed by the Coral and Arafura Seas.

2) The westernmost point of the mainland is Cape Steep Point, which is washed by the Indian Ocean.

3) The southern extreme point of Australia is South Point, which washes the Tasman Sea.

4) And, finally, the easternmost point of the mainland is Cape Byron.

Relief of Australia

The mainland of Australia is dominated by plains. More than 90% of the entire land mass of the continent does not exceed 600 meters above sea level. There are also mountain ranges in Australia, which usually do not exceed a height of 1500 kilometers. The highest mountains in Australia are the Australian Alps, whose highest mountain Kosciuszko reaches a height of 2230 meters above sea level. Also in Australia there are the Musgrave Mountains, the West Australian Plateau, the Kimberley Plateau, the Darling Range and Mount Lofty.

The entire territory of the continent of Australia is located on the Australian platform, which includes the mainland of Australia and part of the ocean adjacent to it.

Australian inland waters

According to inland waters, this mainland is characterized as the poorest mainland in terms of rivers. The longest river on the mainland, the Murray, originates from the region of the highest mountain in Australia, Kosciuszko, and reaches a length of 2375 km.

Rivers are fed mainly by rain or melt water. The most full-flowing rivers are at the beginning of summer, and then they begin to shallow, and in some places turn into stagnant reservoirs.

Just like rivers, lakes on the mainland are also fed by rainwater. Such lakes do not have a constant level and runoff. In summer, they can dry out completely and turn into depressions, the bottom of which is covered with salt. The thickness of salt at the bottom of dried lakes can reach up to 1.5 meters. Quite large lakes in Australia can be swamps for most of the year. There is a hypothesis that the south of the mainland continues to rise from the ocean.

Climate of mainland Australia

Mainland Australia is located in three climatic zones at once - this is the subtropical zone, the tropical zone and the subequatorial zone.

The subtropical belt of the continent of Australia includes three climates - subtropical continental, subtropical humid and Mediterranean.

The Mediterranean climate is characterized by dry and hot summers, but warm and humid winters. There are slight fluctuations between the periods of the year (in summer the temperature rises to 27 degrees Celsius, and in winter the air temperature drops to 12 degrees Celsius) and there is quite a lot of precipitation. This climate is typical for the southwestern part of Australia.

The subtropical humid climate is characterized by large temperature fluctuations in different periods of the year (in summer the temperature rises to +24 degrees Celsius, and in winter it drops to -10 degrees Celsius below zero) and significant precipitation. Such a climate is inherent in the entire state of Victoria, part of the state of New South Wales, which is located in the southwest.

The subtropical continental climate is characterized by low rainfall and large temperature differences and is inherent in southern Australia.

The tropical belt is formed from tropical dry and tropical humid climates.

The tropical humid climate is located in the east of the mainland and is characterized by a small amount of precipitation. Such a climate is formed due to the action of southeast winds, which are saturated with moisture from the Pacific Ocean.

Tropical dry climate is typical for the central and western parts of the mainland. The hottest climate is in the northwest of the mainland - in summer the temperature rises to 35 degrees Celsius, and in winter it drops very slightly to 20 degrees Celsius. It is worth noting the city of Alice Springs, which is located in the central part of the continent, where the temperature during the day can rise to 45 degrees, and at night fall to -6 degrees Celsius below zero. At the same time, precipitation may not fall in some places for years, and then in a matter of hours, the annual rate of precipitation may fall. In this case, moisture is very quickly absorbed by the earth or evaporates.

The subequatorial climate on the Australian mainland is characterized by stable temperatures throughout the year (23 degrees Celsius) and high rainfall.

Flora and fauna of Australia

Due to the fact that the mainland is isolated from other continents, the flora of this mainland is very diverse. At the same time, there are plants and animals that live only on this mainland and are absent anywhere else. And due to the peculiarities of the dry climate on the continent, dry-loving plants predominate among plants. For example, eucalyptus, acacia and others. In the north of the mainland you can find tropical forests.

The area of ​​the mainland covered with forests is only 5%. Over time, many trees and plants were brought in from other continents, which took root well in Australia, such as cereals, vines, some types of fruits and vegetables.

But the variety of animals on the mainland is not so diverse. In total, there are just over 230 species of mammals living on the mainland, more than 700 species of birds and more than 120 species of amphibians. But most of these animals exist only on the mainland and will not survive anywhere else, as they feed on plants that also exist only on the mainland of Australia. This is such a peculiar world that is worth seeing with your own eyes.

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Australia has more than 378 mammal species, 828 bird species, 300 lizard species, 140 snake species and two crocodile species. Of the mammals, almost half are marsupials. The rest are either placental or monotreme mammals. Among Australia's most famous animals are the kangaroo, koala, echidna, dingo, platypus, wallaby and wombat. There are more than 140 species of marsupials in Australia, including kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, wombats and the Tasmanian devil. There are 55 different varieties of kangaroos and wallabies in Australia. Kangaroos vary considerably in size and weight, ranging from half a kilogram to 90 kilograms. The main difference between wallabies and kangaroos is size: wallabies are usually smaller in size. Some members of this family can stand as tall as a human 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 the opportunity to graze on pastures and for space near water bodies. The regulation of kangaroo offspring contributes to the sustainable agricultural development of some areas of Australia. Australia's kangaroo population estimates vary between 30 and 60 million individuals. Dingo is a wild dog, endemic to Australia and the largest carnivorous mammal of this continent. 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 southeast Australia relatively safe for farming, the world's largest fence was built, spanning 5,320 kilometers from Queensland to South Australia.

