5 Endemic Animals From Australia

These species only live in this country in Oceania because Australia is part of a continent that, being an island, was separated from the rest of the planet thousands of years ago.

Australia has within its borders some of the most amazing and unique on Earth: the biodiversity of this place is incomparable. Therefore, we invite you to discover five endemic animals in the country.

Why are there so many endemic animals in Australia?

Australia is a unique territory, where many factors converge that could explain the varied and unique fauna that live in it: almost 85% of mammals or 90% of reptiles found in this country are endemic. In other words, they don’t exist anywhere else on the planet.

For starters, Australia it occupies a very large territory which, as it is an island, was separated from other continents thousands of years ago.

In this way, the animals and plants that live in it reproduced and evolved without mixing with those from other places. Neither new animals entered nor the existing ones migrated.

On the other hand, Australia is a place with little geological activity: there were no major catastrophes like earthquakes or volcanic eruptions, that destroyed or killed thousands of animals in a short period of time.

As a peaceful place, life in Australia was able to proliferate and left us some very curious animals:

1. Emu

The emu – the image that heads this article – is the second largest bird on the planet, second only to the ostrich.

Emus are endemic animals of Australia and, although three species are known, today two of them are extinct and only the common emu survives. They only live in the south of the island and in Tasmania.

Emus are peculiar birds that cannot fly. They are brownish grey, in shades that can vary, and their throats may have a characteristic blue color. The eggs they lay are dark green, very different from the eggs of the rest of the birds.

1. Kangaroo

The kangaroo, one of Australia’s endemic animals, is the best known. Of all its species, the largest is the red kangaroo: males measure over five feet and weigh over 85 pounds.

They are characterized by having two large and powerful legs, in addition to a long, muscular tail with which they maintain balance.

They are marsupials: mammals that spend very little time in the uterus as fetuses and end up developing in a pouch. that females have.

All kangaroos are herbivores, although their specific diet depends on the areas of the country they live in and the plants they have available.

1. Koala

Other well-known marsupials are koalas. These endemic animals of Australia are much smaller than kangaroos: they are less than a meter tall and weigh between 8 and 15 kilos.

They are characterized by not having a tail and also by their expressive head: large, round and with hairy ears.

They eat only eucalyptus leaves, which provide them with very little energy and nutrients. Therefore, koalas can sleep up to 20 hours a day and have little active lives. They are antisocial animals that do not live in groups and their habitat is limited to the western part of the island.

1. Platypus

When European explorers returned from their first trip to Australia, and a biologist told his companions what a platypus was, they thought it was a joke.

it wasn’t, but the platypus is, in fact, one of the strangest animals we know.

It is a mammal, but its offspring are born in eggs: there are only five known mammal species that have this characteristic.

It has a furry body, but a beak and webbed feet, like a duck. It has a beaver-like tail and, in addition, lives the life of an amphibian: it lives both in water and on land.

If these aspects are not sufficiently original, the platypus is poisonous: on its hind legs it has spurs, although only males generate venom. This is very painful for humans, but it is only lethal for small mammals.

1. Demon of Tasmania

The Tasmanian devil wasn’t a cartoon invention: it’s a real animal. It is the largest marsupial species that exists: they are the size of a small dog, as they weigh between six and eight kilos.

They have very short legs and a long tail, which can measure up to half of their entire body.

They are black with white spots and are very competitive animals with their own species. , but they are not territorial.

They may be hunters, but in reality they are opportunists: if they find a dead animal, they would rather devour it than hunt new prey.

There are many animals endemic to Australia that, in addition, have curious or unique characteristics on the planet.

Not just mammals or birds evolved without interference caused by migrations: Australia’s insects and even fish are very different from the rest of the planet.