Our Unique Fauna
Our nations mammals are unique, with the majority of them being marsupials rather than placentals. These include the famous kangaroo, wallabies, koalas, Tassie devils, and wombats. There are also over 360 species of lizards, 29 turtles, 800 species of birds, and about 200 amphibians. Most of these are all endemic to Australia.
Of the world’s total species of fish, 25% can be found in Australia. The famous Great Barrier Reef is an UNESCO world natural site and borders the oldest rainforest in the world. It’s the only place where two world heritage sites meet. The Great Barrier Reef has over 400 species of coral and about 5,000 marine species. It is also home to 6 of the world’s seven marine turtle species. Spanning 348,000km2, it is the largest living structure on earth and can be seen from space. The Great Barrier reef alone is home to about 10% of the world’s fish species.
Of the 30 billion species which are estimated to have roamed this world, less that 1% currently live on the Earth today.
The most bizarre animals you’ll find in Australia are the monotremes. Found only in Australia and New Guinea, monotremes are egg laying mammals and comprise solely of the platypus and echidna. The male platypus even has a venomous spur on each hind ankle.
For a nation that is famous for its deadly animals, it comes as no surprise that Australia is home to about 170 species of snakes. Of the 25 most toxic snakes in the world Australia is home to 21. However, snake fatalities are extremely rare.
Australia really is home to an abundance of unique fauna and at Sip & Tails we’re here to celebrate our amazing biodiversity.