The beauty of the fauna of Australia in 50 photos (Part II).

author: doublebug

sugar glider

author: Leo Reynolds

Australian Leaf Insect

author: backpackphotography

Frogmouth Owl

author: snapper

Meet Winifred – an 8 week old wombat

author: Percita

The Monitor Lizard

author: rajith

Emu

author: a-Reino

Dugong

author: TevaD

Mud Skipper

author: webecho

Little Penguins

author: Ken and Nyetta

red kangaroo

author: Jaymi Heimbuch

Ulysses Butterfly

author: Major Clanger

water dragon

author: The Waterboy

Coral and Fish

author: richard ling

Australian Pelican

author: Lip Kee

tree-kangaroo

author: swh

Sacred Kingfisher

author: marj_k

rainbow-lorikeet

author: RaeA

Numbat

author: geoffreycrane

Wedge-tailed Eagle

author: kookr

flikfrog

author: pointr

Bush fly

author: Ratabago

Butterflies of Kuranda

author: Gary Hayes

Blue Beauty

author: aussiegall

Crimson Rosella

author: 0ystercatcher

Our unique animals are one of the many reasons people visit our country. Australia has more than 378 mammal species, 828 bird species, 4000 fish species, 300 species of lizards, 140 snake species, two crocodile species and around 50 types of marine mammal.

More than 80 per cent of our plants, mammals, reptiles and frogs are unique to Australia and are found no-where else. Some of our best-known animals are the kangaroo, koala, echidna, dingo, platypus, wallaby and wombat.

Australia’s native animals can often be difficult to spot in the wild, but you are guaranteed to see them in our world-class zoos and wildlife parks across our major cities and regional areas. These include Sydney’s Taronga Zoo, the Rainforest Habitat in Port Douglas, Victoria’s Healesville Sanctuary, South Australia’s Cleland Wildlife Park and Queensland’s Australia Zoo, amongst others.

Marsupials.
Australia has more than 140 species of marsupials, including kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, and wombats.

We have 55 different native species of kangaroos and wallabies. Kangaroos and wallabies vary greatly in size and weight, ranging from half a kilogram to 90 kilograms.

The main difference between them is size — wallabies tend to be smaller. Estimates of Australia’s kangaroo population vary between 30 and 60 million. You should easily be able to see kangaroos in the wild in most rural parts of Australia. In Victoria see them in Anglesea on the Great Ocean Road and in the Grampians. Spot them in South Australia’s Kangaroo Island and Flinders Ranges. Get up close in Namadgi and Kosciuszko National Parks in the Australian Alps, in Pebbly Beach in New South Wales and Tasmania’s Maria Island. In outback regions, you will often see them as they bound across the road. Wallabies are widespread across Australia, particularly in more remote, rocky and rugged areas. Spot them in South Australia’s Flinders Ranges, Tasmania’s Freycinet National Park and in Namadgi and Kosciuszko National Parks in the Australian Alps.

The koala is everyone’s favourite, but be aware – it’s not a bear. You can spot koalas all along Australia’s temperate eastern coast. Some of their top hangouts include Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, near Canberra; Port Stephens in New South Wales and the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Queensland. Observe them in the wild on Victoria’s Phillip Island and Yanchep National Park in Western Australia.

 
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