Amazing Australian Animals.

WOMBAT

A wombat is a mammal that carries its baby in a pouch.

The pouch is on its belly and opens backwards. Animals
that do this are called marsupials.
Wombats are furry animals. They are the largest
burrowing animals in the world. They are very strong animals. They move around
the ground by walking and running. They live mainly in forests, eating grass and
small plants. Wombats don’t just have one burrow in which they live. They can
have several. These holes in the ground are often up to 20 metres long.
Wombats can grow up to one metre in size. Because they have
to dig holes in the ground, they have strong paws.
Wombats have only one baby a year. The baby stays in
its mother’s pouch until it is about 9 months old. Some
babies leave their mother after only 6 months.

KOALA

Koalas are beautiful, furry animals. They live in trees

and spend their days climbing, eating and sleeping. The
koala is an animal that lives mainly in eucalypt trees. It
feeds off the leaves of the eucalypt, eating about 1
kilogram of leaves every day. The koala usually likes to
keep to its own tree in a particular area of forest.
The koala is a marsupial. The mother carries the
young koala in her pouch. As the baby gets older, it
uses its paws and claws to stay on the mothers
back while she climbs around. Koalas can run
quite quickly when they need to. They are also good
swimmers. They live for about 20 years.

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The name ‘koala’ comes from an aboriginal word, which means “drinks no water”.
The koala gets all its moisture from the leaves it eats. It does not drink water.
Koalas have two thumbs on each paw. They have three other claws on each paw
which are used for climbing trees and defending themselves. Koalas usually sleep
during the day in the fork of a tree.

DINGO

The dingo looks like a dog. They do not bark like dogs.
Instead they howl. They are 60cm tall and 120cm long.
They have large paws and short hair. Dogs can have
puppies more than once a year but the dingo only breeds
once and usually has up to six pups. You can find dingoes
all over Australia, from the bush to the outback. Dingoes eat many things. Their
normal food is small mammals. They eat things like insects, lizards, reptiles and
some can eat larger animals like wombats, wallabies and rabbits.
Dingoes are a tawny-yellow colour but some are brown or black.

EMU

The Emu is a bird. It is the largest bird in

Australia. The Emu cannot fly. Sometimes you can
see small wings. They can run very fast – up to 50
kilometres an hour. The emu can grow to almost
two metres.
Emus eat grass, grasshoppers, seeds and berries.
They have large eyes and beaks and three toes on
their feet. The male emu has a big blue patch on
its neck just under its head. The female has a
small blue patch.
Emus can get angry easily. They can hurt you with
their claws or with their beaks. So if they don’t
like you, you had better run fast!

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Female emus lay eggs. They can lay about 7 to 11 eggs at one time. The egg is
about 12 times bigger than a chicken’s egg. The male emu keeps the eggs warm
and looks after the young chicks.

KANGAROO

Kangaroos are marsupials. This means they

carry their babies in a special pouch on their
stomach. They have fur. They use their strong
back legs to hop around. They can hop up to 9
metres when moving quickly and can travel up to 50km an hour. They use the
paws and claws on their short front legs for eating and scratching. They have a
long tail. A baby kangaroo is called a joey. It lives in its mother’s pouch for
around eight months. For the last two months it hops in and out. When they are
born they are only a few centimetres long. The baby works its way up the
mother’s fur and into the pouch, where it grows and feeds. It can stay there for
many months.

PLATYPUS

The Platypus is a mammal related to the Echidna.

It is a mammal but it lays eggs. It feeds milk to
its babies. It is about 60cm long and has thick
brown fur. The platypus lives near fresh water
rivers, creeks and lakes in eastern Australia. It
is an excellent swimmer. It lives in a long burrow. The burrow is up to 10 metres
long and is near the water. It moves through the water by using only its front
feet. The platypus has webbed feet, like a duck. The platypus eats yabbies,
insect eggs and freshwater mussels. It lives for about 10 years.

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ECHIDNA

Echidnas are relatives of the platypus. They are

marsupials and they lay eggs but feed their
baby milk. The female keeps the egg in her
pouch. Later the baby stays in the pouch for
about 7 weeks. It drinks its mother’s milk.
Echidnas are covered in hair and sharp spines.
They use the spines for protection. They can
quickly burrow into the ground if there is
danger. They have a long sticky tongue and they
pick up ants to eat. The tongue is about 35cm
long. They have large claws for digging. Echidnas sleep during the winter. They
can live up to 50 years.

