Australia flora and fauna animals. Flora and fauna of Australia. Little Australian penguin

Australia has more than 378 mammal species, 828 bird species, 300 lizard species, 140 snake species and two crocodile species. Of the mammals, almost half are marsupials. The rest are either placental or monotreme mammals. Among Australia's most famous animals are the kangaroo, koala, echidna, dingo, platypus, wallaby and wombat. There are more than 140 species of marsupials in Australia, including kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, wombats and the Tasmanian devil. There are 55 different varieties of kangaroos and wallabies in Australia. Kangaroos vary considerably in size and weight, ranging from half a kilogram to 90 kilograms. The main difference between wallabies and kangaroos is size: wallabies are usually smaller in size. Some members of this family can stand as tall as a human while others are as small as domestic cats. In many rural areas where large colonies of these animals live, kangaroos are considered pests because they compete with sheep and cattle for the opportunity to graze on pastures and for space near water bodies. The regulation of kangaroo offspring contributes to the sustainable agricultural development of some areas of Australia. Australia's kangaroo population estimates vary between 30 and 60 million individuals. Dingo is a wild dog, endemic to Australia and the largest carnivorous mammal of this continent. In some agricultural areas, dingoes are also considered a pest due to the threat of predation, as they prey on sheep and other farmed animals. To keep fertile southeast Australia relatively safe for farming, the world's largest fence was built, spanning 5,320 kilometers from Queensland to South Australia.

Australia also hosts another unique group of animals, the monotremes or oviparous, which are egg-laying mammals and are also often referred to as "living fossils". The most famous members of this family are the platypus, a river-dwelling animal that has a duck-like beak, but its body is covered with hair and its feet are webbed. Of the 828 bird species found in Australia, about half are found nowhere else. Isolation also contributed to the development and survival unusual birds. Here you can find tiny honey-eaters to large wingless emus, which reach almost two meters in height. There are also many unique species of waterbirds, seabirds and birdlife in Australia that live in open woodlands and rainforests. The following species are especially worth noting - cassowaries, black swans, penguins, kookaburras, lyrebirds and flutist crows. There are 55 parrot species in Australia. Many of these bird species are numerous and quite colorful, including a spectacular variety of cockatoos, rosellas, lorikeets, parrots, and budgerigars.

Australia has more varieties of venomous snakes than any other continent (21 of the 25 most venomous snakes in the world). Fear of snake bites is common among people planning to visit Australia, however, bites are rare and most often occur when the snake is deliberately provoked by a person. Australia's waters are no less diverse, with approximately 4,000 of the world's 22,000 fish species and 30 of the world's 58 seagrass species. Australia is also home to the world's largest coral reef system and UNESCO has designated the Great Barrier Reef as a World Heritage Site. Marine species include the predatory great white shark, which reaches six meters in length; a giant whale shark that can reach a length of 12 meters; the dung fly or the Portuguese warship, which is the most dangerous inhabitant of the coastal waters of Australia; and box jellyfish, which are among the most poisonous animals in the world.

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Australian white-headed grebe This is one of two known species of white-headed grebes, from the grebe family. The white-headed grebe is found throughout Tasmania and Australia. You can meet this bird in New Zealand, but it is extremely rare. It is a small squat bird. The length of an adult individual does not exceed 29-31 cm, and their weight does not exceed 250 g. The plumage is rather inconspicuous, gray-white, the iris is brown.

australian bustard The Australian bustard belongs to the bustard family and is the only representative of this family in Australia. The Australian bustard lives in fields, woodlands and open agricultural areas of northern Australia and southern New Guinea. The natives of central Australia often refer to this bird as the "bushland turkey". The Australian bustard is a rather large representative of the family, the height of the male reaches 1.2 m, its wingspan is 2.3 m, and the average weight is 7.5 kg. The female is also colored, but much smaller in size.

Australian Cattle Dog The Australian Cattle Dog, better known as the Australian Heeler, is an artificially bred breed. It appeared in the 19th century in Australia. All the experiments that were carried out to create this breed went on long enough, and they all failed. But then, at one fine moment, a group of specialists nevertheless found those breeds of dogs that, when crossed, gave the desired result. The "parents" of this breed are the dingo, the dalmatian and the scottish blue marble collie.

Australian tree frogs - a joke of nature We know from school that Australia has inexplicably become a kind of paradise for marsupials. Who here just does not run, jumps with bags on his stomach. As for tree frogs, nature decided to joke. Marsupial frogs on e1 whim settled not here, but in distant America. But Australia has become a haven for a great variety of other, most diverse and amazing tree frogs.

Australian flying foxes. For centuries, such mysterious and unusual creatures as flying foxes were frequent heroes of myths and dark traditions. Australian flying foxes belong to the family of fruit bats, to the order of bats.

Australian penguins Australian penguins are the smallest penguins in the world, with an average height of no more than 33 centimeters. Thanks to special structure eye penguins see perfectly underwater and in the twilight on land, but are very sensitive to bright flashes. For this reason, it is forbidden to photograph penguins.

australian parrots The inhabitants of the Australian forest are very hard to spot. Standing under a tree, you might think that its leaves are singing, but these are numerous birds disguised as a colorful background. The most beautiful of them are cockatoo parrots, of which there are 21 species. But only a few are widely known, which is due to the law in Australia that prohibits the export of any kind of fauna from the continent (permission, of course, can be obtained, but only in cases where the exported animal was not taken from the wild, but bred in captivity) .

australian dancing cranes The largest of the existing types of cranes is the Australian crane, in addition to its size, it surprises with its incredible ability to dance in the original genre. He performs complex dances during the crane mating season.

australian crane Grus rubicunda is a large bird belonging to the crane family, which previously inhabited the entire continent of Australia, and now only in its eastern and northern parts, which is explained by the reorientation of the crane to feed on grain. The Australian crane is a “sedentary” bird, roams within its range. The crane has a height of 160 cm, with a wingspan of about 180 cm, and a weight of 6 kg. The body is in gray-blue plumage, except for the flight feathers: the first-order feathers on the wing are black, very elongated and overlap the tail, like a plume, the second-order wings are gray. The crane's throat pouch and cheeks are bright orange or coral red. The crown is decorated as a gray-greenish cap, there are no feathers. The head of young cranes is covered with gray (red) feathers. Legs are long and black. The beak is grey. The eyes of an adult crane orange color. A young crane has brown eyes, after a couple of years the color changes to “adult”.

australian crane The Australian crane is a large member of the crane family, similar in appearance to the Indian crane, but slightly darker and smaller. This bird leads a sedentary life, lives in Australia and New Guinea. The distribution of the Australian crane is poorly studied, therefore its number is not exactly known and may be 20 - 100 thousand individuals. The growth of this crane is about 161 cm, the wingspan is 180 cm, and the weight is 6 kg.

Australian scalefoot Scalefoot is a legless serpentine lizard from the squamopod family that lives in Australia. Quite often it is mistaken for a snake and killed for no reason. She really looks more like a snake than a lizard. And not only by their appearance, but also by their behavior. The length of the snake-like lizard is about 70 cm, it is the largest of all Australian legless lizards, while its size resembles the venomous snake Bardick, with which this reptile is often confused. In case of danger, the scaleleg, which has a very flexible body, raises it and assumes a pose characteristic of an attacking snake, while showing a flickering tongue.

Australian cone Australian cones are amazing fish, the appearance of which simultaneously resembles a pineapple, a knight and his chain mail. Moreover, the nature of cones is even more interesting than their extraordinary appearance. Cone fish, very reminiscent of the Australian knight fish, are inhabitants of several regions in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. There is a Japanese cone, there is a New Zealand one.

Asian - aka Indian buffalo. This type of buffalo is one of the species of animals that live in Australia. In addition, as it is easy to guess from his name, he lives mainly in Asia, from which he just migrated not only to the territory of the Green Continent, but also to other corners of the Earth, for example, to America, moreover, both in southern and and in the central, and besides, also in Africa.

African ostrich. African ostrich It is considered the only representative of the ostrich family at this point in time. This keelless flightless bird can be found not only in the realities of the wild, but also in captivity, it is remarkably bred and grows.

Bandicoots Bandicoots are small terrestrial animals, representatives of the family of marsupial mammals. They live in Australia, New Guinea and several eastern islands of Indonesia. There are representatives of very small sizes, weighing about 140 g, others are slightly larger, their weight reaches 2 kg. But most species weigh 1 kg. The animal has a compact body with a thin tail and a long pointed muzzle with large ears.

great egret The great white heron is a member of the heron family, a marsh bird that is common in tropical and warm temperate latitudes of both hemispheres of the earth. It settles along water bodies, on the sea coast, on the banks and floodplains of rivers, in marshy lowlands, near salt and fresh lakes, mangroves and estuaries. But it can also be found in farmers' fields, rice paddies, and drainage ditches. The white heron hunts only on land or in shallow water. white heron has a height of 94-104 cm, weight - 912-1140 g. The wingspan reaches 131-145 cm. Males are larger than females.

Bigfoot or weed chickens Bigfoot or weed chickens are a large family of birds in the chicken order, which includes 6 genera and 19 species. Their representatives live in Australia and on the islands lying to the north. Bigfoots differ from most of all other birds, first of all, in that they do not incubate their eggs, but bury them in a pile of humus or simply in the ground where they develop, thanks to the heat of the sun and the heat that is released when plants rot. Only the male takes care of the eggs

Greater lyrebird The great lyrebird can rightly be called one of the most amazing birds in the world. Two features make it so unique - it is a very beautiful tail and the gift to adopt and reproduce a wide variety of sounds.

bronze-winged dove The crested bronze-winged pigeon belongs to the pigeon family. It is endemic to Australia, living in arid regions. Nests are arranged in trees. The bronze-winged pigeon has a relatively thin long body, 32-34 cm long, the head is decorated with a crest of long thin feathers, the beak is dark, gray at the base, the mandible is strongly bent down.

bronze-winged dove The bronze-winged crested pigeon is a member of the pigeon family. It lives in the arid regions of Australia, nesting high on the branches of trees in cities, gardens, parks and fields. A distinctive feature from ordinary pigeons is the technique of takeoff and flight. Taking off, it makes several strong beats of its wings, after which, without moving them, it rises up. Can live in captivity, caring for him is similar to caring for turtledoves. Breeds even in captivity, eggs incubate for 17-19 days. At the age of three weeks old, the chicks leave the nesting place, but the parents feed them for another two weeks.

Wallabies - tree kangaroos Wallabies are a genus of tree kangaroos with 6 species. Of these, Dendrolagus Bennettianus - Bennett's wallaby (tharibina) and Dendrolagus Lumholtzi - Lumholtz's wallaby (or bungari) are found in Australian Queensland. These tree kangaroos originally lived in New Guinea, and now they are also found in Australia. Wallabies live in mountainous areas, live in tropical forests. Their body length is 52-81 cm, quite a long tail can be from 42 cm to 93. Depending on the species, wallaby males weigh 7.7 - 10 kg, females - 6.7 - 8.9 kg.

Taipan Encounter - Kill or Die Faced with a taipan against his will, a person is faced with a choice: kill this reptile and stay alive or die. If a person went out to catch a taipan consciously, the choice changes a little - to stay alive by catching it, to kill a deadly snake, losing the chance, or, again, to say goodbye to life. The fact is that even an already invented antidote gives only one chance in two for a successful outcome with a bite. Every second bitten, alas, still dies, since he is given no more than three minutes to administer the vaccine.

The Australian cuttlefish is a giant cephalopod species belonging to the cuttlefish genus. The length of the mantle of one individual reaches 50 cm, and the weight is 10.5 kg - this is the largest cuttlefish in the world, which is why the Australian cuttlefish is called giant. Its habitat is coastal waters off the southwestern and southeastern coasts of the Australian continent. This mollusk belongs to endemic species; it is found in algal thickets, rocky reefs, on muddy and sandy seabed up to 100 m deep.

Giant Australian cuttlefish The giant Australian cuttlefish belongs to the genus true cuttlefish, it is a cephalopod of the cuttlefish family. The length of this mollusk is about 50 cm along the length of its mantle, and its live weight is 10.5 kg. Of all the cuttlefish that live on Earth, this is their largest representative.

Giant snake-necked turtle This species of turtle, called the giant snake-necked or broad-shelled turtle, naturally lives on only one continent - Australia. Most common in the basin of the South Australian Murray Darling River. Also found in Queensland, in its southeastern regions with adjacent rivers, on Fraser Island and in New South Wales.

Giant Australian monitor lizard The giant Australian monitor lizard is often confused with the Komodo monitor lizard, whose size and strength are unmatched by other species of the monitor lizard family and take the first place. In second place is the striped monitor lizard, able to live on land and in water. The third place is shared by two types of monitor lizards - the giant Australian monitor lizard and the crocodile monitor (El Salvador monitor lizard). The crocodile monitor differs from other monitors in its very long tail, due to which its total length can even exceed the length of the body of the Komodo monitor.

giant monitor lizard The giant monitor lizard living in Australia is sometimes confused with the Komodo monitor lizard, the largest and most powerful among all lizards. However, despite such a sonorous name, the giant monitor lizard is only the third largest living lizard (after the famous Komodo monitor and striped monitor). In addition, the giant monitor lizard disputes its honorable third place with another equally huge lizard - the El Salvador monitor lizard, or crocodile monitor lizard.

Deep Sea "Hell" Vampire The family Vampyroteuthidae is represented by only one species - Vampyroteuthis infernalis ("Hellish vampire"). Where this relic deep-sea mollusk got such a nickname is not clear, since it is not aggressive, not poisonous, not a predator and has a medium-sized body build.

Blue Australian tree frog Blue Australian tree frog - large tree frog. Its habitat is Australia and New Guinea. The name of these frogs is not at all their sign, since in fact they are not blue. Their color can be from dark brown to light green. True, there is one subspecies of blue. Some Australian tree frogs have yellow or white spots on their backs. The belly is cream to light pink

Two-clawed turtle The flattened carapace and the head of a two-clawed tortoise are painted dark olive. Its head ends with a funny blunt proboscis (hence the other name - pig-nosed turtle). The paws of this turtle are flipper-shaped and also painted in dark olive colors. Its front paws are equipped with two claws, and the rear ones visually resemble oars. The neck from below, the forelimbs in their lower part and the plastron are painted white. The blunt proboscis on the turtle's muzzle is somewhat elongated and resembles a pig's snout. The total length of the turtle washes up to 50 cm, and the mass exceeds 15 kg. Distributed in the northern territories of Australia, as well as in Guinea, in the lowlands of its southern regions.

Denison Magnificent Denison splendid is a rare snake with a very strong neurotoxic venom. In her family, she is not the largest representative - only 1.5 meters in length. There are 19 species of denisons on the Australian mainland, so this genus is considered endemic to Australia. The main distinguishing feature of the magnificent denison is live birth - a quality that is practically not characteristic of reptiles.

wild brumbies From time immemorial, the noblest animal, the horse, has been the best friend and unsurpassed helper for man. Brumby is also a horse, but all of the above does not apply to her, since the fate of this breed of horses is sad.

