Australian ANIMALS

Computer applications NAME: Carleigh Reiffer CLASS: 7CAG TEACHER: MS.GREGERS N !"E !ATE: #$%&$'(

Carleigh Reiffer 7(CAG)

2 Aus. Animals 02/05/2014

Carleigh Reiffer 7(CAG)

Contents page
Contents page...........................................................................................................................................................3 hat is a !oala" ......................................................................................................................................................4 Re# $angaroo..........................................................................................................................................................% &lat'pus....................................................................................................................................................................7 Referen(es................................................................................................................................................................)

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Carleigh Reiffer 7(CAG)

What is a koala?
The )oala is a small *ear+li)e, tree+-.elling, her*i/orous marsupial .hich a/erages a*out 0)g 1#%l*2 in .eight. 3ts fur is thic) an- usuall4 ash gre4 .ith a tinge of *ro.n in places.

Habitat
5Ha*itat5 refers to the t4pes of *ush lan- that )oalas li)e to li/e in. The4 are foun- in a range of ha*itats, from coastal islan-s an- tall eucal4pt forests to lo. .oo-lan-s inlan-. 6oalas to-a4 are foun- in 7ueenslan-, Ne. South 8ales, 9ictoria an- South Australia. Their range e:ten-s from the Atherton Ta*lelan- .est of Cairns in l- to islan-s off the coast of 9ictoria an- South Australia in the south, an- .est to central an- .estern l-, NS8 an- 9ictoria.

Diet
6oala5s are /er4 fuss4 eaters an- ha/e strong preferences for -ifferent t4pes of gum lea/es, then the most important factor .hich ma)e ha*itats suita*le are the presence of tree species preferre- *4 )oalas 1usuall4 eucal4pts, *ut also some non+eucal4pts2 gro.ing in particular associations on suita*le soils .ith a-e;uate rainfall. 3n Australia there are o/er <%% t4pes of eucal4pts, *ut )oalas .ill not eat a large proportion of these. 8ithin a particular area, as fe. as one, an- generall4 no more than t.o or three species of eucal4pt .ill *e regularl4 *ro.se- .hile a /ariet4 of other species, inclu-ing some non+eucal4pts, appear to *e *ro.se- occasionall4 or use- for =ust sitting or sleeping in. !ifferent species of eucal4pts gro. in -ifferent parts of Australia, so a )oala in 9ictoria .oul- ha/e a /er4 -ifferent -iet from one in 7ueenslan-. 6oalas li)e a change, too, an- sometimes the4 .ill eat from other trees such as .attle or tea tree.

Physiology
The 6oala is .ell suite- to life in the trees. The )oala has an e:cellent sense of *alance an- its *o-4 is lean an- muscular an- its ;uite long, strong lim*s support its .eight .hen clim*ing. The arms an- legs are nearl4 e;ual in length an- the )oala5s clim*ing strength comes from the thigh muscle =oining the shin much lo.er than in other animals. 3ts pa.s are especiall4 a-apte- for gripping an- clim*ing .ith rough pa-s on the palms ansoles helping it to grip tree trun)s an- *ranches. 6oalas ha/e a thic) .ooll4 fur .hich protects them from *oth high an- lo. temperatures. 3t also acts li)e a 5raincoat5 to repel moisture .hen it rains. 6oalas are mostl4 nocturnal animals an- the4 are most acti/e -uring the night an- at -a.n an- -us).

Breeding
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Carleigh Reiffer 7(CAG)

The main characteristics of marsupials .hich -ifferentiate them from other mammals is that the4 gi/e *irth to immature 4oung .hich then -e/elop further in a pouch. The .or- 5marsupial5 comes from the Latin .ormarsupial, meaning 5pouch.5 Most, *ut not all marsupials ha/e a pouch in .hich to raise their 4oung. The *ree-ing season for )oalas runs roughl4 from Septem*er to March. This is a time of increase- acti/it4, an- soun- le/els increase as males *ello. more fre;uentl4. This is also .hen the 4oung from the pre/ious 4ear are .eaning from their mothers.

Threats
Since European settlement, appro:imatel4 >%? of Australia5s eucal4pt forests ha/e *een -ecimate-. remaining #%? almost none is protecte- an- most occurs on pri/atel4+o.ne- lan-. f the

The main causes of loss of habitat inclu-e:

LAN! CLEAR3NG Clearing of the lan- for e:pansion of human settlement for Agriculture Housing Mining @orestr4 @actories Roa-s

The results of this .oul- inclu-e: Loss of ha*itat 3ncrease- -istur*ance *4 humans 3n=ur4 or -eath from traffic ss3n=ur4 or -eath from -ogs an- cats Effects of gar-en pestici-es getting into .ater.a4s 3ncrease- competition for foo- an- territor4 *ecause of o/ercro.-ing 3ncrease- stress on animals, ma)ing them more suscepti*le to -isease. 3t has also *een -ocumente- that o/er (%%% )oalas are )ille- each 4ear *4 -ogs an- cars. 3t eas4 to see that the *iggest threat to the 6oala population is the human.

BUSH !"#S
6oala populations in fragmente- areas of *ush lan-ss are at great ris) of localise- e:tinction from a single fire .hich ma4 .ipe out an entire ha*itat. Aushfires are e:tremel4 common in the Summer months.