Australia also hosts another unique group of animals, the monotremes or oviparous, which are egg-laying mammals and are also often referred to as "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 bird species found in Australia, about half are found nowhere else. Isolation also contributed to the development and survival of unusual birds. Here you can find tiny honey-eaters to large wingless emus, which reach almost two meters in height. There are also many unique species of waterbirds, seabirds and birdlife in Australia that live in open woodlands and rainforests. The following species are especially worth noting - cassowaries, black swans, penguins, kookaburras, lyrebirds and flutist crows. There are 55 parrot species in Australia. Many of these bird species are numerous and quite colorful, including a spectacular variety of cockatoos, rosellas, lorikeets, parrots, and budgerigars.

Australia has more varieties of venomous snakes than 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 the snake is deliberately provoked by a person. Australia's waters are no less diverse, with approximately 4,000 of the world's 22,000 fish species and 30 of the world's 58 seagrass species. Australia is also home to the world's largest coral reef system and UNESCO has designated the Great Barrier Reef as a World Heritage Site. Marine species include the predatory great white shark, which reaches six meters in length; a giant whale shark that can reach a length of 12 meters; the dung fly or the Portuguese warship, which is the most dangerous inhabitant of the coastal waters of Australia; 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 of white-headed grebes, from the grebe family. The white-headed grebe is found throughout Tasmania and Australia. You can meet this bird in New Zealand, but it is extremely rare. It is a small squat bird. The length of an adult individual does not exceed 29-31 cm, and their weight does not exceed 250 g. The plumage is rather inconspicuous, gray-white, the iris 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. The natives of central Australia often refer to this bird as the "bushland turkey". The Australian bustard is a rather large representative of the family, the height of the male reaches 1.2 m, its wingspan is 2.3 m, and the average weight is 7.5 kg. The female is also colored, but much smaller in size.

Australian Cattle Dog The Australian Cattle 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 went on long enough, and they all failed. But then, at one fine moment, a group of specialists nevertheless found those breeds of dogs that, when crossed, gave the desired result. The "parents" of this breed are the dingo, the dalmatian and the scottish blue marble collie.

Australian tree frogs - a joke of nature We know from school that Australia has inexplicably become a kind of paradise for marsupials. Who here just does not run, jumps with bags on his stomach. As for tree frogs, nature decided to joke. Marsupial frogs on e1 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 unusual creatures as flying foxes were frequent heroes of myths and dark traditions. Australian flying foxes belong to the family of fruit bats, to the order of bats.

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

australian parrots The inhabitants of the Australian forest are very hard to spot. Standing under a tree, you might think that its leaves are singing, but these are numerous birds disguised as a colorful background. The most beautiful of them are cockatoo parrots, of which there are 21 species. But only a few are widely known, which is due to the law in Australia that prohibits the export of any kind 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 bred in captivity) .

australian dancing cranes The largest of the existing types of cranes is the Australian crane, in addition to its size, it surprises with its incredible ability to dance in the original genre. He performs complex dances during the crane mating season.

australian crane Grus rubicunda is a large bird belonging to the crane family, which previously inhabited the entire continent of Australia, and now only in its eastern and northern parts, which is explained by the reorientation of the crane to feed on grain. The Australian crane is a “sedentary” bird, roams within its range. The crane has a height of 160 cm, with a wingspan of about 180 cm, and a weight of 6 kg. The body is in gray-blue plumage, except for the flight feathers: the first-order feathers on the wing are black, very elongated and overlap the tail, like a plume, the second-order wings are gray. The crane's throat pouch and cheeks are bright orange or coral red. The crown is decorated as 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 grey. The eyes of an adult crane are orange. A young crane has brown eyes, after a couple of years the color changes to “adult”.

australian 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 life, lives in Australia and New Guinea. The distribution of the Australian crane is poorly studied, therefore its number is not exactly known and may be 20 - 100 thousand individuals. The growth of this crane is about 161 cm, the wingspan is 180 cm, and the weight is 6 kg.

Australian scalefoot Scalefoot is a legless serpentine lizard from the squamopod family that lives in Australia. Quite often it is mistaken for a snake and killed for no reason. She really looks more like a snake than a lizard. And not only by their appearance, but also by their behavior. The length of the snake-like lizard is about 70 cm, it is the largest of all Australian legless lizards, while its size resembles the venomous snake Bardick, with which this reptile is often confused. In case of danger, the scaleleg, which has a very flexible body, raises it and assumes a pose characteristic of an attacking snake, while showing a flickering tongue.

Australian cone Australian cones are amazing fish, the appearance of which simultaneously resembles a pineapple, a knight and his chain mail. Moreover, the nature of cones is even more interesting than their extraordinary appearance. Cone fish, very reminiscent of the Australian knight fish, are inhabitants of several regions in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. There is a Japanese cone, there is a New Zealand one.

Asian - aka Indian buffalo. This type of buffalo is one of the species of animals that live in Australia. In addition, as it is easy to guess from his name, he lives mainly in Asia, from which he just migrated not only to the territory of the Green Continent, but also to other corners of the Earth, for example, to America, moreover, both in southern and and in the central, and besides, also in Africa.

African ostrich. The African ostrich is considered the only representative of the ostrich family at this point in time. This keelless flightless bird can be found not only in the realities of the wild, but also in captivity, it is remarkably bred and grows.

