Australia is so far away that it is difficult to get a complete picture of life in this country-continent and in the lands close to it. The features of the nature of Australia are such that there are many animals and plants that few people know about in our country. This attracts interest in the study of local nature. Endemic species of animals and plants - that's what Australia is famous for. Its flora and fauna are so unique that some animal species are found only here.
Short digression
For thousands of years, the nature of Australia has followed its own path of development. Remoteness from other continents led to the fact that almost no new representatives of flora and fauna were brought here, which made the local natural environment absolutely unique and absent on other continents. This is the most remarkable and main feature of Australian nature. Besides,after the Old World got acquainted with this continent, most of the animals remained endemic, that is, they live exclusively in these territories under certain conditions.
Australia's unique forests and trees
Plants of this continent for many centuries were forced to adapt to difficult environmental conditions. So, inland, the soil is especially dry, which makes it difficult to cultivate plants that love moisture, so for the most part, flora grows here that calmly puts up with drought. A large part of the plants is dull in color, due to insufficient water. For example, most species of eucalyptus. But surprisingly, bamboo thickets and other moisture-loving plants thrive in the coastal regions of the country.
Most of the green continent is known for its eucalyptus thickets and the pandas that live there. It is not surprising, because a large part of the continent is covered with such forests. In total, there are almost three thousand species of eucalyptus in Australia! In addition, the green continent is rich in acacias, of which there are at least a thousand varieties. This area is also characterized by other trees, which on other continents are found only in botanical gardens. For example, here you can often find a tea tree, a cypress pine, or even an incredible mangrove for Europe.
The trees of Australia, like other vegetation, are distinguished by their originality. The third most common genushere it is customary to consider Greville. It has about two hundred species. Ferns are often found here, although they grow exclusively in humid mountain forests.
Not only the city of Sydney attracts many tourists. The continent has tropical rainforests where you can find huge lianas and palm trees. Much more common are the savannas and savannah forests that Australia is famous for. Flora and fauna in them are extremely dependent on seasonal changes. During the wet season, the local savannahs are full of plants of all colors and sizes, which bloom together, creating real flower beds. Here you can often find eucalyptus and other thick-stemmed trees that can store moisture for a long time. Northern Australia, with its flowery savannahs, smoothly transitions into western and eastern, and these regions are much more arid.
As the water level in the soil decreases, so does the vegetation. The closer to the east, the rarer the forests and savannas become, the poorer the vegetation. As a result, close to arid regions, you can find the so-called scrubs - thickets of shrubs and low trees that lack moisture. Central Australia has the lowest levels of humidity, making it an extremely unfavorable area for plants.
A little about animals
Everyone knows that marsupial mammals are considered a symbol of Australia and Oceania. And this is not surprising, given the fact that there are 140 species of them here. The most popular and common among them are koalas,kangaroos and wombats. Kangaroos are also depicted on the coat of arms of the country-continent. In addition, Australia is the only habitat for such egg-laying mammals as the platypus and echidna. Half of all bird species living here are also endemic.
Australian territory boasts such rare birds as the black swan and little penguin. Despite the fact that they are not so common here, there is still a chance to encounter rare animals in natural conditions. However, it is better not to meet some representatives of the flora and fauna of the green continent at all. For example, with poisonous snakes, the number of which Australia occupies a leading position in the world. And crocodiles, which can often be found in swampy areas, are also better to miss each other.
Australian natural areas
The table shows which regions the continent can be divided into according to the areas of distribution of flora and fauna. Even taking into account the above that the Australian nature is unique, the continent still has similarities in fauna with South America, Asia and even Antarctica.
| Zone | Animals and flora of the zone |
| Australian (includes mainland and Tasmania) | This region is characterized by endemic species and a small number of species. There are penguins in Tasmania. |
| New Guinean | Many varieties of climbing animals; periodically there are species characteristic of Asia. |
| New Zealand | Very rare animal species live here. |
| Polynesian | Flora and fauna differ from island to island. |
The natural areas of Australia (the table describes only the main characteristics) differ in both fauna and flora. You can read more about them below.
The Australian natural area has one and a half hundred species of marsupials. They are well distributed throughout almost the entire continent. Different natural zones of the mainland were formed under the influence of both geographical features and historical development, this is perfectly proved by the fossils of Australia. So, for example, in the country there are significant differences between some animal species from the eastern and western regions. This is due to the fact that several millennia ago these regions were separated by the sea. In the northern and eastern part and the New Guinea region, various types of climbing animals are often found, especially the koala. This widespread animal lives in forests, spending most of the day on trees, feeding on various leaves. Possum and tree kangaroo are also often seen.
