5 of Australia's most unusual animals
Australians are a pretty strange mob.
Marooned on our own island, cut off from the rest of the world and surrounded by shark-infested water on all sides (ok… maybe that’s a bit dramatic), we’re definitely a nation unto our own.
This geographic isolation has contributed to more than just our unique culture though. It’s also responsible for giving our animals a certain unusualness. Think bears that only eat poisonous leaves, menacing four-legged marsupials with a history of frightening early settlers with their devil-like shrieks and kangaroos that prefer trees to grasslands.
Yep, you won’t find the following fauna anywhere else in the world, which is something that we here at Uptown Pokies actually think is worth celebrating. So read on if you’re keen to learn more about odd Australian animals.
It’s time to get weird.
Koalas
Koalas are an iconic Australian animal… there’s no two ways around it. In fact, it’s hard to resist their cuddly allure.
Like all marsupials, koalas are born blind and carried around in their mother’s pouch. At this stage, they’re about the size of a jellybean, which is one of the reasons why baby koalas are affectionately called pinkies.
Around the 9 to 10 month mark, they leave their mum’s pouch for good. They then begin to feed themselves by eating only eucalyptus leaves. These leaves are toxic to other animals (and humans). They also contain little to no nutritional value, which means they need to eat lots to satiate themselves.
In addition to eating lots of leaves, koalas also sleep for 18 to 20 hours a day. This means that you would be very fortunate to see one in motion while in the wild. If that happens, we suggest you play our pokies… because it’s surely your lucky day.
Tasmanian Devils
Frightening growls. Bloodcurdling screams. Terrifying howls. This isn’t some slasher film from the 90s. These are some terms that early European colonisers in Hobart used to describe the sounds they heard coming from the small creature known as the Tasmanian devil.
Contrary to what you might think though, these little animals aren’t all that dangerous to humans. Sure, they have red ears, piercing eyes and wide jaws lined with razor-sharp teeth. But with an appearance that makes them look like a pudgy dog cross a short-haired bear, they’re actually kind of cute.
Some other interesting facts about Tasmanian devils are that they prefer to eat carrion rather than hunt live animals. They also love to bask in the sun and swim in still natural pools, despite being nocturnal.
Quokkas
If you thought koalas were adorable and that Tasmanian devils are also somewhat charming, you’re going to lose it if you ever come across the quokka, which is known as the happiest Australian animal.
Found only on Rottnest Island in Western Australia, quokkas are part of the macropod family, which makes them cousins to kangaroos and wallabies. Like the Tasmanian devil, they also like to spend their time socialising during the day despite being nocturnal.
When they’re not socialising or eating their favourite meal of grass with extra grass and a side order of grass, quokkas will try sneak into restaurants or campsites for human food. This is discouraged for obvious reasons, but we doubt anyone would turn away a doe-eyed quokka from their stash of Smith’s chips.
As one of Australia’s most rare animals, it’s strictly forbidden to touch a quokka. This is difficult since they’re naturally inquisitive of people.
Selfies, on the other hand, are encouraged.
Lyrebirds
Lyrebirds are one of the world’s most impressive birds.
With an incredible knack for mimicry, they can imitate the sound of chainsaws, toy guns, camera shutters and even human speech. This is all thanks to the complex muscles in its syrinx, which is the part of the body that allows them to vocalise what they hear in the wild.
There are two types of lyrebirds: the superb lyrebird and the Albert’s lyrebird. Both types are found in rainforests and sclerophyll forests throughout Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. They are flightless, but they do have the ability to swiftly run away from predators if need be. The males also have a beautiful plumage that fans out during courtship.
Tree kangaroo
Everyone has heard of the kangaroo and the wallaby, but tree kangaroos are a little bit more elusive… and that’s just the way they like it.
Shy, solitary and incredibly rare, tree kangaroos are one of Australia’s most mysterious animals. There are 12 species (that we know of) and they only look vaguely similar to their grassland-loving relatives. Some have dark brown coats with smooth faces. Others have golden or even red coats. Most of them grow to be about 1 metre tall and they can weigh up to 15 kilograms fully grown.
Tree kangaroos are found in tropical rainforests throughout Queensland and New Guinea. As you might’ve figured already, they do much better in trees than they do on the ground. They do hop, but it looks very awkward. They can also jump from tree to tree using their powerful legs and their tail for balance.
As for their diet, tree kangaroos are on the opposite end of the spectrum to those scallywags the Tasmanian devils. Fruit, leaves, foliage and even tree bark are on their menu. Like the quokka and their bounding relatives, tree kangaroos even graze on grass when the trees aren’t providing enough food
Unlike the quokka, they’re not easy to snap a selfie with.
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