Australian Animals

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Australian Animals
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Bilbies

• The bilby is the largest member of the family of
  marsupials called bandicoots
• Bilbies live in burrows under the ground
• The pouch of the female bilby opens backwards so
  as not to be filled up with dirt while digging
• Bilbies are nocturnal animals that live in
  burrows under the ground.
• Bilbies dig for termites, witchitty grubs and
  ants at night to eat.

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Where can bilbies be found?
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Go to this Link to see a bilby video

• http//www.sharkbay.org/Assets/Multimedia/Test/bil
  by.swf

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Spinifex Hopping Mouse

• The Spinifex Hopping Mouse is a nocturnal animal
  which stays hidden during the heat of the day in
  their deep burrow
• They live in the sand country of central
  Australia
• The entrance to their burrows are usually hidden
  under clumps of grass
• They are omnivores and live on leaves, shoots,
  roots and insects
• They have big eyes, a long tufted tail and large
  ears
• They can survive in the desert without water for
  long periods of time

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Military Sand-dragon

• The Military Sand-dragon is a lizard that lives
  on sand plains with prickly porcupine grass. It
  shelters in the grass from the sun and predators
• It is called a Military Sand-dragon because of
  its reddish colour (looks like early military
  uniforms) which keeps it invisible against the
  reddish sands
• It eats mostly ants but also termites and other
  insects
• At night it shelters in the grassy hummock

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Marsupial Mole

• The Southern Marsupial Mole is not a mole, it is
  a small, unusual, pale golden marsupial with no
  visible eyes or ears and a horny shield
  protecting its nose and a stubby leathery tail
• It has claws for digging and a tail to move
  itself forward 20cm beneath the surface in the
  sand
• It lives mostly underground
• It eats beetle larvae, mulga seeds and ant eggs
• It lives in desert rivers and sandy country in
  Australia
• They are blind

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Chirping Froglet

• The chirping froglet lives in damp areas such as
  creek beds, clay pans and broad river channels
• It eats mostly ants and looks for them at night
• It doesnt move around in the day
• It loves the rain and the desert will be filled
  with its chirping when it rains
• Use this link to hear the chirping froglet
  http//www.frogsaustralia.net.au/frogs/calls/qt/cr
  inia_deserticola.mov

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Short-beaked Echidna

• The short beaked Echidna is a monotreme, a mammal
  that lays eggs and suckles its young
• Short-beaked Echidnas feed on ants, termites,
  grubs and worms. They use their long sticky
  tongue to lick up their prey
• A young echidna is called a puggle
• They live in almost all Australian habitats,
  including the desert
• In the desert it shelters under thick bushes by
  day, and is active at night

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Boobook Owl

• Boobooks are the smallest and most common owl in
  Australia
• They eat small birds, frogs, moths and lizards
  but also lots of insects
• They are nocturnal
• They have very soft feathers on their wings so
  they cant be heard by their prey
• They are found all around Australia from forests
  to desert regions
• They need hollows in trees to nest

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Australian Landscape
Mulga trees
Spinifix/hummock grass
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Australian deserts
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Australian deserts