The main feature of Australian animals. Plants of Australia: geographical location, flora and fauna and interesting facts. Features of Australian fauna

The vegetation of Australia and Oceania is very unique.

This is especially true of Australia, which over a long period of geological history developed in isolation from other parts of the globe.

The Australian flora is dominated by elements not found in other parts of the world.

The geological features of the development of the Australian flora determined its main features: antiquity and a high degree of endemism. In terms of the number of endemic plants, the Australian region has no equal on the globe - 75% of the species growing within its borders are endemic.

Main types of vegetation in Australia

Remote sensing maps of Australia's vegetation show that the dominant vegetation types in Australia are turfgrass steppe (occupying 18% of the area), eucalyptus woodland (12%) and acathic grassland (11%).

The five largest non-forest vegetation types by area are steppes, shrubs, scrublands and savannas.

Over the past 200 years, eucalyptus woodlands have reduced their area the most due to anthropogenic pressure.

Other vegetation types that have declined are woodland and mallee scrub, eucalyptus lightwood and acacia woodland and woodland. The vegetation types occupying the smallest area (less than 2% all together) are rain forests and vines, tall eucalyptus light forests, forests and open woodlands or cypress pine, closed low-growing forests and closed tall shrubs, mangroves, low eucalyptus open forests.

To give a general idea of ​​the distribution of vegetation, here is a rough diagram of the vegetation of Australia.

1 – woodlands and mallee scrapes

2 – urban development zones

3 – shrub communities of different types

4 – fields and improved pastures

5 – savannas

6 – cleared and closed forests

7 – mangroves

8 – turf steppes and meadows

9 – deserted steppes with sparse shrub savannas

Eucalyptus is a tree of miracles.

What other tree could have grown on the amazing land of the Green Continent? Eucalyptus trees are special in that they can adapt to the conditions of frequent fires in Australia (they recover quickly).

Eucalyptus trees are able to disinfect the air, grow quickly and drain wetlands. In the humid eastern regions of Australia you can see the regal eucalyptus. These are very tall trees: eucalyptus at the age of 350-400 years reaches a height of 100 meters.

Eucalyptus wood is very dense, heavy (sinks in water) and does not rot. Eucalyptus absorbs and evaporates 320 liters of moisture from the soil per day (for comparison, birch - 40 liters).

It is always light in eucalyptus forests because the leaves of this tree turn parallel to the falling rays of the sun. This helps the tree retain moisture. It’s easy to breathe in the eucalyptus forest - the air is filled with the fresh smell of essential oils. And they are known to kill various harmful bacteria.

Australians also respect eucalyptus for its extraordinary love of life - frequent fires that occur in the country's dry climate are not capable of destroying green spaces. Eucalyptus trees crack in the fire, and after a few days shoots begin to grow wildly from the cracks.

Eucalyptus trees have a weapon against pests: their leaves contain a cocktail of odorous monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and formylated phloroglucinol derivatives. And, as it turned out, the proportion between the components of the odorous mixture in the tree differs in different branches and in different leaves; the tree had a genetic mosaic. That is, in different parts of it, different genes worked to produce a working mixture. So, even if insects almost completely destroyed the leaves, the tree still had resources to continue photosynthesis, growth and reproduction.

Trees with thickened trunks in which moisture accumulates, represented by several species of the genus Strecularia, the so-called “bottle trees,” are also very common.

bottle tree

(Latin name Brachychiton rupestris) are trees native to Australia. Their distribution area covers the entire central and northern parts of the continent.

The height of the bottle tree rarely exceeds 15 meters. In soil, the diameter of the trunk is one and a half to two meters. The trunk begins to branch high above the ground. Externally, the tree trunk resembles a bottle or flask. The foliage of the bottle tree litters its few branches quite densely. The leaf is small, only 8 centimeters in length.

But it is not the external resemblance to a bottle that gave the plant its name; the fact is that inside the trunk the bottle tree has two chambers. One of them (located closer to the root system) is filled with water, which the root absorbs during the rainy season. The second chamber (located above the first) is filled with juice, which in its consistency resembles thick syrup. This sweet juice is quite edible and tasty. The plant uses the accumulated water during hot and dry periods.

Eucalyptus savannas characterized by large distances between trees, so that steppe or shrub vegetation types dominate the landscape. They are found mainly in arid areas on plains and foothills, sometimes on rocky slopes. In southern Australia, many savannas have been cleared for fields or pastures. In northern Australia, eucalyptus savannas are used for grazing by livestock. Most of these savannas are located on the lands of traditional environmental management of aboriginal communities and are therefore in good condition.

Desertified spinifex steppe formed by perennial grasses that form cushion-shaped clumps - triodia Triodia spp. and spinifex Plechrachne spp. (both are often called spinifex).

Spinifexes are evergreen perennial, holly-leaved, tough grasses that grow on loose sand and rocky soils, forming sparse but dense bushy turfs. After seasonal or cyclone rains, numerous colorful annual plants, ephemeral and short-lived, appear between the spinifexes (and growing through the cushions). Steppes run along rolling or gently undulating plains on sandy or skeletal soils in semi-arid and arid regions of Australia, but not only inland: for example, they are common on the limestones of Barrow Island in Western Australia.

Vegetation of the tropical deserts of Western and South Australia

Surface Great Sandy Desertraised above sea level to a height of 500–700 m.

The usual form of relief is latitudinal sand ridges running from east or southeast to west.

