The Koala can be traced back 15 millions years ago, fossils have been found dating back 40,000 years.The koala is not a bear its closest relation believe it or not is the wombat. It has very thick fur mainly grey with brownish tinge and it is mostly a tree dweller. They live on the eucalyptus leaves for their food and water that are poisonous to many other living animals. The female Koala like the kangaroo has a pouch therefore the baby is called a koala joey.
There are over 40 different types of kangaroo, ranging from the smallest ones called the wallaby to the largest called the red (stay clear of these buggers won't you?) this guy is the largest marsupial in the world. Like the koala the kangaroo also has a pouch and carries her young in here which stays in here on and off for six months. The kangaroo uses it's upper claws to punch and will also use its back feet to kick the opponent, have seen this in action and glad I am not on the receiving end. Kangaroos mainly eat grass and can survive months without water.
The duck-bill platypus is a semi aquatic egg-laying mammal native to Tasmania and southern and eastern Australia.The animal has a bill that resembles a duck bill but is actually an elongated snout covered with soft moist leathery skin and sensitive nerve endings.The platypus eyes are small, and surprisingly has no external ears, but it has keen senses of sight and hearing. Average life can be anything from 10-17 years if they are lucky. Wombats are more closely related to the koala than to any other living marsupial. They have short blunt heads and their short legs and very sharp claws make them great garden diggers, they are also very well known for knocking down fences to get at their food. Their domain is mainly coastal and if they can find somewhere rather damp all the better.
The main diet is grasses but if a young shoot of a new born plant happens to be in their site they will eat these too.
The cuscus has dense fur usually in shades of orange, brown, and white. The cuscus diet is mainly fruit, leaves, nectar, insects, and sometimes small birds. These guys lives in extreme northern Australia. Life span roughly 3-10 years.
The Tasmanian devil only lives in Tasmania and is the size of a small dog but its bark is far worse as it has the most deathening screech. It stinks when stressed and is the most viciousness animal when eating it is very well known for scavenging dead animals as well as live prey. The Tasmanian Devil disappeared from the mainland roughly 400 years ago and now the devil is facing threats of distinction due to the facial tumour disease, programs have been undertaken by this Government to reduce the impact of this disease. For some time, Tasmania was the last refuge of large marsupial carnivores. All of the larger carnivorous marsupial's became extinct in mainland Australia, shortly after humans arrived. Only the smallest and most adaptable survived. Their extinction is mainly due to the hunting of dingoes and hunting by Aboriginal's.
Kookaburra can live up to 20 years. They adapt to many areas of Australia including residential. The kookaburra has a beautiful voice it really does sound like a human voice laughing and you get a group of them together laughing its infectious. They live mainly on large insects, lizards, mice, small birds, and an occasional snake, fun to watch them killing snakes.
UNIQUE AUSSIE FAUNA!