D!#B$C%
Changes in the *alance of the ecos4stem can lea- to -ie*ac) of trees. The cutting *ac) of the original /ast forests has create- patches of forest separate- from each other *4 treeless lan-. Small, isolate- patches of forest are prone to -ie*ac). !ie*ac) is a general term for the gra-ual -4ing of trees -ue to factors such as lan-egra-ation, leaching of soil nutrients, changes in the composition of /egetation communities, rising .ater le/els un-ergroun-, salination of the soil, erosion cause- *4 .in- an- .ater, e:posure to .eather ane:cessi/e -efoliation 1or loss of lea/es2. The un-erl4ing cause of all these factors appears to *e the clearing an- -istur*ance of forests. Se/ent4 fi/e percent of the main )oala foo- tree species are -eclining in num*ers as a result of this.

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Re- 6angaroo
&acropus "ufus
Status' Common The re- )angaroo is the largest of all the marsupials an- li/e in famil4 groups on the plains an- -eserts of Central Australia. !escription Male re- )angaroos ha/e short -ense .ooll4 fur an- are pale to *ric) re- in colour, .hile the females are *lue+gre4, though in some areas *oth se:es are re-. Aoth ha/e -istincti/e .hite *elo.. The muBBle is -us)4, na)e- an- sharpl4 -efine- .ith a -istincti/e *lac) an- .hite patch on each si-e. Re)angaroos tra/el .ith hea- -o.n. Males .eigh up to 0%)g, the females are smaller at C&)g 1also )no.n as the DAlue+fliersD2. Males can stan- o/er '.>m tall.

Breeding
6angaroos *ree- throughout the 4ear. Ne.l4 *orn 4oung, )no.n as =oe4s, .eigh less than ' gram an- ma)e their .a4 into the pouch unassiste- *4 their mother.

Diet
Green her*age, inclu-ing grasses an- her*i/orous plants.

Habitat
Re- )angaroos are foun- in central Australia an- prefer open plains .ith scattere- sha-e trees un-er .hich the4 rest -uring the -a4. The4 are semi+noma-ic preferring to graBe mostl4 at night *ut can e:ten- to late e/ening an- earl4 morning

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Carleigh Reiffer 7(CAG)

Platypus
(rnithorhynchus anatine
Status: Elat4pus are common *ut /ulnera*le. The plat4pus is a monotreme, li)e the echi-na *ut are e:tremel4 specialiBe- for an a;uatic lifest4le in fresh .ater. @or man4 4ears, plat4pus .ere hunte- for their thic) fur. Elat4pus are mostl4 nocturnal an- solitar4 animals.

Description
Elat4pus ha/e a *roa- soft leather4 *ill, -ense .ater+repellent *ro.n fur, .e**e- feet an- cla.e- toes. 3t uses its .e**e- front feet for s.imming, fol-ing the .e* un-er its pa. to .al). The Elat4pus spen-s much of its time in the .ater so its e4es are on the top of its hea- an- the nostrils open on top of its *ill. 8hen su*merge-, the plat4pus closes its e4es, nostrils an- ear holes rel4ing on the touch receptors on the s)in of the *ill for its information. The plat4pus5s tail is *roa- an- flat, its hin- feet are use- to help steer an- *ra)e .hile s.imming The hinan)les of the male ha/e a /enomous spur.

Breeding
Mating starts on August in the .armer areas an- as late as cto*er in Tasmania. @emales la4 t.o eggs anincu*ate the eggs *4 curling her *o-4 aroun- them as she lies on a nest of grasses at the en- of the *urro.. Eggs hatch in a*out # .ee)s an- 4oung are fe- for four to fi/e months on mil) that secretes from pore -ucts of the mammar4 glan-s on the mothers a*-omen.

Diet
Elat4pus eat a /ariet4 of in/erte*rates such as crustaceans an- molluscs. The4 collect foo- from the ri/er *ottom an- store it in chee) pouches until the reaching the surface. The plat4pus then floats on its *ac) che.ing the foo- *et.een horn4 grin-ing plates in its mouth.s

Habitat
The plat4pus li/es in *urro.s on the *an)s of fresh .ater streams an- la)es of Eastern Australia inclu-ing Tasmania. 3t sleeps most of the -a4 in its *urro. fee-ing mainl4 aroun- -a.n an- -us). Local climate ma4 change this *eha/iour.

Threats
83RES loo)s after plat4pus .hich are sic), orphane- or in=ure- -ue to lacerations from out*oar- motors, poisoning from pollution, entanglement from netting an- ha*itat loss.

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"eferences
Authors name: Title of the .or): The 6oala @oun-ation Title of the complete .or): A--ress: !ate of /isit: '0$%#$%# Eicture http:$$)oalainfo.com$)oalas+ Authors name: Title of the .or): 6angaroo Title of the complete .or): 8ires A--ress: http:$$.....ires.au.com$animals$)angaroo.htm -ifferences$)oalas+ha/e+-ifference+of+*ree-.=pg !ate of /isit: #'$%#$%# Authors name: Title of the .or): Emu Title of the complete .or): 8ires A--ress: http:$$#.*p.*logspot.com$F:/)l8r!Le:)$TRGH0R.l"A3$AAAAAAAACBA$0H8IH#s!acs$s'<%%$emu.=pg !ate of /isit: #'$%#$%# Elat4pus pic: http:$$soer.=ustice.tas.go/.au$#%%C$image$&&0$il.$p+plat4pusF m.*pg

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