The Great Sandy Desert is characterized by red sandy desert soils. They are developed on aeolian ridges of red sands.

Coarse and medium-grained sands with the inclusion of coarse gravel and crushed stone predominate.

The region is characterized by steppes dominated by Triodia basedowii. Large areas are covered with open woodlands and savannas, mainly eucalyptus with an admixture of Acacia aneura.

Spinifex, or Basedow's triodia Triodia basedowii is a common grass of the deserts of Australia, forming desert steppes and ground cover in savannas and woodlands.

Old individuals form rings with a diameter of up to 20 m. Triodia, growing on loose sand, secure them.

The so-called “Giles Corridor” runs across the entire Victoria Desert - a narrow strip of akatniks, the only continuous contour of bushes here. This corridor connects the Pilbara region of Western Australia with the Central Ranges, passing through the Lakes region. Carnegie in the Victoria Desert and the southern Gibson Desert.

One of the desert acacias, Acacia tetragonophylla, grows in the upper reaches of dry riverbeds and on the slopes of quartzite hills.

It is a shrub or tree 2–3 m tall with phyllodes instead of true leaves, which have long, sharp, spiny ends.

This acacia got its local name “finish” from the fact that it is the last species eaten by animals during drought - it is too thorny.

Sclerolaena divaricata is another shrub from the family. Chenopodiaceae, very spiny and common in the desert.

Many species of this family are rich in mineral salts.

Its leaves are succulent, glabrous, and its fruits are yellowish. Succulents (from Latin succulentus, “succulent”) are plants that have special tissues for storing water. As a rule, they grow in places with arid climates.

Leaf succulents retain moisture in their thick leaves.

Savannas and woodlands of northern Australia

The tropical savanna region of the Arnhem Land Peninsula is a geographical landmark of northern Australia, determining the entire structure of the peninsula's ecosystems. Rivers flowing from the mountains to the coast are flooded during the summer monsoon, and have carved out vast floodplains in the sandstones.

Most of the peninsula is covered with wet savannas, combined with fragments of rain forests and shrubs on the ledges of the sandstone massif. The sandstone massif is home to highly endemic biota, including many rare plant species.

Southern Cordyline (lat. Cordyline australis) is a New Zealand species of woody plants. Endemic to New Zealand. Grows on rocky open slopes and damp plains. James Cook called it the "cabbage tree."

Young leaves are used for food. The juice of the plant has anti-infective properties.

Southern Cordyline is high in carbohydrates and, after cooking, becomes edible. For eight centuries it was an important source of food for the Maori.

Mangroves, or mangrove forests

Where in the tropics the seashores are protected from huge surf waves by nearby islands or coral reefs, or where rivers flow into the seas and oceans, one of the most distinctive plant formations of this zone develops - mangroves, mangrove forests, or mangrove thickets. According to the descriptions of travelers, these are “trees growing in the sea”, in which during high tide only the crowns rise above the water, and at low tide the bizarre respiratory roots, different for different species of these plants, become visible.

Nepenthes, or pitcher plant (lat. Nepenthes) is the only genus of plants of the monotypic family Nepentaceae, which includes about 120 species. In the east - New Guinea, Northern Australia and New Caledonia - amazing Nepenthes (Nepenthes mirabilis) grows. Along with ordinary leaves, peculiar pitcher-shaped leaves are developed. In such leaves, the lower part of the petiole, closest to the stem, is flat, wide and green. Next, the petiole transforms into a thin long tendril that wraps around the branch of the host tree. At its end, formed by a leaf blade, hangs a jug for catching insects, somewhat reminiscent of an unusual bright flower. Different types of Nepenthes have pitchers of different sizes, shapes and colors. Their length varies from 2.5 to 30 cm, and in some species it can reach 50 cm.

Grevillea parallela Grevillea cf. parallela is a tree from the Proteaceae family. State of Queensland, Australia.

Melaleuca Melaleuca bracteata is a plant of the family. Myrtaceae, Queensland, Australia.

Eremophila Fraser, tarpentine Eremophila fraseri - a shrub from the family. Myoporaceae (Myoporaceae). Eremophiles are extremely characteristic of the bush communities of western Australia.

Keraudrenia similar to Keraudrenia velutina is a shrub from the family. Sterculiaceae, common to southwest Australia.

During the flowering season, the desert grasslands and savannas of Australia are spread with colorful carpets of the ubiquitous daisies and other wildflowers. From June to September, more than 12,000 species of wildflowers bloom across Western Australia. From late August to mid-October, Kangaroo Island in South Australia is home to more than 100 varieties of wildflowers, many of which grow only here. As soon as the snow melts in the Australian Alps, the alpine meadows are covered with scatterings of silver and snow-white daisies, yellow daisies and pink styliums.

The unique Australian flora also boasts representatives of the Proteaceae family, such as banksia, grevillea and telopea. About 80 per cent of all plants, in particular all members of the Proteaceae family, growing in the south-west of Western Australia are found nowhere else in the world. The heathlands along Victoria's Great Ocean Road rival few areas in Australia for the abundance of orchids.

Esperance, Nullarbor and Coolgardie Plains in southwest Australia

Andersonia large-leaved Andersonia parvifolia is a low common shrub in Esperance, less than 1 m tall, from the family. Heathers (Ericaceae).

There are over 20 species in the genus. Under cultural conditions it can reach a height of 2 m or more. Characteristic of non-carbonate sands and pebbles throughout the Esperance Plain and Mallee zone.

