Aussie Animals Do you ever wonder about the different species of animals that live in a region far from you? Or, Do you ever wonder how they are able to survive? There are many organisms in Australia that have learned to adapt to their environment and been able to triumph from it. All organisms adapt to where it lives in various ways. Australian animals such as the platypus, kangaroo, and cane toad each have adapted to its environment in an assortment of ways. One of these animals is the platypus. The platypus is found all along the eastern coast of Australia. It can be found from Tasmania to north Queensland. Platypuses are small and have a dark-brown furry coat. Also, is has webbed-paws and a duck-like beak. The main difference between …show more content…
A kangaroo can be found in a pack, called a mob, with about 100 other kangaroos. Kangaroos have long hind legs and a strong tail that helps them balance. It is known to be Australia’s largest marsupial, which is an animal that gives birth to their young and then carry them in a pouch (source 1). Food is important them. Kangaroos eat things such as, grasses, leaves, and other plants. They also thrive where a strong water source is available. A baby kangaroos is called a “Joey.” They are raised a their mother's pouch until they are old enough to be alone. Few days after birthing a joey, a mother kangaroo goes into heat and looks for a male to mate with again (source 1). A variety of adaptations are necessary for a kangaroo to survive in Australia. As a final point, the last organism is a cane toad. A cane toad originally derived from Hawii. It was brought to Australia to combat the cave beetle. Cane toads are very toxic and the natives are not immune to the poison. The cane toad population has nearly topped 200 million because of their adaptation success (source 2). Cane toads have many predators but the toad can overpower them. A predator to the cane toad is the quall, but because they have poison. The predators then die instead of the toad (source 2). The cane toad is an organism that has studied its habitat and became a better animal because of
Koalas, an Australian native, have the scientific name, ‘Phascolarctos cinereus’, meaning 'ash grey pouched bear.' They are sometimes called koala bears due to their resemblance to bears. However, they are not related to each other. Instead, koalas are related to other marsupials, such as kangaroos and wombats. Being a marsupial means that the females have a pouch for newborns. The Australian Koala Foundation estimated that less than 80000 koalas are left in Australia (Australian Koala Foundation n.d.).
Brumbies are known as the feral horses that inhabit Australia- mostly throughout the Northern Territory, Queensland and scattered centrally in Western Australia. Some small mobs live within Victoria and New South Wales, but none as vast or dense in population. These horses influence the natural habitat in many ways- they reduce vegetation growth, cause soil erosion and impact upon other animals living within the ecosystem. They are seen as pests to national parks, and essentially, this is the reason for their culling- they cause more damage than they are worth. The only positive aspect a brumby herd will impose is that they maintain walking and driving tracks throughout state parks.
The Australian Cattle Dog was originally born in Australia. It was bred to help outback ranchers round up their cattle and to withstand the harsh outback conditions. The breed is loyal and devoted to its owner. The joy of owning an Australian Cattle Dog directly relates to the breed origin, why it was bred, the general appearance, its unique traits, simple diet and easy health care. According to Katherine Buetow in “ The History of the Australian Cattle Dog” she states, “There is continuing controversy over which breeds were actually used in its development. One of the difficulties in researching the history of this breed is that there was a lot of experimentation going on in trying to find the perfect combination of dogs to make up the ultimate heeler that could live and work in the Australian outback ”( 1).
Today we will be taking about the Duck Billed Platypus, we will be seeing that makes them different. The first thing we will start out with is their appearance. The Platypus has brown waterproof fur and a flat tail like a beaver they also have a bill and webbed feet like a duck. They next thing I will talk about a Platypus diet. A Platypus mainly eat insects and larvae, shellfish, and worms but because Platypus have no teeth they use gravel they scoop up to break up there food. Platypus are also Carnivore meaning they only eat meat or flesh. Next we will talk about the Platypus defenses. When swimming the Platypus have folds of skin covering their eyes and ears to prevent water from entering, and the nostrils close with a watertight
Since then, cane toads have been moving through Australia Northern scene and are moving westbound at 40 to 60 km each year. Cane toads populated Brisbane by 1945, Burketown by the mid-1980s, cane toad amphibians were acquainted in Byron Bay in 1965 and spread to shorelines of NSW in 2003. Cane toads colonise areas of human habitation and cause major impacts on health concerns to people, the risk of children or pets being poison from contact with the toads is a major concern. For Aboriginal people traditional food sources, the devastating impact on the native predator species such as goannas is also a concern, cane toads produce large numbers of offspring causing major concerns to the rapid increase rate of cane toads, research from the University of Sydney shows that cane toads are evolving adaptations to suit their new biodiversity, allowing toads to move at a rapid
The color of the fur varies depending on the location of the its habitat. Generally, koalas living in the South have fur that is darker than those living in the North. The fur protects the koalas helps maintain its temperature from cold and hot weathers. It also acts as a raincoat and repels water. In cold weathers, the fur acts as a great insulator and protects koalas from losing too much energy (calories) fighting the cold. Furthermore, in hot weathers, the fur protects koalas from losing water in their body. Regarding a koala’s posture and habitat, it has a denser fur on its rump that is consisted with tougher connective tissues. The thick fur acts as a cushion for its bottom when sitting on a tree. The fur of koalas keep their body temperature stable and provides a cushion for its usual posture sitting on a
Cane Toads are native to Central and South America but was introduced to Northern Australia. The Cane Toad was brought to Northern Australia to get rid of pests, but instead it became a pest itself. Cane Toads are harming the environment by growing rapidly and wiping out other species. As their population grows they take up more space and resources which also harms other species. The Cane Toads are able to grow rapidly because there aren’t many natural predators, and they poison whatever eats them. Because of those two factors Cane Toads can easily survive.
