Exotic Animals of Australia - the Land Down Under

People visit Australia for different reasons - thewilderness and the practice of interbreeding.
country has lively cities, spectacular scenery and aWallabies are often mistaken for kangaroos - just like
fascinating Aborigine culture. And many people gokangaroos they can hop and jump. They range in size
there to experience the country's unique wildlife,from just a few inches to almost six feet long. They
animals that cannot be seen anywhere else, such ascan be found all over the country in every kind of
the koala bear, kangaroo, dingo and wallaby.habitat - desert, forest and swamp. Wallabies can go
Australia's diverse conditions and landscapes havea long time without drinking - in fact they can actually
contributed to the evolution of creatures with rare ordig their own wells to locate water.
unique characteristics. Millions of years of isolationAnd perhaps the oddest of Australia's wondrous
from other land-masses have also given rise to floracreatures is the Emu - the bird that can run fast but
and fauna that is unique to the country. Australiacannot fly. Emus are enormous, often standing up to
boasts an amazing 450 species of mammals, 2,000six feet above the ground; they are also a very old
species of fish and even an estimated 2,000 speciesspecies, having been around for about 80 million
of fly.years. The Emu has always been important to the
The kangaroo is perhaps the most instantlyAborigines as it provides them with thetwo things
recognizable of Australia's animals - well known tomost important for them to survive, food and
anyone who has flown the country's airline QANTAS,clothing.
as the airline's striking logo. Surprisingly, there areMany of these exotic creatures can easily be seen in
actually over 60 species of kangaroo and most ofthe wild, although there are also plenty of places
them are found only in Australia - they can be seenthroughout Australia where your chances of seeing
all over the country, from tropical rain forests to hotthem are greater. Australia has many natural parks
deserts. The kangaroo is the largest marsupial in theand wildlife sanctuaries, many of which are
world - it is not unusual for them to reach sevendesignated as World Heritage sites. Several
feet high.companies specialize in tours to the Outback or other
Australia's cuddly koala bear is almost as well knownparts of the country, offering the chance to observe
as the kangaroo, although it isn't actually a bear - it'sanimals and birds in the company of an experienced
a distant relation of the wombat. Koalas are definitelyguide.
cuddly - in fact, they are probably one of the mostYou can cuddle a koala at the Lone Pine Koala
docile animals in the world. If you come across aSanctuary near Brisbane, spot wild kangaroos at
koala bear, chances are that it's asleep - koalas spendJervis Bay near Sydney and stroll through the
around 80% of their lives asleep and the rest of theircountry's biggest butterfly sanctuary at Kuranda,
time eating.near Cairns. The huge Kakadu National Park covers
If you have ever heard the cry of the Kookaburra,around 6,000 square miles in the north of the country
you will understand why the bird is also known as thenear to Darwin and offers the chance to see over 75
laughing jackass. The bird actually belongs to thespecies of reptile and around 200 species of bird.
kingfisher family although it eats insects and smallAnd if you are spending your Aussie vacation time in
reptiles, rather than fish; the reason for its strangeSydney, plan an escape to the nearby Wonderland
laugh? Some people claim the bird is laughing withSydney theme park, a short distance from the city.
man, others say it is the bird's way of warning ofIn addition to the usual theme park rides, you can
bad weather.also enjoy a close encounter with many animals,
The dingo is a wild dog, which was probablyincluding koalas, kangaroos and crocodiles - in fact
introduced to the continent from South East Asia.there are over 50 species of native animal all in their
Despite their somewhat ferocious reputation, Dingoesnatural surroundings.
are no more dangerous than any other domesticA trip to the Land Down Under is an unforgettable
breed of dog. Dingoes cannot bark although theyexperience. It is a chance to see some of the world's
make up for it by yelping and howling. Unfortunately,most unique animals at home in some of the world's
the dingo is dying out due to man encroaching on themost stunning scenery.