Full Version: wildlife in AU

wildlife in AU

lA kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning 'large foot'). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the Red Kangaroo, the Antilopine Kangaroo, and the Eastern and Western Grey Kangaroo of the Macropus genus. The family also includes many smaller species which include the wallabies, tree-kangaroos, wallaroos, pademelons and the Quokka, some 63 living species in all.[1] Kangaroos are endemic to the continent of Australia, while the smaller macropods are found in Australia and New Guinea.

In general, larger kangaroos have adapted much better to changes wrought to the Australian landscape by humans and though many of their smaller cousins are endangered, they are plentiful. They are not farmed to any extent, but wild kangaroos are shot for meat, over which there is controversy.[2]

The kangaroo is an Australian icon: it is featured on the Australian coat of arms,[3] on some of its currency,[4] and is used by many Australian organisations, including Qantas.[5]

[[i] Last edited by Selina at 3-13-2008 13:04 [/i]]

Koala

The [b]Koala[/b] [i](Phascolarctos cinereus)[/i] is a thickset [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arboreal]arboreal[/url] [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsupial]marsupial[/url] [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbivore]herbivore[/url] native to [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia]Australia[/url], and the only [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extant_taxon]extant[/url] representative of the [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_%28biology%29]family[/url] [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phascolarctidae]Phascolarctidae[/url].
The Koala is found in coastal regions of eastern and southern Australia, from near [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adelaide]Adelaide[/url] to the southern part of [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_York_Peninsula]Cape York Peninsula[/url].Populations also extend for considerable distances inland in regionswith enough moisture to support suitable woodlands. The Koalas of [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Australia]South Australia[/url] were largely exterminated during the early part of the [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20th_century]20th century[/url], but the state has since been repopulated with [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_%28Australia%29]Victorian[/url] stock. The Koala is not found in [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tasmania]Tasmania[/url] or [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Australia]Western Australia[/url].


The Koala lives almost entirely on [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eucalypt]eucalypt[/url] leaves. This is likely to be an evolutionary adaptation that takes advantage of an otherwise unfilled [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecological_niche]ecological niche[/url], since eucalypt leaves are low in [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protein]protein[/url], high in indigestible substances, and contain [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenolic]phenolic[/url] and [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terpene]terpene[/url] compounds that are toxic to most species. Like wombats and [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sloth]sloths[/url], the Koala has a very low [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metabolism]metabolic rate[/url] for a [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammal]mammal[/url]and rests motionless for about 18 to 20 hours a day, sleeping most ofthat time. Koalas that are disturbed are known to be violent, theirteeth and claws capable of causing considerable injury to humans;special handling requirements are as such applicable.[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koala#_note-8][13][/url]
Handling of koalas has been a source of political contention due tothese risks, which can also cause harm to the koala as well. [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koala#_note-9][14][/url]Koalasspend about three of their five active hours eating. Feeding occurs atany time of day, but usually at night. An average Koala eats 500 gramsof eucalypt leaves each day, chewing them in its powerful jaws to avery fine paste before swallowing. The liver deactivates the toxiccomponents ready for [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excretion]excretion[/url], and the hind gut (especially the [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecum]caecum[/url]) is greatly enlarged to extract the maximum amount of nutrient from the poor quality diet. Much of this is done through [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacteria]bacterial[/url] [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermentation_%28biochemistry%29]fermentation[/url]: when young are being [url=http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/wean]weaned[/url], the mother passes unusually soft [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feces]faeces[/url], called pap, which is rich in these bacteria, thus passing these essential digestive aids on to her offspring.
The Koala will eat the leaves of a wide range of eucalypts, andoccasionally even some non-eucalypt species, but it has firmpreferences for particular varieties. These preferences vary from oneregion to another: in the south [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manna_Gum]Manna Gum[/url], [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Gum]Blue Gum[/url] and [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swamp_Gum]Swamp Gum[/url] are favoured; [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_Gum]Grey Gum[/url] and [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tallowwood]Tallowwood[/url] are important in the north, and the ubiquitous [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Red_Gum]River Red Gum[/url]of the isolated seasonal swamps and watercourses that meander acrossthe dry inland plains allows the Koala to exist in surprisingly [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arid]arid[/url]areas. Many factors determine which of the 800 species of eucalypttrees the Koala eats. Among trees of their favourite species, however,the major factor that determines which individual trees the Koalachooses is the concentration of a group of phenolic toxins calledformylated phloroglucinol compounds.

Platypus

The Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is a semi-aquatic mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. Together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five extant species of monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young. It is the sole living representative of its family (Ornithorhynchidae) and genus (Ornithorhynchus), though a number of related species have been found in the fossil record.