Recovers quickly after fires (in the second to fifth year).

Blooms mainly from August to October.

Pink astro-flowered callithrix Calytrix duplistipulata is a common shrub of the Esperance family. Myrtaceae (Myrtaceae).

Characteristic of the Mount Ridley region and northern Esperance.

It usually forms compact clumps 1 m high, very often after clearing, felling or fires.

The bright pink flowers are about 2 cm in diameter.

Another type of callithrix, Calytrix leschenaultii, has blue, violet, lilac or purple flowers with bright yellow stamens, which turn red at maturity.

A common species in Western Australia, found mainly in non-forested (low shrub) communities, on non-carbonate sands or in the mallee zone.

The leaves of this shrub are so small (2 mm long) that not during the flowering period it is literally not visible in the vegetation. The height of the bush is 0.6–1 m.

Dodonaea lobulata is a shrub from the family. Sapindaceae up to 3 m in height, distributed over a 400 km radius around Kalgoorlie.

The species Dodonaea lobulata may be common in the Esperance region, but mainly on red loams around low-altitude granite outcrops (within a 20 m radius of them), and on small limestones slightly overlying granites. This type of ecotope is characteristic of the Mallee zone and the north-east of the Esperance Plain. Dodonea fruits, similar to hop fruits, are greenish-yellow at first, but quickly turn red and become scarlet as the fruit ripens.

Isopogon alcicornis is a strange-looking shrub from the family. Proteaceae with almost vertical olive-green long (up to 1.6 m long) leaves.

The smallest continent on planet Earth is Australia. With an area of ​​7,659,861 km2 (with islands 7,692,024 km2), it occupies only 5% of the planet's total land area. At the same time, the size of the continent, when viewed from north to south, will be 3.7 thousand kilometers, and from west to east approximately 4,000 kilometers. In this case, the length of all the coasts of the continent will be approximately 35,877 kilometers.

The continent is located in the southern hemisphere of the planet. From the north, south and west, mainland Australia is washed by the Indian Ocean, and from the east it is washed by the Tasman and Coral Seas. Australia is also famous for the largest coral reef in the world (more than 2000 km), which is located on the northeastern coast of the continent.

The entire territory of the mainland belongs to one state, which is called Australia. Officially, this state is called the Commonwealth of Australia.

Extreme points of mainland Australia

There are four extreme points that are located on the Australian mainland:

1) The most extreme point in the north is Cape York, which is washed by the Coral and Arafura seas.

2) The westernmost point of the mainland is Cape Steep Point, which is washed by the Indian Ocean.

3) The southernmost point of Australia is Cape South Point, which washes the Tasman Sea.

4) And finally, the easternmost point of the mainland is Cape Byron.

Relief of Australia

Mainland Australia is dominated by plains. More than 90% of the continent's total land mass does not exceed 600 meters above sea level. There are also mountain ranges in Australia, which usually do not exceed a height of 1500 kilometers. The highest mountains in Australia are the Australian Alps, the highest mountain of which Kosciuszko reaches an altitude of 2230 meters above sea level. Also in Australia there are the Musgrave Mountains, the Western Australian Tablelands, the Kimberley Plateau, the Darling Range and Mount Lofty.

The entire territory of the continent of Australia is located on the Australian Plate, which includes the mainland of Australia and part of the adjacent ocean.

Australian inland waters

In terms of internal waters, this continent is characterized as the poorest continent in terms of rivers. The longest river on the mainland, the Murray, originates from the area of ​​Australia's highest mountain, Kosciuszko, and reaches a length of 2375 km.

The rivers are fed mainly by rain or melt water. The rivers are at their fullest at the beginning of summer, and then they begin to shallow, and in some places turn into stagnant reservoirs.

Just like rivers, lakes on the mainland are also fed by rainwater. Such lakes do not have a constant level and flow. In summer, they can dry out completely and turn into depressions, the bottom of which is covered with salt. The thickness of salt at the bottom of dry lakes can reach up to 1.5 meters. Australia's fairly large lakes can be swamps for most of the year. There is a hypothesis that the south of the continent continues to rise from the ocean.

Climate of mainland Australia

Mainland Australia is located in three climatic zones at once - the subtropical zone, the tropical zone and the subequatorial zone.

The subtropical zone of the continent of Australia includes three climates - subtropical continental, subtropical humid and Mediterranean.

The Mediterranean climate is characterized by dry and hot summers, but warm and humid winters. There are slight fluctuations between the seasons (in summer the temperature rises to 27 degrees Celsius, and in winter the air temperature drops to 12 degrees Celsius) and there is quite a lot of precipitation. This climate is typical for the southwestern part of Australia.

The subtropical humid climate is characterized by large temperature differences between different periods of the year (in summer the temperature rises to +24 degrees Celsius, and in winter it drops to -10 degrees Celsius below zero) and significant precipitation. This climate is typical for the entire state of Victoria and part of the state of New South Wales, which is located in the southwest.

The subtropical continental climate is characterized by low precipitation and large temperature differences and is characteristic of southern Australia.

The tropical zone is formed from tropical dry and tropical wet climates.

The tropical humid climate is located in the east of the continent and is characterized by little precipitation. This climate is formed due to the action of southeastern winds, which are saturated with moisture from the Pacific Ocean.