Amazing Australian Animals.

WOMBAT

A wombat is a mammal that carries its baby in a pouch. The pouch is on its belly
and opens backwards. Animals that do this are called marsupials.
Wombats are furry animals. They are the largest burrowing animals in the world.
They are very strong animals. They move around the ground by walking and
running. They live mainly in forests, eating grass and small
plants. Wombats don’t just have one burrow in which they
live. They can have several. These holes in the ground
are often up to 20 metres long. Wombats can grow up
to one metre in size. Because they have to dig holes in
the ground, they have strong paws. Wombats have only one baby a year. The
baby stays in its mother’s pouch until it is about 9 months old. Some babies
leave their mother after only 6 months.

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 KOALA

Koalas are beautiful, furry animals. They live in

trees and spend their days climbing, eating and
sleeping. The koala is an animal that lives
mainly in eucalypt trees. It feeds off the
leaves of the eucalypt, eating about 1
kilogram of leaves every day. The koala
usually likes to keep to its own tree in a
particular area of forest.
The koala is a marsupial. The mother carries
the young koala in her pouch. As the baby gets
older, it uses its paws and claws to stay on the mothers
back while she climbs around. Koalas can run quite quickly
when they need to. They are also good swimmers. They live for about 20 years.
The name ‘koala’ comes from an aboriginal word, which means “drinks no water”.
The koala gets all its moisture from the leaves it eats. It does not drink water.
Koalas have two thumbs on each paw. They have three other claws on each paw
which are used for climbing trees and defending themselves. Koalas usually sleep
during the day in the fork of a tree.

DINGO

The dingo looks like a dog. They do not bark

like dogs. Instead they howl. They are 60cm
tall and 120cm long. They have large paws
and short hair. Dogs can have puppies more
than once a year but the dingo only breeds
once and usually has up to six pups. You can find dingoes all over Australia, from
the bush to the outback. Dingoes eat many things. Their normal food is small
mammals. They eat things like insects, lizards, reptiles and some can eat larger
animals like wombats, wallabies and rabbits. Dingoes are a tawny-yellow colour
but some are brown or black.
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 EMU

The Emu is a bird. It is the largest bird in

Australia.
The Emu cannot fly. Sometimes you can see
small wings.
They can run very fast – up to 50 kilometres
an hour.
The emu can grow to almost two metres.
Emus eat grass, grasshoppers, seeds and berries. They have large eyes and
beaks and three toes on their feet. The male emu has a big blue patch on its
neck just under its head. The female has a small blue patch.
Emus can get angry easily. They can hurt you with their claws or with their
beaks. So if they don’t like you, you had better run fast!
Female emus lay eggs. They can lay about 7 to 11 eggs at one time. The egg is
about 12 times bigger than a chicken’s egg. The male emu keeps the eggs warm
and looks after the young chicks.

KANGAROO

Kangaroos are marsupials. This means they

carry their babies in a special pouch on their
stomach. They have fur. They use their strong
back legs to hop around. They can hop up to 9
metres when moving quickly and can travel up to
50km an hour. They use the paws and claws on
their short front legs for eating and scratching. They have a long tail. A baby
kangaroo is called a joey. It lives in its mother’s pouch for around eight months.
For the last two months it hops in and out. When they are born they are only a
few centimetres long. The baby works its way up the mother’s fur and into the
pouch, where it grows and feeds. It can stay there for many months.
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 PLATYPUS

The Platypus is a mammal related to the

Echidna. It is a mammal but it lays eggs. It
feeds milk to its babies. It is about 60cm long and has
thick brown fur. The platypus lives near fresh water
rivers, creeks and lakes in eastern Australia. It is an
excellent swimmer. It lives in a long burrow. The burrow is
up to 10 metres long and is near the water. It moves through the water by using
only its front feet. The platypus has webbed feet, like a duck. The platypus eats
yabbies, insect eggs and freshwater mussels. It lives for about 10 years.