Wild rabbit in Australia Since Australia is a country of rich vegetation, a warm climate and a small number of predators, rabbits began to multiply en masse on this continent. There is an opinion that the reproduction of these animals in Australia is associated with the only importation of several individuals. However, in reality this fact was not isolated. Rabbits very quickly eat away grassy vegetation, gnaw tree branches, compete with local rodents and marsupials. They dig not so many holes, hiding in bushes and low trees, in ditches and pits. The twentieth century is a time of constant struggle with rabbits in Australia, not accompanied by much success. Sometimes the number was slightly reduced due to the implementation of the following measures:

Wood and maned ducks The Eaton tree duck has a second name, the woody yellow-footed duck. This is a representative of a bird species of the duck family, whose habitat is Australia and New Guinea. In Western Australia, it occurs in the Kimberley region of southern Queensland, and also breeds in New South Wales in the northern part of the mainland.

tree kangaroo Despite the fact that there are as many as 55 species of tree kangaroos, this animal is considered very rare. The name speaks for itself - the tree kangaroo does not live on the ground, but on trees. This outlandish and rare animal is found in Australia not on the mainland itself, but on nearby islands. Compared to ordinary Australian kangaroos, the arboreal relative is smaller - with ears, it barely reaches half a meter. Adult males weigh no more than ten kilograms, the female, respectively, is smaller and lighter.

Dugong - general information In the order of sirens there is a family of dugongs, the only representative of which is a modern species of aquatic mammal with the name - dugong. This name has Malay roots and means - "sea maiden" or "mermaid".

Echidna Echidnas are the most beautiful animals of the monotreme order, which, along with them, includes only one representative - the platypus. Not every person will be able to immediately reproduce in his memory the appearance of this mammal. The appearance of an echidna is immediately associated with two representatives of the fauna: a porcupine - for a body completely covered with needles, and an anteater - for a narrow, elongated muzzle resembling a tube, as well as the usual type of food. The body length of the echidna is small, it can reach only 30 cm. The small mouth and the complete absence of teeth are compensated by strong limbs endowed with sharp claws.

jacaranda Jacaranda is a plant (tree), reaching 30 m in height, growing in the southern hemisphere of the Earth, most of all it is liked to be planted along the streets in Australia. During the flowering period, it resembles our plums, cherries or apple trees "in bloom". True, jacaranda flowers predominate in color in a lilac hue. Australian spring in our calendar for October and November, we already have trees shedding leaves, and the streets in Australia are decorated with a “lilac fog” of blooming jacarandas.

cruel snake The fierce snake is a type of taipan, otherwise it is called the inland taipan. This is a large and one of the most poisonous snakes on earth, belongs to the aspid family. The poison of snakes belonging to the Taipan family is considered the most dangerous for humans. Actually, the whole family includes only two species - this is the taipan itself and the cruel (or otherwise it is called ferocious) snake.

Animal prochidna The animal prochidna belongs to the echidna family. This family earlier had several more subspecies, but today, unfortunately, they have become extinct. Among oviparous mammals this animal is the largest.

The mysterious kingdom of marsupials It's really puzzling. And, of course, first of all, from the point of view of understanding the motives that moved the creators of animals of this type. After all, such a large-scale and diverse biological kingdom could not have been created if there had not been a very numerous and at the same time influential social demand for this.

Green Sea (Soup) Turtle The Green Sea or Soup Turtle is the only representative of the Green Turtle genus, which used to be the Australian Sea Turtle, now classified in the Natator genus. This turtle got its name from the color of its meat and its very pleasant taste, which made the soup turtle also an object of fishing. Turtle soups made from green sea ​​turtle are popular all over the world. Such an increased interest in this species of turtles had a negative impact on their numbers and distribution. Green sea turtles are now endangered and are listed by the IUCN Conservation Union.

Needle-footed owl The Cuckoo's Needle-Owl is the smallest species of owl in the Australian region, as well as the most common. The sizes of these owls range from 28 - 36 cm (in length). The upper side has a dark brown plumage. The underside is reddish-brown with white spots and stripes. The eyes are large yellow. The cuckoo owl lives up to its name by making a deep two-syllable cuckoo-like call.

The highlight of the Australian fauna - terrier It is not for nothing that this breed of dog is called the highlight of the Australian fauna - these small and very active dogs have a very developed sense of dignity, accumulating in itself the blood of most breeds of the British "progenitors".

mudskipper Many people think that all fish live only in water, but it turns out that this is not so. The mudskipper is exactly the kind of fish that prefers to live on the shore. Mudskippers appeared at the same time that the inhabitants of the seas began to go on land, thus they are one of the pioneers who adapted to life outside the water.

giant lizards Giant lizards, or as they are more commonly called - smooth lizards, belong to the skink genus of lizards. In total, there are 8 varieties in the genus. These animals live in Australia and on some islands of Oceania. Giant lizards are large and medium in size, the average length of their body is about 50 cm.

A historically realistic look at the Australian fauna. It is quite obvious that it is aggressive, which means that it was created by an evil society, which, of course, lived in conflict, and very serious one at that. In light of what, the question immediately arises of where the ancient idiots, and the villains are always consistently stupid, they are smart only in the movies, could take such serious biological engineering technologies?!

Cassowary Cassowaries are amazing birds of the cassowary family of the cassowary order. There are only three types of them. They differ in loose and soft plumage, somewhat reminiscent of animal hair. All species of cassowaries, and, as we have already said, there are only three of them - helmet-bearing, dwarf, orange-necked - live in tropical forests with dense undergrowth. Cassowaries are impressive and unusually beautiful. The smallest is muruk (its height is only 70-80 centimeters). On his blue neck you will see small reddish spots located on the sides. Muruk is also the owner of a "helmet" on his head. Two other species of cassowaries adorn the so-called "earrings", which are skin outgrowths running from the neck to the chest.

Cockatoo One of the brightest representatives of the parrot family is the cockatoo. This is a fairly large parrot. Its length can reach 70 centimeters. The characteristic features of the cockatoo are: long feathers on the forehead and crown, the color of the tuft, not similar to the general plumage, white-black-pink-yellow color, the complete absence of green, the same color, but different sizes of females and males, short straight or slightly rounded tail.

Cape fur seal The Cape (or South African) fur seal is a species of fur seal belonging to the eared seal family. It should be noted that its name is not entirely accurate, since this animal lives not only on the coast of South Africa, but also in Australia.

Karavayka Among the birds living in Australia, the loaf is quite widespread. It is a bird of the ibis family. In length, the body of the loaf reaches 56 cm. The color of adults is dark brown with a metallic sheen of green and bronze hues. Juvenile birds have no ebb, but have a white shading in the head and neck area, which gradually disappears as they mature.

Cuttlefish and their games Cuttlefish - the most interesting marine life. It belongs to the class of cephalopods, but is very different from such typical representatives as molluscs and squids. The size of cuttlefish can reach one and a half meters due to long arms. In total, the cuttlefish has ten hands with suction cups, two of which can fit into bags under the eyes in the most incredible way. And in males, one of the hands is also an organ for procreation.

Katta or ring-tailed lemur The catta or ring-tailed lemur is one of the members of the lemur family identified on the island of Madagascar. This species of the lemur family is widely distributed in the southwestern and southern parts of the island, and can also be found in the Andringita mountains.

Kwalla Quolls are often referred to as marsupial cats and sometimes as marsupial martens because of their resemblance, but they are a separate species of marsupial carnivore that lives in Australia. These animals are also found in New Guinea. On average, their length is from 25 to 75 cm, including a long fluffy tail. Bags in these animals, or rather, in females, open only during the breeding season, when the quolls hatch their young.

Kwalla - marsupial cat Kwalla (marsupial cat, marsupial marten) is one of the types of marsupial cats. In size, males resemble a small domestic cat, 60 cm long and weighing 1.3 kg. The females are slightly smaller. Quolls have thick, soft fur that is tan, brown, or black in color.

Kea Kea is a bird of the parrot family. The body length is 46 centimeters, weight - from 600 to 1000 grams. The plumage is most often olive-green, rarely brownish, under the wings the feathers are usually bright red. The paws of the bird are grey. They have a strongly curved beak of dark gray color with a long mandible. The parrot got its name because of the characteristic cry “keee-aa”. The main habitat is New Zealand and regions of Australia.

kangaroo rat Kangaroo rats (potoroo) belong to the family of marsupial mammals. These are small animals with brown fur, similar to both large rodents and miniature wallabies. By the beginning of the 19th century, kangaroo rats lived in almost the entire territory of Australia, except for the northeastern and extreme northern regions. To date, their numbers have been significantly reduced, as they were intensively exterminated by imported foxes and dogs. Two species of potoroo have already become extinct. All other species are rare. The remaining kangaroo rats are found in Australia and Tasmania.

Kangaroo Kangaroo is an interesting animal that lives in Australia. Most people know about kangaroos since childhood. In general, Australia and kangaroo - these two concepts are firmly connected in the minds of many, many people. Kangaroos were first described by James Cook. in April 1770. The body temperature of these animals is 34-36.5 °C. The kangaroo has a pouch for carrying cubs (the same famous bag kangaroo), it opens forward to the head, like an apron pocket. Interestingly, kangaroos are born just a few weeks after conception.

Kangaroo Eugenia This species of mammals of the green continent belongs to the category of the smallest local animals of this type. Why were they named like that? But because the first such little animal was found on an island with exactly the same name, well, then they simply didn’t fantasize and attributed the same name to the discovered kangaroo, forgetting to add that it means a creature from such and such an island formation.

Koala The most common misconception about this animal is that it is classified as a "bear". This is absolutely wrong, the koala has no more family ties with bears than a person. Speaking of the koala, it's impossible not to say the word "adorable", this cute animal, living in Australia, surprisingly resembles a plush toy. Well, yes, of course, a bear. The koala is fantastically lazy, its daytime sleep lasts twenty hours, so if you managed to see this lazy beast awake, consider yourself very lucky.

carpet pythons The carpet python belongs to the family of pseudo-legged snakes, this genus has only 12 species today, but a significant part of them have been studied and described in detail relatively recently. The carpet python is found in New Guinea, Indonesia, Australia and the Moluccas. It can be attributed to semi-arboreal or tree snakes, they spend their whole lives, for the most part, in the crown of trees. The food for the carpet python is small birds, lizards, wallabies, fruit bats, marsupial rats of medium or small size.

king penguin Birds of this type are considered one of the largest of their kind, yielding in size only to their imperial relatives. They live on islands located in the subantarctic territorial zone, limited by southern latitudes of forty-five and fifty-five degrees.

Kraken - octopus and squid rolled into one The octopus is an ancient animal that is still very little studied. This creature is so fantastic that people preferred to make up legends about it rather than study it. Ancient sailors called them krakens, considered them incredibly bloodthirsty and were very afraid. IN Greek mythology the squid was called a hydra, exactly the one with which the fearless Hercules fought. Presumably, the terrible Gorgon jellyfish is also an ordinary squid. Sailors told creepy stories about how giant krakens dragged ships and even entire fleets underwater.

Spotted or freckled duck The freckled or spotted duck is a waterfowl of the Anatidae family found in Australia. It is the only species in its subfamily. It has medium dimensions, reaches a length of 50 to 60 cm, weighs about 800-1000 g. The wingspan is usually 75-85 cm. The plumage is shiny, the color is dark, gray.

Red-eared turtles threaten the Australian ecosystem In Australia, in the state of Queensland, red-eared turtles were smuggled in the 60s and 70s of the last century. Once in the wild, they began to multiply actively and in a very short time became quite common local inhabitants. They displace local flora and fauna from water bodies and even cause significant damage to the country's ecosystem. The expression "turtle speed" is quite common in the world, but it has nothing to do with red-eared turtles. In Australia, they are called red-eared slider turtles, which literally means "red-eared slider".

Hook-nosed sea snake This snake has a fairly wide distribution, and in addition to the Australian continent up to India. Regarding its nature, the opinions of experts are divided. Some describe her as very shy, calm and even obedient, others consider these snakes aggressive and wild. Perhaps, when meeting with her, someone was more fortunate, and someone, respectively.

Kookaburra - laughing bird Kookaburra is a bird whose cry sounds similar to human laughter, but people themselves perceive it differently. Some consider laughter to be a bad harbinger, others believe that it is a good sign, and still others, walking through the thicket of the forest, are simply frightened. At the beginning of the kookaburra's laughter, its harbinger is a quiet chuckle, which quickly develops into a loud guttural laugh heard for several kilometers.

chicken goose Chicken geese were a fairly large population in the early years of the European settlement of the continent. Soon they began to kill them just like that and in large numbers, for fun and "chicken" soup. This continued until the beginning of the 20th century. Then ornithologists, conservationists and the state took the chicken goose under protection. After all, the number of animals began to decrease at an alarming rate. Thoughtless shooting of these birds was prohibited.

Hen ocellated The ocellated chicken is a fairly large bird belonging to the chicken family. Appearance Such a bird weighs approximately 1.5-2 kg, and its body dimensions are from 50 to 60 cm.

Couscous Couscous are remarkable animals that live in Australia. They are not rare, because they live in Australian parks and forests, they easily contact a person, accepting treats and sometimes allowing themselves to be stroked. They are called possums by analogy with the name and external resemblance to American opossums. Today they are presented in 20 types. The bear possum is considered the largest, growing up to 120 cm (with a tail). Its weight can reach 10 kg. This species is in great contrast to another, the smallest species, whose representatives weigh no more than one kilogram.

lyrebirds The lyre bird or lyrebird belongs to the order of passerines. It includes two species of Australian birds. These birds are revered as the national Australian birds, however, despite this, they are rarely found in natural environment this continent, and indeed in nature in general. Male lyrebirds have a huge tail of amazing beauty, thanks to which these birds have gained such wide popularity. The male opens his tail while courting a female or just for display.

A favorite of Australians is the wombat. In Australia, wombats (Vombatidae) are marsupial mammals resembling small teddy bears in appearance. Therefore, they are the closest relatives to koalas.

Malay Krait The Malayan Krait is another very dangerous snake for humans (and not only). The situation is aggravated by the fact that this snake has an extremely unfriendly disposition. Its poison is so strong that even with the timely use of a special vaccine, approximately 50% of bitten victims still die.

Little Australian penguin The little blue penguin (other names are the elf penguin or the little penguin) - from its entire family is a representative of the most small kind, its height is 375-425 mm, fin - 104 mm (average length). Males are larger than females, they have a larger beak. Habitat - the coast of South Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania. The population of this species of penguins is stable, numbering about 500 thousand individuals.

box jellyfish The box jellyfish or wasp jellyfish is a deadly poisonous wasp jellyfish that lives in the coastal waters of the Pacific and Indian oceans and in the seas of northern Australia. The body of a jellyfish has a clear “box” shape 20 by 30 cm, from which translucent tentacles up to 8 m long extend. The average weight reaches 2 kg. The jellyfish stings in a special way: stinging cells are located in its tentacles, which, upon contact with the victim, literally shoot at it with a tightly folded thread. The victim is almost instantly killed by the deadly poison.