A tropical dry climate is typical for the central and western parts of the continent. The hottest climate is in the north-west of the mainland - in summer the temperature rises to 35 degrees Celsius, and in winter it drops very slightly to 20 degrees Celsius. It is worth noting the city of Alice Springs, which is located in the central part of the continent, where temperatures during the day can rise to 45 degrees and at night drop to -6 degrees Celsius below zero. At the same time, precipitation may not fall in some places for years, and then the annual norm of precipitation may fall in a matter of hours. In this case, moisture is very quickly absorbed by the ground or evaporates.

The subequatorial climate on the Australian mainland is characterized by stable temperatures throughout the year (23 degrees Celsius) and high rainfall.

Flora and fauna of Australia

Due to the fact that the continent is isolated from other continents, the flora of this continent is very diverse. At the same time, there are plants and animals that live only on this continent and are not found anywhere else. And due to the peculiarities of the dry climate on the continent, dry-loving plants predominate among plants. For example, eucalyptus, acacia and others. In the north of the mainland you can find tropical forests.

The area of ​​the mainland covered by forests is only 5%. Over time, many trees and plants were introduced from other continents that took root well in Australia, for example, grains, grapevines, and some types of fruits and vegetables.

But the variety of animals on the mainland is not so diverse. In total, there are just over 230 species of mammals living on the mainland, more than 700 species of birds and more than 120 species of amphibians. But most of these animals exist only on the mainland and will not survive anywhere else, since they feed on plants that also exist only on the Australian mainland. This is such a unique world that is worth seeing with your own eyes.

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Vegetation and precipitation

Obviously, the distribution of individual plant groups depends on microclimate and soils, but the distribution of large plant zones in Australia (at the level of formation types) reveals a close relationship with average annual precipitation. A striking feature of the Australian climate is the presence of an arid center of the continent, from which the amount of precipitation consistently increases towards the periphery. Vegetation changes accordingly.

1. Average annual precipitation is less than 125 mm. Sandy deserts are developed. Stiff-leaved perennial grasses of the genera Triodia and Spinifex dominate.

2. Average annual precipitation is 125–250 mm. These are semiarid regions with two main types of vegetation. a) Shrub semi-desert – open areas with a predominance of representatives of the genera Atriplex (quinoa) and Kochia (witweed). Native plants are exceptionally drought-resistant. The area is used for sheep pasture. b) Arid scrub on sandy plains or on bedrock outcrops on remnant hills. These are dense thickets of low-growing trees and shrubs with a predominance of various types of acacias. The most widely used mulga scrub is made with veinless acacia (Acacia aneura). Both types of vegetation are characterized by vigorous development of annual plants after infrequent rainfall.

3. Average annual precipitation is 250–500 mm. There are two main types of vegetation here. In the south, where precipitation occurs only in the winter months, the mallee scrub is common. These are dense thickets dominated by various bushy eucalyptus trees, forming several trunks (arising from one underground root) and tufts of leaves at the ends of the branches. In the north and east of Australia, where rainfall occurs mainly in the summer, grasslands are common with a predominance of representatives of the genera Astrebla and Iseilema.

4. Average annual precipitation is 500–750 mm. Here you can see savannas - open park landscapes with eucalyptus trees and a grass-forb lower layer. These areas were intensively used for grazing and growing wheat. Grass savannas are found in places on more fertile soils and in the zone of sclerophyllous (hard-leaved) forests.

5. Average annual precipitation is 750–1250 mm. Sclerophyllous forests are typical for this climatic zone. They are dominated by different species of eucalyptus, forming a closed tree stand, and a dense undergrowth of hard-leaved shrubs is developed, and the grass cover is sparse. On the more arid edge of this zone, forests give way to savanna woodlands, and on the more humid edge, to tropical rainforests. Relatively dry sclerophyllous forests have the highest concentrations of typical Australian species. These forests are an important source of hardwood timber.

6. Average annual precipitation is over 1250 mm. Tropical rainforests are confined to areas with high rainfall and soils usually developed on basaltic rocks. The species composition of trees is very diverse, without clearly defined dominants. Characterized by an abundance of vines and dense undergrowth. These forests are dominated by species of Indo-Melanesian origin. In more southern temperate-humid forests, the role of the Antarctic element of the flora increases (see below).

Floristic analysis

In Australia, approx. 15 thousand species of flowering plants, and about 3/4 of them are indigenous. Even J. D. Hooker, in his Introduction to the Flora of Tasmania (J.D. Hooker, Introductory Essay to the Flora of Tasmania, 1860), pointed out that three main elements played a decisive role in the development of the Australian flora: Antarctic, Indo-Melanesian and local Australian.

Antarctic element

This category includes groups of species common to southeastern Australia, New Zealand, the subantarctic islands and the southern Andes of South America. Examples of genera with such ranges are Nothofagus, Drimys, Lomatia, Araucaria, Gunnera and Acaena. Their representatives were also found in fossil remains of Paleogene age on the now ice-covered Seymour Island and on Graham Land (Antarctic Peninsula). Such plants are not found anywhere else. It is believed that they or their ancestors arose at a time when Australia was part of Gondwana. When this supercontinent split into parts that moved to their current positions, the ranges of representatives of the Antarctic flora turned out to be greatly separated. However, it is obvious that these plants were widespread in Australia in the Paleogene, since Nothofagus and Lomatia were found in the Oligocene deposits of South Australia and Victoria, along with such Australian genera as Eucalyptus, Banksia and Hakea. Currently, this element of the flora is best represented in temperate humid forests. The term "Antarctic element" is sometimes used to designate larger groups of plants now found only in the Southern Hemisphere and common to South Africa and Australia, such as the genera Caesia, Bulbine, Helichrysum and Restio. However, Australia's ties with South Africa appear to be more distant than those with South America. It is believed that closely related plants found in the first two regions descended from common ancestors who migrated there from the south.

