List of Woodland Animals in Australia
- The koala is one of many woodland animals in Australia.koala image by Sandi Chetwynd from Fotolia.com
Australia's fauna is a diverse group. Among marsupials alone, there are kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, Tasmanian devils and Tasmanian wolves, wombats and more. There are also the egg-laying mammals platypus and echidna (ant eater). In addition, a walk-through of this country's woodlands will give you a view of many birds, including cockatoos and kookaburras, as well as reptiles and insects. - The cassowary is a flightless bird as large as an emu, according to OzAnimals, a website devoted to Australia's wildlife. It lives in the dense rainforest of northeastern Australia, where the air is always humid and the temperature warm. The cassowary has blue, red and purple wattles on its neck and head, and a body covered in black feathers. It eats fruits and berries, playing the important role of propagating seeds of over 70 species of trees. In this bird family, the males incubate and raise the chicks.
- Apostlebirds are flying birds with dark gray feathers, a black tail and brown wings. Their name comes from their living habit. Like the 12 Apostles, they live in community. You often see them in groups of six to 10 in woodlands close to water. They also go near civilization to farms or parks that have trees. Apostlebirds get nourishment from plant parts and small insects they find in their habitat in inland eastern Australia.
- The agile antechinus is a mammal the size of a mouse and a carnivorous marsupial from southeastern Australia. Its fur is brown with some gray and it covers the entire body, including the animal's thin tail. The agile antechinus likes to live in forest areas that offer hiding places, such as thick ground cover and logs from dead trees. It eats small animals, including spiders and insects. Male agile antechinus die before reaching one year of age, at the end of the annual mating season ends.
- The Asian house gecko is a nocturnal lizard that preys on moths and other insects. You find it in several areas of Australia in the east and north of the country, usually waiting for dinner on outside house walls and windows. Among its physical features, the Asian house gecko has bulging lidless eyes, bands of spines that go around its tail and a "chuck, chuck, chuck" call, according to OzAnimals.
- The Cane toad is a poisonous amphibian that's probably behind the reduction in the numbers of several snakes and mammals in Australia, according to OzAnimals. Its poison glands are on its back and animals that bite it, receive a shot of venom and die. This imbalance probably stems from the fact that the cane toad was purposefully introduced to Australia (to control a beetle infestation) and isn't part of the country's natural ecology. To recognize a cane toad, look for a large amphibian with dry and warty skin in woodlands, but also suburban areas, covering a large region, from the east to the north of Australia.
