Kangaroo

And now for the Australian superstar, the kangaroooooo!!
A kangaroo is a marsupial native to Australia. They have large, powerful hind legs and feet adapted for the hopping motion they use to move around. Their long, muscular tail also serves to help keep them balanced.
You might think they're cute and cuddly, if you ever cross by one... but watch out, because they have the ability to cause serious harm to people, when they feel threatened. Like most marsupials, females have a pouch in which children (joeys) complete their development.

(image source: http://museumvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/discoverycentre/wild/victorian-environments/mallee/red-kangaroo/)

Larger kangaroos have adapted much better to changes brought to the Australian landscape by humans, and though many of their smaller relatives are endangered, there is still an abundance of all kangaroo species. They are not farmed at all, but wild kangaroos are shot for their meat, leather hides, and to protect grazing land for sheep and cattle.

The kangaroo as you can assume is a great symbol of Austrailia. You can see this as they appear on the Australian coat of arms, on some currency, and also by some of Australia’s well known organisations, including Qantas and the Royal Australian Air Force. The kangaroo is important to both Australian culture and our national image.

         

(image source: http://boardsandgovernance.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/ipads-for-qantas.html & http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Australian_Coat_of_Arms.png)

Click the following link to see a video of kangaroos boxing : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiTG6T9pTcM

(BEN TAYLOR)

Swordfish

Sharks do not scare me; however the sea animal which does make me shiver is the Swordfish. The Swordfish derives its name from the shape of its ‘bill’ which resembles a sword, contrary to popular belief this sharp bill is not used to stab its prey but to slash and wound the prey making it weaker and easier for the swordfish to devour. 

Swordfish can reach up to 4.5 metres in length, and weigh up to 500kg, Swordfish mature at 4-5 years of age, and typically have a lifespan of 7-8 years of age meaning that they spend most of their time growing. Another interesting phenomenon about swordfish is that female fishes are larger than males. Swordfishes are in abundance and they have the lowest conservation status, as such they prevalent in large numbers.

Swordfishes typically do not threaten humans like sharks, as humans are not a source of food for swordfishes, however swordfishes have stabbed and slashed humans in the past, resulting in death.

(image source:https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBwhsetNs0W2o5WrnWGs8OsdGjYZAOI1CzJSiTayp4AloeOdGwJsB8qkb908VNHAWfPlN92ZN4zcIlussbu3aovZ4ufKMWU_scQYfMvhJf8zxCaK7v4Mbmk4YIzJhDKDDLNhvVYRJ7Qyg/s1600/swordfish.jpg)

(MOHAMMAD AZHAR)

Panda

When it  comes to cute and cuddly nothing beats The Panda, also known as The Giant Panda they are an endangered species with approximately 1600 to 3000 Pandas (hard for scientists to determine due to the Panda’s remote habitats) in the wild and 300 in zoos. Wild Panda’s almost exclusively residing in remote mountainous and snowy regions in China’s Sichuan province. The wild Panda’s diet consists primarily of Bamboo, however Panda’s also eat sugar cane, small insects, and other vegetables. Panda’s fulfil most of their water needs through the moisture of the bamboo which they consume.

A male adult Panda can reach up to 6 feet in height and weigh up to 250-300 pounds, cubs are between 3-5 Pounds at birth, and are born without hair (they are pink), and blind, as such they require significant attention from their mother. Panda’s importance in pop culture has significantly increased since the release of the movie ‘The Kung Fu Panda’. This has had a positive impact upon conservation of the Panda, so please help save the ever so cute and cuddly panda.

(image source: http://www.beijingxiantour.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Cute-Panda.jpg)

Please visit the following website to see how you can help save the Panda

http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/giant_panda/panda/why_we_save_the_giant_panda/

(BEN TAYLOR)

Thorny Devil

The Thorny Devil is a lizard from the reptile class. It is mostly found in the remote desert landscapes of the Australian Outback where the weather is dry and humid. The thorny devil has a couple of other names it is known by, namely the Mountain Devil and Thorny Dragon. Being a fairly small lizard (it grows to about 20cm in length), it can be quite vulnerable to predators in the desert. For that reason, the thorny devil is a palette of shades between orange and brown. 


I like the thorny devil for its ability to camouflage into its surrounding environment and be able to hide throughout the day and become darker during the night. Because of this, it can avoid predators.

(image source: http://www.wild-facts.com/2010/wild-fact-858-a-thorn-in-my-side-thorny-devil/)

As the name suggests, the lizard is ‘thorny’; in other words, its entire body is covered in spikes or thorns which adds to its defence mechanisms. These thorns make it hard to be eaten and if attempted it won’t be a tasty meal. It looks a bit like stalagmites growing out of a crocodile (only smaller) 

(DANIEL CHAND)

Myrmecia (AKA Bulldog Ant)

Bull/Bulldog Ants are most commonly found in the Australian Outback, they are called bulldog ants due to their ability to severely bite, and sting anything which threatens them. The bite of bull ants if left untreated can be fatal for many individuals with anaphylactic reactions. Bull ants diet consists primarily of small insects, nectar, fruits, and gum.
Bull ants are very rarely collected into ant farms due to the danger they present to humans, however the behaviours of bull ants are very different to those of normal ants. For instance certain species of bull ants do not have any colony workers, the queen invades and kills the queen of another colony and becomes the queen. 

(image source:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/burtonandy/5387284840/)

Another interesting phenomenon about bull ants is that when cut in half, the head and the tail will begin to fight each other, usually both halves die within the first few minutes. However experiments conducted have shown these battles to last up to half an hour. Although an interesting animal, caution is required around Bull Ants, so if you wish to observe the behaviours of a bull ant please do so from a safe distance, as the bull ant can stalk its threat, and prey from up to a metre away.

(MOHAMMAD AZHAR)

Sharks

Most people are afraid of sharks, which is reasonable, due to their large mass size, ripping killer teeth and their constant media attention which categorise sharks as “vicious animals”.

The thought or even the sight of a fin gliding through the waters is enough to make people panic and cry for help.

However, I do believe that there is more to this ‘blood driving’ animal, than meets the eye…

Sharks are certainly not as dangerous as people believe they are. The main diet of sharks is seals and turtles (defiantly not humans). The reasons why sharks do attack humans are due to mistaken identity. The wet suit of surfer represents the shininess of a seal's skin while people lying on surfboards and paddling could to resemble a turtle to sharks.

However, when sharks do discover their mistake, they just swim away. It has been said that they do not like the taste of human flesh.

(image source: http://theconversation.edu.au/cull-or-be-killed-is-this-really-the-solution-to-stop-shark-attacks-3961)

A recent study has also shown that in one year there were 8 people attacked by sharks and there were more than 1 million sharks killed by people… So tell me who should be more afraid of who?

(MERVE GENEL)