Australian Animals

Hello friends!

If there is anything that gets people excited about Australia, it's probably the thought of cute Australian animals! Of course kangaroos and koalas are most likely the first animals that pop into mind, but there are quite a few other adorable little marsupials that people may not be aware of. I figured it would be fun to show you some of the animals I've come across (and include some of the ones I haven't) so you can see what wild life over here in the land down under might look like!

What is cool about a large portion of Australian animals is that they are found exclusively on this continent and nowhere else. Australia is the only country in the world that has (wild) marsupials and monotremes! Marsupials are mammals that carry their young in pouches- this includes kangaroos, koalas, wallabies, Tasmanian devils, wombats, possums and others (there are over 140 species!) Monotremes are egg-laying mammals, and there are only two species: the platypus and the echidna. All other mammals (including humans) are called Eutherians, or placental mammals.

The first set of photos are animals that we saw at the Rainforestation Nature Park in Cairns, Queensland, Australia! It was a great way to kick off orientation and my semester in Australia :)

Green Ants (tip: their butts taste like lemon!)

Dingo (a wild dog)

Eastern Gray Kangaroo (Australia's second largest marsupial)

And of course my favourite, Kia the Koala!

Koalas in a more 'natural' habitat

My first selfie with a Kangaroo!

A wombat!

Estaurine Crocodiles (the dangerous ones- you won't want to mess with these!)

Freshwater Crocodile (found nowhere else in the world!)

https://www.rainforest.com.au/our-wildlife/

The next time I got to see wild life was in the Tasmanian Devil UnZoo when I visited Tasmania over my spring break here. The UnZoo is, of course, not a traditional zoo with animals in cages:

"Instead of exhibiting animals in traditional enclosures for the benefit of humans, an Unzoo invites us into natural habitats in which cages or barriers are removed or concealed and wild, as well as resident animals, are encouraged to interact with the environment. An Unzoo creates an environment where animals have more dignity, freedom and self-determination, and where human visitors can experience personal, memorable encounters with wildlife and nature."

https://tasmaniandevilunzoo.com.au/

All of these animals are actually wild and are able to come and go as they please. Of course, they frequent the grounds of the Unzoo because they get food but can leave if they choose to!

The species found below are endemic to Tasmania, meaning they are native to the area and most often found exclusively on this island!

Tasmanian Pademelon

The Pademelon is a marsupial similar to wallabies or kangaroos. However, they are generally smaller and crouch over as opposed to the more upright position of the bigger marsupials.

Green Rosella (aren't their colours gorgeous?)

Eastern Spotted Quoll

And of course the famous Tasmanian Devil (yes, they're real!) They were a lot smaller than I expected, but definitely interesting to look at... The Tasmanian Devil is endemic to the island of Tasmania- the only place where they can be found in the wild. Unfortunately, a contagious facial cancer wiped out much of the population and only about 15% of the original population remains. Efforts are being made to get rid of the cancer and protect the remaining populations. The Tasmanian Devils in the UnZoo are in a sort of "retirement home"- they are past their reproductive years, but will live longer in captivity than out in the wild, so are being watched over and loved in their elderly years (which I think is only 5-7 human years!)

Tasmanian Devil

I didn't realise until I just had to look it up, but I guess these kangaroos are the same ones that were at the Rainforestation Nature Park above! These are Eastern Gray Kangaroos, more commonly referred to as Forester Kangaroos in Tasmania. These kangaroos are found in Southern and Eastern Australia, so the ones in Cairns were not in their natural region. The Forester kangaroo is the largest marsupial on the island of Tasmania.

Well hello there :)

These geese were just hanging out in the middle of the mob of kangaroos- the little chicks are so fluffy!

Cape Barren Geese

These animals are also found in Tasmania, though these were encountered in the wild as we were driving and hiking around!

The Common Wombat

Bennetts Wallaby with a joey!

Last but not least, the final animals I have seen in the wild!

Just so you can see what they actually look like! Too cute!

A Little Penguin! (my picture)

Seeing a real penguin in the wild was probably one of the most exciting things I got to do!! St. Kilda's Pier in Melbourne, Australia is a rock sanctuary for a colony of about 1,000 Little Penguins. If you ever make it to Melbourne, check out this cute little place at dawn or dusk and  you'll see them coming in for a break! The Little Penguin is the smallest species of penguin in the world- isn't it just the cutest thing ever?

And finally, I don't think it would really count if I didn't include the famous seagulls on the Australian beaches would it?

Just some seagulls...

Of course there are plenty of animals I have not yet seen but that exist somewhere across this vast contient. Here are just a few of the other cool Australian animals that you might come across!

The Red Kangaroo, the largest kangaroo species
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/wild/wild-australia/galleries/desert-of-the-red-kangaroo/

The Echidna- spines, beak, pouch, and eggs all in one!
https://www.wired.com/2014/07/the-creature-feature-10-fun-facts-about-the-echidna/

The Platypus
http://www.oceaniatours.com.au/meet-a-platypus/

The Quokka- my new favorite Australia animal!
http://www.natureaustralia.org.au/celebrating-australia/meet-the-quokka/

The Emu- a huge flightless bird!
http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com.au/2016/08/wild-bird-wednesday-211-emu.html

A Bilby....I had never heard of this one!
https://perthzoo.wa.gov.au/animal/bilby

A Numbat, also the first time I'd heard of this one.
http://www.numbat.org.au/numbat-gallery/

A Kookaburra- I'm still trying to spot one of these around campus.
http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/blogs/wild-journey/2017/07/our-surprising-kookaburras

A cockatoo- the most annoying bird on campus...
http://www.australianferalmanagement.com.au/flying-pests/cockatoos/

A Goanna
http://wombatstories.com.au/facts/goanna/

A Thorny Devil- I'm guessing this can only be found in the bush!
http://www.genesispark.com/exhibits/reptiles/lizards/horned/

A Tree Kangaroo- wouldn't these be adorable to see?
http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/tree_kangaroo/

A Sugar Glider- yes they can be found in the wild! They are also marsupials
http://www.australianwildlife.org/wildlife/sugar-glider.aspx

A Cassowary- I'm not sure where you can find these, but I would not want to come across one.
https://www.australiazoo.com.au/our-animals/birds/ratites/cassowary

I definitely wasn't aware of all these animals that Australia had and I hope you learned something too! I'll be on the lookout to see some of these before I leave, but the ones I have seen have been pretty cute, so I think I win anyway! Thanks for tuning in :)

Cheers,

Jessica