Grey-headed Flying-foxes are bats of the genus Pteropus and is noted to be the largest, with its wingspan measuring up to 1 meter. Grey-headed Flying-foxes are Australia’s only endemic flying-fox and is known to inhabit the South-Eastern seaboard – from the coastal belt from Rockhampton and sometimes ranges in South Australia – (see fig 1.) Grey-headed flying-foxes play a critical part in the sustentation of native forests in dispersing seeds and pollinating flower plants. The large bats are highly mobile and provide long-distance dispersal of pollen and seeds allowing them to be effective pollinators. Grey-headed flying-foxes feed on the flower/fruits of more than 100 native Australian plants,
Australia is home to many introduced species of both plants and animals, the majority of these were brought here not long after the European settlement. “An introduced species is an organism that is not native to the place or area where it is considered introduced and instead has been accidentally or deliberately transported to the new location by human activity.” They are also commonly referred to as feral animals (from
of this species, and what impact the human population has on this species. In the case of the
Slowly, the disruption of these delicate balances are taking their toll on the native habitats and transforming small temporary changes into permanent problems. The area of environmental modification that will be emphasized in this paper is the introduction of non-native species to new habitats and the resulting effects on that habitat; specifically, the introduction of the European Rabbit to Australia.
Australian desert animals are exposed to such conditions as scarcity of food, increased body temperature, and dehydration. However, through behavioral, physiological, and anatomical adaptations, they can survive in the harsh outback. What specific functions allow desert animals to conserve water and reduce heat gain while maintaining homeostasis? How is metabolism affected? For many Australian animals, enzymes or cells are altered and hormones adjusted. Australian Western chestnut mice exhibit a specific physiological adaptation of recent discovery. These mice are able to regain glycogen through endogenous carbon sources after periods of exercise, thereby making up for scarce food resources. Behaviorally, poikilotherms adapt to harsh desert conditions through quiescence, or inactivity during the day, and panting or licking for evaporative cooling. What other seemingly ordinary ways have Australian animals allowed for their survival? Research explains how Australian animals have adapted, such that their physiology and lifestyles prevent susceptibility to harsh desert conditions.
Immigration is an important feature of Australian society. Since 1945, over six million people from 200 countries have come to Australia as new settlers. Migrants have made a major contribution to shaping modern Australia. People born overseas make up almost one quarter of the total population. About its ethics distribution, aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people totaled 410 003 at the last census, nearly 2.2 per cent of the population. Two thirds of the indigenous people live in towns and cities. Many others live in rural and remote areas, and some still have a broadly traditional way of life.(Ning)
I am Maxwell the platypus. I am one of five egg-laying mammal species on Earth. I live in the streams and rivers of eastern Australia. When my kind was first discovered, people thought we were a hoax. I look like many different animals mixed together. It is harsh out here in Australia. I need many adaptations to help me survive. I have a venom delivering spur on my hind legs. I use the venom for protection. I have a duck bill with many sensors to help me locate prey in the riverbeds. I have insulated fur similar to an otter to keep me warm during cold winters. I have very strong claws that I use to dig burrows to live in. I spend most of my time underwater, my webbed feet and a strong flat tail help me swim. I am a unique creature
Male tree kangaroos will interact and reproduce with many different females. Tree kangaroos only give birth to one offspring each year if breeding is good. They are pregnant a lot shorter than humans are. They are only pregnant for a total of 44 long but short days. A baby tree kangaroo is called a Joey, this is the same for other kangaroos as well. After being born the Joey must stay in the pouch for an additional 10 months. Finally after one year the Joey is completely weaned from its mother. During the time of having the Joey a very strong social bond is built between it and the