Bandicoots Bandicoots are small terrestrial animals, representatives 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 white heron is a member of the heron family, a marsh bird that is common in tropical and warm temperate latitudes of both hemispheres of the earth. It settles along water bodies, on the sea coast, on the banks and floodplains of rivers, in marshy lowlands, near salt and fresh lakes, mangroves and estuaries. But it can also be found in farmers' fields, rice paddies, 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 Bigfoot or weed chickens are a large family of birds in the chicken order, which includes 6 genera and 19 species. Their representatives live in Australia and on the islands lying to the north. Bigfoots differ from most of all other birds, first of all, in that they do not incubate 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 takes care of the eggs

Greater lyrebird The great lyrebird can rightly 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 to adopt and reproduce a wide variety of sounds.

bronze-winged dove The crested bronze-winged pigeon belongs to the pigeon family. It is endemic to Australia, living in arid regions. Nests are arranged 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 mandible is strongly bent down.

bronze-winged dove The bronze-winged crested pigeon is a member of the pigeon family. It lives in the arid regions of Australia, nesting high on the branches of trees in cities, gardens, parks and fields. A distinctive feature from ordinary pigeons is the technique of takeoff and flight. Taking off, it makes several strong beats of its wings, after which, without moving them, it rises up. Can live in captivity, caring for him is similar to caring for turtledoves. Breeds even in captivity, eggs incubate for 17-19 days. At the age of three weeks old, the chicks leave the nesting place, but the 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 bungari) are found in Australian Queensland. These tree kangaroos originally lived in New Guinea, and now they are also found in Australia. Wallabies live in mountainous areas, live in tropical forests. Their body length is 52-81 cm, a rather long tail can be from 42 to 93 cm. Depending on the species, wallaby males weigh 7.7 - 10 kg, females - 6.7 - 8.9 kg.

Taipan Encounter - Kill or Die 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 went out to catch a taipan consciously, the choice changes a little - to stay alive by catching it, to kill a deadly snake, losing the chance, or, again, to say goodbye to life. The fact is that even an already invented antidote gives only one chance in two for a successful outcome with a bite. Every second bitten, alas, still dies, since he is given no more than three minutes to administer the vaccine.

The Australian cuttlefish is a giant cephalopod species belonging to the cuttlefish genus. 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 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 belongs to endemic species; it is found in algal thickets, rocky reefs, on muddy and sandy seabed up to 100 m deep.

Giant Australian cuttlefish The giant Australian cuttlefish belongs to the genus true cuttlefish, it 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 that live 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. Most common in the basin of the South Australian Murray Darling River. Also found in Queensland, in its southeastern regions with adjacent rivers, on Fraser Island and in New South Wales.

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

giant monitor lizard The giant monitor lizard living in Australia is sometimes confused with the Komodo monitor lizard, the largest and most powerful among all lizards. However, despite such a sonorous name, the giant monitor lizard is only the third largest living lizard (after the famous Komodo monitor and striped monitor). In addition, the giant monitor lizard disputes 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 ("Hellish vampire"). Where this relic deep-sea mollusk got such a nickname is not clear, since it is not aggressive, not poisonous, not a predator and has a medium-sized body build.

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

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

Denison Magnificent Denison splendid is a rare snake with a very strong neurotoxic venom. In her family, she is not the largest representative - only 1.5 meters in length. There are 19 species of denisons on the Australian mainland, so this genus is considered endemic to Australia. The main distinguishing feature of the magnificent denison is live birth - a quality that is practically not characteristic of reptiles.

wild brumbies From time immemorial, the noblest animal, the horse, has been the best friend and unsurpassed helper for man. Brumby is also a horse, but all of the above does not apply to her, 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 multiply en masse on this continent. There is an opinion that the reproduction of these animals in Australia is associated with the only importation of several individuals. However, in reality this fact was not isolated. Rabbits very quickly eat away grassy vegetation, gnaw tree branches, compete with local rodents and marsupials. They dig not so many holes, hiding in bushes and low trees, in ditches and pits. The twentieth century is a time of constant struggle with rabbits in Australia, not accompanied by much success. Sometimes the number was slightly reduced due to the implementation of the following measures:

Wood and maned ducks The Eaton tree duck has a second name, the woody yellow-footed duck. This is a representative of a bird species 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 does not live on the ground, but on trees. This outlandish 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 - with ears, it barely reaches half a meter. Adult males weigh no more than ten kilograms, the female, respectively, is smaller and lighter.

Dugong - general information In the order of sirens there is a family of dugongs, the only representative of which is a modern species of 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 monotreme order, which, along with them, includes only one representative - the platypus. Not every person will be able to immediately reproduce in his memory the appearance of this mammal. The appearance of an echidna is immediately associated with two representatives of the fauna: a porcupine - for a body completely covered with needles, and an anteater - for a narrow, elongated muzzle resembling a tube, as well as the usual type of food. The body length of the echidna is small, it can reach only 30 cm. The small mouth and the 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, most of all it is liked to be planted along the streets in Australia. During the flowering period, it resembles our plums, cherries or apple trees "in bloom". True, jacaranda flowers predominate in color in a lilac hue. Australian spring in our calendar for October and November, we already have trees shedding leaves, and the streets in Australia are decorated with a “lilac fog” of blooming jacarandas.

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

Animal prochidna The animal prochidna belongs to the echidna family. This family earlier had several more subspecies, but today, unfortunately, they have become extinct. Among egg-laying mammals, this animal is the largest.

The mysterious kingdom of marsupials It's really puzzling. And, of course, first of all, from the point of view of understanding the motives that moved 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 or Soup Turtle is the only representative of the Green Turtle genus, which used to be the Australian Sea Turtle, now classified in the Natator genus. This turtle got its name from the color of its meat and its very pleasant taste, which made the soup turtle also an object of fishing. Turtle soups made with green sea turtle are popular all over the world. Such an increased interest in this species of turtles had a negative impact on their numbers and distribution. Green sea turtles are now endangered and are listed by the IUCN Conservation Union.