Habitats of denison superb The main habitat of the magnificent denison is the southwest of Australia, but occasionally it can be found in the northern part of the island of Tasmania. At the same time, the biotopes she chooses are very diverse. These include mountains, valleys, wetlands and coastal areas. Likes denison and lowlands subject to seasonal floods. That is, this snake prefers those places that are located near the water. Most likely, this is due to the peculiarities of her diet.

Saltwater Australian crocodile The inhabitants of the northern coast of Australia - saltwater crocodiles - are the largest reptiles on the planet. Often they can be found on the mainland. The average length is 4 meters, but there are giants that reach seven meters. The females of these individuals lay about 60 eggs at a time, but only a small part of the young survive to adulthood, the rest die even in natural conditions. The breeding season coincides with the rainy season. A predator by nature, the saltwater crocodile can easily cope in water, and sometimes on land, with a rather large animal, for example, with a water buffalo.

Mulga or brown king This is a poisonous species from the zia family of aspid, living in Australia. Despite its extreme poisonousness, the mulga is not an aggressive snake at all. With the exception of the states of Tasmania and Victoria, the brown king is widely distributed literally throughout the entire Australian territory. Occasionally found in Papua New Guinea

Names of Australian tree frogs There are so many varieties of Australian tree frogs that when they discover one of them, researchers sometimes find it difficult to choose a name for a new species. At the same time, incidents sometimes even occur, as, for example, with white littoria, which are so loved by lovers of home aquaterrariums, and which in fact are not white at all. The confusion occurred "through the fault" of the researcher who described this species, whose name was John White (in translation - white), who gave the name to this species.

Deceptively not too dangerous Australian fauna. It is really specific, because there are few large predators in it, among which the largest, dangerous and nimble dog - the dingo dog - is the brainchild of a modern civilization that later littered the Australian fauna with wild dogs, like, for example, rabbits. Such circumstances may appear to be very harmless, however, this will be an erroneous opinion.

Barramundi perch - a symbol of Australia From time immemorial, barramundi have been caught in wicker traps in Australia. Today this perch is one of the symbols of this country. Barramundi live at a depth of up to 50 m. There are individuals that grow up to a meter long and weigh 15-20 kg. However, the majority of representatives of this population are smaller.

wedge-tailed eagle This is a bird of prey, the length of the body without wings is up to 1 m, the wingspan sometimes exceeds 2 m. It belongs to the largest species of eagles in the world. The color of the feather of an adult is almost black, in young animals it is rusty. There are usually no more than 2 eggs in the nest, both of which are quite rough. At the end of the summer season (or at the beginning of autumn), the female lays her eggs, the nest is on the top of the tree. Until the eggs hatch, the elements of nature rule over them, when the chicks appear, the female remains to protect them, and the male takes care of the food of the family.

Octopus Dumbo The habitat of the Dumbo octopus is off the coast of Australia and Tasmania. The name of this deep-sea octopus is associated with the famous cartoon baby elephant, and this is no coincidence, since it was named after this hero. The reason for this was, of course, the ears of a huge size, which in fact, of course, are not ears at all, but fins. But they stick out on both sides of what the octopus wants to call a head, but in fact is a head-like organ. Be that as it may, this octopus looks impressive, unusual and bright, which greatly distinguishes this sea creature from a number of other various octopuses.

floating snails Snails are often jokingly called "slow-moving" because of their slow movement. Having a rather vulnerable and soft body, having no legs, they are forced to carry their own house on themselves. Such is the fate of all representatives of the animal world, wearing a heavy shell. True, there are snails that move much faster - these are floating snails, these little creatures arrange something akin to a real regatta among themselves.

frilled lizard The frilled lizard is the only species in the genus Chlamydosaurus from the Agamidae family. The homeland of these lizards is the northwestern part of Australia and the southern part of New Guinea. Prefers dry forests and forest-steppes. Frilled lizards can reach a length of 80-100 cm, while females are slightly smaller than males. Their body can have a different color: from yellow to black-brown.

Behavior and lifestyle of denison splendid The lifestyle of denison magnificent is not strictly diurnal. This snake obtains its own food, mainly at night, but is not averse to hunting during the day. The snake spends most of the daylight hours in different shelters - between stones, in cracks in the soil, in small burrows of other animals, etc. If the weather is hot, then the magnificent denison does not appear at all in open space, but leaves its hiding place only with the onset of night coolness. However, like any other cold-blooded creature, she needs ultraviolet light and heat from external sources, for which she usually uses stones heated throughout the day, on which the snake crawls to soak up. As you know, her body is not able to independently regulate its body temperature.

Striped Wallaby Hare The striped wallaby hare, this marsupial mammal, is related to the relatives of the kangaroo. Previously, this animal in various forms was quite common throughout Australia, now only one of its species has survived, living on several islands off the western Australian coast.

Half-fingered goose The clawed goose is the only species of the family Anseranatidae belonging to the order Anseriformes. It can also be classified as a separate genus belonging to the duck family. In the wild, it is most often found on the territory of the Australian continent. This species of geese is found in New Guinea, as well as in Tasmania and northeast Australia. But at the same time, the half-fingered goose has common features with the clawed geese from South America. These are, first of all, rather long paws and neck, as well as reduced membranes.

Possum The name "possum", which immediately evokes associations with the name of the opossum, actually derived from it in some way. Captain J. Cook, who discovered this animal, immediately noticed that he was very reminiscent of the American opossum. But he made a mistake in the report and wrote “possum”, and since these animals really belong to different groups, zoologists left this historical “typo”, and small representatives of the Phalangeridae family were called possums.

Why did the marsupial wolf become extinct? You will not believe it, but the Australians, their ruling majority, simply did not like it, after which, at first, they strongly pressed it, and then completely destroyed it when they were completely tired of it. Everything is so simple in relation to the description of this issue.

freshwater crocodile The Australian freshwater crocodile (Johnston's crocodile) belongs to the family of true crocodiles. This is an inhabitant of fresh water in northern Australia. This is a relatively small species of crocodiles, even males rarely grow more than 2.5 m, except perhaps at the age of 25-30 years. The length of the female is 2.1 m. A very narrow muzzle with sharp teeth, which can be from 68 to 72.

Rainbow (multicolor) lorikeet Lorikeet is a bird belonging to the parrot family. The habitat, in the predominant majority, is the island of Tasmania and Australia (its eastern and northern parts). Size Total length - 30 cm, wingspan reach 17 cm, weight - no more than 130 grams. External description The owner of a bright color: bluish-lilac head, orange beak, abdomen and front neck region - blue (dark) color. On the neck of the bird there is a bright yellow belt, the breast is red in the center and orange along the side lines. The back, wings and tail (its upper part) are painted dark green.

rainbow lorikeet This unusually beautiful parrot was called rainbow for a reason. Here you can find, perhaps, all the colors of the famous saying about the pheasant that the hunter is looking for. In total, there are about sixty species of Lori parrots, but the rainbow lorikeet is the most colorful of them, despite the fact that they all have a rather bright color. Translated from the Dutch language, the word "lorie" itself is translated as "clown". However, as strange as it may seem. But bright plumage is required for this parrot not at all in order to attract attention to itself.

Paradise Bird Birds of paradise are probably the most beautiful birds in the world, but they are considered relatives of our crows. Now this genus has almost fifty of their varieties living on the Australian mainland.

Horntooth Horntooth is a large lungfish, a member of the Ceratodontidae family. Its massive, laterally compressed body reaches a length of 175 cm and weighs up to 10 kg. The scales are very large, and the fins are quite fleshy. Horntooth has a uniform color from reddish-brown to bluish-gray, somewhat lighter on the sides. The belly may be whitish silver or light yellow.

fish drop This is one of those creatures that are found, in general, only in Australia, more precisely, in its coastal waters. Especially, a lot of these eerily strange fish are found near the island formation called Tasmania. Seeing them these days is getting less and less, and not only because the drops are residents not just sea ​​depths, and their very bottom, but also due to the fact that they are getting smaller.

light hawk The light hawk is widely distributed in Australia, mainly in its northern and eastern parts. This bird of prey lives in forests and often nests near rivers. The length of her body is about half a meter, the wingspan can reach one meter. Males are much smaller than females.

light hawk A predatory inhabitant of the forests of northern and eastern Australia, the light hawk is a typical representative of the genus of true hawks from the hawk family. It has relatively short, round wings, a long tail, and relatively long legs. In length, the light hawk reaches 44 - 55 cm, and the wingspan is 72 -101 cm. This species has very pronounced sexual dimorphism, the growth of males does not exceed 65% of the size of females.

blue ringed octopus The most poisonous invertebrate that lives in the seas and oceans is the blue-ringed octopus - a cephalopod about 20 cm long (with tentacles). You can meet him in the tropical coastal waters of the Australian mainland, Indonesia, the Philippines and Guinea.

blue-tongued skink The blue-tongued common skink (or tiliqua) is a large lizard belonging to the skink family, the length of which is up to 50 cm. It has a wide, flattened and long body covered with large smooth scales. The powerful and large head of the skink is equipped with no less powerful jaws. The limbs of the animal are five-fingered, short. The tail, which accounts for almost 60% of the length of the entire body of the lizard, is thick and, oddly enough, short. The coloration of the blue-tongued skink varies depending on its species.

Deadly viper snake There are three subclasses of Australian death snakes: fire, viper and New Guinea. Each of them settles in its own separate habitat. The viper-like snake is found everywhere on the mainland, except for the cold regions of the southeast coast and the desert of the central part. Prefers rainforests, hills overgrown with cereals, coffee plantations. More active at night, mostly on land. During the daytime, the viper snake is very secretive. Either she sits in ambush, where it is almost impossible to notice her, or she rests in a secluded place.

Laughing kookaburra The laughing kookaburra is also known as the giant kingfisher. This bird belongs to the category of predators, has a medium size and a rather dense physique. The wingspan is up to 45 cm, weighs an average of half a kilo. The head of the kookaburra is slightly disproportionately large for the body, the beak is long. This species differs from other kookaburras in plumage with a predominance of gray-brown and off-white tones.

Marsupial wolf, or thylacine The marsupial wolf, or thylacine, is an incredible animal, the last representative of which died in 1936 at the Hobart Zoo. The homeland of the thylacine is Australia, from where it was displaced three thousand years ago by dingo dogs brought there by settlers. Thylacine belongs to the order of carnivorous marsupials of the class of marsupial mammals. Its representatives constitute a separate family of marsupial wolves. With its appearance, the thylacine resembles representatives of the canine family (dogs, wolves, and others), but if you look closely at its appearance and movements, it becomes obvious that the thylacine has nothing to do with dogs. The front part of its body resembles that of a dog, and the back part resembles a marsupial.

marsupial mole The marsupial mole is a blind animal that leads an underground life. It rarely rises to the surface and only after the rainy season. Despite their blindness, marsupial moles have vestigial eyes that can cry instead of seeing. They serve this animal as a means of washing the nostrils after digging underground tunnels and passages.

Marsupial anteater or nambat The marsupial anteater, another name for nambat, belongs to the family of marsupial anteaters. Habitat - Western Australia. Nambats live mainly in acacia and eucalyptus forests, as well as in dry woodlands. The animal is small in size, the body length ranges from 17 to 27 cm, and the tail size is about 17 cm. An adult animal weighs up to 550 g. The muzzle is pointed, large eyes, a small mouth, and a fluffy tail.

taipan The very mention of taipan causes considerable horror among Australians living in the northeast of the mainland. Of all the snakes that live in Australia, among which there are many poisonous ones, this one is the most terrible. Also found in New Guinea. Every year there are cases of taipan bites of people, after which not a single victim survives. Fortunately, this terrible snake lives in sparsely populated areas, and yet tragedies do occur from time to time.

Tasmanian devil The Tasmanian devil, whether the marsupial devil, the marsupial devil is a mammal of the carnivorous marsupial family. The black color of his coat, a huge mouth with sharp fangs, terrible screams at night and a ferocious temper secured him the name "devil" given by the first European settlers. The conducted phylogenetic analysis proved the close relationship tasmanian devil and quolls, the devil has a more distant relationship with the marsupial wolf thylacine.

tiger snake The distribution range of the tiger snake is Australia, New Guinea and the island of Tasmania. It's not just deadly poisonous snake, its poison is considered one of the strongest and most dangerous to humans. The coloration is different, from olive to dark brown, sometimes there are varieties with transverse stripes. And on the island of Tasmania, the tiger snake is generally black.

Tiger snake - lifestyle and habitats The tiger snake deserves to be one of the most prominent representatives aspid family. With its length (1.5-2 meters), it is inferior to the taipan, but its poisonousness is ahead of not only it. According to herpetologists, of all existing land snakes, this large Australian snake has the strongest poison. She is on the 5th place in the list of all poisonous snakes in the world. Small animals from her bite die instantly. And given that representatives of this species are distributed in large numbers throughout almost the entire territory of the Australian mainland (with the exception of Darwin and the regions located to the north of it), then it can be considered the most dangerous snake.

Platypus One of the most amazing and mysterious animals on earth: on the one hand, it is very similar to a waterfowl due to its paws and beak, on the other hand, to an animal due to its body covered with hair. The unusualness of the platypus is striking. His image combines the views of several other animals. For example, it resembles a duck with its nose (although it is a snout covered with skin with nerve endings, adapted for food extraction), and with a tail it resembles a beaver, its paws have membranes, as in waterfowl.

Firs - dangerous but peaceful Another of the extremely poisonous snakes that live in Australia is the firs. Its habitat is small, it is a desert region in the middle of the Australian continent. Despite the fact that its poison is extremely toxic and one dose can kill a hundred people, loud "glory" bypassed this deadly dangerous snake side. The reason for this is that the firs live extremely secretively, far from human settlements, so their chance meetings are practically excluded. If such a meeting for some reason (O ubiquitous man!) took place, then the firs will do everything to avoid closer contact. But if a person leaves her no other way out, and this contact takes place, then the outcome is known.

Frigate bird of war The bird with the name "Frigate" is considered the closest relative of cormorants and pelicans. Now five species of this amazing bird are distinguished, the most interesting of them is the magnificent frigate, the bird is large and very beautiful.

fruit dove The spotted purple-breasted pigeon (or Wompoo, called the fruit pigeon) is found in New Guinea and, for the most part, in Australia. The habitat is lowland tropical forests, where palm trees grow in large numbers. This is the east coast of Australia from the central part of New South Wales and all the way to Cape York. Sometimes a fruit dove can also be found within the city. Its appearance is incredibly beautiful, females and males have plumage almost the same.

Proboscis head couscous One of the detachment of the two-bladed family of marsupial mammals, the only one of its kind - Proboscis head couscous otherwise - honey badger possum. Its habitat is the southwestern coastal region (Western Australia), bushland and sparse forests. In cold weather, it hibernates. It feeds on the nectar of flowers and pollen, which it gets from the bud thanks to the muzzle extended into the proboscis and the long tongue (protruding 2.5 cm), covered with bristle-like long papillae. To the tail, the length of the Possum honey badger is 7-8 cm, the tail itself is about 10 cm, the total weight of the animal is 13-17 grams. The tail is long and bare, the coat of the animal is short, coarse, gray in color with three longitudinal brown stripes, one strip along the spine from the back of the head to the tail. The other two stripes are located on the pale orange sides at the level of the shoulder-thigh line.

