Australia is home to some of the world's most beautiful and interesting animals. Many of these animals are native to Australia and can be found nowhere else in the world. The most popular and well known of these animals include:

Kangaroo

Our nation's most popular animal, the kangaroo, is part of the marsupial family and is endemic to the continent of Australia. This national symbol of Australia can be found on the Australian Coat of Arms and also on some of our currency.

There is a vast amount of kangaroos roaming our country and many species are evident. The four main species include the Red Kangaroo, the Eastern Grey Kangaroo, the Western Grey Kangaroo and the Antilopine Kangaroo. All of these can best be described as having a head like a deer, stands straight like a human and hops like a frog!

Koala

The koala is a thickset arboreal marsupial herbivore that is found in the coastal regions of Eastern and Southern Australia. The Koala is broadly similar in appearance to the wombat, but it has a thicker coast, much larger ears and longer limbs. It also shares visible similarities with that of a teddy bear and this is why it is often referred to as the koala bear. The koala's diet consists mainly of eucalypt leaves and they spend most of their time sleeping, making them a rather lazy animal.

Platypus

The platypus is a semi-aquatic mammal endemic to eastern Australia. The platypus is a unique animal as it is one of the world's only mammals to lay eggs instead of giving birth.

The platypus is best described as venomous, duck-billed, beaver-tailed and otter-footed. It is a recognisable and iconic symbol of Australia and is featured on the Animal Emblem of New South Wales.

Echidna

Also known as a spiny anteater, the echidna is a small mammal with noticeable coarse hair and spines. They are generally found in areas of Papua New Guinea and the mainland of Australia. The diet consists largely of ants and termites and they feed on these through their snout, which acts as both a snout and a nose. Although they are named after a monster in Greek mythology, they are still an icon of Australia!

Tasmanian devil

The Tasmanian devil is a carnivorous marsupial that can be found in the Australian state of Tasmania. They are generally the size of a small dog, but are noticeably stockier and more muscular, which makes them the largest carnivorous marsupial in the world. They are characterised by their black fur, offensive odour when stressed, their extremely loud and disturbing screech and their ferocity while feeding.

Dingo

This Australian native dog is regarded as feral and lives independently from humans. Dingoes are particularly found in the north of Australia but they have been known to wander south. Their typically yellow-ginger fur coat is easily recognisable and they share many features in common with wolves and modern dogs.