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Like me, you certainly love the well-known native Australian animals? To see them in their natural habitat is a reason to travel to Australia, right?
Australian wildlife can be seen in most zoos around the world. But you'll never forget that awesome feeling when you spot a sleepy koala in a tree, or a few kangaroos or emus by the roadside - in short, in places where they naturally live.
Have your camera ready to take that wonderful shot you've always dreamed of. Enjoy the native Australian animals.
Koala Facts
Australian koalas are NOT bears, although many people are talking about the "koala bear". Koalas are marsupials. It is said that the name koala comes from an aboriginal language meaning "no drink".
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Today koalas are protected, and it is not allowed to keep them as pets. That applies to most native Australian animals, by the way.
The average koala is about 70 - 80 cm tall, and weighs about 6 to 12 kg. Southern koalas are somewhat bigger and heavier than those in the north. And of course there is a difference between male and female animals. Koalas have a good sense of smell and highly developed hearing.
Koalas are well adapted to their life in trees. Their paws have long sharp claws for gripping and climbing. Koalas spend about 18 to 20 hours a day dozing in a tree. When they are awake they are mostly eating. Their digestive system is adapted to cope with the toxins in the gum leaves. Koalas rarely drink, but they can if they need.
The best places to spot a koala? That is hard to say. Most travel guides refer to the Grampians NP in Victoria, the Warrumbungle NP in New South Wales, and the Brisbane area. I nearly got a stiff neck while driving and walking in the Grampians, and I didn't see a single koala. From my point of view, the Adelaide Hills are a great place to see koalas. Sometimes they even walk along the streets. The photo on the unique Australian animals page was taken in a suburb in the Adelaide Hills.
To see more koala pictures, please visit the Outback Guide's Koala posters store.
Kangaroo Facts
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The kangaroo is an Australian icon. Along with the Emu it is featured on Australia's coat of arms to represend progress, as these animals only move forwards, never backwards.
There are more than 60 species of kangaroos, wallabies and wallaroos, pademelons and Quokkas. All kangaroos have powerful back legs with long feet, and a tail. The tail is sometimes called the fifth limb. It is used to balance while kangaroos are hopping. And boy, they can hop at fast speed. While the average speed is 20 -25 km/h, they can reach up to 70 km/h for a short distance.
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Kangaroos are grazers eating a variety of grasses, and even shrubs. They spend the days resting in the shade. During the cooler evenings and nights they move around and feed.
The large kangaroos rarely have natural predators. Their numbers have increased since European settlement, while the smaller species suffered a lot from introduced animals like foxes, cats and rabbits. Some of the small kangaroo species are in danger of extinction.
Like most native Australian animals, kangaroos are shy and usually no threat to humans. Male kangaroos box with each other to play, or to dominate. They also kick with their strong legs, and this could be dangerous to humans. So don't take any risks.
Check the Outback Guide's poster store for some great kangaroo pictures.
Wombat Facts
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There are three species of wombats: the common wombat, the Southern hairy-nosed wombat and the Northern Hairy-nosed wombat
Wombats are nocturnal and spend most of the day in their extensive burrow systems. They can be found in south-eastern Australia, along the Nullarbour plain, and in Tasmania. Wombats are herbivores. They eat grasses, herbs, and roots. Their enemies are Dingos and the Tasmanian Devils.
Tasmanian Devil
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The stocky devil has the size of a small dog. It has black fur, white patches on its chest, long whiskers on its face, and a tail that is half the size of its body length.
Tasmanian devils have a loud screech that really sounds scary. They hunt, but also eat carrion. Devils usually live solitary, but sometimes they eat with other devils. However, this can turn out to be a loud affair with lots of fighting.
If you liked this page about the native Australian animals why not browse my other pages about Australian wildlife?
Dangerous Australian Animals - crocodiles, sea wasps, and other harmful creatures of the coast.
Dangerous Australian Wildlife - spiders, scorpions, just animals you'll find in the inland and Australian deserts.
Australian snakes - wonderful creatures, respect them, and you'll be fine.
Koala pictures - see some wonderful koala posters.
Kangaroo pictures - animal posters to purchase at the Outback Guide stores
Please use the site search when you're looking for more info about native Australian animals and the Australian Outback.
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