Australian Animals

Introduction to Computing

Name: Maddie Pik Class: 7CAG Teacher: Mrs Gregerson

Maddie Pik 7CAG

Due Date: 2/ !/2 "#

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Contents Page
What is a koala? .....................................................................................................................4 Red Kangaroo..........................................................................................................................6 Platypus...................................................................................................................................7 References...............................................................................................................................8

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What is a koala?
The koala is a small 'ear(like) tree(d*elling) her'i+orous marsupial *hich a+erages a'out ,kg -2 l'. in *eight/ Its $ur is thick and usuall0 ash gre0 *ith a tinge o$ 'ro*n in places/

Habitat
12a'itat1 re$ers to the t0pes o$ 'ushland that koalas like to li+e in/ The0 are $ound in a range o$ ha'itats) $rom coastal islands and tall eucal0pt $orests to lo* *oodlands inland/ 3oalas toda0 are $ound in 4ueensland) Ne* 5outh 6ales) 7ictoria and 5outh Australia/ Their range e8tends $rom the Atherton Ta'leland *est o$ Cairns in 4ld to islands o$$ the coast o$ 7ictoria and 5outh Australia in the south) and *est to central and *estern 4ld) N56 and 7ictoria/

The 3oala

Diet
3oala1s are +er0 $uss0 eaters and ha+e strong pre$erences $or di$$erent t0pes o$ gum lea+es) then the most important $actor *hich make ha'itats suita'le are the presence o$ tree species pre$erred '0 koalas -usuall0 eucal0pts) 'ut also some non(eucal0pts. gro*ing in particular associations on suita'le soils *ith ade9uate rain$all/ In Australia there are o+er : t0pes o$ eucal0pts) 'ut koalas *ill not eat a large proportion o$ these/ 6ithin a particular area) as $e* as one) and generall0 no more than t*o or three species o$ eucal0pt *ill 'e regularl0 'ro*sed *hile a +ariet0 o$ other species) including some non(eucal0pts) appear to 'e 'ro*sed occasionall0 or used $or ;ust sitting or sleeping in/ Di$$erent species o$ eucal0pts gro* in di$$erent parts o$ Australia) so a koala in 7ictoria *ould ha+e a +er0 di$$erent diet $rom one in 4ueensland/ 3oalas like a change) too) and sometimes the0 *ill eat $rom other trees such as *attle or tea tree/ Ph0siolog0 The 3oala is *ell suited to li$e in the trees/ The koala has an e8cellent sense o$ 'alance and its 'od0 is lean and muscular and its 9uite long) strong lim's support its *eight *hen clim'ing/ The arms and legs are nearl0 e9ual in length and the koala1s clim'ing strength comes $rom the thigh muscle ;oining the shin much lo*er than in other animals/ Its pa*s are especiall0 adapted $or gripping and clim'ing *ith rough pads on the palms and soles helping it to grip tree trunks and 'ranches/ 3oalas ha+e a thick *ooll0 $ur *hich protects them $rom 'oth high and lo* temperatures/ It also acts like a 1raincoat1 to repel moisture *hen it rains/ 3oalas are mostl0 nocturnal animals and the0 are most acti+e during the night and at da*n and dusk/

Breeding
The main characteristics o$ marsupials *hich di$$erentiate them $rom other mammals is that the0 gi+e 'irth to immature 0oung *hich then de+elop $urther in a pouch/ The *ord 1marsupial1 comes $rom the <atin *ord marsupium) meaning 1pouch/1 Most) 'ut not all marsupials ha+e a pouch in *hich to raise their 0oung/ The 'reeding season $or koalas runs roughl0 $rom 5eptem'er to March/ This is a time o$ increased acti+it0) and sound le+els increase as males 'ello* more $re9uentl0/ This is also *hen the 0oung $rom the pre+ious 0ear are *eaning $rom their mothers/

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Threats
5ince =uropean settlement) appro8imatel0 % > o$ Australia1s eucal0pt $orests ha+e 'een decimated/ ?$ the remaining 2 > almost none is protected and most occurs on pri+atel0( o*ned land/ The main causes o$ loss o$ ha'itat include: Land clearing Clearing o$ the land $or e8pansion o$ human settlement $or agriculture housing mining $orestr0 $actories roads The results o$ this *ould include: loss o$ ha'itat increased distur'ance '0 humans in;ur0 or death $rom tra$$ic in;ur0 or death $rom dogs and cats e$$ects o$ garden pesticides getting into *ater*a0s increased competition $or $ood and territor0 'ecause o$ o+ercro*ding increased stress on animals) making them more suscepti'le to disease/

It has also 'een documented that o+er # koalas are killed each 0ear '0 dogs and cars/ It eas0 to see that the 'iggest threat to the 3oala population is the human/ Bushfires 3oala populations in $ragmented areas o$ 'ushland are at great risk o$ localised e8tinction $rom a single $ire *hich ma0 *ipe out an entire ha'itat/ @ush$ires are e8tremel0 common in the 5ummer months/ Dieback Changes in the 'alance o$ the ecos0stem can lead to die'ack o$ trees/ The cutting 'ack o$ the original +ast $orests has created patches o$ $orest separated $rom each other '0 treeless land/ 5mall) isolated patches o$ $orest are prone to die'ack/ Die'ack is a general term $or the gradual d0ing o$ trees due to $actors such as land degradation) leaching o$ soil nutrients) changes in the composition o$ +egetation communities) rising *ater le+els underground) salination o$ the soil) erosion caused '0 *ind and *ater) e8posure to *eather and e8cessi+e de$oliation -or loss o$ lea+es./ The underl0ing cause o$ all these $actors appears to 'e the clearing and distur'ance o$ $orests/ 5e+ent0 $i+e percent o$ the main koala $ood tree species are declining in num'ers as a result o$ this/

