History & animals of Australia

•The first human habitation begun about 42,000 to 50,000 years ago – (Nowadays they are called Aborigines).• The indigenous Australians (Aborigines) were hunters and gatherers.• The Aborigines population was estimated at 350,000 at the time of European settlement.• By 1788, the population existed as 250 individual nations,

HISTORY

• Aborigines were amongst the oldest, most sustainable and most isolated cultures on Earth prior to European settlement beginning in 1788.

• The greatest population density was to be found in the southern and eastern regions of the continent

• The written history of Australia began in 1606 (Willem Janszoon is credited with the first authenticated European discovery of Australia).• On 19 april 1770, HMS Endeavour sighted the eastern coastline of Australia.( James Cook sailed along and mapped the east coast of Australia, which he named New South Wales and claimed for Great Britain).

ANIMALS

• The fauna of Australia consists of a huge variety of strange and unique animals; some 83% of mammals, 89% of reptiles, 90% of fish and insects and 93% of amphibians that inhabit the continent are endemic to Australia .

• A unique feature of Australia's fauna is the relative scarcity of native placental mammals.

• Uniquely, Australia has more venomous than non-venomous species of snakes.

• The fauna of Australia consists of a huge variety of strange and unique animals; some 83% of mammals, 89% of reptiles, 90% of fish and insects and 93% of amphibians that inhabit the continent are endemic to Australia .

• A unique feature of Australia's fauna is the relative scarcity of native placental mammals.

• Uniquely, Australia has more venomous than non-venomous species of snakes.

MAMMALS• Australian fauna consists 89% of mammals.• Australia has a rich mammalian fossil history, as well as a variety of extant mammalian species, dominated by the marsupials.• Although marsupials and placental mammals did coexist in Australia in the Eocene, only marsupials have survived to the present.

Some Mammals:

The extincted Tasmanian tiger

Numbat

BIRDS• Australia and its territories are home to over 800 species of bird.

• Australian parrots comprise a sixth of the world’s parrots, including many cockatoos and galahs.

• About 200 species of seabird live on the Australian coast, including many species of migratory seabird.

• Some Birds:

The Emu is the second largest surviving species of bird.

The Kookaburra is the largest species of the kingfisher family.

The Little Penguin is the only species of penguin that breeds on mainland Australia.

Amphibians and reptiles• Australian fauna consists 90% of amphibians and reptiles.• The Myobatrachidae, or southern frogs, are Australia's largest group of frogs, with 120 species from 21 genera.• Australia has both saltwater and freshwater crocodiles.• Australia is the only continent where venomous snakes outnumber their non-venomous cousins. •There are more lizards in Australia than anywhere else in the world, with representatives of five families. Some species:

The Corroboree Frog is a notable member of the Myobotrachidae family.

The Saltwater crocodile is the largest species of crocodile in the world !

The Sea Turtle

The Taipan is one of the most venomous snake in the world!

The Thorny Devil

FISH• More than 4,400 species of fish inhabit Australia's waterways; of these, 90% are endemic.• Most of Australia's fish species are marine.•Sharks inhabit all the coastal waters and estuarine habitats of Australia’s coast. There are 166 species.•Several exotic freshwater fish species Several exotic freshwater fish species.

Some fish :

The Murray Cod is the largest wholly freshwater fish.

The spotted wobbegon is the largest wobbegong shark, reaching a lenght of 3,2m.

The weedy sea dragon

Invertebrates•Of the estimated 200,000 animal species in Australia, about 96% are invertebrates.

•Australia has a wide variety of arachnids, including 135 species of spider that are familiar enough to have common names.•There are many unique marine crustaceans in Australian waters.

Examples:

The Honeybee

The Wolf Spider