Needle-footed owl The Cuckoo's Needle-Owl is the smallest species of owl in the Australian region, as well as the most common. The sizes of these owls range from 28 - 36 cm (in length). The upper side has a dark brown plumage. The underside is reddish-brown with white spots and stripes. The eyes are large yellow. The cuckoo owl lives up to its name by making a deep two-syllable cuckoo-like call.

The highlight of the Australian fauna - 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 self-esteem, accumulating the blood of most breeds of British "ancestors".

mudskipper Many people think that all fish live only in water, but it turns out that this is not so. The mudskipper is exactly the kind of fish that prefers to live on the shore. Mudskippers appeared at the same time that the inhabitants of the seas began to go on land, thus they are one of the pioneers who adapted to life outside the water.

giant lizards Giant lizards, or as they are more commonly called - smooth lizards, belong to the skink genus of lizards. In total, there are 8 varieties in the genus. These animals live in Australia and on some islands of Oceania. Giant lizards are large and medium in size, the average length of their body is about 50 cm.

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

Cassowary Cassowaries are amazing birds of the cassowary family of the cassowary order. There are only three types of them. They differ in loose and soft plumage, somewhat reminiscent of animal hair. All species of cassowaries, and, as we have already said, there are only three of them - helmet-bearing, dwarf, orange-necked - live in tropical forests with dense undergrowth. Cassowaries are impressive and unusually beautiful. The smallest is muruk (its height is only 70-80 centimeters). On his blue neck you will see small reddish spots located on the sides. Muruk is also the owner of a "helmet" on his head. Two other species of cassowaries adorn the so-called "earrings", which are skin outgrowths running 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. The characteristic features of the cockatoo are: long feathers on the forehead and crown, the color of the tuft, not similar to the general plumage, white-black-pink-yellow color, the complete absence of green, 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 of fur seal belonging to the eared seal family. 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 loaf is quite widespread. It is a bird of the ibis family. In length, the body of the loaf reaches 56 cm. The color of adults is dark brown with a metallic sheen of green and bronze hues. Juvenile birds have no ebb, but have a 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 molluscs and squids. The size of cuttlefish can reach one and a half meters due to long arms. In total, the cuttlefish has ten hands with suction cups, two of which can fit into bags under the eyes in the most incredible way. And in males, one of the hands is also an organ for procreation.

Katta or ring-tailed lemur The catta or ring-tailed lemur is one of the members of the lemur family identified on the island of Madagascar. This species of the lemur family is widely distributed in the southwestern and southern parts of the island, and can also be found in the Andringita mountains.

Kwalla Quolls are often referred to as marsupial cats and sometimes as marsupial martens because of their resemblance, but they are a separate species of marsupial carnivore that lives in Australia. These animals are also found in New Guinea. On average, their length is from 25 to 75 cm, including a long fluffy tail. Bags in these animals, or rather, in females, open only during the breeding season, when the quolls hatch their young.

Kwalla - marsupial cat Kwalla (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. The 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, rarely brownish, under the wings the feathers are usually bright red. The paws of the bird are grey. They have a strongly curved beak of dark gray color with a long mandible. The parrot got its name because of the characteristic cry “keee-aa”. The main habitat is New Zealand and regions of Australia.

kangaroo rat Kangaroo rats (potoroo) 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 in almost the entire territory of Australia, except for the northeastern and extreme northern regions. To date, their numbers have been significantly reduced, as they were intensively exterminated by imported foxes and dogs. Two species of potoroo have already become extinct. All other species are rare. The remaining kangaroo rats are found in Australia and Tasmania.

Kangaroo Kangaroo is an interesting animal that lives in Australia. Most people know about kangaroos since childhood. In general, Australia and kangaroo - 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. The kangaroo has a pouch for carrying cubs (the same famous kangaroo pouch), it opens forward to the head, like an apron pocket. Interestingly, kangaroos are born just a few weeks after conception.

Kangaroo Eugenia This species of mammals of the green continent belongs to the category of the smallest local animals of this type. Why were they named like that? But because the first such little animal was found on an island with exactly the same name, well, then they simply didn’t fantasize and attributed the same name to the discovered kangaroo, forgetting to add that it means 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 wrong, the koala has no more family ties with bears than a person. Speaking of the koala, it's impossible not to say the word "adorable", this cute animal, living in Australia, surprisingly resembles a plush toy. Well, yes, of course, a bear. The koala is fantastically lazy, its daytime sleep lasts twenty hours, so if you managed to see this lazy beast awake, consider yourself very lucky.

carpet pythons The carpet python belongs to the family of pseudo-legged snakes, this genus has only 12 species today, but a significant part of them have been studied and described in detail relatively recently. The carpet python is found in New Guinea, Indonesia, Australia and the Moluccas. It can be attributed to semi-arboreal or tree snakes, they spend their whole lives, for the most part, in the crown of trees. The food for the carpet python is small birds, lizards, wallabies, fruit bats, marsupial rats of medium or small size.

king penguin Birds of this type are considered one of the largest of their kind, yielding 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 - octopus and squid rolled into one The octopus is an ancient animal that is still very little studied. This creature is so fantastic that people preferred to make up 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, exactly 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 fleets underwater.

Spotted or freckled duck The freckled or spotted duck is a waterfowl of the Anatidae family found in Australia. It is the only species in its subfamily. It has medium dimensions, reaches a length of 50 to 60 cm, 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 the Australian ecosystem In Australia, in the state of Queensland, red-eared turtles were smuggled in the 60s and 70s of the last century. Once in the wild, they began to multiply actively 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 "turtle speed" is quite common in the world, but it has nothing to do with red-eared turtles. 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, and in addition to the Australian continent up to India. Regarding its nature, the opinions of experts are divided. Some describe her as very shy, calm and even obedient, others consider these snakes aggressive and wild. Perhaps, when meeting with her, someone was more fortunate, and someone, respectively.

