What do they look like? The males and females are physically quite different although they all have big heads, pointy faces with big eyes and long whiskers and very sharp teeth, like a dog’s. The males are larger than the females and can weigh up to 350kg. Males are usually brown or dark grey and
Australia's Little Penguin is the world's smallest penguin. A lightweight of just about 1kg, it is also called the Fairy Penguin. By comparison, the Emperor Penguin, the largest of the world's 18 penguin species, weighs up to 38 kg. The Little Penguin's Latin name Eudyptula minor means 'good little diver', an accurate description of this species. With a body shaped like a torpedo, its wings transformed into flippers, and its p…
What do they look like? The Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is an aquatic mammal. It is brown in colour and quite small. An adult Platypus can be from 45 cm up to 60 cm in length and can weigh up to 2.7 kg. Platypus have dark backs and a light brown belly, long, coarse hair, a
What do they look like? The Quokka is a small wallaby with thick, coarse, grey-brown fur with lighter underparts. Its snout is naked and its ears are short. Its short tail can reach 31cm long and tapers towards the end. Males grow to 54cm long and weigh up to 4.2kg, whereas females grow to 50cm
The common wombat is the largest burrowing herbivorous mammal. Indeed, it is such an accomplished burrower that early settlers called it a 'badger', a term that is still heard today. However, the closest relative of the wombat is, in fact, the koala. With its short tail and legs, characteristic waddle and 'cuddly' appearance, the wombat is one of the most endearing of Australia's native animals. Wombats are nocturnal, solitary…
