List of Endemic Mammals in Australia

There are nearly 200 species of mammals endemic to Australia, meaning they are only found naturally in Australia. More than 25 percent of the mammals in Australia are endangered or threatened species, and many are marsupials, or pouch-breeding mammals. Australian mammals include a rare type of mammal, called monotremes, that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young, like other mammals do. Many mammals endemic to Australia are famed the world over for their distinct characteristics.

  1. Kangaroo

    • Kangaroos are one of Australia's most recognizable mammals.

      The kangaroo is one of Australia's most recognizable endemic mammals and is a symbol of Australia. Kangaroos are marsupials, which means they give birth to their young when they are very small (the size of a quarter) then suckle them on a teat inside a pouch on the front of their body. The baby kangaroo, called a joey, stays in the pouch until it is around 11 months old. Kangaroos are particularly famous because they move by hopping on two large, powerful back legs. There are many different types of kangaroos that are endemic to Australia, including their smaller cousins, wallabies. These include the western and eastern grey kangaroo, whiptail wallaby, redneck wallaby and the rock wallaby.

    Koala

    • Koalas rarely descend from the tree canopy.

      Koalas also are marsupials and are sometimes called koala bears, although this is a misnomer. Koalas can live up to 17 years of age and are another Australian mascot, along with the kangaroo. Koalas only eat the leaves and bark of eucalyptus trees and get all their nutrients, including water, from these plants---they rarely descend from the tree canopy for this reason. The koala sleeps for most of the day, only becoming active at night time. Koalas carry their young on their backs after they are old enough to leave the pouch.

    Platypus

    • The platypus is an elusive Australian mammal and a member of the intriguing group of monotreme mammals. Platypuses are primarily water animals, having large bills like a duck, a furry body akin to an otter and webbed feet. They lay eggs in nests built under water, and the "platypups," or baby platypuses, feed from their mother's teats. Male platypuses have a spur on their back legs that shoots venom into predators---enough to kill a dog or cause lots of pain to a human silly enough to try and catch them.

    Echidna

    • Echidnas are another monotreme mammal endemic to Australia. They are very much like porcupines in looks, covered in sharp spurs. When threatened, echidnas roll up into a ball of spikes to protect themselves. They eat mostly ants and termites, which they "sniff" out using the electrical signals given off of the insects' body. Baby echidnas, called "puggles," are born blind and soft, and stay in their mother's pouch until they develop spurs, at which point mom kicks them out.

    Wombat

    • "Wombat crossing" signs are common in Australia to help motorists avoid these large marsupials.

      Wombats are large marsupials, about the size of a pig, that look similar to a giant guinea pig. They are extremely sturdy animals and have no known predators. There are three types of wombats in Australia: the common wombat, the southern hairy-nosed wombat and the northern hairy-nosed wombat, the latter of which is all but extinct. Wombats suckle their young in a pouch, after which they stay in the mother wombat's underground burrow for around two years.