Crested Grebe Grebe (great grebe) is a waterfowl, a member of the grebe family. This bird is smaller than a duck, its appearance is extraordinary - it has a thin neck, a straight and somewhat elongated beak. The color of the feathers on the back is reddish-brown, on the head, neck and belly is white. Only in spring, with a new plumage, two bunches of dark-colored feathers, similar to ears, grow on the head of the grebe, and around the neck there is a red-coloured plumage in the form of a collar. By winter, these decorations disappear until next spring.

Shalashnik - a skillful decorator During the mating season, many birds change significantly and become very original - spread their tails, sing, dance or arrange battles. But the male bowerbird, without too much fuss, knows how to show that he is the real man.

Schindleria In the same ocean that washes the shores of Australia, the largest animal living on the planet lives, and the tiniest marine trifle, such as the Schindleria, swims. Everything about this creature is measured in small quantities - weight - in milligrams, size - in millimeters, and short life - in weeks.

Emu The Emu bird is quite large and looks like an ostrich, which is why these birds used to be called Australian ostriches. Today, after numerous studies it has been proven that Emu can be attributed to the cassowaries. Although Emu looks like an ostrich, but in size it is much inferior to him. The height of an adult bird ranges from 150 to 180 cm, weight is in the range of 35-50 kg. As for the peculiar features, Emu simply does not have them. For example, the same ostrich has two-toed paws, etc. Outwardly, it looks like an ordinary bird.

Echiopsis Bardika Echiopsis Bardik is an inhabitant of the Southwestern part of Australia, which can sometimes be found in the Eastern States. These snakes show the greatest activity in spring, but during rainy summer they do not reduce it even in autumn. Echiopsis Bardika is a stocky snake no more than 71 cm long, with a wide head and a keel raised along the back. The color range is quite wide: from gray to brown in different shades, in some cases there are small dark spots. On the neck and around the mouth are good fault white scales. Echiopsis are nocturnal animals, but can also hunt at dusk or on cloudy days. These snakes are viviparous, females have from 3 to 15 cubs per year.

Yabiru The species of black-necked storks belongs to the stork family. Its representatives live in the north of Australia in water or swampy places. The local population calls the black-necked stork "yabiru", although this name bears a separate genus of storks living in South America. The Australian yabiru is a large bird, reaching a length of up to 150 cm, its wingspan is 230 cm, and its average weight is 4-5 kg. The black-necked stork has a very spectacular color: the whole body is white, only the head, neck, wing edge and tail are jet black with purple,

Violent snake venom When bitten by a cruel snake, there are practically no visual changes left at the site of the lesion, neither redness nor swelling. But the venom of this snake, like other snakes belonging to the species of asps, has a neurotoxic effect on humans (and animals). The victim dies quickly due to paralysis of the respiratory system and the entire nervous system generally.

Poisonous and dangerous arthropods "Wolf spiders" live on the outskirts of Australian cities, with dozens of their varieties. They are most common in gardens, where flies are hunted in old fallen leaves. These spiders are relatively small and not aggressive. However, gardeners can quite often get into their living space. The bites of these spiders lead to local necrosis (necrosis) and swelling of the skin. At the sites of their bites, very painful sores can sometimes appear. They are usually treated with antibiotics, systemic and topical vasodilators, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

Moloch lizard Horned Devil (or Moloch) - the name of a species of lizard with a frightening appearance, belonging to the Agam family, is common in Australia - in its western and central sandy semi-deserts and deserts. With a body length of 22 cm, it has a rather small head, a glossy and wide body, covered with horn-type curved and short spines of various sizes. Spikes are also located in the area of ​​the cushion-shaped outgrowth on the neck and above the eyes, which gives the muzzle of the Moloch a frightening look.

12/21/2009 Snakes

marsupial mole

Kalong, the flying dog The Great Bat (Pteropus vampyrus) is the world's second largest bat by weight, and has the largest wingspan. The Latin name for the species is P. vampyrus, however, this animal is not a vampire, this bat is what is called the megabat or the great fruit bat. They are sometimes called flying foxes; however, they have no direct relation to foxes and only resemble them in passing in appearance. The large flying dog has a wingspan of seven feet (2 meters), and a weight of 3 pounds (1.5 kg), has small pointed ears, large eyes, and resembles a fox in appearance.

Ornithoptera priam Ornithoptera priam (Ornithoptera priamus) is a widespread species of butterfly in Australia and Oceania (eastern New Guinea - Solomon islands south of Australia).

Giant Australian cuttlefish The giant Australian cuttlefish (Sepia apama) can be found in waters from less than one meter deep to probably around 100 m in southern and eastern Australia.

Australia. The capital is Canberra. Area - 7682 thousand square meters. km. Percentage of land area the globe- 5%. Population - 19.73 million people (2003). The population density is 2.5 people per 1 sq. km. km. The share of the world population is 0.3%. The highest point is Mount Kosciuszko (2228 m above sea level), the lowest is Lake. Air (16 m below sea level). The length of the coastline is 36,700 km (including Tasmania). The northernmost point is Cape York. The southernmost point is Cape Yugo-Vostochny. The easternmost point is Cape Byron. The westernmost point is Steep Point. Administrative division: 6 states and 2 territories. National holiday - Australia Day, 26 January. National anthem: "Forward, beautiful Australia!"

Mainland Australia is separated by Bass Strait 240 km wide from about. Tasmania in the southeast and the Torres Strait 145 km wide from about. New Guinea in the northeast. The shortest distance from Australia to Indonesia via the Timor Sea is 480 km, and to New Zealand via the Tasman Sea 1930 km.

Australia extends 3180 km from north to south and 4000 km from east to west, or from 10°41 to 43°39S. and from 113°9 to 153°39 E This is the smallest continent: its total area, including the island of Tasmania, is 7682.3 thousand square meters. km. The length of the coastline is 36,700 km. In the north, the Gulf of Carpentaria juts deep into the land, and in the south, the Great Australian Gulf.

Although the Australian mainland is one of the oldest in the world, it has been isolated from other land masses for a long time and therefore many unique animals have survived there, including various marsupials (for example, kangaroos and koalas) and egg-laying ones (platypus and echidna).

Probably, the first settlers of Australia migrated from the north 40-60 thousand years ago. Europeans discovered this continent only at the beginning of the 17th century. England declared it its colony in 1770. The first English settlement was founded in 1788.

The descendants of the indigenous people were moved during the colonial period to special areas - reservations, and their number is currently approx. 375 thousand people, or 2% of the total population of the country. Currently, Australia has almost 19 million people, of whom 72% are Anglo-Celts, 17% are other Europeans and 6% are Asians. About 21% of current Australians are not native to this country and another 21% are descendants of second-generation immigrants who have at least one parent who was not a native of this country.

Australia has a high level of development of agriculture and mining industry and is one of the main suppliers of coal, gold, wheat and iron ore to the world market. The manufacturing industry is also highly developed, but it is mainly focused on the domestic market. Australia imports a lot of cars, equipment (computers, communications equipment, and other products of the chemical industry).

Australia has a federal system of government. A national government was created in 1901 on the basis of an agreement to form a federation of six states. Among them are New South Wales (area 801.6 thousand sq. km; population 6.3 million people), Victoria (227.6 thousand sq. km and 4.6 million people), Queensland (1727.2 thousand sq. km and 3.4 million people), South Australia (984 thousand sq. km and 1.5 million people), Western Australia (2525.5 thousand sq. km and 1.8 million people ) and Tasmania (67.8 thousand sq. km and 0.5 million people). There are also two territories which, according to the constitution, are under the jurisdiction of the central government, but are acquiring ever greater rights of self-government, approaching the level of the states. These are the Northern Territory (1346.2 thousand sq. km and 0.2 million people) and the Australian Capital Territory (2.4 thousand sq. km and 0.3 million people), where the city of Canberra is located - the capital of the country and seat of government.

Australia owns the Cocos Islands and Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean, the Norfolk Islands, Lord Howe and the Coral Sea Islands in pacific ocean, Heard and McDonald Islands in Antarctic waters. Australia owned the southeastern part of New Guinea (Papua Territory) and administered the northeastern part of this island (UN Trust Territory New Guinea) until 1975, when both territories became the independent state of Papua New Guinea. Australia claims land in Antarctica with a total area of ​​6120 thousand square meters. km, which, however, is not recognized by the parties to the 1961 Antarctic Treaty.

Australia is an unusually compact landmass. Since the processes of mountain building during the last few geological periods were not as active there as on many other continents, the mountains that formed during the earlier periods were subjected to strong weathering and erosion. 75% of the territory of the mainland is located in the altitude range from 150 to 460 m above sea level. and only 7% are raised more than 600 m. The general range of heights ranges from 16 m below sea level. at Lake Eyre up to 2228 m a.s.l. on the town of Kosciuszko in the Snowy Mountains in the southeast of New South Wales.

Geological history.

Many facts convince us that for most of the geological history, Australia, along with South America, Africa, Antarctica and India, was part of the large "supercontinent" Gondwana. About 160 million years ago, Gondwana split into parts, and its fragments, which became the continents, "moved" to their current positions. Thus, during a long early period, the evolution of the continent proceeded in full accordance with the development of other land masses in the Southern Hemisphere.

The western part of the Australian mainland is made up of one of the six ancient stable shields of the Earth, formed at the end of the Precambrian (more than 570 million years). Precambrian igneous and metamorphic rocks are represented here, partly overlain by younger sandstones, shales and limestones. At the end of the Precambrian, a long trough, the Adelaide geosyncline, formed on the eastern margin of the shield, into which sediments were discharged during the Early Paleozoic. In the Precambrian, gold, uranium, manganese, iron and other ores were deposited.

At the beginning of the Paleozoic era (570-225 million years), a chain of mountains formed at the site of the Adelaide geosyncline - the core of the Flinders Range, and a much larger Tasmanian geosyncline formed at the site of the mountains of Eastern Australia. Thick strata of various sediments accumulated in this trough in the Paleozoic, although sedimentation was sometimes interrupted by local mountain building accompanied by volcanism. Some parts of the shield were sometimes also subjected to marine transgressions. The Permian period (280–225 Ma) was of particular importance, since then thick coal seams accumulated in the Bowen and Sydney basins and most of the ore deposits of Eastern Australia were formed, containing gold, tin, silver, lead and copper.

During the Mesozoic era (225-65 million years), the mountains of Eastern Australia rose on the site of the Paleozoic marine basins. Between this elevated land in the east and the shield in the west - where the Central Lowlands are now located - there was a wide sea strait in which thick layers of interbedded sandstones and shales were deposited. A slight uplift in the Jurassic (190-135 million years) led to the creation of a number of such isolated basins as Carpentaria, Great Artesian, Murray and Gipsland. In the Cretaceous (135–65 Ma), these lowlands and some parts of the shield were flooded by shallow marine basins. The Mesozoic era played important role, since at that time sandstone strata accumulated, which became the aquifers of the Great Artesian Basin, and in other areas - reservoirs of oil and natural gas; at the same time, layers of bituminous coal were formed in the basins in the east of the mainland.

In Cenozoic time (the last 65 million years), the main contours of the mainland took shape, although the Central Lowlands remained partially flooded by the sea until the end of the Paleogene (about 25 million years). At this time there were eruptions of volcanoes, located in a chain from Bass Strait to northern Queensland, and as a result, huge masses of basaltic lava poured out over a large part of Eastern Australia. Due to a slight uplift at the end of the Paleogene, the development of marine transgressions on the mainland ceased, and the latter acquired a connection with New Guinea and Tasmania. Further changes in the earth's surface in the Neogene predetermined the current appearance of the mainland, in the state of Victoria and in the east of Queensland there were outpourings of basalts, some manifestations of volcanic activity continued in the Quaternary period, which began ca. 1.8 million years ago.

The most important events of this period are associated with fluctuations in the level of the World Ocean, due to changes in the volume of ice sheets in other parts of the world. The ocean level dropped so much that land bridges were established between Australia, New Guinea and Tasmania. It reached its present position about 5000–6000 years ago. With the rise in the level of the World Ocean, the valleys of many coastal rivers were flooded, and subsequently the best ports of Australia were created there. The Great Barrier Reef, the largest in the world, was also formed in the Quaternary period, stretching for 2000 km from north to south from Cape York along the east coast of Queensland. The lignite deposits of southeastern Victoria and the thick deposits of bauxite were formed in the Tertiary period.

natural areas.

The appearance of the landscapes of Australia is mainly determined by vast monotonous plains and plateaus, less common undulating hills and dissected table plateaus, as well as marshy river valleys, which often dry up completely. As a result geological development Australia turned out to be clearly divided into three unequal physiographic regions. More than half of the entire area of ​​​​the mainland is occupied by the Western Plateau with a leveled surface, worked out mainly in ancient granite and metamorphic rocks. The mountains of Eastern Australia, covering one sixth of the area of ​​the mainland, are distinguished by the most diverse and rugged relief. Between these two areas are the Central Lowlands, a wide open corridor of approx. 2.6 million sq. km, stretching from the Gulf of Carpentaria to the Gulf of Spencer.

western plateau, sometimes called the Australian Shield, includes all of Western Australia, nearly all of the Northern Territory, and over half of South Australia. Most of the deserts and salt lakes, mysterious rocks and bizarre hills, as well as many mines are located here. This region is sparsely populated. Its most striking feature is the monotonous nature of the relief, the result of prolonged weathering and erosion. Most of the plateau is located at altitudes from 300 to 900 m above sea level, and many peaks are isolated remnants, remnants of denuded strata. The highest point is Mount Zeal (1510 m) in the McDonnell Mountains. The coastal plains are discontinuous and usually narrow. At least half of this vast area receives less than 250 mm of precipitation per year, and only in the northern and southwestern fringes does the amount of precipitation exceed 635 mm. Due to the scarcity of precipitation and the general flattening of the relief in the inner parts of the region, there are very few rivers, and even those that exist do not reach the sea. Numerous lakes shown on the maps are usually dry salt marshes or clayey crusts, centers of internal watersheds. Most rivers, even confined to the outskirts of the mainland, dry up and are characterized by significant seasonal fluctuations in flow.

The inner part of the region is predominantly a flat or slightly undulating surface, occasionally interrupted by rocky ridges and remnants. There are four most deserted areas: the Great Sandy Desert, the Tanami Desert, the Gibson Desert and the Great Victoria Desert. There are thousands of parallel ridges of red sand from 9 to 15 m high and up to 160 km long. The most significant landforms in the interior of the area are the McDonnell Mountains in Alice Springs County and the Musgrave Mountains on the border of the Northern Territory and South Australia. The most famous peaks located to the west and northwest of the Musgrave Mountains are Olga, Ayers Rock and Conner. On most of the Western Plateau, the vegetation cover is sparse and consists mainly of grasses, tree-like acacias and desert shrubs; after a rain, herbaceous vegetation begins to grow for a short time.