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

chicken goose Chicken geese were a fairly large population in the early years of the European settlement of the continent. Soon they began to kill them just like that 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.

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

Couscous Couscous are remarkable animals that live in Australia. They are not rare, because they live in Australian parks and forests, they easily contact a person, accepting treats and sometimes allowing themselves to be stroked. They are called possums by analogy with the name and external resemblance to American opossums. Today they are presented in 20 types. The bear possum is considered the largest, growing up to 120 cm (with a tail). Its weight can reach 10 kg. This species is in great contrast to another, the smallest species, whose representatives weigh no more than one kilogram.

lyrebirds The lyre bird or lyrebird belongs to the order of passerines. It includes two species of Australian birds. These birds are revered as national Australian birds, however, despite this, they are rarely found in the natural environment of this continent, and in general in nature. Male lyrebirds have a huge tail of amazing beauty, thanks to which these birds have gained such wide popularity. The male opens his tail while courting a female or just for display.

A favorite of Australians is the wombat. In Australia, wombats (Vombatidae) are marsupial mammals resembling small teddy bears in appearance. Therefore, they are the closest relatives to koalas.

Malay Krait The Malayan Krait is another very dangerous snake for humans (and not only). The situation is aggravated by the fact that this snake has an extremely unfriendly disposition. Its poison 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 are the elf penguin or the little penguin) is the smallest species of its entire family, its height is 375-425 mm, the fin is 104 mm (average length). Males are larger than females, they have a larger beak. Habitat - the coast of South Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania. The population of this species of penguins is stable, numbering about 500 thousand individuals.

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

Habitats of denison superb The main habitat of the magnificent denison is the southwest of Australia, but occasionally it can be found in the northern part of the island of Tasmania. At the same time, the biotopes she chooses are very diverse. These include mountains, valleys, wetlands and coastal areas. Likes denison and lowlands subject to seasonal floods. That is, this snake prefers those places that are located near the water. Most likely, this is due to the peculiarities of her diet.

Saltwater Australian crocodile The inhabitants of the northern coast of Australia - saltwater crocodiles - are the largest reptiles on the planet. Often they can 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 young survive to adulthood, the rest die even in natural conditions. The breeding season coincides with the rainy season. A predator by nature, the saltwater crocodile can easily cope in water, and sometimes on land, with a rather large animal, for example, with a water buffalo.

Mulga or brown king This is a poisonous species from the zia family of aspid, living in Australia. Despite its extreme poisonousness, the mulga is not an aggressive snake at all. With the exception of the states of Tasmania and Victoria, the brown king is widely distributed literally throughout the entire Australian territory. Occasionally found in Papua New Guinea

Names of Australian tree frogs There are so many varieties of Australian tree frogs that when they discover one of them, researchers sometimes find it difficult to choose a name for a new species. At the same time, incidents sometimes even occur, as, for example, with white littoria, which are so loved by lovers of home aquaterrariums, and which in fact are not white at all. The confusion occurred "through the fault" of the researcher who described this species, whose name was John White (in translation - white), who gave the name to this species.

Deceptively not too dangerous Australian fauna. It is really specific, because there are few large predators in it, among which the largest, dangerous and nimble dog - the dingo dog - is the brainchild of a modern civilization that later littered the Australian fauna with wild dogs, like, for example, rabbits. Such circumstances may appear to be very harmless, however, this will be an erroneous opinion.

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

wedge-tailed eagle This is a bird of prey, the length of the body without wings is up to 1 m, the wingspan sometimes exceeds 2 m. It belongs to the largest species of eagles in the world. The color of the feather of an adult is almost black, in young animals it is rusty. There are usually no more than 2 eggs in the nest, both of which are quite rough. At the end of the summer season (or at the beginning of autumn), the female lays her eggs, the nest is on the top of the tree. Until the eggs hatch, the elements of nature rule over them, when the chicks appear, the female remains to protect them, and the male takes care of the food of the family.

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

floating snails Snails are often jokingly called "slow-moving" because of their slow movement. Having a rather vulnerable and soft body, having no legs, they are forced to carry their own house on themselves. Such is the fate of all representatives of the animal world, wearing a heavy shell. True, there are snails that move much faster - these are floating snails, these little creatures arrange 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 the northwestern part of Australia and the southern part of New Guinea. Prefers dry forests and forest-steppes. Frilled lizards can reach a length of 80-100 cm, while females are slightly smaller than males. Their body can have a different color: from yellow to black-brown.

Behavior and lifestyle of denison splendid The lifestyle of denison magnificent is not strictly diurnal. This snake obtains its own food, mainly at night, but is not averse to hunting during the day. The snake spends most of the daylight hours in different shelters - between stones, in cracks in the soil, in small burrows of other animals, etc. If the weather is hot, then the magnificent denison does not appear at all in open space, but leaves its hiding place only with the onset of night coolness. However, like any other cold-blooded creature, she needs ultraviolet light and heat from external sources, for which she usually uses stones heated throughout the day, on which the snake crawls to soak up. 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 relatives of the kangaroo. Previously, this animal in various forms was quite common throughout Australia, now only one of its species has survived, living on several islands off the western Australian coast.

