Описать любое австралийское животное на англиском. The Animals of Australia – Животные Австралии Австралийские животные на английском языке

The isolated geographical position of Australia had great influence on its fauna and flora. That is why many animals and plants developed differently from those on other continents.

Australia is a land of birds and animals which can not be found anywhere else in the world.

Australia’s endemic animals and birds are:

  • the kangaroo
  • the koala
  • the wombat
  • the echidna
  • the platypus
  • the dingo (wild dog)
  • the emu
  • the kookaburra

The most peculiar feature of Australian animals is the pouch (that is a kind of a pocket). The best known of them are the kangaroo and the koala bear.

The kangaroo is a marsupial animal, i.e. an animal that carries babies in the pouch for eight months. It is the largest marsupial in the world. It can weigh 85 kilogrammes.

Australians call a male kangaroo "a boomer", a female kangaroo — "a flyer" and a baby kangaroo — "a joye".

Why a "kangaroo"? When European explorers first saw these strange hopping animals they asked a native Australian Aborigine about their name. He answered "kangaroo" to say "I don’t understand your question".

The explorers thought this was the animal’s name. That is how the kangaroo got its name.

The koala is a small bear - like animal which lives in the eucalyptus trees. Most of its time the koala spends in these trees sleeping. However, they like to eat only some kinds of eucalyptus trees that grow in Australia.

Koala has a black nose and thick furry coat. It can weigh 10 kilogrammes. Though it looks very cuddly it has very sharp teeth and very sharp claws.

The koala’s nickname is a "native bear".

Many people believe that koala is a bear but it is not even related to bears. The koala is related to the kangaroo and the wombat.

The reason why it is called "bear" is that it looks very much like a teddy bear.

The name "koala" is the Aboriginal name for "no water".

The echidna and the platypus are the only two egg-laying mammals in the world.

The echidna is a toothless ant-eater and is an egg-laying mammal.

The platypus is a small animal with a beak of a duck and it also lays eggs.

The dingo is a wild dog about 50 centimetres high and usually sandy-coloured.

There are also such endemic animals as the Tasmanian Devil and the opossum.

Tasmanian Devils live on their own, and come out at night to hunt for food. They eat small birds and mammals, as well as insects. They have black coat and a small bear-shaped head.

There are 800 varieties of birds in Australia. Among them there are emus, eagles, hawks, parrots, cockatoos, lyrebirds, bower-birds, kookaburras and black swans.

The emu is a large bird which runs well but cannot fly. The emu and the kangaroo are represented at the emblem of Australia.

The kookaburra is a popular Australian bird that sounds like a human laughing.

Many beautiful Australian birds have unmelodious voices.

Some of Australia’s fauna can be very dangerous to people. There are crocodiles in the North. There are also spiders and poisonous snakes (death-adder and tiger snake, for example).

Though the emu and the kangaroo are symbols of Australia, there is a very popular animal which is less exotic but it also symbolizes the country. It is a sheep merino which is famous for its fine wool. There is even a monument to the sheep in one of the Australian cities.

Because Australian climate is good for sheep-farming there are a lot of sheep farms (called "sheep stations") in many parts of the country where wool is produced for export. There are around 150 million of sheep.

The climate in Australia is very dry. Because of this there are places like deserts where very little or almost nothing grows.

In the North there are tropical forests, in the north-east there are savannahs and grassland, in the south-east there are forests of eucalyptus or other ever-green trees which never lose their leaves, even in winter.

Some plants cannot be found in other parts of the world either. They are endemic. Its main native plants are wattle (or acacia), eucalyptus (or gum), mulga (mimosa), palm, fern and cedar.

Australia is sometimes called "Kangarooland" and "the Land of wattle", "the Lucky country" or "Down Under".