The southern margin of the plateau is the Nullarbor Plain, composed of thick strata of almost horizontal marine limestone up to 245 m thick. Steep, often sheer limestone ledges with a relative height of up to 60 m begin near Cape Fowler in South Australia and extend to the west for more than 965 km. This plain extends inland for 240 km, gradually rising to almost 300 m. The flat surface of the Nullarbor Plain can be traced along the route of the transcontinental railway, which is perfectly straight for 480 km. The area receives only 200 mm of precipitation per year, which easily seeps into the limestone. There are no lakes and surface runoff, but thanks to underground runoff, bizarre labyrinths of caves and underground galleries have formed, furrowing limestone. Due to the lack of water and the scarcity of vegetation, the Nullarbor Plain is one of the most deserted corners of the mainland. Located within the Northern Territory, the Barkley Plateau with an area of ​​129.5 thousand square meters. km - another significant leveled surface, at least in some places underlain by limestone. In fact, it is a wide open gently undulating plain with an average height of 260 m. Approx. 380 mm of precipitation. This is enough for the existence of natural pastures - the basis of an extensive livestock farming.

The most dissected relief within the shield is the Kimberley region in the north of Western Australia, where high ridges, intensely crumpled into folds, receive more than 750 mm of precipitation per year. The peninsula of Arnhem Land (Northern Territory), which is an uplifted block broken by unusually long and straight fissures, is also heavily dissected, although most of it is located at altitudes below 300 m. The vegetation in both areas is eucalyptus forests interspersed with extensive savannahs.

There are two regions on the Western Plateau that have an important economic importance. The southwestern outskirts is the only part of the shield where the climate and soils are favorable for the development of agriculture. They raise sheep and grow wheat, fruits, grapes and vegetables. It supplies agricultural products to Perth, the only major city on the entire plateau. Pilbara, located at a distance from the coastal settlements of Dampier and Port Hedland, is an elevated, highly dissected part of the plateau with an average height of about 750 m. Huge reserves of high-quality iron ore are concentrated here.

Mountains of Eastern Australia.

Along the eastern coast of Australia from Cape York to central Victoria and further to Tasmania, inclusive, there is an elevated strip with a width of 80 to 445 km and an area of ​​1295 thousand square meters. km. The traditional name - the Great Dividing Range - does not correspond to reality, because there is no continuous ridge, only occasionally forms similar to ridges are found, and nowhere are there truly significant heights. Although in fact it is in this region that the main watershed of the mainland, which has a submeridional strike, is located, in many places it is poorly expressed in the relief. With the exception of the Cape York Peninsula, the bedrock of the area originated from sediments deposited in the Tasmanian geosyncline from the Early Paleozoic to the Cretaceous and overlain by thick volcanic sequences.

Within the mountains of Eastern Australia, the heights fluctuate greatly and reach their lowest values ​​​​on the coastal plain, which continuously frames the east and southeast coasts. The width of these plains everywhere, except for the estuarine sections of the rivers, does not exceed 16 km. Low hills often rise above the surface, and between the plain and the steep, seaward slopes that mark the edge of the mountains, there is often a pronounced zone of hills several kilometers wide. The outer mountain slopes are much steeper than the slopes facing inland, and in some places such side spurs rise very close to the Pacific coast, ending in steep headlands. In the north, the highest points are on the eastern edge of the Atherton Plateau, where the top of Bartle Freer reaches 1622 m. However, south of these places, up to Brisbane, there are very few heights above 600 m above sea level, and the average background of the elevations does not exceed 300 m. Then the heights increase again to about 1500 m in the New England range and are about 750 m in the Blue Mountains, and in the Snowy Mountains they reach 2228 m, the highest on the mainland.

The mountains of Eastern Australia have two distinct runoff systems. Most of the rivers flowing to the ocean coast have a constant flow. Many of them start to the west of the axial zone of the mountains, and their drainage basins have a complex configuration. Some rivers have carved deep gorges, and there are favorable opportunities for the construction of reservoirs and power plants. South of Toowoomba on the opposite side of the mountains, the westward flowing rivers form part of the mainland's largest drainage basin, the Murray and Darling. They begin less than 160 km from the eastern coast, and many of them have a constant current only in the upper reaches.

On the Cape York Peninsula, the northernmost part of the Eastern Australian Highlands, the watershed is located 25–30 km from the eastern coast at altitudes of 500–600 m. Vegetation is mainly dense eucalyptus forests interspersed with dense rainforests.

The northernmost leveled surface of the mountainous region, the Atherton plateau with an area of ​​​​31 thousand square meters. km, rises to the west of Cairns. The transition from the surface of the plateau with altitudes of 900–1200 m to the tropical coastal plain is characterized by steep slopes, and moisture-carrying winds blowing from the ocean bring quite a lot of precipitation to this area. On its dissected surface, fertile volcanic soils are developed, on which dense moist forests used to grow. Until now, areas of forests made of valuable hardwoods have been preserved here. However, most of them have been cut down, and the surface of the plateau has been cultivated.

South of the Atherton Plateau, the watershed deviates inland, but its average heights are only approx. 600 m up to the Hughenden area, where any resemblance to the highlands is lost. Then, for over 800 km, the watershed is the farthest from the eastern coast of Australia (more than 400 km). The Bowen Basin has a large concentration of coking coal. To the west of Toowoomba, fertile volcanic soils spread within the gently undulating Darling Downs favor crop production. This is the most developed agricultural area of ​​Queensland.

For 525 km between Toowoomba and the Hunter Valley, the band of mountains of Eastern Australia widens and their height rises. Here is the New England Plateau, the largest and most dissected of the plateau-like uplifts in the mountain strip. Its area is approx. 41.4 thousand sq. km. The flattened hilly surface in some places rises to 1600 m above sea level. Within the plateau, the watershed is 70–130 km from the eastern coast, and the distance from the highest points to the sea does not exceed 32 km. The descent to the narrow and often hilly coastal plain is steep, the slopes are covered with moderately humid forest. Most of the primary eucalyptus forests and meadows have been cleared for pasture.

The blue mountains with steep eastern slopes rise above the coastal plain of Cumberland, located to the west of Sydney. Under the influence of erosion of the Shoalhaven and Hawkesbury rivers, picturesque gorges and waterfalls were formed. This area, still largely covered by dense eucalyptus forests, is of great recreational importance. The main part of the mountains is 1200–1350 m above sea level. removed 160 km from the coast and concentrated around the city of Bathurst, which occupies a wide basin. Further south, the lower mountains are concentrated around the town of Goulburn. Canberra is located on the southern edge of a rolling plateau, most of which is used for sheep pasture.

The highest part of the mountains of Eastern Australia forms an arc of 290 km south and southwest of Canberra. Although this area is called the Australian Alps, even its highest peaks, rising above 1850 m, are simply the remnants of ancient structures that rise above the steps of a heavily dissected plateau. However, in some places the surface has a very rugged character. The Snowy Mountains are the only area on the mainland that receives significant snowfall every year. It is home to the Snowy Mountains waterworks system, which supplies water for power generation and irrigation of the Murray and Murrumbidgee valleys. On the slopes of the mountains facing inland, the forests of the lower belt have been cut down, and the vacated land is widely used for sheep pastures, while in the upper belt of mountains and on the steep slopes facing the sea, dense eucalyptus forests still remain. The upper border of the forest here reaches 1850 m above sea level, alpine meadows spread higher. To the south of the main belt of mountains in the state of Victoria is the Gippsland region - a heavily dissected zone of foothills, once covered with dense temperate forest. Most of this territory is now used for arable land and pastures. Nevertheless, the sawmill industry is still developed here. In Victoria, a strip of mountains stretches from east to west almost to the border with the state of South Australia, with heights everywhere of about 900 m. This is a thriving area for livestock and wheat growing.

Tasmania, along with the large islands in Bass Strait, is a continuation of the East Australian mountain range. This is a hilly plateau with average heights from 900 to 1200 m, above which individual peaks rise another 150–395 m. There are several large shallow lakes and many small ones on the plateau, some lakes are used for hydroelectric purposes. The central plateau is surrounded by dissected areas cut by rivers that originate in the hinterland; individual southwestern areas are almost unexplored. Dense temperate forests grow in the west and south, but have been cleared along the north coast and in the low-lying corridor between Launceston and Hobart. Fruit is grown on the island, mainly apples, and sheep are raised.

Central lowlands.

Approximately one third of the entire area of ​​Australia is occupied by the Central Lowlands, which form a wide open corridor between the mountains of Eastern Australia and the Western Plateau. Structurally, this is a system of depressions filled with sedimentary strata that overlap deeply submerged crystalline basement rocks. Along the periphery of the lowlands, and in some places within the lowlands themselves, are the ridges of Mount Lofty, Flinders and the Great Dividing Range. These are the remains of ancient mountain structures, around which younger sediments were deposited. The flatness of the relief and the lack of precipitation are the most striking features of the lowlands. They very rarely rise above 300 m above sea level, and in many places do not reach even 150 m. The highest areas are where the lowlands approach the Flinders Range and the mountains of Eastern Australia. The area of ​​about 10.4 thousand square meters. km around Lake Eyre, including the lake itself, is located below sea level. The surface of the lowland is mostly monotonous and slightly undulating; only flat-topped and steeply sloping erosional remnants rise several tens of meters above it. Most of this region receives less than 380 mm of precipitation annually, and in the driest region of Australia - in the vicinity of Lake Eyre - the average annual precipitation does not exceed 125 mm. Low watersheds divide the lowlands into three main basins. In central Queensland, a vaguely defined watershed ridge stretches from the mountains of Eastern Australia to the Western Plateau, separating the plain off the coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria from the basin of Lake Eyre. Further east, an equally low watershed separates the Murray and Darling Basins.

The flat and flat Carpentary Lowland has a clear boundary in the west with the rugged Cloncurry-Mount Isa region, composed of highly mineralized basement rocks, and in the east with the mountains of Eastern Australia. At a distance of about 480 km south of the Gulf of Carpentaria, the southern border of the plain is a low watershed ridge. The Gilbert, Flinders, Leikhardt rivers, having gentle longitudinal profiles, flow into the bay. During floods, large areas of the plain are flooded. The soils of the region are favorable for the growth of eucalyptus woodlands and meadows. This plain receives the most rainfall of any other part of the Central Lowlands. At the same time, on the watershed, the average annual precipitation is 380 mm, and on the coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria - 970 mm. The coastal plain is mainly used for pasture for cattle.

South of the watershed, the lowlands cover southern Queensland and northeastern South Australia. Their greatest length from north to south is approximately 1130 km, and from west to east - 1200 km. All this vast territory is characterized by internal runoff and is divided into several drainage basins. The largest of them is the basin of Lake Eyre with an area of ​​1143.7 thousand square meters. km. It includes most of the Simpson Desert and is fed by numerous intermittent rivers. The slopes here are so small that the rivers literally spread out on the surface, and then reappear, sometimes under a different name. In this way, Thomson and Barco, starting in the mountains of Eastern Australia, give rise to Cooper Creek, Diamantina with the main tributaries Hamilton and Georgina turn into Warburton. Rarely, runoff from the Western Plateau can reach Lake Eyre via the Makamba and Niles rivers. Usually these streams are a labyrinth of dry channels, bordered by thickets of eucalyptus. Randomly occurring deep sections of channels form valuable permanent catchment funnels. Runoff in such channels is not every year. But when this happens, there is no doubt a connection with tropical rainfall, sometimes very intense, falling in the higher regions located to the north and east. The resulting floods are widely dispersed throughout the area, and it can take weeks before the water flows downstream. Such floods cause abundant growth of grasses on pastures, but this is only a temporary phenomenon that cannot be counted on. The lowlands, located at the junction of South Australia and Queensland, are used for pasture, and the area around Lake Eyre remains in a de facto natural state. A significant part of this area is part of the Great Artesian Basin, and there pastures are provided with water.

In the southeastern part of the Central Lowlands is the Murray and Darling Basin, which is the mainland's largest drainage system. It is a vast low-lying area, drained by rivers with very irregular flows. Despite large area drained lands (1072.8 thousand sq. km) and a large length of the main rivers, the volume of runoff in this system is small. The Murray and Darling Rivers, originating in the mountains of Eastern Australia, flow west and southwest through low-lying areas where precipitation is low and evaporation is high. These factors, combined with intensive meandering of the channels, lead to a decrease in discharges in most of the river flow.

The area drained by the Darling River is mainly used for sheep pasture, but in the eastern parts, sheep farming is combined with crop farming. The Riverine area, located between the Lachlan and Murray rivers, along with land along the lower Murray and its tributaries in Victoria, is Australia's most important livestock and grain farming area. The relief and soils there are favorable for large-scale irrigation. The largest areas of irrigated land are concentrated between the Murrumbidgee and Lachlan rivers (the Murrumbidgee irrigation system), in the part of the Murray Basin located in New South Wales (the Riverine irrigation system) and in Victoria (the Goulburn-Campaspe-Loddon system). In addition, there are several small areas of irrigated land on the lower reaches of the Murray. In these areas, cattle are bred and fruits, grapes and vegetables are grown. With the introduction of the Snowy Mountains hydropower system, an additional transfer of runoff to the Murray and Murrumbidgee basin was carried out, and there it was possible to expand the area of ​​irrigated land. However, water is still not enough to irrigate all the lands.

Because much of the mainland receives little rainfall, and the main watershed is shifted closer to the east coast, Australia's drainage systems have an unusual configuration. This continent is distinguished by a very small river runoff. Most of the rivers in Australia dry up. Those that start in the mountains of Eastern Australia, as well as the rivers of Tasmania, have a constant flow all year round, but many rivers flowing to the west dry up during the dry season. Slightly more than half of the entire continent belongs to inland drainage basins, and the flow there is negligible, and the boundaries of the drainage basins are not clearly defined.

Rivers.

The main river artery of Australia, Murray, together with large tributaries Darling, Murrumbidgee and Goulburn, drains an area of ​​1072.8 thousand square meters. km in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia. upper reaches major tributaries separated by 200 km from the east coast and merge, forming the main rivers that flow in winding, often meandering channels to the sea. The Murray, originating in the Snowy Mountains, flows into Encounter Bay in South Australia. Its total length is 2575 km, including the lower 970 km accessible to small craft. Sandbanks blocking the mouth of the river serve as an obstacle to the entry of ships. Murrumbidgee (length 1690 km) begins in the Cooma region and flows into the Murray. The flow of the Murray and Murrumbidgee is regulated by the Snowy Mountains hydroelectric system. The tributaries of the Darling drain all of the western slopes of the mountains of Eastern Australia in northern New South Wales and parts of southeast Queensland. The main Darling River, 2740 km long, flows into the Murray at Wentworth. Dams built on this river and several of its major tributaries regulate the flow, except during the most severe droughts.

