They look cute but are they?!?
When you think of Australia, you think of this cute animal! What is it?
Kangaroo! It is estimated that there are 5 million kangaroos in Australia. They are the largest marsupials on Earth and come in many shapes and sizes. They can jump more than 9 meters in a single bound, are good swimmers and use their tails to help them swim away from predators, they live in groups called mobs and sometimes, they drown their enemies! Kangaroos can be dangerous if they feel threatened. They have powerful hind legs and sharp claws that can cause serious injury.
The world's longest fence is in Australia. What is it for?
The dingo fence in Australia is the world's longest fence, stretching 5,531 km from Queensland to South Australia. It was built to keep dingoes away from sheep farms in the southeastern part of the continent.
About two people per year are killed by these. What are they?
Crocodiles!!!! There is the salt water crocodile, which is the largest in the world. It can grow up to 7 meters long and weigh more than 1000 kilos! There is also the fresh water crocodile,which can grow up to 4 meters long. Saltwater crocodiles ambush their prey, grab them with their powerful jaws, and death-roll them back into the water. They can live up to 70 years.
What is the capital of this country?
Canberra
For how long have people been living in Australia?
People have been living in Australia for at least 65 000 years! The arrived from South East
Asia by boats and made Australia there home. For thousands and thousands of years, they lived
as hunters and gatherers with complex societies and economies.
The fingerprints of this animal are similar enough to human fingerprints that they could be mistaken for a human's at a crime scene. What animal is this?
Koalas! They are the only other animal besides primates that have fingerprints like humans. The prints are so similar that it's difficult to distinguish between the two species, even under a microscope. Koalas are marsupials, which means that females have a pouch for raising their young. Koalas can get chlamydia, which can be spread sexually, from mother to offspring, or from exposure to infected sheep and cattle...what the heck?! Koalas eat eucalyptus leaves for food and hydration and can sleep up to 22 hours a day.
What was The Great Emu War of 1932?
It was a military operation in Western Australia in 1932 to control a large number of emus that were damaging crops. A severe drought drove nearly 20,000 emus into farming areas. The operation was a failure, and the Australian military was ridiculed internationally. It took 10 bullets to kill an emu, which was more costly than it was worth. The Great Emu War lasted about a month and only 1000 emus were killed. The army underestimated the birds speed and agility.
This is the most dangerous animal in Australia but it can be avoided! What is it?
The Box Jellyfish whose venom can kill you in under 5 minutes. It can be found in shallow sandy
waters. Even dead box jellyfish can be dangerous because their tentacles can still sting and release venom.
How large is this island country?
Australia is 7 692 024 km2. That is about two people per Girouard Park (if you know the population!).
Australia is the 6th largest country in the world!
When did the Europeans arrive in Australia?
In 1788, the British arrived with several boats and hundreds of people. They claimed the land
for Britain. 850 people on those boats were convicts and Australia became a penal colony for Britain
at that moment. Over the years, 160 000 convicts were sent to Australia.
This animal looks like a bunch of other animals cut up and glued together! What is it?
Platypus! They are cute but can be dangerous! Male platypuses have venomous spurs on their hind feet that can kill dogs. They are an egg laying mammal but drink their mother's milk. Platypuses glow blue-green under ultraviolet light. They use electronic impulses to detect prey and objects in the water.
These are the tallest animal-made structures in the world. What are they?
Cathedral termite mounds! They are found in Kakadu National Park and Litchfield National Park. These mounds are made of mud, saliva, and termite feces, and can be up to six meters tall. Magnetic termite mounds are also there. They have thin edges that point north to south and broad backs facing east to west.
What happens if you touch a Gympie plant?
The pain has been described as feeling like being "electrocuted and set on fire at the same time"!
There is immediate severe burning and stinging, pain that intensifies over 20–30 minutes, pain that lasts for hours to several days. The person will get hives, and swollen and painful lymph nodes under the arms. The plant has tiny hairs that can grow under the skin and inject venom too! If you happen to inhale the little hairs, your nose and throat will hurt soooo much!
