Quokka. World-famous for their adorable little smiles and willingness to jump into a selfie with tourists, quokkas are another pouched marsupial native to Australia.
More than 80% of our plants, mammals, reptiles and frogs are unique to Australia and are found nowhere else in the world. Some of our Australian animals are very well known like kangaroos, dingos, wallabies and wombats and of course the koala, platypus and echidna.
Platypus
The platypus is a protected species and is a member of the cloaca - the world's only egg-laying mammals. The platypus has the appearance of no fewer than three animals: it has the body of a mole, the tail of a beaver and the beak of a duck. The animal grows to about two feet long and weighs one to two kilos.
The quokka, a small marsupial native to Australia, is one such example of a species vulnerable to extinction in the country's harsh surroundings. Known as the “happiest animal in the world” due to its cute and friendly appearance, these creatures are now only found in a few isolated forests and small islands.
Quokkas come across as extra friendly because of the cheeky grin that's permanently on their faces, and it looks like they're saying cheese when they pose for the camera.
One animal that is sometimes seen and mistaken for a rat is in fact a small carnivorous marsupial - the Antechinus. While there are several species of Antechinus in Australia, they share several traits in common, which, taken together, can set them apart from rodents such as rats and mice.
Around 40% of Australian households include at least one dog, making them the most popular type of pets. This is followed by cats (27%), fish (11%), birds (9%), small mammals (3%) and reptiles (2%) - with another 2% of households reporting that they have pets such as horses, goats, cows, alpacas and hermit crabs.
Whales are creatures that symbolize freedom since they have no natural predators in their environment (except for humans); they are also creatures who can move freely in broad areas. Since they move and can be seen swimming around the world's vast waters, they are not tied to a particular location.
And the Worldwide Winner Goes To… Our tried and true best friend, the dog! Pet dogs don't beat out cats, fish, or birds in sheer numbers, but more households have at least one dog in them than any other pet, making dogs the most popular pet in the world.
Australia is known for many things, including swathes of tropical beaches, marine reserves, Aboriginal culture, cute koalas, rolling wine country, and lush rainforests.
The Dingo (Canis lupus dingo) is the largest terrestrial predator in Australia. Dingoes were introduced to Australia approximately 5,000 years ago. They are both culturally important to Traditional Owners and Aboriginal Victorians and valued as an iconic Australian species.
There are close to 5000 species of songbirds dispersed around the world, and Echidna Walkabout Nature Tours' Janine explains that the Superb Lyrebird – a species endemic to Australia – is one of the most special ones. “They are the world's first songbird and the others have evolved from them,” she says.
National parks and reserves: Australia is home to a diverse range of cute and fascinating animals, including echidnas, quokkas, and wombats. Coastal regions: many of Australia's coastal regions are home to adorable marine animals such as dolphins, penguins, and sea lions.
A large number of Australians describe themselves as 'animal lovers'. For many, the term helps to explain their close bond with companion animals such as dogs and cats.
The single rarest animal in the world is the vaquita (Phocoena sinus).
1. Quokkas. The quokka, a pint-sized marsupial native to the islands off the coast of Australia and distantly related to kangaroos and wallabies, is nearly always smiling.
Quokkas, famous for posing in selfies, are native to Rottnest Island where about 10,000 live a sheltered life free from predators or traffic. They are classified as a vulnerable species and have been almost completely wiped out on the mainland.
You can only bring your cat or dog into Australia under strict import conditions. These safeguard our agriculture, environment, native and domestic animals, and our people.
A black cat who lives in Italy and inherited $13 million. The cat was a stray that found its way into the home of Maria Assunta, a property magnate in Italy. When Assunta died at the age of 94, she willed her fortune to either the cat or an animal welfare charity that would look after it.
Dogs are the most popular pet, with almost half of Australian households keeping at least one dog (48% in 2022, up from 40% in 2019). Cats come second, with a third of all households with at least one cat (33% in 2022, up from 27% in 2019).
Firstly, rats are excellent swimmers. They can tread water for three days straight and can hold their breath underwater for three minutes, according to this National Geographic video.
The long-nosed bandicoot has grey-brown fur and a pointed snout which it uses to forage for worms and insects. Long-nosed bandicoots are found in rainforests, as well as damp areas in woodlands and forests, across eastern Australia in Queensland, NSW and Victoria.
But the quokkas on Rottnest are the friendliest fauna in the Australian outback, always ready to smile for a selfie. Since there are no predators on the island, these marsupials don't live a life of threat or fear, and are welcoming to the 770,000 tourists that visit the island annually.