Australia's fauna
![Picture](/uploads/3/7/2/5/37252413/6089662.jpg?1407227378)
The Red Kangaroo (Macropus rufus)
The red kangaroo (Macropus rufus) is the world’s largest marsupial. They have large, powerful hind legs, large feet adapted for leaping, a long muscular tail for balance, and a small head. A red kangaroo can reach speeds of over 56 kilometers an hour. A large male can be 2 metres tall and weigh 90 kilograms. The Males have short, red-brown fur, fading to pale buff below and on the limbs. The Females are smaller than males and are blue-grey with a brown tinge, pale grey below, although arid zone females are coloured more like males.
The red kangaroo (Macropus rufus) is the world’s largest marsupial. They have large, powerful hind legs, large feet adapted for leaping, a long muscular tail for balance, and a small head. A red kangaroo can reach speeds of over 56 kilometers an hour. A large male can be 2 metres tall and weigh 90 kilograms. The Males have short, red-brown fur, fading to pale buff below and on the limbs. The Females are smaller than males and are blue-grey with a brown tinge, pale grey below, although arid zone females are coloured more like males.
![Picture](/uploads/3/7/2/5/37252413/8321525.jpeg?263)
The Koala
The koala is a small bear-like, tree-dwelling marsupial. Features like excellent sense of balance, lean and muscular body, long, strong limbs and paws especially adapted for gripping and climbing mean it's body is well suited to live in the trees. They also have a thick woolly fur which varies in colour from light grey to brown, with patches of white on the chest and neck, inside arms and legs and inside the ears. They can weigh about 9 kilograms and are the only mammal, other than the Greater Glider and Ringtail Possum, which can survive on a diet of eucalyptus leaves.
The koala is a small bear-like, tree-dwelling marsupial. Features like excellent sense of balance, lean and muscular body, long, strong limbs and paws especially adapted for gripping and climbing mean it's body is well suited to live in the trees. They also have a thick woolly fur which varies in colour from light grey to brown, with patches of white on the chest and neck, inside arms and legs and inside the ears. They can weigh about 9 kilograms and are the only mammal, other than the Greater Glider and Ringtail Possum, which can survive on a diet of eucalyptus leaves.
![Picture](/uploads/3/7/2/5/37252413/1407227777.jpg)
Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae)
The Emu is a large flightless bird. Infact it is Australia's tallest native bird, reaching between 1.6 metres and 1.9 metres when standing erect. Adult Emus are covered with shaggy grey-brown feathers except for the neck and head, which are largely naked and bluish-black. Their physical characteristic include long necks, wide beaks and clawed feet. They have small wings, but their legs are long and powerful, which allows them to run at speeds of up to 50 kilometres per hour.
The Emu is a large flightless bird. Infact it is Australia's tallest native bird, reaching between 1.6 metres and 1.9 metres when standing erect. Adult Emus are covered with shaggy grey-brown feathers except for the neck and head, which are largely naked and bluish-black. Their physical characteristic include long necks, wide beaks and clawed feet. They have small wings, but their legs are long and powerful, which allows them to run at speeds of up to 50 kilometres per hour.
Where are they Located?
Kangaroos: They're found in Australia's deserts and open grasslands.
Koala: They're found in Queensland , New South Wales , Victoria and South Australia .
The Emu: They're found throughout most of the continent, ranging from coastal regions to high in the Snowy Mountains. Emus were once found in Tasmania, but were exterminated soon after Europeans arrived.