Did you
know that Australia is the driest country in the world? Roughly, the 3,200 kms which separate Darwin, in the north of the island, from Sydney, in the south,
are vast plains. Indeed, Australia’s centres of life are placed in the coast
for one important reason: central Australia and the western plateau are desert
territories, so you could travel across the country from Sydney to Darwin without seeing a town. This area of aridity is
commonly known as Australia’s outback.
This environment,
together with Australia’s isolation from other continents, explains the
singularity of its animal and plant life. Although Aborigines (the native
inhabitants of the land) and, later, the European colonists caused the
extinction of many native plant species, there is still one recognizable Australian
plant species, the Eucalyptus, which is represented in the continent by more
than 400 species.
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| Emu |
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| Numbat |
Australia’s
fauna is also unique from the rest of the world. The country is home to the three existing types of mammals – monotremes, marsupials, and placentals –, more than 800 bird
species, and more than 4, 000 fish species.
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| Platypus |
Although
the kangaroo and the koala are probably the best-known animals from this country,
Australia is also known for its dingoes, numbats, Tasmanian devils or emus, a flightless
bird. You can also find here the platypus, the only egg-lying mammal in the
world, and 21 of the 25 deadliest snakes in the world.
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| Koala |
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| Dingo |
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| Kangaroo |
Click here if you want to know more about Australia's wildlife. 🐍
Sources:
- Encylopedia Britannica 2006.
- http://www.australia.com/en/facts/australias-animals.html
