Also called duckbill semi aquatic egg-laying mammal
native to Tasmania and southern and eastern Australia.
The animal has a bill that resembles a duck bill but
is actually an elongated snout covered with soft moist
leathery skin and sensitive nerve endings.
The body of the platypus is 30 to 45cm|(12 to 18) long,
the flattened tail measures 10 to 15cm (4 to 6in) in
length. The feet are webbed.
The body and tail are covered with thick soft wooly
layer of fur from which long flat hairs protrude.
The most conspicuous feature of the small head is the
bill which is about 6cm (about 2.5 in) long and 5 cm
(2 in) wide and which the animal uses for detecting
prey and stirring up mud at the bottom of rivers in
order to uncover the insects, worms, and shellfish which
it eats.
The platypus eyes are small, and it has no external
ears, but it has keen senses of sight and hearing.
Platypuses are shy animals and are seldom seen, even
in areas where they live.
They are active only during the early morning and late
evening. They live in long winding burrows that are
usually dug by the females in the banks of rivers or
streams. At the end of the burrow which may be from
about 9 to 18m in length, the female constructs a bed
of weeds, leaves and grass, which it uses as a nest
for the eggs and young.
The female lays usually two but sometimes as many as
four eggs in a clutch. The young animals have no fur
when they hatch. The female uses it's tail to grab the
young to its abdomen enabling them to nurse.
Echidna (Spiny
ant eaters) are found throughout Australia and New
Guinea. Their bodies are covered with coarse hairy
spines. They have small ears and have snouts that
are long and tubular.
They use this long snout for poking into holes and
turning over rocks to search for termites and ants.
They use their long and sticky tongues to gather up
their prey.
Like the platypus, an echidna is an egg laying mammal.
The female lays a single egg which is deposited into
a pouch on the mothers belly.
The egg hatchs within ten days and
for the next six weeks, the newborn is fed on the
mother's milk. Shortly after, the young echidna leaves
the pouch, but the mother watches over it, until it
can look after itself.
Common
Wombat
is a large, heavily built marsupial. An adult can weight
from 26kg to 40kg. It is usually a metre long from nose
to tail and about 35cm high.
It has short, powerful limbs with strong flattened claws
for digging and has coarse brown or black fur.
Wombats live mainly in forest areas but may also be
found in woodlands and coastal shrub areas.
Wombats dig underground tunnels 2 to 20 metres long
where they sleep.
These tunnels are found on slopes above creeks and rivers.
Wombats eat mainly grass, but this can also include
roots of trees and shrubs. Like their nearest relative,
the koala, Wombats have bacteria in their gut for the
digestion of plant material. Every night, wombats can
graze from 3-8 hours and can travel for many kilometres
looking for food.
The female wombat reaches mating maturity at 2 years,
and breeding can occur at any time of the year. The
female has a pouch which contains 2 teats. The pouch
opens at the back, so that it is kept clean and free
of dirt, while she digs and burrows.
Gestation period is approx. 1 month and only 1 young
is born at a time. It nestles in the pouch for about
6 months, then stays with the mother for another 10-20
months, when it then becomes independent. Wombats can
live for up to 5 years in the wild and up to 20 years
in captivity.
Common Wombats are a protected species, as are all Australian
native mammals. Many wombats however, are victims of
motor vehicle accidents on open roads.
Back to Top
Emu
is
the common name for any member of a group of large,
flightless birds. Other than the ostrich, it is the
laragest of all birds.
It can reach the height of 1.8m and weight as much as
60kg. The plumage is dull brown, tending to darken on
the head, neck and lighter on the undersides.
The emu lives on the open plains and bush area. It feeds
mainly on roots, fruits and herbs. The emu is timid
and peaceful. It can run at great speed to escape any
predators.
The
Lyrebird Is
one of the largest perching bird, named for its lyre-shaped
tail. They have a small head, long neck, long legs,
large feet with long powerful claws and a long tail.
Both male and females have brown feathers. The male
is larger than the female and has also a longer tail.
The tail consists of 16 lacy plumes, brown above and
white below and 2 banded, curved, outer plumes.
When the tail of the male is raised during courtship
and expanded during display, it gives the appearance
of a lyre (hence its name) with the gracefully curved
outer plumes forming the framework. During the display,
the male mounts a pile of forest debris that it has
raked together with its feet. Display begins with a
loud song, the tail is then raised and expanded and
the lacy plumes fan out between the outer plumes. The
tail is then brought forward over the back until it
touches the ground and completely covers the bird. The
display ends with the abrupt raising, folding and lowering
of the tail. Although the bird can fly, it seldom does,
as it can run quite quickly.
The lyrebird inhabits forests and scrublands, where
it feeds on small land animals, mainly insects, worms
and crustaceans.
They are shy and hard to see in their habitat, but have
a loud penetrating song and is also very good at mimicking
the songs of others birds and also the human voice for
about 6 weeks. Then she remains in the nest to rear
the young. Their egg is the largest laid by any perching
bird.
During the 1800's many lyrebirds were killed for their
splendid tail plumes, now however, they are protected
by law. The lyrebird appears on many Australian government
seals and on certain stamps.
(Spiny
ant eaters) are found throughout Australia and New
Guinea. Their bodies are covered with coarse hairy
spines. They have small ears and have snouts that
are long and tubular. 
is a large, heavily built marsupial. An adult can weight
from 26kg to 40kg. It is usually a metre long from nose
to tail and about 35cm high. 
is
the common name for any member of a group of large,
flightless birds. Other than the ostrich, it is the
laragest of all birds. 
Is
one of the largest perching bird, named for its lyre-shaped
tail. They have a small head, long neck, long legs,
large feet with long powerful claws and a long tail.
Both male and females have brown feathers. The male
is larger than the female and has also a longer tail.