Half-fingered goose The clawed 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 territory of the Australian continent. This species of geese is found in New Guinea, as well as in Tasmania and northeast Australia. But at the same time, the half-fingered goose has common features with the clawed 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 associations with the name of the opossum, actually derived from it in some way. Captain J. Cook, who discovered this animal, immediately noticed that he was very reminiscent of the American opossum. But he made a mistake in the report and wrote “possum”, and since these animals really belong to different groups, zoologists left this historical “typo”, and small representatives of the Phalangeridae family were called possums.

Why did the marsupial wolf become extinct? You will not believe it, but the Australians, their ruling majority, simply did not like it, after which, at first, they strongly pressed it, and then completely destroyed it when they were completely tired of it. 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 in northern Australia. This is a relatively small species of crocodiles, even males rarely grow more than 2.5 m, except perhaps at the age of 25-30 years. The length of the female is 2.1 m. A very narrow muzzle with sharp teeth, which can be from 68 to 72.

Rainbow (multicolor) lorikeet Lorikeet is a bird belonging to the parrot family. The habitat, in the predominant majority, is the island of Tasmania and Australia (its eastern and northern parts). Size Total length - 30 cm, wingspan reach 17 cm, weight - no more than 130 grams. External description The owner of a bright color: bluish-lilac head, orange beak, abdomen and front neck region - blue (dark) color. On the neck of the bird there is a bright yellow belt, 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 unusually 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. In total, there are about sixty species of Lori parrots, but the rainbow lorikeet is the most colorful of them, despite the fact that they all have a rather bright color. Translated from the Dutch language, the word "lorie" itself is translated as "clown". However, as strange as it may seem. But bright plumage is required for this parrot not at all in order to attract attention to itself.

bird of paradise Birds of paradise are probably the most beautiful birds in the world, but they are considered relatives of our crows. Now this genus has almost fifty of their varieties living on the Australian mainland.

Horntooth Horntooth 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. 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, a lot of these eerily strange fish are found near the island formation called Tasmania. Seeing them these days is getting less and less, and not only because the drops are residents not just of the sea depths, but of their very bottom, but also due to the fact that they are becoming less and less.

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

light hawk A predatory inhabitant of the forests of northern and eastern Australia, the light hawk is a typical representative of the genus of true hawks from the hawk family. It has relatively short, round wings, a long tail, and relatively long legs. In length, the light hawk reaches 44 - 55 cm, and the wingspan is 72 -101 cm. This species has very pronounced sexual dimorphism, the growth 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 - a cephalopod about 20 cm long (with tentacles). You can meet him in the tropical coastal waters of the Australian mainland, Indonesia, the Philippines and Guinea.

blue-tongued skink The blue-tongued common 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 no less powerful jaws. The limbs of the animal are five-fingered, short. The tail, which accounts for almost 60% of the length of the entire body of the lizard, is thick and, oddly enough, short. The coloration of the blue-tongued skink varies depending on its species.

Deadly viper snake There are three subclasses of Australian death snakes: fire, viper and New Guinean. Each of them settles in its own separate habitat. The viper-like snake is found everywhere on the mainland, except for the cold regions of the southeast coast and the desert of the central part. Prefers rainforests, hills overgrown with cereals, coffee plantations. More active at night, mostly on land. During the daytime, the viper snake is very secretive. Either she sits in ambush, where it is almost impossible to notice her, or she rests in a secluded place.

Laughing kookaburra The laughing kookaburra is also known as the giant kingfisher. This bird belongs to the category of predators, has a medium size and a rather dense physique. The wingspan is up to 45 cm, weighs an average of half a kilo. The head of the kookaburra is slightly disproportionately large for the body, the beak is long. This species differs from other kookaburras in 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 representative 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 dingo dogs brought there by settlers. Thylacine belongs to the order of carnivorous marsupials of the class of marsupial mammals. Its representatives constitute a separate family of marsupial wolves. With 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 to do with dogs. The front part of its body resembles that of a dog, and the back part resembles a marsupial.

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 vestigial eyes that can cry instead of seeing. They serve this animal as a means of washing the nostrils after digging underground tunnels and passages.

Marsupial anteater or nambat The marsupial anteater, another name for nambat, belongs to the family of marsupial anteaters. Habitat - Western Australia. Nambats live mainly in acacia and eucalyptus forests, as well as in dry woodlands. The animal is small in size, the 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, a small mouth, and a fluffy tail.

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

Tasmanian devil The Tasmanian devil, whether the marsupial devil, the marsupial devil is a mammal of the carnivorous marsupial family. The black color of his coat, a huge mouth with sharp fangs, terrible screams at night and a ferocious temper secured him the name "devil" given by the first European settlers. The conducted phylogenetic analysis proved the close relationship between the Tasmanian devil and the quolls, and the trait's more distant relationship with the thylacine marsupial wolf.

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 to humans. The coloration is different, from olive to dark brown, 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 aspid family. With its length (1.5-2 meters), it is inferior to the taipan, but its poisonousness is ahead of not only it. According to herpetologists, of all existing land snakes, this large Australian snake has the strongest poison. She is on the 5th place in the list of all poisonous snakes in the world. Small animals from her bite die instantly. And given 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 to the north of it), then it can be considered the most dangerous snake.

Platypus One of the most amazing and mysterious animals on earth: on the one hand, it is 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 unusualness of the platypus is striking. His image combines the views of several other animals. For example, it resembles a duck with its nose (although it is a snout covered with skin with nerve endings, adapted for food extraction), and with a tail it resembles a beaver, its paws have membranes, as in waterfowl.