Indo-Melanesian element

These are plants common to Australia, the Indo-Malayan region and Melanesia. Floristic analysis reveals two clearly defined groups: one of Indo-Malay origin, the other of Melanesian origin. In Australia, this element includes paleotropical representatives of many families, especially the tropical plexifalates, and reveals a close relationship with the flora of the Asian continent, especially India, the Malacca Peninsula and the Malay Archipelago.

Australian element

It includes genera and species that are found only in Australia or are most widespread there; There are few endemic families, and their role is insignificant. Typical Australian flora is concentrated in the southwest and southeast of the mainland. The south-west is rich in distinctive Australian families, with about 6/7 of them best represented in this region, and the remainder in the south-east. Whether this element actually formed locally or whether it originates from older paleotropical or Antarctic migrants is difficult to determine. In any case, it is clear that some groups of modern plants are found exclusively in Australia.

The importance of native plant species to humans has only recently become recognized, although many of them have been consumed by indigenous peoples of Australia for thousands of years. For example, Macadamia ternifolia has been widely cultivated in Australia for its tasty nuts since the 1890s (it is cultivated on an even larger scale in Hawaii and is known as the Queensland nut). Gradually in Australia, the cultivation of plants such as the local species of ficus (Ficus platypoda), Santalum (Santalum acuminatum, S. 1anceolatum), desert lime (Eremocitrus glauca), Australian capers (Capparis sp.), various so on began to be established. n. “desert tomatoes” from the nightshade genus (Solanum sp.), small-flowered basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum), a local species of mint (Prostanthera rotundifolia) and many other cereals, root vegetables, fruits, berries and herbaceous plants.

Australia forms the bulk of the Australasian zoogeographic region, which also includes Tasmania, New Zealand, New Guinea and the adjacent islands of Melanesia and the Malay Archipelago west of the Wallace Line. This imaginary line, limiting the distribution of typical Australian fauna, runs north between the islands of Bali and Lombok, then along the Makassar Strait between the islands of Kalimantan and Sulawesi, then turns northeast, passing between the Sarangani Islands in the Philippine archipelago and Miangas Island. At the same time, it serves as the eastern border of the Indo-Malayan zoogeographic region.

Mammals

There are 230 known species of mammals in Australia. Three of them are monotreme oviparous, about 120 are marsupials, bearing their young in “pockets” on the abdomen, the rest are placental, in which embryonic development is completed in the uterus.

The most primitive order of mammals currently existing is the monotremes (Monotremata), which are not found in other parts of the world. The platypus (Ornithorhynchus), with a duck-like beak, is covered in fur, lays eggs and feeds the hatchlings with milk. Thanks to the efforts of Australian conservationists, this species is relatively abundant. Its closest relative, the echidna (Tachyglossus), is similar to the porcupine, but also lays eggs. The platypus is found only in Australia and Tasmania, while the echidna and the closely related proechidna (Zaglossus) are also found in New Guinea.

The kangaroo, a well-known symbol of Australia, is far from a typical representative of marsupials. Animals of this order of mammals are characterized by the birth of immature cubs, which are placed in a special bag, where they are born until they can take care of themselves.

The fact that marsupials have long lived in Australia is evidenced by the fossil remains of the giant wombat (Diprotodon) and the carnivorous marsupial “lion” (Thylacoleo). In general, less adaptable groups of mammals were slowly pushed to the southern continents as more aggressive groups appeared. As soon as monotremes and marsupials retreated to Australia, the region’s connection with the Asian continent was severed, and both groups were spared from competition with placentals better adapted to the struggle for survival.

Isolated from competitors, marsupials divided into many taxa, differing in animal size, habitats and methods of adaptation. This differentiation occurred largely parallel to the evolution of placentals on the northern continents. Some of the Australian marsupials are similar in appearance to carnivores, others to insectivores, rodents, herbivores, etc. With the exception of the American possums (Didelphidae) and the peculiar South American caenolesidae (Caenolesidae), marsupials are found only in Australasia.

Carnivorous marsupials (Dasyuridae) and bandicoots (Peramelidae) with 2-3 low incisors on each side of the jaw belong to the group of multi-incisors. The first family includes marsupial martens (Dasyurus), devil marsupial (Sarcophilus) and arboreal brush-tailed marsupial rats (Phascogale), feeding on insects, etc. The latter genus is widespread throughout Australasia. A close relative of carnivorous marsupials is the marsupial wolf (Thylacinus cynocephalus), which was widespread in Tasmania at the beginning of European settlement, but is found nowhere else, although there is evidence of its presence in prehistoric times in Australia and New Guinea. Despite problematic sightings in some areas, most experts consider the species to be extinct because it was hunted to extinction and the last individual died in captivity in 1936. The marsupial anteater (Myrmecobius) and the marsupial mole (Notoryctes), living in northern and central Australia, originated from a group combining predatory marsupials and the marsupial wolf. The bandicoot family (Peramelidae), distributed throughout Australasia, occupies the same ecological niche as insectivores (Insectivora) on the northern continents.