Slightly more than half of the mainland has a disconnected flow or belongs to the internal drainage basins. On the Western Plateau, the runoff is disjointed, and the streams existing there function rarely and for a short time, and end in temporary lakes or swamps confined to drainless basins. A large area in Queensland, the Northern Territory and South Australia with an area of ​​​​1143.7 thousand square meters. km belongs to the Lake Eyre basin, one of the world's largest inland flow basins. The large rivers of this basin, Georgina, Diamantina, and Cooper Creek, have very low slopes and are usually dry, intertwining labyrinths of channels, but after rains they can overflow for many kilometers in width. The waters of these rivers very rarely reach Lake Eyre: in 1950 its basin was filled for the first time since the colonization of the mainland by Europeans.

Since the flow of Australian rivers is extremely variable, their use is difficult. Sites suitable for the construction of dams are few, especially in the interior, and large reservoirs are needed to ensure a permanent water supply. Water losses due to evaporation are also significant, especially in the most arid areas. Only in Tasmania is the flow quite constant in all seasons.

Lakes.

Most of the lakes in Australia are waterless basins covered with salt-bearing clays. In those rare cases when they are filled with water, they are silty salty and shallow water bodies. There are many such lakes on the Western Plateau in Western Australia, but the largest of them are in South Australia: Lake Eyre, Torrens, Gairdner and Frome. Numerous lagoons with brackish or salt water are developed along the southeastern coast of Australia, separated from the sea by sandbars and ridges. The largest freshwater lakes are in Tasmania, where some of them, including Great Lake, are used for hydroelectric purposes.

The groundwater.

Groundwater supply is vital to many rural areas in Australia. The total area of ​​basins with groundwater reserves exceeds 3240 thousand square meters. km. These waters mostly contain dissolved solids that are harmful to plants, but in many cases the water is suitable for watering livestock.

The Great Artesian Basin, the largest in the world, in Queensland, South Australia, New South Wales and the Northern Territory covers an area of ​​1,751.5 thousand square meters. km. Although the groundwater is often very warm and highly mineralized, the area's sheep breeding depends on it. Smaller artesian pools are found in Western Australia and southeast Victoria.

Atmospheric circulation.

As a compact land mass, Australia influences the wind regime, but the winds bring little rainfall. The mainland is mainly in the subtropical zone high pressure, whose axis is approximately 30 ° S, and during most of the year dry winds blow from the center of the mainland; this situation is most clearly manifested in winter (from May to September). In summer, an area of ​​low pressure is developed over the Kimberley region in the northwest, where warm, moist winds called monsoons rush from the Timor and Arafura seas. At the same time, in the northern regions of Australia, winds blow almost all year round, and it is one of the driest coastal regions on Earth. In winter, cyclones pass over the southern outskirts of the mainland and Tasmania. The east coast north of Newcastle is in the path of the southeast trade winds, which bring in moist air; when this air rises on the slopes of the mountains of Eastern Australia, abundant precipitation often occurs. Occasionally, tropical cyclones (hurricanes) from the northeast penetrate here, causing considerable disaster on the east coast between Cooktown and Brisbane. These fast-moving cyclone systems also hit the northwest coast between Derby and Port Hedland, where they are known as 'willy-willies'. In 1974, around Christmas, during the passage of Cyclone Tracy, the city of Darwin was almost completely destroyed.

Precipitation.

Australia deservedly enjoys the reputation of an arid continent. Almost 40% of its area receives less than 250 mm of precipitation per year and about 70% - less than 500 mm; the latter value usually denotes the limit below which crops cannot be grown without irrigation. The driest region is around Lake Eyre in South Australia, where less than 125 mm of precipitation falls annually over several thousand square kilometers. A much larger area in central Australia may not experience significant rainfall for several consecutive years.

Areas that receive a lot of precipitation are small in area and are confined to places where moist air rises above orographic barriers. record breaking a large number of precipitation - 4500 mm per year - falls in a small area near Tully in Queensland, where moist air rises over the eastern slope of the Atherton Plateau. Only coastal areas in the extreme north, east and southeast of the mainland, its southwestern margin and Tasmania are provided with average annual precipitation of more than 500 mm. Snow falls regularly only in two areas: at altitudes above 1350 m in the Australian Alps in Victoria and New South Wales and at altitudes above 1050 m in the mountains of Tasmania. In some years, there are snowfalls on the New England Plateau. Snowfalls in the Australian Alps are of great economic importance, as they contribute to the accumulation of water, which then enters the Snowy Mountains hydropower system, and serve as the basis for the development of tourism. A long-term trend towards a decrease in the thickness and duration of snow cover in the Australian Alps is clearly expressed, which may be due to global climate change.

Much of Australia shows significant seasonal variation in rainfall patterns. Throughout the north of the Tropic of Capricorn, as well as along the entire east coast south to the border of Victoria, most of the precipitation falls in the summer (December - March). In the far north of the mainland, it happens that more than 85% of precipitation occurs in the first three months of the year. In the southern part of Australia and on the west coast north of Exmouth Bay, precipitation is clearly associated with the winter months. For example, in Perth, 85% of precipitation falls between the beginning of May and the end of September. During the dry months, there may indeed be no rain.

A large part of Australia is also characterized by a large variability in precipitation, i.e. in a given year, deviations from the average statistical indicator in both directions can be significant. Above-normal deviations can be associated with local floods, and below-normal deviations with natural disasters, especially where precipitation is generally low annually. Catastrophic situations arise when the amounts are below the norm for several years in a row. Droughts are widespread in the interior of Australia.

Temperatures.

Australia is usually considered a hot continent, but in fact it is cooler than in many areas of other continents located at the same latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere. Seasonal temperature fluctuations are generally small. It is usually cooler on the coast and in the mountains, especially in the southeast, than in the interior. The north, and in particular the northwest coast, is the hottest area.

In summer, from December to March, average daily temperatures in Australia usually exceed 32 ° C and often reach 38 ° C. In the interior, they can sometimes stay above 41 ° C. Strong winds blowing from the interior can bring very warm air to the south and east coasts, and then there is hot weather for several days in a row. The average January temperature in Darwin is 29°C, Melbourne 20°C, Sydney 22°C, Alice Springs (in the center of the mainland) 28°C, Perth 23°C.

Although very low temperatures are not typical in Australia, few places are frost free in winter, and in the southeast frosts affect crops and forage grasses. The main frost free areas are the Northern Territory and Queensland north of the Tropic of Capricorn, and the entire coast north from Shark Bay in Western Australia to Brisbane on the east coast. Most of the mainland averages 300 or more frost-free days. In the mountains of New South Wales and Victoria, the Australian Alps and most of Tasmania, frost occurs at any time of the year. Average July temperatures in the southeast are 9°C in Melbourne and 12°C in Sydney. In the north, this figure is 12 ° C in Darwin, and in the center of the mainland 25 ° C in Alice Springs.

A significant part of the surface deposits of Australia was formed from rocks of the Tertiary age. These deposits are ancient, they lack many of the substances necessary for plant nutrition. The weathering products of these deposits provide the source material for younger soils, which also inherit many nutrient deficiencies. Climate, along with age, plays an important role in the development of Australian soils. Here, their general concentric distribution from the wetter regions of the east coast to the arid central regions is evident. Much of Australia's soil is not particularly fertile due to intense leaching. There is often a lack of phosphorus and nitrogen, and in many areas, including those with regular rainfall, even the micronutrients needed for plant nutrition are insufficient. Only through the application of fertilizers and the planting of leguminous plants did a significant part of the previously unproductive land acquire fertile soils.

The soils of the humid zone occupy about 9% of the mainland area. They are widely represented in the mountains of Eastern Australia, including Tasmania, up to the border of Queensland in the north, in the coastal strip between Brisbane and Cairns and in most of the Cape York Peninsula. The most common are leached podzolic soils. Although they are often nutrient deficient, they are the most important class of Australian soils, as they form where there is high regular rainfall. They are widely used for high-quality pastures, and when applying nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers - for growing crops. There are very fertile krasnozems (red-colored soils). Despite their patchy distribution, they are widely used in sugarcane, fodder crops, peanuts, vegetables, corn and other grains. The largest range of red soils is located between Tully and Cooktown, where the main crop is sugarcane.

Soils formed under seasonally wet conditions occupy only 5% of the mainland area. They are developed within an arcuate zone ranging from 160 to 640 km from the east coast and extending from east central Victoria to south Queensland. These soils were formed under drier seasonal conditions than the soils of the humid zone. They are not as heavily leached and are usually fertile. The most large group soils - chernozems of the northern part of New South Wales and southern Queensland, characterized by dry winters. They are widely used for growing wheat, sorghum and maize in wetter areas (such as the Darling Downs area) and for grazing in drier areas. Red-brown and brown soils are developed in areas with dry summers - in Victoria and southern New South Wales. These are the most suitable soils in Australia for growing crops, especially wheat, and for quality pasture.

Three groups of soils in the semiarid zone occupy 18% of the mainland area. Heavy gray and brown soils form the largest group and are common in the famous wheat region of Wimmer (western Victoria), in the Riverine region of New South Wales, where due to low infiltration rates the soils are ideal for rice cultivation, in the upper parts of the Darling (New South) watersheds. Wales) and Eyre Lakes (central Queensland), where the soils form the basis for the extensive development of sheep farming, and on the Barkley Plateau, an important area for cattle breeding. Brown soils are found in many large but unproductive wheat areas in southwestern New South Wales, Victoria, South and Western Australia. Brown soils of light composition are common in central New South Wales and the Norman River basin in Queensland, and also fragmentarily in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Shrubs usually grow there. Soils are mainly used for pastures.

The largest soil group in Australia is the soils of the arid zone, occupying 42% of the mainland area. They can only be used for pastures, mainly for cattle. The most productive are desert loamy areas overgrown with twigs and quinoa in South Australia and northwestern New South Wales and arid red soils, widespread in southern central Queensland, northern New South Wales and northern South Australia, where dense forests are associated with them. thickets of acacias with herbs in the ground layer. Of intermediate importance for grazing are the carbonate desert soils developed in a broad belt extending from Lake Frome across the Nullarbor Plain, and the red-brown soils with compacted cemented interbeds in the west-central part of Western Australia. Dense thickets of acacias, shrubs and ephemeral grasses grow on these soils. Such areas serve as pastures for sheep and cattle. Very little or little use is made of the vast areas of rocky deserts, sand flats and sand ridges that form the backbone of central Australia.

Some soil groups in Australia are weakly related or not related at all to present-day climatic conditions. Among such soils, lateritic podzols are of the greatest economic importance, since they are common where precipitation occurs fairly regularly. Initially, in these soils there was a lack of phosphorus and nitrogen, therefore, when used for pastures, superphosphate and microelements were introduced, and clover was also sown. The largest of the soil groups considered (little related to climatic conditions) are skeletal soils (young and unweathered), most commonly found in the Pilbara, Kimberley and Arnhem Land regions.

Soil erosion is serious problem in many parts of Australia, mainly due to the rather delicate balance between vegetation cover and erosion. This is especially evident in arid and semi-arid regions, where the natural vegetation cover is very sparse and its restoration is slow. Under these conditions, overgrazing leads to powerful wind erosion and soil salinization. In the wetter southeastern regions, the cultivation of crops and the clearing of forests for grasslands have contributed to significant development of planar and linear erosion. Over the past decades, the federal and state governments have taken steps to prevent erosion, but the positive effect has not been achieved everywhere.

Vegetation and precipitation.

Obviously, the distribution of individual plant groups depends on the microclimate and soils, but the distribution of large Australian plant zones (at the level of formation types) reveals a close relationship with the average annual precipitation. A striking feature of the Australian climate is the presence of an arid center of the mainland, from which the amount of precipitation consistently increases towards the periphery. Accordingly, the vegetation also changes.

1. The average annual rainfall is less than 125 mm. Developed sandy deserts. Hard-leaved perennial grasses of the genera predominate. Triodia And Spinifex.

2. The average annual rainfall is 125–250 mm. These are semi-arid regions with two main types of vegetation. a) Shrub semi-desert - open areas dominated by representatives of genera Atriplex(swan) and Kochia(rod). Native plants are exceptionally drought tolerant. The area is used for sheep pastures. b) Arid scrub on sandy plains or bedrock outcrops on remnant hills. These are dense thickets of low-growing trees and shrubs with a predominance of various types of acacias. The most widespread mulga-scrub with veinless acacia ( Acacia aneura). Both types of vegetation are characterized by the exuberant development of annual plants after infrequent rainfall.

3. The average annual rainfall is 250–500 mm. There are two main types of vegetation here. In the south, where precipitation falls only in the winter months, malli scrub is common. These are dense thickets dominated by various shrubby eucalyptus trees, which form several trunks (coming from one underground root) and bunches of leaves at the ends of branches. In the north and east of Australia, where rain falls mainly in summer, grasslands are common with a predominance of representatives of the genera Astrebla And Iseilema.

4. The average annual rainfall is 500–750 mm. Savannahs are presented here - open park landscapes with eucalyptus trees and a grass-forb lower tier. These areas were intensively used for grazing and growing wheat. Cereal savannahs are sometimes found on more fertile soils and in the zone of sclerophyllous (hard-leaved) forests.

5. The average annual rainfall is 750–1250 mm. For this climate zone sclerophilic forests are typical. They are dominated by different types of eucalyptus, forming a dense forest stand, and a dense undergrowth of hard-leaved shrubs is developed, and the grass cover is sparse. On the more arid margin of this zone, forests give way to savanna woodlands, and on the more humid margin, to tropical rainforests. Relatively dry sclerophyllous forests are characterized by the highest concentration of typical Australian species. These forests are an important source of hardwood timber.

6. Average annual rainfall over 1250 mm. Tropical rainforests are confined to areas with high rainfall and soils usually developed on basaltic rocks. The species composition of trees is very diverse, without clearly defined dominants. Characterized by an abundance of vines and dense undergrowth. These forests are dominated by species of Indo-Melanesian origin. In the more southerly temperate forests, the role of the Antarctic flora element increases ( cm. below).

Floristic analysis.

In Australia, approx. 15 thousand species of flowering plants, and about 3/4 of them are indigenous local. More J. Hooker in An introduction to the flora of Tasmania(J.D. Hooker, Introductory Essay to the Flora of Tasmania, 1860) pointed out that three main elements played a decisive role in the development of the Australian flora: Antarctic, Indo-Melanesian and local Australian.

Antarctic element. This category includes groups of species common to the southeast of Australia, New Zealand, the subantarctic islands and the southern Andes of South America. Examples of genera with such ranges are − Nothofagus, Dreamys, lomatia, Araucaria, gunnera And Acaena. Their representatives were also found in fossil remains of the Paleogene age on the now ice-covered island of Simor and on Graham Land (Antarctic Peninsula). Such plants are not found anywhere else. It is believed that they or their ancestors originated at a time when Australia was part of Gondwana. When this supercontinent broke up into parts that moved to their current positions, the ranges of representatives of the Antarctic flora turned out to be very fragmented. However, it is obvious that these plants were widespread in Australia in the Paleogene, since in the Oligocene deposits of South Australia and Victoria, Nothofagus And lomatia along with such Australian families as Eucalyptus, Banksia And hakea. Currently, this element of flora is best represented in temperate forests. Sometimes the term "antarctic element" refers to larger groups of plants currently found only in the southern hemisphere and which are common to South Africa and Australia, such as the genera Caesia, bulbine, helichrysum And Restio. However, Australia's links with South Africa appear to be more distant than those with South America. There is an opinion that closely related plants found in the first two regions descended from common ancestors who migrated there from the south.