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Red Kangaroo
Macropus rufus 5tatus: Common The red kangaroo is the largest o$ all the marsupials and li+e in $amil0 groups on the plains and deserts o$ Central Australia/ Description Male red kangaroos ha+e short dense *ooll0 $ur and are pale to 'rick red in colour) *hile the $emales are 'lue(gre0) though in some areas 'oth se8es are red/ @oth ha+e distincti+e *hite 'elo*/ The muBBle is dusk0) naked and sharpl0 de$ined *ith a distincti+e 'lack and *hite patch on each side/ Aed kangaroos tra+el *ith head do*n/ Males *eigh up to , kg) the $emales are smaller at &!kg -also kno*n as the C@lue($liersC./ Males can stand o+er "/%m tall/

Aed 3angaroo

Breeding
3angaroos 'reed throughout the 0ear/ Ne*l0 'orn 0oung) kno*n as ;oe0s) *eigh less than " gram and make their *a0 into the pouch unassisted '0 their mother/

Diet
Green her'age) including grasses and her'i+orous plants/

Habitat
Aed kangaroos are $ound in central Australia and pre$er open plains *ith scattered shade trees under *hich the0 rest during the da0/ The0 are semi(nomadic pre$erring to graBe mostl0 at night 'ut can e8tend to late e+ening and earl0 morning

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Platypus
Ornithorhyncus anatinus 5tatus: Plat0pus are common 'ut +ulnera'le/ The plat0pus is a monotreme) like the echidna 'ut are e8tremel0 specialiBed $or an a9uatic li$est0le in $resh *ater/ Dor man0 0ears) plat0pus *ere hunted $or their thick $ur/ Plat0pus are mostl0 nocturnal and solitar0 animals/

Description

The Plat0pus

Plat0pus ha+e a 'road so$t leather0 'ill) dense *ater(repellent 'ro*n $ur) *e''ed $eet and cla*ed toes/ It uses its *e''ed $ront $eet $or s*imming) $olding the *e' under its pa* to *alk/ The Plat0pus spends much o$ its time in the *ater so its e0es are on the top o$ its head and the nostrils open on top o$ its 'ill/ 6hen su'merged) the plat0pus closes its e0es) nostrils and ear holes rel0ing on the touch receptors on the skin o$ the 'ill $or its in$ormation/ The plat0pus1s tail is 'road and $lat) its hind $eet are used to help steer and 'rake *hile s*imming the hind ankles o$ the male ha+e a +enomous spur/

Breeding
Mating starts on August in the *armer areas and as late as ?cto'er in Tasmania/ Demales la0 t*o eggs and incu'ate the eggs '0 curling her 'od0 around them as she lies on a nest o$ grasses at the end o$ the 'urro*/ =ggs hatch in a'out 2 *eeks and 0oung are $ed $or $our to $i+e months on milk that secretes $rom pore ducts o$ the mammar0 glands on the mothers a'domen/

Diet
Plat0pus eat a +ariet0 o$ in+erte'rates such as crustaceans and molluscs/ The0 collect $ood $rom the ri+er 'ottom and store it in cheek pouches until the reaching the sur$ace/ The plat0pus then $loats on its 'ack che*ing the $ood 'et*een horn0 grinding plates in its mouth/

Habitat
The plat0pus li+es in 'urro*s on the 'anks o$ $resh *ater streams and lakes o$ =astern Australia including Tasmania/ It sleeps most o$ the da0 in its 'urro* $eeding mainl0 around da*n and dusk/ <ocal climate ma0 change this 'eha+iour/

Threats
6IA=5 looks a$ter plat0pus *hich are sick) orphaned or in;ured due to lacerations $rom out'oard motors) poisoning $rom pollution) entanglement $rom netting and ha'itat loss/

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References
Amamoor <odge) 2 "2) Platypus and Wildlife Spotting, +ie*ed "" April 2 "#) http://***/amamoorlodge/com/au/plat0pus(*ildli$e(spotting Australian 3oala Doundation) n/d/) The Koala oundation, +ie*ed ", De'ruar0 2 http://***/sa+ethekoala/com/ 2ampel Group) n/d/) !ed Kangaroo, +ie*ed "" April 2 "#) http://***/Boochat/com/","/red(kangaroo("##",7/ I=C) 2 "#) Do"n #nder$ %ery Much on Top, +ie*ed , April 2 "#) http://***/iec/ch/etech/2 "2/etechE #"2/$am(2/htm <one Pine 3oala 5anctuar0) 2 "#) &bout our Koalas, +ie*ed 7 April 2 "#) http://***/koala/net/koalas/html 6ires) n/d/) '(u, +ie*ed 2" De'ruar0 2 2) http://***/*ires/au/com/animals/emu/htm 2)

6ires) n/d/) Kangaroo, +ie*ed 2" De'ruar0 2 2) http://***/*ires/au/com/animals/kangaroo/htm

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