Wonderful Wildlife

What You Need to Know!

Our local environments are home to many native animals. However, due to pollution, deforestation, littering and more, these environments are reducing rapidly. When habitats reduce, it can affect the wildlife populations that call these places home. 

There are many wonderful animals that call Australia home. They are usually split into two types: Marine and Terrestrial. Marine animals live in water-based habitats such as the ocean, rivers, lakes, creeks, wetlands and reefs. Terrestrial animals live in land-based habitats such as forests, mountains, beaches and marshlands!

All of the animals that live in these environments have special ‘adaptations’ that help them to eat, mate, hide, and/or survive. 

Click on the animals below to learn more about their habitat and special adaptations!

Animals and their Habitat

  • Bottlenose dolphins have often formed bonds with Traditional Custodians of the land particularly on Qaundamooka country. Dolphins would help herd mullet to the shallows so Indigenous hunters could fish. They would then throw back a few fish for the dolphins to feed on.

  • If you see a Koala, they usually will  be chewing on eucalyptus leaves. These leaves are highly toxic. Koalas have a large caecum (part of the large intestine) to help dissolve toxins during digestion. This takes a lot of energy, and on top of that,  the leaves have a low nutrition content- the reason why Koalas are so sleepy!

  • The Mary River Turtle live in river systems, specifically ​in Southeast Queensland!

    These turtles can breathe through their bums! A special organ called the cloaca absorbs oxygen from the water environment. Sadly, the turtles are endangered due to loss of habitat and feral animals eating their eggs. 

  • Echidna's spines are used for defense, when threatened they curl up in a ball with their spines facing out. Echidna's are also blind and use their smell and long nose to navigate. And, funnily enough, echidnas in Tasmania and south Australia are harrier than in Queensland as it is colder in those areas. 

Animals and their Habitat

Dolphins

Dolphins

Bottlenose dolphins have often formed bonds with Traditional Custodians of the land particularly on Qaundamooka country. Dolphins would help herd mullet to the shallows so Indigenous hunters could fish. They would then throw back a few fish for the dolphins to feed on.

Koala

Koala

If you see a Koala, they usually will  be chewing on eucalyptus leaves. These leaves are highly toxic. Koalas have a large caecum (part of the large intestine) to help dissolve toxins during digestion. This takes a lot of energy, and on top of that,  the leaves have a low nutrition content- the reason why Koalas are so sleepy!

Mary River Turtle

Mary River Turtle

The Mary River Turtle live in river systems, specifically ​in Southeast Queensland! These turtles can breathe through their bums! A special organ called the cloaca absorbs oxygen from the water environment. Sadly, the turtles are endangered due to loss of habitat and feral animals eating their eggs. 

Echidna

Echidna

Echidna's spines are used for defense, when threatened they curl up in a ball with their spines facing out. Echidna's are also blind and use their smell and long nose to navigate. And, funnily enough, echidnas in Tasmania and south Australia are harrier than in Queensland as it is colder in those areas. 

Facts!

Here are some of our favourite animal facts:

Did you know that each species of butterfly is attracted to different host plants? There is always only one or two types of plants that different types of butterflies lay their eggs on, and then the caterpillars feed on that same plant. For example, the orchard swaIlowtail butterfly loves to lay eggs on lemon, lime and orange trees. I look for butterflies, caterpillars and eggs whenever I walk past certain trees now!

Kangaroos give birth to one joey at a time, but they can be raising 3 babies at one time. They can be pregnant, have a tiny joey in their pouch and a joey out of the pouch!

Pelicans can fly 3 kilometres high in the sky. Most school ovals are around 200 metres... so that's like 15 laps of your play area! Pretty high, hey?

EcoMarines Video: How to help our wildlife!

Hero Mission!

Wildlife is everywhere! For this Hero Mission, we want you to find some wonderful wildlife. Go outside in your garden or your local park and take a photo of an animal that you come across. Extra points if you tell us the name or species of the animal! Submit the photo below and the answers to the quiz! You can then move onto the litter level!

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