Environment

Who lives in Australia: amazing animals and the mainland population

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Who lives in Australia: amazing animals and the mainland population
Who lives in Australia: amazing animals and the mainland population
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Who lives in Australia from people and animals? Why is the nature of this continent so different from everyone else? These questions still hold 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 mainland country occupies the 50th place in the world in terms of population. Presumably, the first people arrived here about 40 thousand years ago. These were immigrants from the nearest islands. The tribes of the indigenous population were engaged in hunting, gathering, and were quite peaceful people.

Only in the 18th century the crew of the English navigator James Cook sailed to the shores of the continent. Aborigines met this expedition of conquerors with hostility. From this time begins the history of the colonization of Australia, which became part of the Kingdom of England. Now this state is independent. It is called the Australian Union. Due to its rich history, the national composition of the continent's population is quite diverse. Most of it is made up of Australians, British and Irish.

The uniqueness of the nature of the continent

The history of the mainland 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 is not found in any other corner of the world. Such organisms are called endemic. They have a fairly limited habitat and small numbers. Many of them are protected by law and are listed in the Red Book.

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Who lives in Australia from animals

Australia's wildlife is represented by a wide variety of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds and insects. Some of them have long been the hallmark of the continent.

Even if you ask the student who lives in Australia, he will easily list many animals. This is a kangaroo, koala, speckled marten, wombat, Tasmanian devil, emu, kiwi and duckbill. Among representatives of their systematic units, they are distinguished by the presence of many primitive structural features. But this is their uniqueness.

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First beasts

Who lives in Australia from animals? First of all, they are representatives of a subclass of mammals called First Beasts. This group includes only one squad - Single Pass. They owe their name to the presence of cesspools - holes for removing undigested food debris, urinary products and germ cells. In nature, there are only 6 species.

The most famous are the echidna and the platypus. They resemble fantastic animals. So, the platypus outwardly resembles a large hedgehog. A thick coat grows under his needles, and an elongated nose forms a proboscis. Their favorite treats are ants, for the extraction of which sharp claws serve. No less surprising is the platypus, which leads a semi-aquatic lifestyle. In this he is helped by waterproof wool, a flattened tail, fingers with a swimming membrane and a wide beak.

Marsupial mammals

These representatives of the Real Animals subclass have more progressive structural features. They completely lack cloaca, and the digestive, urinary and reproductive systems open outward with independent openings. Their distinguishing feature is the presence of a skin bag in which the mammary glands open. In it, a certain period is the development of a newborn organism. Examples of these animals are marsupial possum, flying squirrel, mouse, bear or koala, kangaroo.

Who is a wombat

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

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