Australia is a land known for their unique wildlife, including many that are found nowhere else in the world. As we approach the one-year anniversary of our time on that continent, I thought it would be fun to do a post about 15 native animals that you should try to see while you’re in Australia!
I knew I wanted to spend time at a zoo during our visit so that we could ensure we saw many of these unique critters. After doing some research, it seemed Featherdale Wildlife Park, located about 45 minutes outside of Sydney, would be a great option. They focus solely on native Australian animals and have some great interactive experiences – you can feed kangaroos, pet a few of the animals, and even take pictures with a koala. Most of the pictures in this post were taken at the park, but I’ll comment on any that we saw elsewhere in Australia.
Read on for 15 Aussie animals you should be sure to see on your trip!
1. Kangaroo
This marsupial is a commonly-seen symbol of Australia. You’ll find it on their coat of arms and currency, emblazoned on Qantas planes, and on “kangaroo crossing” signs along the road. It’s definitely a must-see Aussie animal!
2. Wallaby
Did you know that kangaroos and wallabies are part of the same family (Macropodidae), and that they’re differentiated by size? Be sure to check out these cute “mini kangaroos” on your visit. If you’re really dedicated to seeing macropods, you could also search out those of an intermediate size, aptly named “wallaroos”.
3. Saltwater crocodile
I grew up watching Crocodile Hunter and loving the Australian habitats his show introduced me to, so I knew that I needed to see saltwater crocodiles in the wild on our trip. While in the Cairns/Port Douglas area we did a couple of Daintree River cruises (through the amazing Crocodile Express) and were able to see four crocs, including this one on the riverbank! It truly was one of the highlights of our trip.
If you’re only hitting up the Sydney area, don’t worry – Featherdale Wildlife Park and other zoos or parks have crocodiles as well.
4. Emu
The emu is the second-tallest extant species of bird, after its African relative, the ostrich. They’re also featured on the Australian coat of arms and are important in Aboriginal mythology, including one creation story in which the sun was made by throwing an emu egg into the sky. When we saw them I was most impressed with the very deep rumbling noises they can make!
5. Echidna
These little guys are lesser-known endemic Australian species, but they’re no less worth your attention! They’re covered in spines and have ‘beaks’ from which they can extend long, sticky tongues to consume ants and termites. Echidnas are also one of only two types of mammals that lay eggs.
6. Rainbow lorikeet
Australia is full of fascinating birds – from the cockatoo to the kookaburra to certain species of penguins! I wanted to feature the rainbow lorikeet, a colorful bird that definitely lives up to its name. We saw (and heard!) a great deal of these birds when staying in Port Douglas, and later learned that they were so loud because they would get drunk by eating fermented berries from the trees in downtown Port Douglas!
7. Wombat
Wombats are another of Australia’s less-famous marsupials, but they’re absolutely adorable with their stocky builds and short little legs. At Featherdale you can even feed or pet their wombats, but be careful – they can bite (we may or may not know that from experience)…
8. Platypus
These odd-looking animals, with their duck-like bill and beaver-like tail, are the other known species of egg-laying mammal. Unfortunately platypus are the one animal on this list that I didn’t get a chance to see in Australia. There weren’t any at Featherdale, although when we were driving around to see waterfalls in the Atherton Tablelands, we did see a sign for a farm with a platypus-viewing area. I regret that we were unable to turn around and stop by there! Guess we’ll just have to save these unique guys for our next Australia trip. 😉
9. Cassowary
Like the other large bird on this list (the emu), the cassowary is a ratite, part of a group of flightless and long-legged birds. The southern cassowary also ranks as the third-tallest and second-heaviest bird in the world! They also have a unique casque on their heads and colorful blue-and-red faces. It is a tropical rainforest species and considered endangered in Queensland. While driving around up there we saw several “cassowary crossing” signs meant to decrease the number of motor vehicle accidents, which are a significant threat to these birds.
10. Dingo
These guys may look cute and cuddly like man’s best friend, but they’re a wild dog species capable of hunting mammals up to the size of red kangaroos! They’re found throughout much of Australia and are featured prominently in Aboriginal Dreamtime stories.
11. Quokka
These tiny members of the macropod family (which includes kangaroos and wallabies) have recently garnered some internet fame as the “world’s most cheerful animals” due to the charming smiles they always wear!
12. Tasmanian devil
These feisty guys are the largest carnivorous marsupial in the world, and according to Wikipedia, are known for their “pungent odor, extremely loud and disturbing screech, keen sense of smell, and ferocity when feeding”. I guess you could say they’ve earned the name “devil”! We were able to see a few Tasmanian devils at Featherdale, but since they are nocturnal animals they were just curled up in logs sleeping instead of wreaking havoc.
13. A snake or three
Australia is famous for having many of the world’s deadliest animals, including lots of venomous snakes and spiders. Many of their snake species are also very beautiful, though! From the inland taipan (lower right), which is the most toxic of any snake in the world, to the yellow-and-black carpet python or emerald tree python, both of which we saw at the Daintree Discovery Centre. Though there are many you wouldn’t want to encounter in the wild, be sure to get a (safe) glimpse of a few unique serpents while you’re visiting!
14. Koala
This list wouldn’t be complete without another of Australia’s best known marsupials, the koala. I’d give them my vote for the most adorable Aussie animal, but they also might be the laziest – did you know that they sleep up to 20 hours per day?! At Featherdale we were able to pay $25 to pet a koala named Monty and have our picture taken with him while he snoozed away on a branch. It was money well spent. 🙂
Edit: Unfortunately koalas have also been some of the hardest-hit animals in Australia’s wildfires – read this article for ways you can help this Aussie icon!
15. Tropical fish (& coral reefs)
Our original plan for this trip was to spend a full week in the Sydney and Blue Mountains area, which we definitely could have done. However, some Australian friends encouraged us to see the Great Barrier Reef as well, and we were so glad that we visited the Cairns/Port Douglas area, where we were able to explore both the reefs and the rainforest. Snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef was definitely a highlight of our trip; we saw giant clams, parrotfish (pictured), blue tangs – aka Dorys, clownfish – aka Nemos, and plenty of other tropical fish!
This is by no means an exhaustive list of the amazing Aussie critters we saw during our week or so in that country. There were also turtles, wild turkeys, and Ulysses butterflies, and we loved seeing animals both at wildlife parks and in the wild. I hope this list can get you started on your exploration of Australian fauna. 🙂
How many of these animals have you seen? Any iconic Aussie creatures I missed on my list? Share in the comments below!