What is the population of Australia and who makes up some of its demographics?
The population of Australia is 26.64 million people.
2.8% are Aboriginal Australians, 1.8% Greeks (the largest population of Greeks living
outside of Greece), 11% Irish, 33.5% Australian and 36.1% English. There are also Chinese,
Italian, German...Many different people from different countries have moved to Australia over
the last several hundreds of years.
What happened to the Aboriginal Australians when the Europeans arrived?
When Australia was colonized, Aboriginal people experienced a devastating decline in population due to widespread disease brought by Europeans, violent conflicts with settlers, forced removal from their land, and disruption of their traditional way of life, leading to significant social and cultural disruption, often considered a form of genocide; many were killed in massacres or died from introduced diseases to which they had no immunity
You would not think that these animals live in Australia but they do. What are they?
Camels! Australia has the largest population of feral camels in the world. Camels were introduced to Australia in the 1840s primarily to assist in exploration and transportation of goods across the arid inland regions of the country, as their ability to travel long distances without water made them ideal for such harsh environments. When motorized transportation became available, camels were no longer necessary and were let go. They became feral and started breading. They can be dangerous as they are large, can be aggressive, especially during mating season, and can harm humans through kicks, bites, or collisions, particularly if they feel threatened or are protecting their young; they are also considered a pest due to their destructive impact on the environment and livestock, often damaging fences and competing for water sources.
This is made from leftover brewers' yeast extract. What is this famous Australian food?
Vegemite! It is a thick, dark brown spread that is put on bread.
This type of spider is the most dangerous in Australia. What is it?
The Sydney funnel-web spider is Australia's most dangerous spider. Its venom is extremely toxic and can cause serious illness or death in humans if left untreated. It can cause death within 15 minutes if you do not get the antivenom! It can sneak into the house, your shoes, the garden and even live underwater in your pool for several hours! You are not safe from this guy!!!
What are some things that Australia imports and exports?
Australia imports machinery, electronics, vehicles, pharmaceuticals to name a few.
They import from China, US, South Korea, Thailand and Japan.
Australia exports petroleum, gold, iron ore, coal, wine, beef, wheat, dairy, barley, sugar,
lamb and seafood. They export to Japan, China, US, South Korea and New Zealand.
When did Australia become independent from Britain?
1901
These little cutties store fat in their tails, which can thicken up like a human's waistline! They can
also bite threw metal. Yikes!
Tasmanian Devils! They are the world's largest carnivorous marsupials and are about the size of a small dog.
Tasmanian devils sneeze before a fight between devils. They scream to establish dominance at feeding time around a carcass. They tend to nap inside a rotting carcass so they can wake up and continue eating! A mother gives birth to around 20-40 joeys at once. However, these joeys have to race to her pouch, which only has four teats. The ones that make it will live in their mother’s pouch for roughly three months before they go out on their own.
True or False: It is illegal to be in possession of more than 50kg of potatoes in Western Australia
True! Unless you have purchased the potatoes from a grower or retailer authorised by the Potato Corporation, it is illegal. Police also have the power to stop and search a vehicle suspected of carrying more than 50kg of potatoes. The maximum penalty is a $2,000 fine for a first offence or a $5,000 fine for subsequent offences, as well as a further penalty up to twice the value of the potatoes (Section 22, Marketing of Potatoes Act 1946 (Western Australia)).
This spider will not kill you but you might want to die if you ever see one because of their size!
What are they?
Huntsman spiders! They are huge!!! Huntsman spiders are not considered to be dangerous spiders. As with most spiders, they do possess venom, and a bite may cause some ill effects. However, they are quite reluctant to bite, and will usually try to run away rather than be aggressive.
Other than the island of Australia, what other places make up the country of Australia?
Tasmania, 8222 islands and the Australian Antarctic Territory!
When were Australian Aboriginals given the same rights as the European colonizers?
In 1967, Australians in all states of the country were allowed to vote. But it was a long road getting there. It also
took a long time for Aboriginals to get Australian citizenship, have land rights and for the Australian government to stop
the forced assimilation of Aboriginals.