Indo-Melanesian element.

These are plants common to Australia, the Indo-Malay region and Melanesia. Floristic analysis reveals two distinct groups: one is of Indo-Malay origin, the other is of Melanesian origin. In Australia, this element includes the paleotropical representatives of many families, especially the tropical herbaceous, and is closely related to the flora of the Asian continent, especially India, the Malay Peninsula and the Malay Archipelago.

australian element includes genera and species that are found only in Australia or are most common there; there are few endemic families, and their role is insignificant. Typical Australian flora is concentrated in the southwest and southeast of the mainland. The southwest is rich in characteristic Australian families: about 6/7 of them are best represented in this area, and the rest in the southeast. Whether this element really formed in situ or whether it comes from older paleotropic or Antarctic migrants is difficult to ascertain. In any case, it is clear that some groups of modern plants are found exclusively in Australia.

The importance of native plant species to humans has only recently come to be recognized, although many of them have been eaten by indigenous Australians for thousands of years. For example, macadamia trifoliate ( Macadamia ternifolia) has been widely cultivated in Australia since the 1890s for its tasty nuts (it is cultivated to an even greater extent in the Hawaiian Islands and is known as the "Queensland nut"). Gradually, the cultivation of plants such as the local species of ficus ( Ficus platypoda), santalumas ( Santalum acuminatum, S. 1anceolatum), eremocitrus bluish, or desert lime ( Eremocitrus glauca), Australian capers ( Capparis sp.), various so-called. "desert tomatoes" from the genus Nightshade ( Solanum sp.), small-flowered basil ( Ocimum tenuiflorum), a local mint species ( Prostanthera rotundifolia) and many other cereals, root crops, fruit, berry and herbaceous plants.

Australia forms the main part of the Australasian zoogeographical region, which also includes Tasmania, New Zealand, New Guinea and the adjacent islands of Melanesia and the Malay Archipelago to the west of the Wallace Line. This imaginary line, limiting the distribution of typical Australian fauna, goes north between the islands of Bali and Lombok, then along the Makassar Strait between the islands of Kalimantan and Sulawesi, then turns to the northeast, passing between the islands of Sarangani in the Philippine archipelago and about. Miangas. At the same time, it serves as the eastern border of the Indo-Malayan zoogeographic region.

Mammals.

There are 230 species of mammals known in Australia. Three of them are monotreme oviparous, about 120 are marsupials, bearing cubs in “pockets” on their belly, the rest are placental, in which embryonic development ends in the uterus.

The most primitive of the currently existing orders of mammals are monotremes ( Monotremata) that are not found in other parts of the world. platypus ( Ornithorhynchus), with a duck-like beak, is covered with fur, lays eggs and feeds the hatched cubs with milk. Thanks to the efforts of Australian conservationists, this species is relatively abundant. Its closest relative is the echidna ( Tachyglossus) is similar to a porcupine, but also lays eggs. The platypus is found only in Australia and Tasmania, while the echidna and the closely related prochidna ( Zaglossus) are also found in New Guinea.

The kangaroo, the well-known symbol of Australia, is far from being a typical marsupial. The animals of this order of mammals are characterized by the birth of immature cubs, which are placed in a special bag, where they carry on until they can take care of themselves.

The fact that marsupials have long lived in Australia is evidenced by the fossil remains of a giant wombat ( Diprotodon) and carnivorous marsupial "lion" ( Thylacoleo). In general, less adapted groups of mammals were slowly pushed back to the southern continents as more aggressive groups appeared. As soon as the monotremes and marsupials retreated to Australia, the connection of this region with the Asian continent was cut off, and both groups were spared competition from placentals better adapted to the struggle for survival.

Isolated from competitors, marsupials have split into many taxa, differing in animal size, habitat, and adaptation. This differentiation took place largely parallel to the evolution of placentals on the northern continents. Some of the Australian marsupials look like carnivores, others look like insectivores, rodents, herbivores, etc. With the exception of American opossums ( Didelphidae) and peculiar South American coenolests ( Caenolesidae), marsupials are found only in Australasia.

Predatory marsupials ( Dasyuridae) and bandicoot ( Peramelidae) with 2–3 low incisors on each side of the jaw belong to the multi-incisor group. The first family includes marsupial martens ( Dasyurus), marsupial devil ( Sarcophilus) and arboreal brush-tailed pouched rats ( Phascogale), eating insects, etc. The latter genus is widely distributed throughout Australasia. A close relative of predatory marsupials is the marsupial wolf ( Thylacinus cynocephalus), which was widespread in Tasmania at the beginning of the era of European settlement, but is found nowhere else, although there is evidence of its presence in prehistoric times in Australia and New Guinea. Despite problematic sightings in some areas, most experts consider this species to be extinct because it was extirpated by hunters, and the last individual died in captivity in 1936. Marsupial anteater ( Myrmecobius) and marsupial mole ( Notoryctes), living in northern and central Australia, descended from a group of predatory marsupials and a marsupial wolf. Bandicoot family ( Peramelidae), distributed throughout Australasia, occupies the same ecological niche as insectivores ( insectivora) on the northern continents.

Two-incisor marsupials, distinguished by the presence of only one pair of low incisors, are known more widely than multi-incisor ones. Their distribution is limited to Australasia. Among them are the families of climbing marsupials ( Phalangeridae), which includes the body, or brushtails ( Trichosurus); dwarf couscous ( Burramyidae), including the dwarf flying couscous ( Acrobates pygmaeus), which can slip between trees and climb up to 20 m, and marsupial flying squirrels ( petauridae) of several species. Everyone's favorite koala Phascolarctos cinereus), which looks like a funny miniature bear cub and was chosen as the emblem of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, belongs to the family of the same name. wombat family ( Vombatidae) includes two genera - long-haired and short-haired wombats. These are rather large animals that look like beavers and are found only in Australia. Kangaroos and wallabies belonging to the kangaroo family ( Macropodidae) are distributed throughout Australasia. Large gray, or forest, kangaroo ( Macropus giganteus), the most numerous representative of this family, lives in light forests, while the red gigantic kangaroo ( M. rufus) is common in the plains of the interior of Australia. Open habitats are characteristic of rock kangaroos ( Petrogale sp.) and dwarf rocky kangaroos ( Peradorcas sp.). Interesting tree kangaroos ( Dendrolagus), whose limbs are adapted for both climbing trees and jumping.

The fact that marsupials have long lived in Australia is confirmed by the finds here of the fossil remains of a giant wombat ( Diprotodon) and the predatory "marsupial lion" ( Thylacoleo).

Before the advent of Europeans, placental mammals were represented in Australia by bats and small rodents, which probably entered there from the north. The former include numerous genera like fruit bats ( Megachiroptera) and bats (Microchiroptera); flying foxes are especially notable ( Pteropus). Rodents, including anisolis ( Anisomys), rabbit rats ( Conilurus), earless rats ( crossomys) and Australian water rats ( Hydromys) were probably ferried across the sea on a fin. Man and dingo ( canis dingo) were the only large placentals, with dingoes most likely brought to Australia by humans about 40,000 years ago.

Australia's ecological balance was greatly disturbed by the introduction of exotic placental mammals after the arrival of Europeans. Rabbits, accidentally introduced in the 1850s, and livestock began to destroy native vegetation in much of Australia, which - albeit on a smaller scale - were also contributed by wild boars, goats, buffaloes, horses and donkeys. Foxes, cats and dogs competed with local animals and often hunted them, which led to their extermination in various parts of the mainland.

Birds.

Australia's avifauna includes many very valuable and interesting species. Of the flightless birds, emus are found here ( Dromiceius novaehollandiae) and the helmeted, or common, cassowary ( casuarius casuarius), confined to northern Queensland. The Australian mainland is replete with different types of ducks ( Casarca, Biziura and etc.). There are birds of prey: wedge-tailed eagle ( Uroaetus audax), Australian kite ( Haliastur sphenurus), peregrine falcon ( Falco peregrinus) and the Australian hawk ( Astur fasciatus). Very peculiar weed chickens ( Leipoa), constructing mounds - "incubators"; shrub bigfoot ( Alectura); pavilions ( Ailuroedus, Prionodura) And birds of paradise(Paradisaeidae), honeysuckers ( Meliphagidae), lyrebirds ( Menura). The variety of parrots, pigeons and ducks is great, but vultures and woodpeckers are completely absent.

Reptiles.

Australia is home to many reptiles including snakes, crocodiles, lizards and turtles. Only snakes here are almost 170 species. The largest of the poisonous snakes is the taipan ( Oxyuranus scutellatus), and the Queensland python ( Python amethystinus) reaches a length of about 6 m. Crocodiles are represented by two species - combed ( Crocodilus porosus), which attacks and kills humans, and the Australian narrow-nosed ( C. johnsoni); both of them live in northern Australia and New Guinea. Turtles about 10 species - from the genera Chelodina And Emydura. Among more than 520 species of Australian lizards, the legless scale-footed (Pygopodidae), found in Australia and New Guinea, deserve attention, and large monitor lizards(Varanidae), reaching a length of 2.1 m.

Amphibians.

The fauna of Australia is characterized by the complete absence of tailed amphibians (Urodela) and the diversity of frogs and toads. Among the Australian toads of the subfamily Criniinae, morphologically the most primitive of true toads, the genera Crinia, Mixophyes And Helioporus, and there are 16 of them in the region.

Fish.

In Australia ca. 230 species of local freshwater fish, but no carps, carps, salmon and few catfish. Most representatives of the freshwater ichthyofauna descended from marine ancestors - cod-like ( Oligorus), perch-like ( Percalates, Plectoplites, Macquaria), terapone ( Therapon), herring ( Potamalosa), semi-finned ( Hemirhamphus) and gobies ( Gobiomogrhus, carassiops). There are, however, two notable exceptions - the lungfish horntooth ( neoceratodus) and bone tongue Scleropages. Australia and New Zealand are home to a number of galax species ( Galaxias), as well as gadops ( Gadopsis).

Invertebrates.

The invertebrate fauna of Australia includes at least 65,000 species of insects, some of which are very peculiar.

When thinking of Australia, kangaroos, koalas, wombats, platypuses, Ayers Rock and the Great Barrier Reef come to mind. For others, Australia is associated only with kangaroos and aborigines. And only a few know that Australia today is a highly developed state that is among the top ten countries in terms of key development indicators, including living standards. Not surprisingly, Australia is quickly coming to the fore of those thinking about immigration.

The wildlife of Australia is unique, as many representatives of the flora and fauna live only here. This is due to the isolation of the Green continent and its considerable remoteness from other continents. The most important difference between the nature of mainland Australia is that there are no predators among mammals. This mission was undertaken by wild dogs, foxes and some other animals brought to the continent, which led to a decrease in the population of the main representatives of the fauna of Australia.

Marsupials in Australia are represented by 180 different species that differ from each other, both in their way of life and in their methods of reproduction, but they are similar in one thing: on the stomach of these marsupials there is a deep fold, which is called a bag, in which they nurse their young after birth.

This is extremely necessary, since marsupials are born very weak and for a long time are not independent singular. We will now tell you about some representatives of the marsupial animals of Australia.

marsupial, leading night image life, lives in trees

Many tourists are interested in the question of where the koala lives. An unusual animal spends most of its life on trees, only occasionally descending to the ground.

When climbing trees, the claws of the animal close into a strong lock, which allows it to stay on any trunk. Exactly the same claws are in the cubs, which move, tenaciously grabbing the mother's fur.

These huge representatives of marsupials differ in their characteristics from other individuals of the same classification. But what is so special about them, you ask, and in general, does a male kangaroo have a bag? In fact, it is the prerogative of the mother to carry the baby in the most secluded place. The pocket, smooth on the inside, is lined with thick fluffy fur at the entrance. Thus, the baby is protected from any bad weather.

Kangaroos and emus have never been official symbols of Australia, but they are associated only with this state. Kangaroos and emu ostriches do not know how to move backwards, which is why they got on the national emblem. These proud shield-holders were called upon to express the federation's confident decision to always go forward! Kangaroos and emus are only found here, as are the koala, the platypus and the cackling kookaburra bird. The platypus, as a symbol of Australia, is depicted on the Australian 20 cent coin.

What kind of animals live in Australia - a small mainland, far removed from the rest of the continents? In our article you will find the answer to this question.

The flora and fauna of Australia amaze with their beauty and exoticism, and you can enjoy them not only far from cities and in specialized reserves, but also in numerous squares and parks where nature is carefully protected and protected.

Many of Australia's animals and plants are unique: some 12,000 wildlife and 550 species of eucalyptus trees are found nowhere else but this amazing continent.

Interesting fact about Australia

Australia - the mainland-record holder for the number of poisonous animals

The secretive platypus lives on the banks of rivers and streams in Eastern and Southern Australia and Tasmania.

The platypus is an extremely peculiar animal that has adapted to the extremely specific conditions of life in the aquatic environment. It has a smooth, streamlined body covered in short, brown fur. Its front paws are equipped with membranes that promote movement in water and life in burrows.

The continent of Australia is called "the land of prehistoric creatures".

Only in Australia live unique mammals that lay eggs - echidna and platypus. Birds are also unusual there, including birds the size of half a sparrow and giant emu ostriches that cannot fly, but run fast. Another amazing creature lives there - a giant earthworm, reaching 3.5 m in length and 30 cm in thickness: it quickly glides through its underground tunnels, while making strange rustling-gurgling sounds.

The nature of Australia has many features that distinguish it from the nature of other parts of the world. Australia is primarily a continent of relics - animals and plants preserved from past geological eras. There are no young folded mountains, active volcanoes, modern glaciation here.

fauna of australia

The fauna of Australia includes about 200 thousand species of animals, and among them a huge number of unique animals. 83% of mammals, 89% of reptiles, 90% of fish and insects and 93% of amphibians are indigenous to Australia and completely unique to the rest of the planet. A characteristic feature of Australia has always been that it did not have indigenous predatory mammals. The only dangerous beast of prey and almost the only enemy of sheep herds is the dingo dog, an animal of medium size between a fox and a wolf. Dingoes were introduced by Austronesians who traded with the Australian Aborigines from 3000 BC. e. Australia also did not have its own thick-skinned and ruminant animals.

Many plants and animals, including giant marsupials, died out with the settlement of the mainland by natives; others (for example, the Tasmanian tiger (better known as the marsupial wolf)) became extinct already with the advent of Europeans.

Many ecological regions of Australia and their flora and fauna are still threatened by human activities and non-indigenous, introduced species of plants and animals.

One of the surprising features of Australia is the absence of representatives of most of the units represented on other continents. In Australia, egg-laying mammals are found in large numbers - the platypus, an aquatic mammal covered with fur and having a beak similar to a duck, and an echidna, or spiny anteater.