Перевод некоторых слов:

endemic — эндемический; свойственный данной местности; the kangaroo — кенгуру; the koala bear — коала; the wombat — вомбат (травоядное сумчатое животное); the echidna — ехидна; the platypus — утконос; the emu — эму (страус); the kookaburra — кукабарра, смеющийся зимородок; marsupial — сумчатый; the Tasmanian Devil — тасманский дьявол; merino — меринос (порода овец); wattle — австралийская акация или мимоза; eucalyptus — эвкалипт; gum — камедное дерево (сорт низкорослого эвкалипта); mulga — акация безжилковая; fern — папоротник; cedar — кедр

Данный текст поможет вам написать сочинение по английскому языку для 8, 9, 10, 11 классов на темы "Флора и фауна Австралии", "Животные и растения Австралии", "Австралийская флора и фауна".

Интересные факты о Австралии на английском языке с переводом помогут узнать много нового об этой стране и подготовиться к уроку.

Australia is the world’s 6th largest country by area.

Due to its large size and isolation from the rest of the world, Australia is sometimes known as the ‘island continent’.

The largest cities in Australia are Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.

A desert area known as the ‘outback’ covers much of the land.

The name ‘Australia’ comes from the Latin word ‘australis’, meaning southern.

It is estimated the humans have lived in Australia for around 45000 years.

The indigenous people of Australia are Australian Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders.

The highest mountain on mainland Australia is Mt Kosciuszko, standing 2228m (7310ft) above sea level.

The world’s largest reef system, the Great Barrier Reef, is found off the north-eastern coast of Australia.

Australia has a range of different landscapes, including urban areas, mountain ranges, deserts and rain forests.

Australia is home to a variety of unique animals, including the koala, kangaroo, emu, kookaburra and platypus.

Australia has over 750 different reptile species, more than any other country in the world.

Australia is a relatively wealthy country with a high life expectancy.

Australia hosted the 1956 (Melbourne) and 2000 (Sydney) Summer Olympics.

Australia has more than 150 million sheep – about 7.5 times more than its human population.

Интересные факты о Австралии на английском языке

Австралия является 6-й страной в мире по площади.

Из-за большого размера и изоляции от остального мира, Австралия иногда известна как «островный континент».

Крупнейшие города Австралии — Сидней, Мельбурн, Брисбен, Перт и Аделаида.

Область пустыни, известная как «необжитая местность», покрывает большую часть суши.

Название «Австралия» происходит от латинского слова «australis», что означает «южный».

По оценкам, люди жили в Австралии около 45000 лет.

Самая высокая гора на материковой части Австралии — гора Костюшко, которая находится на высоте 2228 м над уровнем моря.

У северо-восточного побережья Австралии находится крупнейшая в мире система рифов — Большой Барьерный риф.

В Австралии есть множество различных ландшафтов, включая городские районы, горные хребты, пустыни и тропические леса.

Австралия является родиной множества уникальных животных, включая коалу, кенгуру, эму, кукабарру и утконоса.

В Австралии насчитывается более 750 различных видов рептилий, больше, чем в любой другой стране мира.

Австралия — относительно богатая страна с высокой ожидаемой продолжительностью жизни.

Австралия принимала Олимпийские игры в 1956 (Мельбурн) и 2000 (Сидней).

В Австралии насчитывается более 150 миллионов овец — примерно в 7.5 раз больше, чем населения.

There are many animals in Australia that you cannot see anywhere else. Did you know that? Of course, you did! I personally divide Australian animals into three categories: the good, the bad, the ugly. I think, it"s reasonable.

Talking of the good animals, we should mention kangaroos in the first place.

There are many different types of kangaroo. The biggest are the great grey kangaroos. They are 2I3 centimetres tall and can run at 56 kilometres per hour. Some run from you then stop and stare. Though we have put kangaroos in the Good category, farmers might disagree.

Wombats and koalas have many similarities and are probably related. Both have pockets inside their mouths to store food and neither has a tail. The number of koalas is getting smaller. This is partly because of fumes from bush fires. Rescue teams help the koalas by catching them, putting them on respirators, then returning them to their original location when they are better. Australia also has a lot of native marsupial mice that live in the desert. Many of these only come out at night.

You know, there are many animals that are unpopular in Australia including spiders which are dangerous. You can find these in Sydney. If they are hungry, they will attack anything that moves. They have sharp teeth and poison. Luckily, there is an antidote if you can get to hospital quickly. There have been 12 deaths since I927.