ECHIDNA

Echidnas are relatives of the

platypus. They are marsupials and
they lay eggs but feed their baby
milk. The female keeps the egg in her
pouch. Later the baby stays in the
pouch for about 7 weeks. It drinks its
mother’s milk. Echidnas are covered in hair and sharp spines. They use the
spines for protection. They can quickly burrow into the ground if there is
danger. They have a long sticky tongue and they pick up ants to eat. The tongue
is about 35cm long. They have large claws for digging. Echidnas sleep during the
winter. They can live up to 50 years.

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 Amazing Australian Animals.
WOMBAT
A wombat is a ________ that carries its ________ in a
pouch. The __________ is on its belly and _______
backwards. Animals that do this are called ________.
Wombats are ________ animals. They are the
________burrowing animals in the world. They are very _________ animals.
They ______ around the ground by ________ and running. They _______
mainly in forests, _______ grass and small plants. Wombats don’t just
________ one burrow in which they live. They can have ________. These holes
in the ________ are often up to 20 metres long.
_________ can grow up to one metre in ________. Because they have to
_______ holes in the ground, they have _________ paws.
Wombats have only one _________ a year. The baby stays in its __________
pouch _______ it is about 9 ________ old. Some babies ________ their
mother after only 6 months.

KOALA
Koalas are _________, furry animals. They ______ in
trees and spend their days _________, eating and
________. The koala is an animal that lives _________
in eucalypt trees. It ________ off the leaves of the
_________, eating about 1 kilogram of _________
every day. The koala ________ likes to keep to its own tree in
a _________ area of forest.
The koala is a _________. The mother ________ the young koala in her
_________. As the baby gets _________, it uses its ________ and _______
to stay on the mother’s ______ while she ________ around. Koalas can _____
quite ________ when they need to. They are also good _________. They live
for ________ 20 years.

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The name ________ comes from an __________ word, which means “drinks no
_________”. The koala gets all its ___________ from the leaves it _______.
It does not _________ water.
Koalas have two ________ on each _______. They have _______ other claws
on _______ paw which are used for climbing _______ and defending
___________. Koalas usually _________ during the day in the ________ of a
tree.

DINGO
The dingo looks like a _______. They do not
________ like dogs. Instead they ________. They
are 60cm ________ and 120cm ________. They
have _______ paws and ________ hair. Dogs can
have _________ more than once a year but the
________ only breeds once and _________ has up
to ________ pups. You can find dingoes all over
____________, from the bush to the ________.
Dingoes ________ many things. Their _______ food is ___________
mammals. They eat things like _________, lizards, _________ and
_________ can eat larger _________ like wombats, _________ and rabbits.
Dingoes are a tawny-________ colour but some are ________ or black.

EMU
The Emu is a ________. It is the __________ bird in
__________. The Emu _________ fly. Sometimes you
can see ________ wings. They can ______ very fast – up
to 50 __________ an hour. The emu can _______ to
almost two metres.
________ eat grass, ___________, seeds and
___________. They have ________ eyes and ________
and three toes on their __________. The male emu has a
big blue __________ on its neck just ________ its
head. The ________ has a small blue patch. fast!
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_________ emus lay _______. They can ______ about 7 to 11 eggs at one
time. The ______ is about 12 times _________ than a chicken’s egg. The
_________ emu keeps the eggs _________ and looks after the _________
chicks.

KANGAROO
Kangaroos are _________. This means they ________
their babies in a ________ pouch on their _________.
They have _______. They use their _________ back
legs to _______ around. They can hop up to 9 _______
when moving _________ and can _________ up to
50km an hour. They _______ the paws and ________ on
their _________ front legs for eating and _________.
They have a _______ tail. A baby __________ is called a
_______. It lives in its ________ pouch for around ________ months. For the
last two _______ it hops in _____ out. When they are _______ they are only a
few ___________ long. The baby ________ its way up the mother’s ______
and into the pouch, where it _______ and feeds. It can __________ there for
many _________.

PLATYPUS
The ________ is a mammal related to the _________.
It is a _________ but it ________ eggs. It feeds
_________ to its babies. It is about 60cm
________ and has ________ brown fur. The
platypus _______ near fresh water _________,
creeks and _________ in eastern Australia. It is
an _________ swimmer. It lives in a long
________. The burrow is up to 10 metres ________ and is near the
_________. It moves __________ the water by using only its _________
feet. The platypus has _________ feet, like a ________. The platypus eats
_________, insect eggs and __________ mussels. It ________ for about 10
__________.