Most of the local mammals are marsupials, the most famous are kangaroos, of which there are about 50 species: the largest representatives are the large red kangaroo and the real gray kangaroo, jumping up to 9 meters in length; wallabies and kangaroo rats are the smallest marsupials. Some marsupials also live on the trees: opossum and koala.

Marsupials include wombats, Australian bandicoots, marsupial mice. A rare predator lives on the island of Tasmania - the marsupial devil. One of the typical Australian animals is the dingo dog. Reptiles are also quite widely represented: among them are two types of crocodiles, one of which - the crested crocodile - reaches a length of 6 m; 500 species of lizards, among which the gecko and monitor lizard stand out. There are about 100 species of venomous snakes in Australia, notably the taipan in the north, the Australian tiger snake and viper in the south, the Australian copperhead and black snake in the rest of the regions. Coastal waters serve as a refuge for a large number of marine animals: several species of whales are observed in the south, seals are found on some parts of the southern coast, and dugong and trepang are found in northern waters. A fairly large number of dangerous animals live in the coastal waters of Australia: about 70 species of sharks, including the black shark and reef shark; Australian jellyfish (sea wasp), one touch of which can end tragically; sea ​​snake, reaching 3 m in length and whose bite is deadly; warty fish and blue octopus. Among insects, giant termites are especially notable, and giant earthworms in Victoria are the largest in the world (from 0.9 to 3.7 m in length). There are more than 700 species of birds on the continent: emu, cassowary, kookaburra, lyrebird, a large number of parrots and cockatoos, black swans, thin-billed petrel and many others.

Australia is home to nearly 10% of the Earth's biodiversity, making it one of only 17 countries in the world with exceptionally rich flora and fauna. About 80% of the animal species found in Australia are endemic and found nowhere else in the world.

The marine life of the continent is as diverse as the terrestrial one - near the northeastern coast of Australia there is the largest coral reef on the planet (more than 344 thousand square kilometers), as well as a huge variety of mangrove and seaweed species. These habitats are home to a variety of fish and iconic marine life such as dugongs and sea turtles.

However, climate change, habitat fragmentation for agricultural development, and invasive species are also putting the animal at risk. Local conservation organizations, together with the community and indigenous peoples, direct all their efforts to develop and implement strategies for the conservation of the unique fauna of the continent.

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This article provides a grouped list of some of Australia's amazing animals.

mammals

Australian echidna

The Australian echidna is one of four living echidna species and the only member of the genus Tachyglossus. Her body is covered with fur and thorns. The echidna has a long snout and a specialized tongue that it uses to catch insects at high speed. Like other modern single-pass, Australian echidna lays eggs; monotremes are the only group of mammals that are born in this way.

The Australian echidna has extremely strong forelimbs and claws that allow it to quickly burrow underground. Their spines do not serve as a weapon, but predators can be scared away. Echidna, if necessary, is able to swim.

Asian buffalo

The Asian buffalo appeared in Australia in the 19th century and spread throughout the northern part of the mainland. These are large animals that prefer to live near water bodies where the water is stagnant or with a slow flow. These are herbivores aquatic plants make up 70% of their diet. The horns of males are larger than those of females and have a length of up to 2 m. Buffaloes can reach about 2 meters at the withers, 3 meters in length and weigh 1200 kg. These introduced animals have adapted so well to Australian environment habitats that they cause significant damage to the local ecosystem. The life span of an Asian buffalo is about 25 years.

Camel

Camels were introduced to Australia in the 19th century and have adapted well to its climatic conditions. At the moment, the population of camels is more than 50 thousand individuals.

The average life expectancy of a camel ranges from 40 to 50 years. Adult individuals at the withers reach a height of 1.85 meters, and on the hump - 2.15 meters. Camels can reach speeds of up to 65 km/h. Their humps are filled with adipose tissue, which is distributed throughout the body and helps the animal survive in a hot climate. These animals have a number of physiological adaptations, thanks to which they can do without water for a long time.

Of the two species of camels, one-humped camels or dromedaries live in Australia.

Dingo

The dingo is an Australian wild dog. It is the largest carnivore in Australia. It is called a wild dog, but it is a semi-domesticated animal from South Asia, a subspecies of the gray wolf. There is some controversy as to whether the dingo is native to the continent or not. The reason can be considered the fact that, unlike other Australian animals that have existed on the continent for millions of years, the dingo arrived in Australia about 4000 years ago.

Although they have been domesticated by the Australian Aborigines from time to time, dingoes have remained wild animals. The height at the withers is about 60 cm, and the weight is up to 25 kg. They have a stronger skull with larger teeth than domesticated dogs. The color of the coat depends on the habitat and varies from red to white. The dingo usually lives on its own or in a small family group. It eats just about anything it can find, from kangaroos and wallabies to rats, mice, frogs, lizards, and even fruit. The dingo does not bark, it squeals and howls like a wolf, especially at night to communicate and protect territory. The dingo can be found anywhere in Australia, as long as there is access to drinking water.

Kangaroo

Most big representative family kangaroos can reach a mass of about 90 kg and a body length of 1.3 meters. They have a short coat that varies from orange-brown to gray or dark brown. Sexual dimorphism is pronounced, males are larger than females. Being marsupials, females have a pouch on their abdomen in which they carry their young. Most hallmark Kangaroos are characterized by their upright body posture, thanks to two disproportionately large hind limbs, small forelimbs, and a large thick tail. Kangaroo can live from 6 to 27 years. Surprisingly, these marsupials spend most of their lives in dry arid regions, but they are also good swimmers. Kangaroos live and move in small social groups.

The quokka is one of the smallest members of the kangaroo family. They have: thick and hard grey-brown fur; short, rounded and fluffy ears; long tail (24-31 cm); shorter hind limbs than other kangaroos. The body weight is 2.7-4.2 kg, and the body length is 40-54 cm. They are herbivores and feed on grass, leaves, bark and various plants.

Koala

A plush, stocky, herbivore that lives in the canopy of eucalyptus trees. Koalas have gray fur, a large black nose and large fluffy ears. With the help of sharp claws, she clings to branches. This animal spends almost all its life in trees and descends to the ground to move from one tree to another.

The diet consists mainly of eucalyptus leaves. These leaves are highly poisonous, difficult to digest, and very low in nutrients for most other animals. The koala gets all the moisture it needs from the leaves and rarely drinks water.

flying foxes

Flying foxes are very thin skin with wings that enable them to fly. They hunt insects at night and use their ears as a radar to find their prey. When resting, these mammals lie upside down and wrap their body around their wings. Any place where it is warm and humid is suitable for recreation.

The flying fox is one of two placental mammals found in Australia. They migrated to the continent from neighboring islands.

Nambat

Nambat or marsupial anteater is a small marsupial mammal. These are territorial and solitary animals that are active only during daylight hours.

The marsupial anteater weighs from 400 to 700 grams and has a body length of 20-27 cm. It has a reddish-brown head, shoulders and upper body, which gradually turns black with white stripes on the back. The tail is silver gray and fluffy, about 17 cm long. The muzzle is pointed, with an elongated sticky tongue. Unlike other anteaters that feed on termites, the marsupial anteater does not have powerful claws.

red fox

Foxes are omnivorous placental mammals from the canine family, which also includes wolves, coyotes, and domestic dogs. They are native to Europe, North America and Asia.

Foxes were introduced to Australia in 1855 by European settlers.

marsupial mice

Marsupial mice are very similar to ordinary mice, but with a long, pointed nose. Most active at night. The body length is up to 120 mm, and the weight is up to 170 g. The hair on the head is gray, and the sides, stomach and legs are orange. Marsupials feed on insects, flowers, and nectar, but may also eat small birds and mice. They are found mainly along the east coast of Australia.

Insects

Danaida monarch

Butterfly danaid monarch is quite common in the cities of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria (rarely), South Australia. There is no information about these butterflies on the mainland before 1871.

The color of the wings includes dark stripes (veins) on an orange background and white spots along the edges. The wingspan is from 8.9 to 10.2 cm. Sexual dimorphism is pronounced, females are smaller than males and have a darker color.

Red fire ant

This ant is native to South America. This insect accidentally appeared in Australia in 2001.

The red fire ant is a dangerous insect species that has a strong sting and toxic venom that can kill an allergic person. The body size of red fire ants varies from 2 to 4 mm. Males are black in color and females are reddish brown. They can live in various environments.

Fleas

Fleas are blood-sucking insects that are often carriers of various diseases for humans and animals. The body length varies between 1-5 mm and depends on the species. Their body is flattened on the sides, thanks to which they can move freely in the wool and feathers of their owners, and the bristles and forceps do not allow them to fall.

In Australia, there are fleas from various families, namely: Lycopsyllidae, Macropsyllidae, Pulicidae, Pygiopsyllidae, Stephanocircidae, Stivaliidae.

reptiles

giant lizards

Giant lizards come in a variety of sizes and colors, but they all have distinctive blue tongues that serve as a defense mechanism. When threatened, the lizard sticks out its tongue and hisses loudly to scare off predators. Usually this is enough for the predator to think that it is dangerous. In fact, it is completely harmless.

crocodiles

There are two types of crocodiles in Australia: the Australian narrow-nosed crocodile (freshwater) and the combed crocodile (marine).

The combed crocodile is the largest modern member of the reptile class and is found in the northern regions of Australia and throughout Asia. He can swim long distances, but prefers warm climate. Despite the fact that it is adapted to life in sea water, the combed crocodile lives in coastal areas and rivers. Salted crocodile can grow up to 7 meters in length and weigh more than 1 ton. It has a large head and many sharp teeth. Crocodiles eat fish, turtles, birds and other animals. They are not afraid of people and will gladly eat you for dinner if you are stupid enough to approach them. In fact, in the last 20 years, only 12 people have been eaten by these crocodiles.

The Australian narrow-nosed crocodile is a relatively small species of crocodiles, with a body length of 2.3-3 m, and a weight of 40-70 kg. These reptiles are quite shy, and also have a narrower snout and smaller teeth than the combed crocodile. Their diet consists of fish, mammals, amphibians and fish. The Australian narrow-nosed crocodile is considered safe for humans, but if it feels threatened, it can cause serious damage.

frilled lizard

Frilled lizard lives in northern Australia. She has a prominent skin fold around her neck, resembling a collar. When frightened, it stands on its hind limbs and opens its mouth wide, while its collar looks like an open umbrella. If such a defense does not frighten the attacker, the lizard turns its tail and runs away at high speed. Although it is harmless, it can bite if there is a reason for it.

The body length is about a meter in length, and the weight is 0.5 kg. Males and females look the same, but the males are slightly larger. The frilled lizard uses a collar to regulate its body temperature. The life span of this species is about 20 years.

black snake

black snake- a medium-sized venomous snake from eastern Australia, but its venom does not pose a threat to human life. It got its name from the black color of the upper body. On the sides, the color is bright red or crimson, and the lower part of the body is noticeably lighter. The total body length is 1.5-2 m. The black snake prefers a nocturnal lifestyle. Its diet consists of frogs, lizards, snakes, insects and other invertebrates.

Amphibians

Toad-yeah

The aga toad was introduced to Australia in 1935 to protect sugar cane in Queensland from pests. However, these amphibians turned out to be ineffective against pests and spread almost throughout the entire continent, and also became a serious threat to the biological diversity of the mainland.

The toad-aga is poisonous and is considered one of the largest toads, reaching a weight of more than a kilogram and a body length of 24 cm, while males are slightly smaller than females.

Birds

gouldian finches

Gouldian finches have a body length of about 13 cm. The color of the back is green, the neck is colored, the feathers on the chest are purple, and the belly is yellow. While there is only one species of this bird, there are three color variations of their heads: black (75% of the population), red (25%), and yellow - extremely rare. Males are more brightly colored than females. Gould's finches live for about 5 years in the wild.

helmeted cassowary

The helmeted cassowary is the second largest bird in the world, after the ostrich. It is also the most dangerous bird on the planet. If he feels threatened, he will attack with powerful legs equipped with sharp claws. The helmeted cassowary is a solitary animal that lives in the rainforests of northern Queensland. Only 1200 individuals remain in the wild and the species is endangered.

The cassowary can grow up to almost 2 meters and weigh up to 60 kilograms. Females and males are very similar in appearance. They have long blue and purple plumage. The cassowary has dangling wattles around its neck and growths on its head. The color of the head and neck may change depending on the mood of the bird. The exact nature of these colorations and their meaning has not yet been studied.

Cassowaries are quite flexible and fast, capable of accelerating up to 50 km / h even in dense forests, jumping to a height of up to 2 meters and even swimming. Life expectancy in the wild is about 40 years, and in captivity up to 60 years.

Cockatoo

The cockatoo is a very large parrot that is widely distributed in Australia. It can grow up to 38 cm in length. The cockatoo is mostly white, but there are some species with pink or black plumage. They have long feathers on their heads. Their beaks are very strong, large and curved, and are used for crushing nuts and seeds. They also eat roots and larvae. Life expectancy is up to 50 years. Some individuals are able to speak, but this is not connected speech, but only a few memorized words.

kookaburra

There are two types of kookaburra in Australia: the blue-winged kookaburra and the laughing kookaburra. Kookaburra is a stocky and carnivorous bird, with a large head and a long beak, up to 45 cm in length and weighing up to 0.5 kg. Their diet consists of: small reptiles, insects, small rodents and birds, and freshwater crustaceans.

Black Swan

The black swan is Australia's largest aquatic bird. As the name implies, this swan has black plumage. It was once thought that all swans were white and the Western world was shocked when these birds were first discovered. Its beak is red, with a white spot at the tip. Body length varies between 110-142 cm, and weight - 3.7-9 kg. The wingspan is 1.6 to 2 m. Males and females are similar in appearance, however males are slightly larger and their beaks are longer and more even. Life expectancy is up to 40 years.

Emu

Emus are large flightless birds with strong, powerful legs and three toes on each foot. They have small wings and a body covered with greyish-brown feathers. Emus have bluish skin on their heads and necks. The weight is 30-45 kg, and the length is from 1.6 to 1.9 m. They can reach a speed of 48 km / h.

Emus live in small groups, but can form flocks of thousands when migrating. They are omnivorous and eat leaves, fruits, flowers as well as insects.

Fish

Australian bull shark

It lives in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, off the coast of Australia, at a depth of no more than 275 m. It can grow to a body length of 1.67 m. The head of this shark is large and blunt, with a convex forehead. There are brown stripes on the body. It is a migratory species, traveling south in summer and returning north in winter to breed.

drop fish

The blobfish, which lives at depths of more than 1,000 meters off the ocean coast of Australia, has been voted the ugliest animal in the world. Due to the great depths it inhabits, no human has ever observed this fish in its natural habitat. All knowledge about it is based solely on a few dead fish caught in fishing nets and one rare underwater photograph.

Drop fish survive in icy water, without sunlight and with water pressure that is 100 times greater than on land. This pressure is so great that it can crush even the most powerful modern submarine. Under such pressure, a person will instantly turn into mush.