Another animal with sharp teeth and a fatal bite is the shark. However, there are normally a lot of beach patrols and protective nets to stop these from eating you for breakfast. Other animals that are a problem for beach lovers are jellyfish.

There are a number of types of crocodiles found in northern Australia, ranging from the potentially dangerous saltwater crocodiles to smaller, more shy, harmless varieties.

They have got snakes too although fears of the poisonous types are largely exaggerated. They are generally shy creatures, only too ready to avoid trouble. The taipan and the tiger are worth keeping away from.

That is only a small selection of the creatures of the country. Others include penguins, turtles, seals and possums.

In the dry areas, you can see an amazing variety of lizards; some grow to a very hefty size.

Животные Австралии

В Австралии есть много животных, которых невозможно больше нигде увидеть. Вы знали об этом? Конечно, да! Лично я делю австралийских животных на три категории: хорошие, плохие и безобразные. Я думаю, это разумно.

Говоря о хороших животных, следует назвать в первую очередь кенгуру.

Существует много различных видов кенгуру. Самые большие - серые кенгуру. Их рост - 213 см, и они могут бегать со скоростью 56 км в час. Некоторые убегают от вас, затем останавливаются и смотрят. Хотя мы занесли кенгуру в категорию хороших , фермеры могли бы с этим не согласиться.

Вомбаты и коалы имеют много общего и, возможно, они родственники. И у тех и у других есть защечные мешки для запасов пищи. Ни у тех, ни у других нет хвоста. Количество коал уменьшается. Отчасти это происходит из-за дыма от горящих кустарников. Спасательные команды помогают коалам. Они ловят их, надевают респираторы, а когда им становится получше, возвращают на прежнее место их обитания. В Австралии много сумчатых мышей, живущих в пустыне. Многие из них выходят только ночью.

В Австралии много непопулярных животных, включая пауков, которые опасны. Их можно встретить в Сиднее. Если пауки голодны, они набрасываются на все, что движется. У них ост-рые зубы, и они ядовиты. К счастью, есть n тивоядие, если вам удастся быстро добраться до больницы. С1927 года от укусов погибло 12 человек.

Еще одно животное с острыми зубами и смертельным укусом - акула. Однако, как правило, на пляжах работает береговой патруль и расставлено много сетей для того, чтобы не позволить акулам съесть вас на завтрак. Еще одно животное, которое представляет проблему для любителей позагорать - это медузы.

В Северной Австралии встречаются различные виды крокодилов, начиная с потенциально опасных морских крокодилов, кончая небольшими по размеру, более безопасными разновидностями.

В Австралии есть и змеи, хотя люди необоснованно так боятся змей ядовитых видов. Это, в основном, осторожные существа, готовые быстро уйти от опасности. Стоит подальше держаться от тайпана и тигровой змеи.

Это только небольшой перечень животных страны. Другими животными, проживающими в Австралии, являются пингвины, черепахи, морские котики и опоссумы.

В сухих зонах можно увидеть изумительное разнообразие ящериц, некоторые из которых вырастают до огромных размеров.

МБОУ Темкинская муниципальная средняя общеобразовательная школа МО «Тёмкинский район» Смоленской области

ПРОЕКТ

«Удивительный животный мир Австралии».

Работу выполнили

учащиеся 5 «А» класса

Белицкая Анастасия

и Глухова София

Руководитель

Хайруллина Елена Васильевна,

учитель английского языка

с. Темкино

2014г.