Firs - dangerous but peaceful Another of the extremely poisonous snakes that live in Australia is the firs. Its habitat is small, it is a desert region in the middle of the Australian continent. Despite the fact that its poison is extremely toxic and one dose can kill a hundred people, the loud "glory" bypassed this deadly snake. The reason for this is that the firs live extremely secretively, far from human settlements, so their chance meetings are practically excluded. If such a meeting for some reason (O ubiquitous man!) took place, then the firs will do everything to avoid closer contact. But if a person leaves her no other way out, 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 five species of this amazing bird are distinguished, the most interesting of them is the magnificent frigate, the bird is large and very beautiful.

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

Proboscis head couscous One of the detachment of the two-bladed family of marsupial mammals, the only one of its kind - Proboscis head couscous otherwise - honey badger possum. Its habitat is the southwestern coastal region (Western Australia), bushland and sparse forests. In cold weather, it hibernates. It feeds on the nectar of flowers and pollen, which it gets from the bud thanks to the muzzle extended into the proboscis and the long tongue (protruding 2.5 cm), covered with bristle-like long papillae. To the tail, the length of the Possum honey badger 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 coat of the animal is short, coarse, gray in color with three longitudinal brown stripes, one strip along the spine from the back of the head to the tail. The other two stripes are located on the pale orange sides at the level of the shoulder-thigh line.

Crested Grebe Grebe (great grebe) is a waterfowl, a member of the grebe family. This bird is smaller 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 is white. Only in spring, with a new plumage, two bunches of dark-colored feathers, similar to ears, grow on the head of the grebe, and around the neck there is a red-coloured plumage in the form of a collar. By winter, these decorations disappear until next spring.

Shalashnik - a skillful decorator During the mating season, many birds change significantly and become very original - spread their tails, sing, dance or arrange battles. But the male bowerbird, without too much fuss, knows how to show that he is the real man.

Schindleria In the same ocean that washes the shores of Australia, the largest animal living on the planet lives, and the tiniest marine trifle, such as the 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 and looks like an ostrich, which is why these birds used to be called Australian ostriches. Today, after numerous studies, it has been proven that Emu can be attributed to the cassowaries. Although Emu looks like an ostrich, but in size it is much inferior to him. The height of an adult bird ranges from 150 to 180 cm, weight is in the range of 35-50 kg. As for the 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 States. These snakes show the greatest activity in spring, but during rainy summer they do not reduce it even in autumn. 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. On the neck and around the mouth are good fault white scales. Echiopsis are nocturnal animals, but can also hunt at dusk or on cloudy days. These snakes are viviparous, females have from 3 to 15 cubs per year.

Yabiru The species of black-necked storks belongs to the stork family. Its representatives live in the north of Australia in water or swampy places. The local population calls the black-necked stork "yabiru", although this name bears a separate genus of storks living in South America. The Australian yabiru 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 spectacular color: the whole body is white, only the head, neck, wing edge and tail are jet black with purple,

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

Poisonous and dangerous arthropods "Wolf spiders" live on the outskirts of Australian cities, with dozens of their varieties. They are most common in gardens, where flies are hunted in old fallen leaves. These spiders are relatively small and not aggressive. However, gardeners can quite often get into their living space. The bites of these spiders lead to local necrosis (necrosis) and swelling of the skin. At the sites of their bites, very painful sores can sometimes appear. They are usually treated with antibiotics, systemic and topical vasodilators, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

Moloch lizard Horned Devil (or Moloch) - the name of a species of lizard with a frightening appearance, belonging to the Agam family, is 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 glossy and wide body, covered with horn-type curved and short spines of various sizes. Spikes are also located in the area of ​​the cushion-shaped outgrowth on the neck and above the eyes, which gives the muzzle of the Moloch a frightening look.

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 for the species is P. vampyrus, however, this animal is not a vampire, this bat is what is called the megabat or the great 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 a weight of 3 pounds (1.5 kg), has small pointed ears, large eyes, and resembles a fox in appearance.

Ornithoptera priam Ornithoptera priam (Ornithoptera priamus) is a widespread species of butterflies in Australia and Oceania (east of New Guinea - Solomon Islands - south of Australia).

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

The smallest continent on the planet is Australia - one of the richest and most highly developed countries in the world. This is the only continent on which there is only one state, which has huge natural resources, which allowed it to take a leading place in the world in a number of different areas of economic activity (tourism, mining and gold mining, meat, grain and wool production).

Geographical location and nature of Australia

Located at the junction of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, Australia, in addition to the mainland, includes the island of Tasmania, located on the southern side of the continent, and many small islands. The relief of the mainland was formed due to the Central Lowland, in which depressions are located below the level of the World Ocean.

In the western part, the platform of the mainland is raised, and the West Australian Plateau is located on it. The eastern part of the continent is distinguished by the Great Dividing Range, stretching along the entire coast. Its eastern slopes break off steeply, the western ones are more gentle, with a gradual decrease they pass into hilly foothills, called downsans.

Description of the mainland

Australia, whose nature is extraordinarily beautiful, is characterized by a mild climate and the same legislation. The vast expanses of the country (an area of ​​1,682,300 sq. km), the ancient culture of the locals, harmoniously combined with the culture of the new world - this is what makes Australia unusual and creates an individual and unique character. The population of the state is 19 million people, of which 94% are the descendants of European emigrants, 4% are the Asian population and 2.0% are natives. According to religious beliefs in Australia, 75% are Christians, the rest are Buddhists, Muslims and Jews.

Australian population

Australia is perhaps the most unique continent on the planet. Having separated about 50 million years ago from the pro-continent Gondwana, it has existed in isolation since then. It is believed that the indigenous aborigines settled here from Asia about 50 thousand years ago.

