Flora and fauna of Australia

This country is characterized by its amazing nature, and it is that Australia’s ecosystems are very varied and if we add that Australia’s climate is characterized by being widely diverse, but typically within the range between warm and temperate, we find a perfect combination for that there is great biodiversity. Therefore, there is a high percentage of endemic Australian flora and fauna .

• Acacia and eucalyptus forests predominate in the coastal areas with a temperate climate and Mediterranean climate .
• There are more than 22,000 species of flora and of these more than 90% are indigenous.
• As a curious characteristic of the Australian fauna, we can indicate that there are more species of poisonous snakes than innocuous ones.
• Currently, there are 46 species of cetaceans (an order of marine mammals) that inhabit the Australian shores.
• Furthermore, two of the five known monotreme species are endemic to this country; it is about the platypus and the echidna.
• In this country there are more than 800 species of birds and more than 5,000 species of fish and 90% of these fish species are endemic. In this article we show you +20 Australian birds .

Next, we go into detail on the characteristics of the flora and fauna of Australia and also detail some of the most remarkable species.

In Australia there are more than 22,000 species of flora . Among these, more than 90% are autochthonous and a large part of these species are only found in these lands, that is, they are endemic. The vegetation of Australia is very diverse and includes from dense populations of shrubs or eucalyptus , to Mugla and Mallee. However, the predominant vegetation is perennial. There are three characteristic zones in Australia :

• The tropical zone: characterized by high temperatures and a monsoon climate. A large part of this area is a forest population of deciduous trees .
• The temperate zone: there are temperate sclerophyllous forests of sabanda, rainforests and alpine vegetation. Along the coast, long clusters of pines are often found .
• The eremic zone (of the desert): characterized by savanna of semi-arid shrubs and steppes, together with areas where there is no presence of vegetation.

Among the plants in Australia are:

• Alyogyne huegelii
•  Boronia heterophilla
• Callistemon captain cook
• Chamelaucium uncinatum
• Brachychiton discolor
• Grevillea crithmifolia

Although the first names that come to mind when we think of Australia’s animals are kangaroos and koalas, the truth is that this country is home to exceptional biodiversity.

Australia has a unique fauna and this is because, during the Miocene, the Earth experienced a climate change event of great magnitude, from which Australia stayed away. As a consequence, the species of animals that inhabited this country followed a different development compared to other species present in other areas of the planet. However, it is also commented that the high Australian endemic fauna is due to the stability of the pías tectonic plates or the fact that there are atypical patterns of climate change in the area.

As the best known animals of Australia are:

• The kangaroo .
• The koala.
• The demon of Tasmania.

However, there is a much longer list with examples such as the wombats , small marsupials, the wallaby or wallaby , a medium-sized mammal with a high resemblance to the kangaroo, or the dingo , commonly known as a wild dog.

As for the most dangerous animals in Australia , we find the coastal taipan , a type of snake native to Australia and New Guinea, it is one of the most poisonous snakes that exist in the world and, in turn, the most poisonous snake in Australia . Within the catalog of dangerous Australian animals there are also:

• Sidney’s spider.
• The viper of death.
• The saltwater crocodile.

Beyond its lands, its marine waters also inhabit dangerous creatures such as the blue-ringed octopus , a cephalopod that can kill up to 20 people. We also find the sea wasp , listed as the deadliest animal in Australia, the bull shark or Sardinian shark and the cone snail . These species and several more, would form the dangerous Australian fauna that you must keep in mind if you ever undertake an adventure through these lands.

Finally, we must list the rare animals of Australia , among which we find the platypus . Although it has come to be described in a multitude of ways, it is a poisonous and oviparous mammal ( monotreme ), with a characteristic broad flattened bill. Here you can discover the 10 rarest animals in Australia .

All these species of Australian flora and fauna coexist in harmony with the Australian aborigines. If you want to know them better, here we talk about Names of Australian aboriginal peoples and their customs .

The extinction of species in Australia has been a topic of debate for many years now. In the past, the uncontrolled expansion of agriculture and livestock has brought many species of Australian animals to the danger of extinction. To this event was added the introduction of exotic species in the territory, some of which became potential predators of the endemic species of the country. In addition, recently, more than 100 species have been threatened due to bushfires in Australia, pushing many of them to extinction. These are some of the Australian animal species in danger of extinction :

• The northern wombat ( Lasiorhinus krefftii )
• El quokka (Setonix brachyurus)
• The short-nosed or Australian echidna ( Tachyglossus aculeatus )
• EL Numbat ( Metatheria )
• The frigate bird of Christmas ( Fregata andrewsi )
• Tasmanian devil or devil ( Sarcophilus harrisii )
• The Hastings River Mouse ( Pseudomys oralis ).
• Kangaroo Island Marsupial Mouse ( Sminthopsis aitkeni )
• The Regent Honeycreeper ( Anthochaera phrygia )
• Blue Mountains Swamp Skink ( Eulamprus leuraensis )
• Quot El Tigre ( Dasyurus stained )
• El antequino brown or Stuart ( Antechinus stuartii )

If you want to read more articles similar to Flora and fauna of Australia , we recommend that you enter our Biodiversity category .