Australian fauna
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Australia is unusual because the animal population evolved largely out of contact with the other continents. A very high percentage of Australian animals are endemic (found nowhere else) including about 70% of its birds over 80% of its mammals. Over time, marsupials filled most of the ecological niches that are occupied by placental mammals in most other parts of the world. Australia is also home to the only three extant monotreme species in the world - two echidnas and the Platypus. The only placental mammals naturally found on the Australian mainland are bats; a large number of rodents which arrived only about 5 million years ago, and the Dingo, which was introduced to Australia by humans perhaps 7000 years ago.
Australia is also home to large and diverse populations of various other types of animal - snakes, lizards, insects, spiders, birds and fish.
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Mammals
Monotremes
- Order Monotremata
- Family Ornithorhynchidae: Platypus
- Family Tachyglossidae: Echidnas
Marsupials
- Order Dasyuromorphia
- Family Dasyuridae: antechinuses, quolls, dunnarts, Tasmanian Devil
- Family Myrmecobiidae: Numbat
- Order Peramelemorphia
- Family Peroryctidae rainforest bandicoots
- Family Peramelidae: bandicoots and bilbies
- Order Notoryctemorphia
- Family Notoryctidae: marsupial moles
- Order Diprotodontia
- Family Phascolarctidae: Koala
- Family Vombatidae: wombats
- Family Phalangeridae: brushtail possums and cuscuses
- Family Burramyidae: pygmy possums
- Family Tarsipedidae: Honey Possum
- Family Petauridae: Striped Possum, Leadbeater's Possum, Yellow-bellied Glider, Sugar Glider, Mahogany Glider, Squirrel Glider
- Family Pseudocheiridae: ringtailed possums
- Family Potoridae: potoroos, rat kangaroos, bettongs
- Family Acrobatidae: Feathertail Glider
- Family Hypsiprymnodontidae: Musky Rat Kangaroo
- Family Macropodidae: kangaroos, wallabies
Placentals
- Order Carnivora
- FamilyCanidae: Dingo introduced by Indigenous Australians
- Order Chiroptera
- Family Pteropodidae: flying foxes
- Order Rodentia
Marine mammals
- Order Cretacea
- 36 species from this order are found in Australian coastal waters but since they have global distribuion many authors do not consider them as Australian species.
- Order Pinnipedia
- Family Otariidae: Australian Sea-lion, Australian Fur-seal, New Zealand Fur-seal
- Family Phocidae: Southern Elephant Seal, Leopard Seal, Weddell Seal, Crab-eater Seal, Ross Seal
- Order Sirenia
- Family Dugongidae: Dugong
Birds
Some prominent bird types
- several Australiasia-specific Psittaciformes species (cockatoo, parrot, galah etc.)
- several varieties of duck
- Emu
- Southern Cassowary
- lyrebirds
- Australian Pelican
- Australian Magpie
- Brolga, Jabiru, spoonbills
- Black Swan
- penguins
- Brush Turkey
See the main article List of Australian birds, and List of Australasian birds for a more comprehensive listing
Reptiles
Australia has both salt-water and fresh-water species of crocodiles and turtles. As well as some species of tortoises.
Lizards
- blue-tongued lizard
- frill-necked lizard
- goanna, a broad group of lace monitors
- geckos
- skinks
- thorny lizard
Snakes
- several varieties of tiger snakes
- several varieties of taipans
- several varieties of brown snakes
- several varieties of black snakes
- several varieties of broad-headed snakes
- several varieties of whip snakes
- several varieties of sea snakes
- Mulga snake, formerly known as king brown
- Rough-scaled snake or Clarence River snake
- death adder
- copperhead snake
- Collett's snake
- Small-eyed snake
- Dunmall's snake
- De Vis' snake
- Marsh snake or black-bellied swamp snake
- Myall or curl snake
- Grey snake
- Ornamental snake
- Golden-crowned snake
See List of Australian snakes for more comprehensive listing
Amphibians
Fish
Invertebrates
Insects
- green ant
- numerous other native species of ant
- numerous native species of termite
- native bees
- wasps
- cricket
- butterflies and moths
- cicada
See List of Australian insects for more comprehensive listing.
Arachnids
See List of Australian spiders for more comprehensive listing
Freshwater crustaceans
For information marine and shore-line crustaceans and other marine invertebrates see Australian marine life.
Pest species
See also
- Endangered Australian fauna
- Extinct Australian fauna
- Recently extinct Australian animals: from 1788 to present;
- Australian megafauna: from first human colonisation to 1788;