Australia - a country of immigrants, is considered the most sparsely populated continent (2.5 people per 1 sq. km), and the bulk of the population (85%) lives in cities and is the descendants of immigrants. The first to arrive on the mainland (in the 18th century) were the British; Today, representatives of almost all nationalities live in Australia.

Australia in everyone's heart

The inhabitants of the country are very friendly, friendly with foreigners, easily trained, cheerful; like Californians, they like to spend most of their time outdoors.

In terms of health, Australia ranks second in the world after Japan; it can also be called a country of literate people. The capital of Australia is Canberra.

In terms of its geological age, Australia, whose nature has retained all the signs of an ancient civilization, is the oldest continent, the lowest, arid and flat of all inhabited. 95% of the territory is occupied by plains, most of which are lifeless vast deserts and swamps. At the same time, the mainland is rich in underground waters, which form huge artesian basins at a depth of 20 m to 2 km.

Rivers of mainland Australia

The largest rivers of Australia, which is by no means rich in water resources of the mainland, are the Darling, Murray, Fitzroy, Hunter, Burdekin, which feed on the waters of the melted snows of the Australian Alps, so they are constantly full of water. Most rivers are filled with water from time to time: under the influence of a specific climate with its low rainfall, they simply dry up.

At the headwaters, the rivers of Australia look impressive, but further downstream they lose their splendor, turning into perfectly dry flat valleys, the boundaries of which are marked by even rows of trees. After the rains, they will turn into full-flowing streams, but this is only a temporary phenomenon.

Australia: the wonderful world of flora and fauna

Australia, whose nature is able to constantly amaze, is characterized by a unique, unique flora and fauna; its unusualness is due to its isolated existence. It is not for nothing that out of 700 species of birds, 500 are considered endemic (peculiar to this particular area).

Australia's wildlife is unlike any other; only in this country marsupials are found, of which there are 160 species: kangaroos, koalas, squirrels, anteaters, wolves and bears living in trees. The rarest representative of marsupials is the Tasmanian marsupial devil. Wild dog dingo, echidna, platypus, crocodiles, sea and river turtles, 150 species of snakes and 450 species of lizards - this is not a complete list of unusual inhabitants of the amazing continent.

Unusual living world of the continent

The wildlife of Australia is notable for frilled lizards, which, in case of danger, put “hoods” on their heads, frightening enemies with a sharp increase in size. The Australian lizard Moloch scares off enemies with spikes growing on the body, capable of changing colors in accordance with environmental conditions. It is interesting to observe how the cone-tailed geckos clean their huge eyes with their tongues.

Australian frogs are just another topic of conversation. Having managed to adapt to the inhospitable conditions of the continent, these amphibians accumulate a supply of water in the body, burrow deep into the silt, where they can sit in anticipation of precipitation for about 5 years.

The wild dog dingo is a predator and eats everything that comes in its path: from an insect to a kangaroo. Able to attack flocks of sheep, for which she is persecuted by cattle breeders. In some regions of Australia, special fences have been built to prevent the spread of the wild dingo dog.

Features of the nature of Australia: these are black birches and swans. The world of insects is striking in its number, size and varieties. Some types of butterflies can reach 25 cm in size; by the way, they are the favorite food of the natives of the northern side of the continent.

The desert world of Australia gives rise to such unique specimens as the proboscis couscous, a true gourmet of flower nectar, which he collects with special brushes located on the tongue.

australian birds

Whales live in coastal southern waters, and in some places seals. Australia has a large number of aquatic predators: sharks (more than 70 species), sea snakes, blue octopuses, sea wasps (Australian jellyfish), warty fish. An interesting feature of the Australian mainland is the absence on it of those animals and birds that are common on other continents.

Australia, whose nature and animals can only amaze, is rich in species of birds, of which there are more than 700 species. These are kazaur, emu ostrich, cockatoo, thin-billed petrel, emu ostrich, kookaburra, lyrebird.

Yellow-crested cockatoos are even hunted in Australia, because flocks of these birds destroy entire fields, depriving the country of crops.

The cassowary bird used to be widespread on the continent, but hunting for it and uprooting forests led to a sharp reduction in this species of birds. The cassowary, whose height reaches 1.5 meters with an average weight of 80 kg, usually lives in forests and feeds on berries, fruits and small animals.

Australia: nature (plant world)

The flora of the mainland has more than 22 thousand varieties of green plants, of which 90% are endemic. However, the rapid development of civilization has caused serious damage to the flora of the mainland: 840 species are on the verge of extinction, 83 are completely destroyed.

The most common plants on the island, numbering in the hundreds of species, are acacias and eucalyptus trees, the latter of which can reach a height of 100 meters. Such specimens have a very powerful root system, going deep into the ground for 20-30 meters. The eucalyptus forest does not give shade due to such an interesting feature as narrow leaves turned edge to the sun. The slopes of the Great Dividing Range on the eastern and southeastern sides are covered with dense forests consisting of grass trees, horsetails, eucalyptus, and ferns. In the southwest, along with eucalyptus trees, there are bottle trees, a feature of which is the accumulation of water in the trunk during the rainy period.

From Savannahs to Wet Tropics

Deciduous and tropical forests grow along the coasts of the continent, which are dominated by the same eucalyptus trees, pandanus and palm trees; inside the state, the climate changes to continental, and the nature of mainland Australia changes to savannahs and woodlands. The arid regions are a savanna zone and are characterized by thickets of low-growing thorny shrubs growing in separate groups and grass pastures that dry out in the hot season. Often there are areas covered with spherical gray bushes, which is the famous spinifex - the most unpretentious plant on the continent.

Australian timbers are characterized by hardwoods that can resist insects and the corrosive action of salty seawater; it does not rot and is of great value as a building material.