Who lives in Australia: amazing animals and the population of the continent

Who lives in Australia from people and animals? Why is the nature of this continent so different from everyone else? These questions still conceal many secrets, many of which we will try to discover in our article.

Demographic situation

So who lives in Australia? First of all, it is more than 24 million people. This country-mainland occupies the 50th place in the world in terms of population. Presumably, the first people arrived here about 40 thousand years ago. They were immigrants from the nearest islands. Tribes of the indigenous population were engaged in hunting, gathering and were quite a peace-loving people.

Only in the 18th century, to the shores of the continent,crew of the English navigator James Cook. This expedition of the conquerors was met with hostility by the aborigines. From this time begins the story of the colonization of Australia, which became part of the Kingdom of England. Now this state is independent. It has the name of the Australian Union. Thanks to the rich history of the national composition of the population of the continent is quite diverse. Its most part are Australians, Englishmen and Irish.

The uniqueness of the continent

The history of the continent is also amazing. Many millions of years ago it separated from the ancient continent, and its development took place in isolation. This explains the fact that one who lives in Australia does not meet in any other corner of the world. Such organisms are called endemics. They have a fairly limited range of habitats and a small number. Many of them are protected by law and listed in the Red Book.

Who lives in Australia from animals

The fauna of Australia is represented by a large variety of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds and insects. Some of them have long been a visiting card of the continent.

Even if you ask the student who lives inAustralia, he easily lists many animals. This kangaroo, koala, mottled marten, wombat, Tasmanian devil, emu, kiwi and platypus. Among representatives of their systematic units they are distinguished by the presence of many primitive features of the structure. But this is their uniqueness.

Pervozveri

Who lives in Australia from animals? First of all, they are representatives of a subclass of mammals, called Firstborn. This group includes only one unit - One-pass. By their name, they are due to the presence of cloaca - an opening for the removal of undigested food residues, products of urination and sex cells. In nature there are only 6 species.

The most famous are echidna and platypus. They resemble fantastic animals. So, the platypus looks like a large hedgehog. Under his needles grows thick hair, and an elongated nose forms a proboscis. Their favorite delicacy are the ants, for the extraction of which serve as sharp claws. No less amazing is the platypus, which leads a semi-aquatic life. This helps him waterproof wool, flattened tail, fingers with a swimming membrane and a wide beak.

Marsupial mammals

These representatives of the subclass These real animalshave more progressive features of the structure. They have no cloak completely, and the digestive, urinary and genital systems open outward through independent openings. Their distinctive feature is the presence of a skin bag in which the mammary glands open. In it, a certain period occurs the development of a newborn organism. Examples of these animals are the marsupial opossum, the fly, the mouse, the bear or the koala, the kangaroo.

Who is wombat

Who lives in Australia from animals? The photo shows another representative of the amazing fauna of this continent. It's a little like a little bear. In fact, this wombat is a representative of marsupial mammals. Wombat has a unique ability to create underground tunnels. From the surface, it can disappear in a matter of minutes. For this, the animal has sharp claws. The mechanism of protecting wombat from enemies is also amazing. The back of his body serves as a reliable "shield" thanks to strong bones, cartilage and thick skin. No predator can bite it.

Birds of Australia

Who lives in Australia from feathered animals? The largest bird of the continent is emu. It weighs up to 50 kg with an increase of about 2 m, has underdeveloped wings, very strong and long legs. Emu are excellent runners. The width of their step reaches 275 cm, and the speed when running 50 km / h. This helps them quickly hide from predators.

Another endemic of the region is the kiwi bird. Outwardly it resembles a fluffy lump on the paws with a long and thin beak. This is a small bird, weighing up to 4 kg, with small, barely noticeable wings. Like emu, kiwi does not have a keel. It is the bone to which the muscles are attached, which move the wings. Therefore, these birds are not capable of flying.

In this article, we examined who lives inAustralia. For a long time the continent has developed in isolation from others, so its fauna is significantly different. Typical representatives of the fauna of Australia are marsupial mammals and ratites, found only within the region.