Australia has about one million different native species with more than 80 percent of the countries flowering plants, mammals, reptiles and birds. Australia also has a large quantity of marine environment with 4000 fish species, 1700 coral species and 50 different types of marine mammals, on top of a large range of seabirds. Our flora and fauna is very unlike other countries, with many found nowhere else globally.
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus (aka gum trees) come in a large range of shapes and sizes from shrubs to small trees. They hold a major part of Australian identity with the bush. They are all over Australia only not appearing in thigh alpine areas, being present in rainforests and the arid interior of this continent. From aboriginal use to modern production, eucalyptus are vital resources of today’s world, they help produce medical use and food, timber and firewood. They help native animals and birds as it provides shelter for them, also assisting the koalas in their food. |
Acacia Pycnantha Acacia Pycanatha is the official floral emblem of Australia. This is a tree; it grows between 2-8 meters in length. This shrub is smooth, a dark grey and brown colour with green sickle- shaped phollodes, and they don’t have leaves. They produce a mass fragrant, expressing their fluffy, golden ways. They are found in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. These flowers mainly occur during august to October but can range from July to November. Acacia Pycnantha is fast growing and was proclaimed as Australia’s official national floral emblem in 1988. Their common name is golden wattle and they are not considered to be at risk in the wild. This species has become an environmental weed in some places. Koala
Koalas are very native to Australia, they are the only extant representative of the family of Phascolarctidae. Koalas are found on the coastal areas of the eastern and suburb regions, living in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. Koalas are not bears, they are marsupials, which mean they are dependent on the pouch and are born immature. They are typically nocturnal0 wake at night and sleep during the day, sleeping for about 18-20 hours each day. The koala has a body length of 60–85 cm and weighs 4–15 kg. Their colour ranges from a chocolate brown to a silver grey. They live in open eucalyptus woodland and eat the leaves on eucalyptus trees which is the most of their diet intake. |
Grevillea The Grevillea is found in many shapes and sizes, the flower being colourful it is a bird attract-er. It is a member of the protea family. This plant if also found in rain forest and more open habitats in Australia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, Indonesia and Sulawesi. This specie is 340 years old and mostly confined to Australia except for Melanesian natives. They not only have great beauty but attract many insects and other animals. These plants come in many shapes and sizes from small shrubs to large trees. Grevillea plants like a sunny position with free- draining soil. It was named in honour of Charles Francis grevillea and is used for food providing for other species. |
Wombats
They are large mammals that burrow which are only found in Australia. Wombats are nocturnal, being hard to observe them in their natural habitat as they haven’t been well studied. Wombats are extraordinarily strong for their size, and are completely terrestrial. They are the second largest marsupial and the world’s largest burrowing animal. They have a short, muscular neck, and a large, broad, flattened head. Their diets consist of grasses, proving they are herbivores. The reason these animals are so big is being their metabolism are very slow sense they must conserve as much energy as possible. Wombats will have at least 3-8 hours of sleep per night |
Platypus
Platypus live in eastern Australia, including Tasmania, you will find them aside freshwater rivers or lakes forming burrows for shelter and protection. The platypus has a woolly fur coat and use their webbed feet for swimming, only being able to close their eyes for two minutes underwater. They are 30-45 centimetres in length and their tail about 10-15 centimetres. They generally have a short lifespan as there biggest threats are snakes, goannas, rates and foxes but they normally live up to 12 years. Platypuses feed on insect larvae, worms or other freshwater insects. Male platypuses are larger than the female. They reproduce by mating which occurs once a year, between June-October. |