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There are no koalas living in the wild in Western Australia, Tasmania or the Northern Territory. Koalas are listed as Vulnerable in South-east Queensland with the key threats to their existence being habitat loss, cars and dogs. A forest can only have a certain number of koalas living in it. This is called the forest’s ‘carrying capacity'. Like pasture for sheep, the available gumtrees can only feed a certain number of koalas.
The cassowary is a flightless bird that weighs 60kg. They have long claws and can jump feet first, so their claws can slash downward in mid-air towards their target. If you were thinking of running away, you better be fast as they can sprint up to 50km/h through dense forest.
The echidna is a very unique animal that has porcupine-like spines, a bird-like beak, and lays eggs like a reptile. They also feed their young on milk (like all mammals) but have no nipples – the milk oozes out of the skin in the pouch for their young to drink. The pouch forms during the breeding season, but isn’t really evident throughout the rest of the year.
Seventeen of the world’s most venomous snakes can be found in Australia however bites are actually quite rare and there are only four to six deaths per year. The Inland Taipan is a very rare, shy snake that hides in rocky crevices amongst dry rocky plains. This snake has a highly toxic venom, considered to be the most potent of any land snake in the world; it has the potential to kill an adult human within 45 minutes!
Queensland is home to the northern hairy-nosed wombat which is the largest of the three wombat species. The northern hairy-nosed wombat averages about 32kg and reaches more than one metre in length. They are generally nocturnal, but will sun themselves on winter mornings and afternoons. At Epping Forest National Park, northern hairy-nosed wombats are known to live to 26 years old. It is estimated that there are only 240 wombats left living in Queensland. The reason for a wombat’s unique poo was a mystery until recently, when scientists established that the shape of a wombat’s intestinal walls was the reason for their unique poo. Wombats also stack their poo to communicate with and attract other wombats.
Many of us are very familiar with the laughing kookaburra’s call usually at dusk and dawn, and the call is to establish the territory of the family unit and warn off other kookaburras. The family unit may vocalise together like a chorus to amplify their claim to their territory. If any rival families are within earshot they too may respond. The kookaburra has long been a part of Australian culture. One indigenous legend explains the bird’s raucous morning laughter as a signal to the sky people to start the day by lighting the great fire that warms and illuminates the Earth. In another tale, the god Bayame ordered the kookaburra to laugh loudly each morning and awaken all of mankind to view the sunrise.
The smallest native bee is the Quasihesma bee, at 2mm long and found in far north Queensland. Australian native bees can be black, yellow, red, metallic green or even black with blue polka dots! They can be fat and furry, or sleek and shiny.
The longest recorded jump by a kangaroo is a whopping 9 metres (30 feet) in a single leap! Due to their ability to jump long distances as well as the speed that they can travel, nine out of ten animal road collisions in Australia involve kangaroos. At the RSPCA we ask that everyone takes some time to check pouches of wildlife involved in car accidents, this can help save the lives of our wonderful native animals, and you can visit our website to find out how! The word kangaroo derives from 'Gangurru', the name given to eastern grey kangaroos by the Guuga Yimithirr people of Far North Queensland.
Platypus use the entrance of their burrow to keep moisture and water from their fur outside of their burrow. This helps keep the inside of their burrow dry. Male platypus can also produce venom that causes intense pain and swelling, the venom is delivered by repeated stabbing with spurs present on the hind limbs. The venom is powerful enough to kill a dog or make a human seriously ill.
It is estimated that the Fitzroy River turtle can stay under water for hours at a time. Because they use their cloaca, which is located near their bottom, to take 15 – 60 breaths per minute, these turtles don't need to surface for up to 8 hours! Because of this, these turtles prefer to live in shallow areas of water, which is richer in oxygen than deep water, near rocky river beds in the Fitzroy basin in South-East Queensland.