Two-incisor marsupials, distinguished by the presence of only one pair of low incisors, are known more widely than multi-incisor marsupials. Their distribution is limited to Australasia. Among them are the family of climbing marsupials (Phalangeridae), which includes the cuzu, or brushtails (Trichosurus); dwarf cuscus (Burramyidae), including the dwarf flying cuscus (Acrobates pygmaeus), which can glide between trees and fly up to 20 m, and marsupial flying squirrels (Petauridae), of which there are several species. The beloved koala (Phascolarctos cinereus), which looks like a funny miniature bear cub and was chosen as the emblem of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, belongs to the family of the same name. The wombat family (Vombatidae) includes two genera - long-haired and short-haired wombats. These are quite large animals, similar in appearance to beavers and found only in Australia. Kangaroos and wallabies, belonging to the kangaroo family (Macropodidae), are common throughout Australasia. The great gray or forest kangaroo (Macropus giganteus), the most numerous member of this family, lives in open woodlands, while the red giant kangaroo (M. rufus) is common on the plains in the interior of Australia. Open habitats are characteristic of rock kangaroos (Petrogale sp.) and dwarf rock kangaroos (Peradorcas sp.). Interesting are tree kangaroos (Dendrolagus), whose limbs are adapted for both climbing trees and jumping.

The fact that marsupials have long lived in Australia is confirmed by the findings here of the fossil remains of the giant wombat (Diprotodon) and the predatory “marsupial lion” (Thylacoleo).

Before the arrival of Europeans, placental mammals were represented in Australia by chiropterans and small rodents, which probably entered there from the north. The former include numerous genera of both fruit bats (Megachiroptera) and bats (Microchiroptera); Flying foxes (Pteropus) are especially noteworthy. Rodents, including Anisomys, Conilurus, Crossomys, and Hydromys, were probably carried across the sea on fins. Humans and dingoes (Canis dingo) were the only large placentals, with dingoes most likely introduced to Australia by humans around 40,000 years ago.

Australia's ecological balance was greatly disrupted by the introduction of exotic placental mammals following the arrival of Europeans. Rabbits, accidentally introduced in the 1850s, and livestock began to decimate native vegetation across much of Australia, supported - albeit on a smaller scale - by wild boar, goats, buffalo, horses and donkeys. Foxes, cats and dogs competed with local animals and often hunted them, which led to their extermination in various areas of the mainland.

The avifauna of Australia includes many very valuable and interesting species. Flightless birds include the emu (Dromiceius novaehollandiae) and the cassowary (Casuarius casuarius), which is native to northern Queensland. The Australian mainland abounds in different species of ducks (Casarca, Biziura, etc.). Birds of prey include the wedge-tailed eagle (Uroaetus audax), the Australian kite (Haliastur sphenurus), the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) and the Australian hawk (Astur fasciatus). Weed chickens (Leipoa) are very peculiar, constructing mounds-“incubators”; bush bigfoot (Alectura); bowers (Ailuroedus, Prionodura) and birds of paradise (Paradisaeidae), honeyeaters (Meliphagidae), lyrebirds (Menura). There is a great variety of parrots, pigeons and ducks, but vultures and woodpeckers are completely absent.

Reptiles

Australia is home to a variety of reptiles, including snakes, crocodiles, lizards and turtles. There are almost 170 species of snakes alone. The largest of the poisonous snakes is the taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus), and the Queensland python (Python amethystinus) reaches a length of about 6 m. Crocodiles are represented by two species - the combed one (Crocodilus porosus), which attacks and kills people, and the Australian narrow-snouted (C .johnsoni); both of them live in northern Australia and New Guinea. There are about 10 species of turtles - from the genera Chelodina and Emydura. Among the more than 520 species of Australian lizards, legless lizards (Pygopodidae), found in Australia and New Guinea, and large monitor lizards (Varanidae), reaching a length of 2.1 m, are noteworthy.

The fauna of Australia is characterized by the complete absence of tailed amphibians (Urodela) and the diversity of frogs and toads. Among the Australian toads of the subfamily Criniinae, morphologically the most primitive of the true toads, the genera Crinia, Mixophyes and Helioporus are typical, and a total of 16 of them live in the region.

In Australia approx. 230 species of native freshwater fish, but no carp, carp, salmon, and few catfish. Most representatives of the freshwater ichthyofauna descended from marine ancestors - cods (Oligorus), perches (Percalates, Plectoplites, Macquaria), terapons (Therapon), herrings (Potamalosa), half-snouts (Hemirhamphus) and gobies (Gobiomorphus, Carassiops). There are, however, two notable exceptions - the lungtooth (Neoceratodus) and the bone-lingual Scleropages. Australia and New Zealand are home to a number of Galaxias species, as well as Gadopsis.

Invertebrates

The invertebrate fauna of Australia includes at least 65 thousand species of insects, some of which are very unique.

Bibliography

To prepare this work, materials were used from the site http://www.krugosvet.ru/

The differences between the areas of relict and young endemics are illustrated by the diagram: An indispensable condition for the existence and preservation of endemism is isolation. And the longer the isolation remains, the higher the degree of endemism in the flora and fauna, the more unique the biota. Therefore, the share of endemism on the islands and in the high altitude zones of the mountains is understandable: Caucasus - 25% Mountains of Central Asia -30% Japan - 37% Canary Islands -45% ...

