Wildlife of Australia

739 Pages·2010·54.36 MB·English

by  Louise Egerton

There is nothing to beat the extraordinary wildlife of Australia. Its
colourful parrots, its venomous snakes, its abundance of hopping
marsupials and the strange, egg-laying Platypus—these are just
some of the players in a story that began hundreds of millions of
year ago.
Many members of Australia’s wildlife live nowhere else on
Earth. They are unique, the result of evolution on a continent that
has been geographically isolated from the rest of the world for 38
million years. Wildlife of Australia is an account of how these
animals have developed in response to changing climates and
habitats. It describes their day-to-day habits, where they live, how
they find partners and care for their young, and how they protect
themselves and seek out food and shelter.
Superbly illustrated with over 550 colour photographs by
renowned wildlife photographer Jiri Lochman, the book also
contains a list of scientific names, good zoos and wildlife parks,
useful websites and books, and a comprehensive glossary.
Wildlife of Australia reveals the fascinating worlds of the animals
that live all around us on this ancient land but remain largely
unnoticed.

First published in 2009 by Allen & Unwin
Copyright text © Louise Egerton 2009
Copyright photographs © Lochman Transparencies 2009
(unless otherwise credited)
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording
or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in
writing from the publisher. The Australian Copyright Act 1968 (the Act) allows a
maximum of one chapter or 10 per cent of this book, whichever is the greater, to be
photocopied by any educational institution for its educational purposes provided
that the educational institution (or body that administers it) has given a
remuneration notice to Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) under the Act.
Jacana Books, an imprint of
Allen & Unwin
83 Alexander Street
Crows Nest NSW2065
Australia
Phone: [phone]
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Email: [email protected]
Web: www.allenandunwin.com
National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry:
Wildlife of Australia / Louise Egerton, Jiri Lochman.
9781741149975 (ebook).
Includes index.
Zoology – Australia – Pictorial works.
Other Authors/Contributors: Lochman, Jiri.
591.994
Designed and typeset in Australia by saso content & design Pty Ltd.
This book is intended as a source of information. While every care has been taken
in compiling the information contained herein neither the authors nor the
publishers can be held responsible for any adverse reactions contrary to the
information offered. The reader is advised to consult with a medical health
professional should you be injured by any animal encounter.
Photographs on
Cover: Western Pygmy Possum
Previous page: Motorbike Frog
Page 4: New Holland Honeyeater
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements
Foreword by Mike Archer
Map of Australia
Introduction
Mammals
Birds
Reptiles
Frogs
Freshwater Fishes
Invertebrates
Useful Information
Glossary
Scientific Names
Index