Animals
Lower mammals are widespread here, which managed to survive, in contrast to the higher ones - the second on the mainland are represented exclusively by bats and ordinary mice. This is due to the fact that during the period of their spread across the continents, their access to the green continent turned out to beordered. The rest of the vertebrates are also mostly endemic here. In river areas, you can find the platypus, a web-footed animal that forages in the water.
Birds
In the rainforest you can find a huge number of birds of various colors and sizes. The so-called birds of paradise - hummingbirds, honey plants, lyrebirds - nevertheless quietly coexist with weed chickens - an Australian curiosity unique to Europeans.
But for some reason, the inhabitants of Australia are not surprised that a chicken, instead of hatching eggs, buries them in rotting garbage. Aquatic species can be found in abundance here. In addition, Siberian birds are found in Australia, which go there to spend the winter. Here you can also meet some flightless birds, for example, emus and grass parrots. Other species from the northern hemisphere also visit Australia.
Insects
The humid forests of the northern and eastern parts of the continent are characterized by some familiar insect species. For example, ants, butterflies. In the northern part of the continent, you can even encounter worms that can be several meters long.
Kangaroo
Speaking of the green continent, a special place should be given, of course, to kangaroos, which Australia is known for. Flora and fauna are most favorable for them in the northern and central part of the country, in these regions animals can eat well, so many species live here. Kangaroos gather in herds. In case of danger, they make jumps, the length of which canbe up to ten meters with an animal body length of up to three meters. The wallaby species lives in rocky and bushy areas. Over the twentieth century, the kangaroo population has greatly decreased, to a greater extent this is due to human activities and the extermination of animals, to a lesser extent - with predators.
Dingo dog
Not only marsupials are a symbol of Australia. There is also a dangerous animal that destroys these marsupials - the dingo dog. In size, this is a small animal, which is distinguished by its special endurance. In pursuit of prey, the dingo dog can run for many hours in a row until the victim decides to give up, and so she overcomes the kangaroo. The animal is able to go for food very far. Most of the dingo dogs are found near Lake Eyre, from where they can travel many tens of kilometers in pursuit or in search of food.
Not only kangaroo gets from this animal. Many species of peaceful representatives of the fauna suffered from them. The nature of Australia is such that, due to the increase in the population of wild dogs, sheep breeding is no longer as profitable as it used to be. On the mainland, attempts were made to cross this species with a domestic dog, but the new breed did not become widespread, the new species lives mainly in the national park on Fraser Island.
Echidna
One of the most famous national endemic animals is the echidna. The animal is covered with needles, lays eggs in a bag, where it bears. Echidna leads predominantlynocturnal in order to avoid dangers.
Nature of New Zealand
Although New Zealand is a separate country from Australia, their natural areas are closely related. Extinct animal species of Australia are preserved here. Other than the kangaroo, this area is almost non-existent, but there are some incredible varieties of birds to be found here.
A distinctive feature of the birds of the New Zealand natural area is the terrestrial way of life. However, there are almost no dangerous animals here.
Pests and problems
On its difficult path of development that Australia has gone through, flora and fauna, with all their rare representatives, have often been in danger. Europeans brought new animals to the continent, which eventually became feral and began to harm local species. Rabbits were the real scourge for a while. Globalization is also bad for the development of nature, the city of Sydney and other large cities with many plants and factories harm rare, unique animal species that continue to disappear from the face of the Earth.
Flora and fauna dangerous to humans
In addition to the above-mentioned dingoes and kangaroos, which can attack a person if they sense danger, there are a couple of other reasons in Australia to stay on the alert. For example, as mentioned above, snakes, of which there are a huge number of species. Many of them are extremely insidious and dangerous.
In addition, here you can often meet with spiders, which are even worse than snakes. However, they are not always poisonous. Often you can see ants here, which can cause a lot of trouble. In wetter areas, mosquitoes, mosquitoes and ticks are found, for which Australia has long been famous. Flora and fauna here can both delight and hide danger. You should also be wary of some marine life, such as sharks, which are found quite close to the coast. In addition to dangerous animals, here you can meet not the most pleasant plants. For example, sundew-like, although they are not dangerous for humans. They are quite rare.
Come to Australia
All the incredible native animals and plants are a great reason to visit this distant continent. It hides many mysteries, but this is what attracts fans to solve them. Acquaintance with charming animals, which in Europe can not even be found in every zoo, will not leave anyone indifferent, well, who can not fall in love with a baby panda chewing bamboo?
Black swans, koalas and century-old eucalyptus trees, along with a pleasant climate, sea coast and beautiful resort towns, are just the smallest part of the reasons to come and enjoy the local beauties. The charm of Australian nature is beyond words, you must see it in person once and fall in love forever.