Содержание

Введение INTRODUCTION …………………………………….3

Глава I . Сказочный мир животных

FAIRY ANIMAL WORLD

    Коала KOALA …………………………………………………4

    Кенгуру KANGAROO …………………………………………5

    . Динго DINGO ……………………………………….… ………5-6

    . Крокодил CROCODILE……………………………….... .........6

    . Утконос DUCKBILL…………………………..…………… ...6-7

1.6. Ехидна ECHIDNA ……………………………………………..7

1.7. Вомбат WOMBAT……………………………………………… 7

Глава II. Королевство птиц

BIRDS’ KINGDOM

2.1. Черный лебедь BLACK SWAN…………………………..……. 8

2.2. Киви KIWI……………..……………………………………….. 8-9

2.3. Эму EMU………………..………………………………………. 9

2.4. Лирохвост LYREBIRDS ……………………………………..… 9-10

2.5. Белый какаду WHITE COCKATOO……………………………1 0

Заключение……………………………………………………..…......11

Список используемой литературы………………………………..….12

Приложение 1. Иллюстрации

Приложение 2. Презентация проекта

Приложение 3. Видеозапись

ВВЕДЕНИЕ

Мир вокруг нас уникален и привлекателен. С детства мы наслаждаемся красотой пейзажа нашего региона. Восхищаемся красивыми цветами, животными и птицами. Мы много узнали о флоре и фауне нашей страны.

Недавно мы были в зоопарке и видели животных, которые нам понравились, и мы решили больше о них узнать. Таким образом, мы открыли для себя удивительный животный мир Австралии.

Данная тема нам представляется довольно интересной и актуальной, так как мы изучаем в школе английский язык, а Австралия является англо-говорящей страной, мы решили подготовить проект именно на английском языке.

В ходе работы нами были использованы книги: Berlant A . M . Large Series of Knowledge . Planet Earth. M.: “Modern Pedagogics”. 2009 , Novichkov V.B. Countries. People. America, Australia and Oceania. M.: “Modern Pedagogics”. 2009 , Rick Morris Mysteries and Marvels of Nature. M.: “Rosman”. 2007 , The ABC of Nature. France: The Reader’s Digest Association. Inc. 2007 и посещены сайты : , http :// en . wikipedia . org / wiki / .

Актуальность выбранной темы обусловлена необходимостью достижения основной цели: познакомиться с необычным животным миром Австралии.

В связи с этим были поставлены следующие задачи:

1. Расширить знания о необычных животных и птицах Австралии.

2. Развивать наш познавательный интерес .

3. Узнать как можно спасти животных, находящихся под угрозой вымирания.

I. FAIRY ANIMAL WORLD

Australia has an extraordinary collection of birds and animals. Many of them are found only there. Early explorers were so surprised by the emu and the kangaroo that they described the continent as the land where birds “ran instead of flying and animals hopped instead of running.”

There are many animals in Australia. These animals you cannot see anywhere else. About 80-100 million years ago, Australia drifted away from the massive super continent of Gondwanaland into the South Pacific. Since then, the areas have been famous for unique flora and fauna. There is a large number of beautiful native birds and plants.

1.1. KOALA

Koala is an Australian animal, which looks like a teddy bear. Many people call it “Koala bear". But it is incorrect because Koalas have nothing common to the bears.

Koala is very lazy animal, it sleeps about 20 hours a day. Koala eats Eucalyptus tree leaves, which are toxic to the most animals. The name Koala comes from Aboriginal "no drink". It is true, koalas get moisture from Eucalyptus leaves and that is why, they do not have to drink. It is difficult for koala to find water, because it is not a fast moving animal.

100 years ago koalas were about to disappear from our planet. People killed most of these beautiful animals for their valuable fur. Nowadays people take special care of koalas and its population grows every year.
Koalas are not very often seen in the wild. However there are some places where there are lots of koalas, for example, Otway National Park in Victoria or Kangaroo Island in South Australia.

1.2. Kangaroo

Kangaroo is a unique Australian animal. Kangaroos have large strong legs and feet for leaping, long muscular tail for balance and a small head. Kangaroos are the only large animals to use hopping for moving around.

Red Kangaroos can hop as fast as 70 km/h over short distances, but they usually comfortably travel at 20 km/h. Kangaroos live about 9-18 years, but some of them live until they are 30.