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Australia is so far away that it is difficult to get a complete picture of life in this continental country and in the lands close to it. The nature of Australia is such that there are many animals and plants there that few people know about. This attracts interest in exploring local nature. Endemic animal and plant species are what Australia is famous for. Its flora and fauna are so unique that some animal species are found only here.

Brief excursion

For thousands of years, Australian nature has followed its own path of development. The remoteness from other continents led to the fact that almost no new representatives of flora and fauna were brought here, which made the local natural environment absolutely unique and absent on other continents. This is the most remarkable and main feature of Australian nature. In addition, after the Old World met this continent, most of the animals remained endemic, that is, they live exclusively in these territories under certain conditions.

Unique forests and trees of Australia

For many centuries, the plants of this continent were forced to adapt to difficult natural conditions. Thus, inside the country the soil is particularly dry, which makes it difficult to cultivate plants that love moisture, so for the most part flora grows here that can easily tolerate drought. A considerable part of the plants have a dull color, which is due to insufficient water. For example, most species of eucalyptus. But surprisingly, bamboo thickets and other things are developing well in the coastal regions of the country.

The mostly green continent is known for its eucalyptus thickets and the pandas that live there. It is not surprising, since a large part of the continent is covered with such forests. In total, there are almost three thousand species of eucalyptus in Australia! In addition, the green continent is rich in acacias, of which there are at least a thousand varieties. This area is also characterized by other trees that are found on other continents only in botanical gardens. For example, here you can quite often find a tea tree, cypress pine, or even a mangrove, incredible for Europe.

Australian trees, like other vegetation, are distinguished by their originality. The third most common genus here is considered to be Grevillea. It has about two hundred species. Ferns are often found here, although they grow exclusively in humid

It's not just the city of Sydney that attracts many tourists. There are humid areas on the continent where you can find huge vines and palm trees. Savannahs and savannah forests, for which Australia is famous, are much more common. The flora and fauna in them are extremely dependent on seasonal changes. During the wet season, the local savannas are full of plants of all colors and sizes, which bloom together, creating real flower beds. Here you can often find eucalyptus and other trees with thick stems that can retain moisture reserves for a long time. Northern Australia, with its flowery savannas, smoothly transitions into western and eastern ones, and these regions are much drier.

As the water level in the soil decreases, the vegetation also changes. The closer to the east, the sparser the forests and savannas become, the more sparse the vegetation. As a result, close to arid regions you can find so-called scrubs - thickets of bushes and low trees that lack moisture. Central Australia has the lowest humidity levels, making it an extremely unfavorable area for plants.

A little about animals

Everyone knows that they are considered a symbol of Australia and Oceania. And this is not surprising, given the fact that there are 140 species here. The most popular and widespread among them are koalas, kangaroos and wombats. Kangaroos are also depicted on the coat of arms of the continental country. In addition, Australia is the only habitat for oviparous mammals such as the platypus and echidna. Half of all bird species living here are also endemic.

The Australian territory boasts the likes of the black swan and the little penguin. Despite the fact that they are not found here so often, there is still a chance of encountering rare animals in natural conditions. However, it is better not to meet some representatives of the flora and fauna of the green continent at all. For example, with poisonous snakes, in terms of the number of which Australia occupies a leading position in the world. And it’s also better to avoid crocodiles, which can often be found in swampy areas.

Natural areas of Australia

The table shows into which regions the continent can be divided according to the areas of distribution of flora and fauna. Even taking into account the above that Australian nature is unique, the continent still has similarities in fauna with South America, Asia and even Antarctica.

Natural areas of Australia (the table describes only the main characteristics) differ in both fauna and flora. You can read them in more detail below.

Animals

Lower mammals that managed to survive are widespread here, unlike higher ones - the latter on the mainland are represented exclusively by bats and ordinary mice. This is due to the fact that during the period of their spread across the continents, access to the green continent was denied to them. Other vertebrates are also largely endemic here. In riverine areas you can find the platypus, a webbed animal that forages for food in the water.

Birds

In tropical forests you can find a huge number of birds of different colors and sizes. The so-called birds of paradise - hummingbirds, honeycreepers, lyrebirds - nevertheless calmly coexist with weed chickens - an Australian curiosity unique to Europeans.

But for some reason, Australian residents are not surprised that instead of hatching eggs, chickens bury them in rotting garbage. Waterfowl species can be found here in abundance. In addition, in Australia there are Siberian birds that go there for the winter. Some flightless birds can also be found here, such as emus and grass parrots. Other species from other countries also come to visit Australia.

Insects

The humid forests of the northern and eastern parts of the continent are characterized by some species of insects familiar to us. For example, ants, butterflies. In the northern part of the continent you can even meet worms, which can be several meters long.

Kangaroo

Speaking about the green continent, a special place should be given, of course, to kangaroos, for which Australia is famous. Flora and fauna are most favorable for them in the northern and central parts of the country; in these regions, animals can eat well, so many species live here. Kangaroos gather in herds. In case of danger, they make jumps, the length of which can be up to ten meters with the body length of the animal up to three meters. Rocky and bushy areas are home to a species of wallaby. Over the 20th century, the kangaroo population has decreased significantly, to a greater extent this is due to human activity and the extermination of animals, and to a lesser extent due to predators.

Dingo dog

Not only marsupial mammals are a symbol of Australia. There is also a dangerous animal that destroys these marsupials - the dingo dog. This is a small animal in size, which is particularly resilient. In pursuit of prey, a dingo dog can run for many hours in a row until the victim decides to give up, which is how it defeats the kangaroo. The animal is capable of traveling very far for food. Most dingoes are found near Lake Eyre, from where they can travel for many tens of kilometers in pursuit or in search of food.

