Wildlife of Australia

A magnificently illustrated, authoritative, and entertaining compendium of the abundant and unique animals that live on the Australian continent today In this account, the breathtaking scope of extraordinary wildlife in Australia is explored. Its colorful parrots, venomous snakes, abundance of hopping marsupials, and the strange, egg-laying platypus—these are just a few 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 and the result of evolution on a continent that has been geographically isolated from the rest of the world for 38 million years. This reference traces 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 find food and shelter. With a list of scientific names, good zoos and wildlife parks, the guide also includes useful and up-to-date websites and books, and a comprehensive glossary. Fact-checked by more than 70 experts in their field, it reveals the fascinating worlds of the animals that live all around the human population of an ancient land, but remain largely unnoticed.