Kangaroos are marsupials, it means they keep babies in the pouch. Baby kangaroos are born very early, in 1 month. Babies will stay in the pouch for about 9 months, before getting out for the first time. Milk composition produced by mother kangaroo depends on how old is the baby. Sometimes there can be two babies in the pouch, one of them is a newborn baby, and another is an older one, who still lives in the pouch. And the mother Kangaroo produces two kinds of milk.

Kangaroos mostly live in the bush area, but you can also see them on the beach or in the mountains - rock wallabies for example.

Wild kangaroo is afraid of people and always hops away. In some places tourists feed animals and kangaroos are less afraid of people. The friendliest animals could be found in wildlife parks. Tourists give them special food and kangaroos eat it from hand.

Kangaroos are commonly seen in the wild. At daytime they are shy and mostly rest in the shadow. They are more active at dusk, night and dawn. At that time, they are a great danger for drivers. It is quite common to hit a kangaroo on country roads.

1.3. DINGO

Dingo is an Australian wild dog. Dingo has some features of a wolf and a domestic dog. Dingo lives in Australia and some countries of Southeast Asia. Its colour is usually ginger, sometimes more yellow or reddish. Alpine dingoes are completely white.

Dingo is a dangerous animal, in Australia it is illegal to keep it as a pet. There were some cases of attacking people, particularly children. There are lots of dingoes on Frazer Island, there are signs everywhere urging tourists not to feed dingoes and never leave children without supervision.

1.4. Crocodile

Crocodiles are one of the symbols of Australian fauna. North Tropical Queensland is the land of dangerous saltwater crocodiles. These crocs live in rivers and travel by sea from one river to another. So, you can see one on the ocean beach.

Saltwater crocodiles are very dangerous. In Australia, they kill several people every year. Crocodiles change their teeth about one hundred times during their life. Even an old crocodile without teeth can kill a cow, because of huge pressure in the jaws. It can swallow a small catch without problems, but if the catch is too big the croc may ask one of his girlfriends to help strip it out. Crocs usually have about 12 girlfriends. Their brain is the size of a nut.

Raising crocodiles is a very interesting process. In Cairns there are several crocodile farms, where you can see the beasts close up, taste crocodile meat or buy very expensive bags and wallets. Crocodile meat (usually from the tail) is white and tastes like a chicken.

Boating on the Daintree river is an excellent opportunity to see crocodiles in the wild. It is quite difficult to see them between grass and tree. Very often you can notice the beasts with their mouths open because so they rest their jaw muscles.

1.5. DUCKBILL

The duckbill is a semi-aquatic mammal, which lives in eastern Australia, including Tasmania. Besides, it is the only mammal that lays eggs instead of giving birth to live young.

When European naturalists first saw the duckbills, they were greatly surprised by his appearance. It is really an unusual animal. It is egg-laying, venomous, duck-billed, beaver-tailed, otter-footed. It is one of the few venomous mammals.

Until the beginning of the 20th century it was hunted for its fur, but now it is protected.

1.6. ECHIDNA

The Echidna is a primitive mammal. It lives in Australia.

It is a solitary animal that burrows. When it is attacked, the echidna will burrow into the ground or curl itself into a ball using its spines as a method of defence against the predator. The echidna"s spines cover the top of its body. Echidna"s have long sharp claws on their feet, and are approximately 35-50 cms long with a 10cm long tail. Their nose is very sensitive, they use this to find food, then they use their long sticky tongue to catch ants, worms and other such insects. Echidna"s weigh on average between 2 to 7 kilograms.

1.7. WOMBAT

Wombats are Australian marsupials. They have short legs, about one metre long and have a very short tail. Wombats are covered with short coat.

Basically, wombat looks a little bit like a smaller pig. Similar to koalas, wombats are slow moving animals. When required, however, they can reach up to 40 km/h. This is unusual because wombats walk and run on full feet.

Generally, wombats are not afraid of humans. There are many wombats in wildlife parks and zoos across Australia. People can see wombats there. In the wild, there are places where people were feeding wombats for a long time so animals come to beg for food.

It is advised not to leave any food in the cars, as wombats could rip your tent and get inside. This can be scary and even dangerous. Aggressive wombat can knock over a man, their sharp teeth and powerful jaws can make severe wounds. This is not what you expect from a cute and sleepy animal!