The bizarre appearance of this egg-laying, venomous, duck-billed, beaver-tailed, otter-footed mammal baffled European naturalists when they first encountered it, with some considering it an elaborate fraud. It is one of the few venomous mammals; the male Platypus has a spur on the hind foot that delivers a poison capable of causing severe pain to humans. The unique features of the Platypus make it an important subject in the study of evolutionary biology and a recognizable and iconic symbol of Australia; it has appeared as a mascot at national events and is featured on the reverse of the Australian 20 cent coin.

Until the early 20th century it was hunted for its fur, but it is now protected throughout its range. Although captive breeding programs have had only limited success and the Platypus is vulnerable to the effects of pollution, it is not under any immediate threat.

A recently discovered fossil dates the Platypus back to the time of the dinosaurs, 120 million years ago.[4]

[img]http://dsc.discovery.com/news/briefs/20041025/gallery/platypus_zoom.jpg[/img]

[img]http://people.whitman.edu/~yancey/platypus1.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.cryptomundo.com/wp-content/uploads/evolution-platypus.jpg[/img]

[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/Platypus.jpg[/img]

wombat

Wombats are Australian marsupials; they are short-legged, muscular quadrupeds, approximately one metre (39 inches) in length with a very short tail. The name wombat comes from the Eora Aboriginal community who were the original inhabitants of the Sydney area. They are found in forested, mountainous, and heathland areas of south-eastern Australia and Tasmania.

Ecology and behavior

Wombats have an extraordinarily slow metabolism, taking around 14 days to complete digestion, which aids their survival in arid conditions.[2] They generally move slowly, but when threatened they can reach up to 40 km/h and maintain that speed for up to 90 seconds.[citation needed] Wombats defend home territories centered on their burrows, and react aggressively to intruders. The Common Wombat occupies a range of up to 23 hectares (57 acres), while the hairy-nosed species have much smaller ranges, of no more than 4 hectares (10 acres).[2]

When attacked, they can summon immense reserves of strength; one defense of a wombat against a predator underground is to crush it against the roof of the tunnel, thus suffocating the animal.[citation needed] Its primary defense is its toughened rear hide with most of the posterior made of cartilage. This, combined with its lack of a meaningful tail, makes it difficult for any predator that follows the wombat into its tunnel to bite and injure its target.

[img]http://www.uq.edu.au/research/images/rr2005/wombat-ways.jpg[/img]

http://www.fourthcrossingwildlife.com/CommonWombat.jpg

Echidnas

Echidna (pronounced /ɪˈkɪdnə/), also known as "spiny anteater"[2], is a mammal belonging to the Tachyglossidae family of the monotremes. It is the only surviving member of its genus in the latter order, together with the platypus. There are four species, living in New Guinea and Australia. The echidna is named after a monster in ancient Greek mythology.

[img]http://static.flickr.com/35/73469866_883185e988.jpg[/img]

[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Wild_shortbeak_echidna.jpg[/img]

[img]http://bp1.blogger.com/_GYAVkzh3cs0/Rw1u7R7lVBI/AAAAAAAAAeI/N2EmQqOsbPY/s400/echidna.jpg[/img]

Tasmanian Devil

The Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus harrisii), also referred to simply as 'the devil', is a carnivorous marsupial now found in the wild only in the Australian island state of Tasmania. The Tasmanian Devil is the only extant member of the genus Sarcophilus. The size of a small dog, but stocky and muscular, the Tasmanian Devil is now the largest carnivorous marsupial in the world (after the recent extinction of the Thylacine in 1936). It is characterised by its black fur, offensive odour when stressed, extremely loud and disturbing screech, and viciousness when feeding. It is known to both hunt prey and scavenge carrion and although it is usually solitary, it sometimes eats with other devils.

The Tasmanian Devil became extirpated on the Australian mainland about 400 years before European settlement in 1788. Because they were seen as a threat to livestock in Tasmania, devils were hunted until 1941, when they became officially protected. Since the late 1990s devil facial tumour disease has reduced the devil population significantly and now threatens the survival of the species, which may soon be listed as endangered. Programs are currently being undertaken by the Tasmanian government to reduce the impact of the disease.

[img]http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/system/files/20070220_devil.jpg[/img]

http://www.hartz.com.au/uploaded/167/1095000_25tas_devil.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/tazydevilbear/tassiedevils.jpg

cool...
I wish one day I could be there...:~15~:

Watch out for the needles on the animals.

is it cute?

That pic was taken by me. I am loving it