It's not just the kangaroos that suffer from this animal. Many species of peaceful fauna have suffered from them. The nature of Australia is such that, due to the increase in the population of wild dogs, sheep farming is no longer as profitable as it used to be. On the mainland, attempts were made to cross this species with the domestic dog, but the new breed did not become widespread; the new species lives mainly in the national park on Fraser Island.

Echidna

One of the nation's best-known endemic animals, it is covered in spines and lays its eggs in a pouch where it incubates. The echidna is predominantly nocturnal in order to avoid danger.

Nature of New Zealand

Although New Zealand is a separate country from Australia, their natural areas are closely related. The extinct animal species of Australia are preserved here. Other than kangaroos, there are almost no other animals in this area, but there are incredible varieties of birds to be found here.

A distinctive feature of the birds of the New Zealand natural zone is their terrestrial lifestyle. However, dangerous animals are almost never found here.

Pests and problems

On the difficult path of development that Australia has gone through, flora and fauna with all its rare representatives very often found themselves in danger. Europeans brought new animals to the continent, which eventually became wild and began to harm local species. Rabbits were a real scourge for a while. Globalization also has a bad effect on the development of nature; the city of Sydney and other large cities with many factories and factories harm rare, unique species of animals that continue to disappear from the face of the Earth.

Flora and fauna dangerous to humans

In addition to the above-mentioned dingoes and kangaroos, which can attack a person if they sense danger, there are a couple more reasons to remain on guard in Australia. For example, as mentioned above, snakes, of which there are a huge number of species. Many of them are extremely insidious and dangerous.

In addition, here you can often encounter spiders, which are even worse than snakes. However, they are not always poisonous. You can often spot ants here, which can cause a lot of trouble. Wetter areas are home to mosquitoes, midges and ticks for which Australia has long been famous. The flora and fauna here can both delight and hide danger. You should also be wary of some marine life, such as sharks, which are found quite close to the shore. In addition to dangerous animals, you can also meet not the most pleasant plants here. For example, sundews, although they are not dangerous to humans. They are quite rare.

Come to Australia

All the incredible native animals and plants are a great reason to visit this distant continent. It hides many mysteries, but this is precisely what attracts those who like to solve them. Acquaintance with charming animals, which in Europe cannot be found even in every zoo, will not leave anyone indifferent, well, who can help but fall in love with a baby panda chewing bamboo?

Black swans, koalas and hundred-year-old eucalyptus trees, along with a pleasant climate, sea coast and beautiful resort towns are just the smallest part of the reasons to come to admire the local beauty. The charm of Australian nature cannot be expressed in words; you have to see it in person once and fall in love forever.

Australia's wildlife is unique, as many flora and fauna are found only here. This is due to the isolation of the Green Continent and its significant distance from other continents. The most important difference in the nature of mainland Australia is that there are no predators among mammals. This mission was taken on by wild dogs, foxes and some other animals brought to the continent, which led to a decrease in the population of the main representatives of the fauna of Australia

Marsupials in Australia are represented by 180 different species, which differ from each other, both in lifestyle and methods of reproduction, but they are similar in one thing: on the stomach of these marsupials there is a deep fold, which is called a bag, in which they nurse their young after birth.

This is extremely necessary, since marsupials are born very weak and are not independent individuals for a long time. We will now tell you about some representatives of marsupial animals in Australia.

A nocturnal marsupial that lives in trees

Many tourists are interested in the question of where the koala lives. The unusual animal spends most of its life in the trees, only occasionally descending to the ground.

When climbing trees, the animal's claws are locked into a strong lock, which allows it to stay on any trunk. The cubs also have exactly the same claws, which move by tenaciously grasping their mother’s fur.

These huge representatives of marsupials differ in their characteristics from other individuals of the same classification. But what’s so special about them, you ask, and in general, does a male kangaroo have a pouch? In fact, it is the prerogative of the mother to bear the baby in the most secluded place. The pocket, smooth from the inside, is framed by thick fluffy fur at the entrance. This way the baby is protected from any bad weather.

Kangaroos and emus have never been official symbols of Australia, but they are associated only with this state. The kangaroo and the emu cannot move backwards, which is why they ended up on the country’s coat of arms. These proud shield holders were called upon to express the federation's confident decision to always go forward! Kangaroos and emus live only here, as do the koala, platypus and the kookaburra bird, which has a roaring laugh. The platypus, as a symbol of Australia, is depicted on the Australian 20 cent coin

What kind of animals live in Australia - a small continent significantly removed from other continents? In our article you will find the answer to this question.

The flora and fauna of Australia amaze with their beauty and exoticism, and you can enjoy them not only away from cities and in specialized reserves, but also in numerous public gardens and parks, where nature is carefully protected and preserved.

Many of Australia's animals and plants are unique: about 12,000 species of wildlife and 550 species of eucalyptus trees are found nowhere else except on this amazing continent.

Interesting fact about Australia

Australia is the record continent for the number of poisonous animals

The secretive platypus lives on the banks of rivers and streams in Eastern and Southern Australia and Tasmania.

The platypus is an extremely unique animal that has adapted to extremely specific living conditions in the aquatic environment. It has a smooth, streamlined body covered with short brown fur. Its front paws are equipped with membranes that facilitate movement in water and life in burrows.