II. BIRDS’ KINGDOM

There are about 70 kinds of birds in the world. Some birds can fly to far countries, others are flightless, besides, some of them are nocturnal. Famous Australian birds include the Black Swan, Kiwi, Emu, Lyrebird, White Cockatoo and others.

2.1. BLACK SWAN

European explorers were amazed to discover that in Australia swans are black.

They are common birds across all of coastal Australia, and nest in swamps or river estuaries. They are not common in the North West.

They make their nests on a dry bit of a small island, or on a river bank. They lay about five eggs which are greenish white in colour, usually in autumn (March-April) or in winter.

They can travel in enormous flocks and move from one feeding ground to another. They feed in the shallows, or eat grass on the banks. They are not popular with farmers.

Swans are a protected species in Australia.

2.2. KIWI

The kiwi is an amazing flightless bird . It is about the size of a chicken, has thick leather skin, a great sense of smell, a long beak with nostrils on the end, and hair-like feathers. It is more like a mammal - however it is still a bird.

During mating season, the male kiwi makes a call that goes "kiiwii". This is how they got their name. The word kiwi is a Maori word.

The kiwi is related to the ostrich and the emu. The kiwi has nostrils at the end of its beak.

The kiwi is in danger. It disappears at a rate of 5.9% per year. The government does much to protect the species.

The kiwi is also a mainly nocturnal bird. They eat both meat and vegetables. They feed on many insects, such as earthworms, crickets, slugs, snails and others. They also eat seeds, berries, leaves and so on. They do most of their feeding at night.

One of the most amazing facts about the kiwi is the size of its egg. They lay eggs that are between 15% to 20% of their body weight. The egg is almost as big as ostriches’ eggs. The newborn comes up feathered and independent.

The kiwi breeds between June and March, and the male takes care of the egg for a period of up to 80 days.

2.3. EMU

Emu is a large, flightless Australian bird. It is the largest bird in Australia and second largest in the world after Ostrich. It is 1.5 - 2 metres high and weighs up to 60 kilograms.
Emus are good runners, they can run short distances at 50 km/h. But they usually walk at 4-7 km/h, covering 10-25 km a day.
Emus are good swimmers too, as sometimes they need to cross the rivers.

Emus are often seen in the wild, like other Australian animals and birds. They sometimes cross the roads in front of the cars.

2.4. LYREBIRD

The Lyrebirds name comes from the shape of the males tail when displayed which looks like a Lyre (musical harp type instrument).

Really the Lyrebird is a very plain looking brown (chicken size) bird, except for long trailing tail feathers. They are darkish brown on top of their body, and lighter below and they have markings on their throat normally with a red to brown colouring. As already mentioned the males have a lyre shaped tail when displayed or trailing when not displaying. The females are the same as the males except they are smaller and can not display their tail feathers in a lyre shape. The lyrebird’s song is strong and melodious except when frightened when it will let our high pitch shrieks of alarm as it runs away on its strong legs and toes. They are magnificent mimicker of other birds and noises. Often in the morning you may think you are surrounded by a multitude of bird species, to find out you have been fooled by a lyrebird. Car noises, chainsaws, dogs and other noises are no problem for this excellent imitator The mimicry, though used in the mating courtship is heard all year round. It is said to be the way the male lyrebird tells others this is his territory.

2.5. WHITE COCKATOOS

White cockatoos live in Australia in forests, open woodlands, mangroves, swamps, usually in tree canopies. They eat fruit, seeds and nuts. Cockatoos live about 80 years. A large white parrot, with yellow coloration on the underside of their wings and tail is known as the Umbrella Cockatoo because of their broad, backward-bending crest of feathers around their head. Their beak a nd legs are dark grey. They usually weigh between 16-20 ounces. Their wingspan is about 9-12 inches. Cockatoos are smart birds that have been seen using branches to scratch their heads, or using them to bang against trees to alert others of danger. They are known to disperse seeds of plants and flowers. They are also very affectionate birds.