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ECHIDNA
Echidnas are _________ of the platypus. They
are __________ and they lay eggs but
_________ their baby milk. The ________
keeps the ________ in her pouch. ________ the
baby _________ in the pouch for about 7 weeks.
____ drinks its mother’s ________. Echidnas are
__________ in hair and _______ spines. They use the spines for
___________. They can quickly __________ into the ground if there is
__________. They have a long ________ tongue and they pick up _______ to
eat. The _________ is about 35cm long. They have ________ claws for
_________. Echidnas sleep during the _______. They can live up to 50
_________.

Amazing Australian Animals.

Answer these true or false questions about the Amazing Australian Animals.

A wombat has three babies every year. ________

Koalas sleep all night. ________
The dingo looks like a dog. ________
Male emus lay eggs. ________
Kangaroos use strong front legs to hop around. ________
A platypus is a mammal but it lays eggs. ________
A female echidna keeps the egg in her pouch. ________
A wombat is very strong. ________
Emus can grow up to two metres. ________
Echidnas have thick brown fur. ________
Dingoes have puppies many times a year. ________
Kangaroos have a long tail. ________

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A platypus lives near the sea. ________
Echidnas use spines for protection. ________
A koala carries the young koala in her pouch. ________
Dingoes bark like dogs. ________
A baby kangaroo is called a joe. ________
Emus can fly. ________
A platypus lives in a burrow. ________
A wombat only lives in one burrow. ________
Dingoes eat many things. ________
Kaoals can run quickly. ________
Echidnas sleep during the summer. ________
Male emus look after the young chicks. ________
A baby kangaroo stays in the mother’s pouch for about 8 months. ________
The platypus has webbed feet like a duck. ________

Amazing Australian Animals.

Use one word from the box to finish these sentences about Australian animals.

marsupial paws sleeping leaves Reptiles

dingo hop lays milk strong
duck spines fast pouch Australia
eggs platypus long water aboriginal
beaks fly trees largest claws
mother’s joey ants chicks burrow
fur protection tongue

1. A wombat is a ________________.
2. Marsupials are animals with a _____________.
3. A wombat lives in a ____________.
4. Wombats are very ___________ animals.
5. Koalas live in Eucalypt __________.
6. They eat about one kilogram of ___________ everyday.
7. Koalas spend their day climbing, eating and ___________.
8. The name ‘koala’ comes from the ____________ word.
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9. The _________ looks like a dog.
10. They have large __________ and short hair.
11. You can find dingoes all over ______________.
12. They eat things like insects, lizards and ___________.
13. The emu is the __________ bird in Australia.
14. They can run very __________ but they cannot _________.
15. They have large eyes and _________.
16. The male emu keeps the _______ warm and looks after the young ________.
17. Kangaroos have _________.
18. They use their strong back legs to _________ around.
19. A baby kangaroo is called a __________.
20. It lives in it’s __________ pouch for around 8 months.
21. A ________ is a mammal but it _________ eggs.
22. It feeds _________ to its babies.
23. The platypus has a __________ burrow and it is near the ___________.
24. The platypus has webbed feet like a ___________.
25. Echidnas are covered in hair and ____________.
26. They use spines for ____________.
27. They have a long sticky __________ and pick up __________ to eat.
28. They have large __________ for digging.

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 Wombat in a long burrow near the water.
Platypus in trees.
A lives
Dingo in a burrow in the forest.
Koala in the bush or the outback.

Koala yabbies, insect eggs and freshwater mussels.

A Dingo ants.
Wombat eats grass, grasshoppers, seeds and berries.
An Platypus eucalypt leaves.
Echidna grass and small plants.
Emu insects, lizards and reptiles.
Wombat mammal
A Koala
Dingo marsupial
Emu is a
An Kangaroo
Platypus bird.
Echidna

Wombat large paws and claws and short hair.

A Koala thick brown fur.
Dingo a long sticky tongue.
Emu has two thumbs on each paw.
An Kangaroo strong paws.
Platypus small wings but cannot fly.
Echidna strong back legs.

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