ЗАКЛЮЧЕНИЕ

Мы исследовала много материала об уникальных животных и птицах, которые живут в Австралии. Для своего проекта мы выбрали информацию о тех животных, которые показались нам самыми удивительными. Некоторые из них, к сожалению, находятся под угрозой вымирания. Благодаря заботе людей многих животных удается спасти.

Например, существует такая программа по спасению киви. Целью её является предотвратить исчезновение необычной птицы.

Мы надеемся, что люди будут бережно относиться к окружающей природе, заботиться о животных и птицах своей страны, и тогда мы сможем наслаждаться всем, что нас окружает.

Работая над проектом, мы ответили на все поставленные нами вопросы;

    Австралия действительно уникальна своим животным миром. Только там можно встретить животных, которых нет нигде на нашей планете, кроме как в зоопарке.

    В Австралии, как и во многих странах, существует проблема с вымиранием животных, но люди заботятся о них и благодаря их труду, животных удаётся спасти.

Для себя мы загадали, когда станем взрослыми, обязательно отправимся в путешествие по далёкой, загадочной стране – Австралии. Надеюсь, наша мечта - станет былью!

СПИСОК ИСПОЛЬЗУЕМОЙ ЛИТЕРАТУРЫ THE LIST OF THE MAIN LITERATURE

    Berlant A.M. Large Series of Knowledge. Planet Earth. M.: “Modern Pedagogics”. 2009.

    Novichkov V.B. Countries. People. America, Australia and Oceania. M.: “Modern Pedagogics”. 2009.

    Rick Morris Mysteries and Marvels of Nature. M.: “Rosman”. 2007.

    The ABC of Nature. France: The Reader’s Digest Association. Inc. 2007.

    Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. 1994-2012

    http :// en . wikipedia . org / wiki /

There are many animals in Australia that you cannot see anywhere else, and talking of the animals, we should mention kangaroos in the first place. There are many different types of kangaroo. The biggest are the great grey kangaroos. They are 213 centimetres tall and can run at 56 kilometres per hour. Some run from you then stop and stare.

Wombats and koalas have many similarities and are probably related. The number of koalas is getting smaller. This is partly because of fumes from bush fires. Rescue teams help the koalas by catching them, putting them on respirators, then returning them to their original location when they are better. Australia also has a lot of native marsupial mice that live in the desert. Many of these only come out at night.

You know, there are many animals that are "unpopular" in Australia including spiders which are dangerous. You can find these in Sydney. If they are hungry, they will attack anything that moves. They have sharp teeth and poison. Luckily, there is an antidote if you can get to hospital quickly. There have been 12 deaths since 1927.

Another animal with sharp teeth and a fatal bite is the shark. However, there are normally a lot of beach patrols and protective nets to stop these from eating you for breakfast. Other animals that are a problem for beach lovers are jellyfish. They look like bubbles of blue bubble gum and they have a painful sting therefore people do not swim when there are many in the water. Other "unpopular" animals include dingoes. These are a cross between wolves and dogs. They are unpopular because they eat farmers" animals.

Now what about the ugly animals? A word that people often use to describe a cane toad is ugly! Other words include fat, noisy and disgusting. They are also as big as footballs!" The Queensland Government brought cane toads to Australia to eat cane beetles. Unfortunately cane toads can"t fly but cane beetles can. Now the toads are more of a problem than the beetles. Hundreds of thousands are born every year. The toads eat everything including rare Australian animals. The toads are also poisonous to eat. Animals that eat them die. Though they are unpopular animals, some people like them and keep them as pets or write songs about them.There are a number of types of crocodiles found in northern Australia, ranging from the potentially dangerous saltwater crocodiles to smaller, more shy, harmless varieties.

They have got snakes too although fears of the poisonous types are largely exaggerated. They are generally shy creatures, only too ready to avoid trouble. The taipan and the tiger are worth keeping away from.

That is only a small selection of the creatures of the country. Others include penguins, turtles, seals and opossums.In the dry areas, you can see an amazing variety of lizards; some grow to a very hefty size.

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