10

2

3

4

1

20

1013

5

8

12

14

15

16

17

18

19

24

26

22

21

22

25

27

31

29

33

23

28

9

30

7

11

6

32

1

13

20

23

32

KEY1. Sperm whale2. Whale shark (largest fish)3. Southern cassowary (most dangerous bird)4. Water buffalo5. Greater bird-of-paradise6. Yellow-crested cockatoo7. Red kangaroo (largest marsupial)8. Emu9. Green turtle10. Koala11. Dingo12. Great white shark (largest predatory fish)13. Saltwater crocodile14. Possum15. Southern right whale16. Bottlenose dolphin (highest jump by a dolphin)17. Lyrebird18. Echidna19. Platypus (lightest egg‑laying mammal)20. Fruit bat21. Frigatebird22. Budgerigar23. Tasmanian devil24. Giant devil ray25. Jellyfish26. Moorish idol27. Kea28. Swordfish29. Kiwi (largest bird egg relative to body size)30. Kakapo (heaviest parrot)31. Octopus32. Tuatara33. Macaroni penguin (most common penguin)

N E

SWAUSTRALASIAHaving been isolated for millions of years, the smallest continent has more than its fair share of unusual creatures!

Sleepiest marsupialThe koala eats almost nothing but high-

fibre, low-nutrition eucalyptus leaves – then spends 18 hr out of every 24 sleeping while it digests them! (For more of nature’s sleepyheads.) Mother koalas teach their

joeys to eat different types of eucalyptus leaves to balance their diet.

Strongest bite for a mammalThe inspiration for cartoon character Taz, a Tasmanian devil is an Australian marsupial famed for its teeth-baring and snarling attitude. Relative to body size, its bone-crushing bite is more powerful than that of a lion, Himalayan black bear or even a tiger!

Fastest‑evolving animalA reptile known as a tuatara – found only in New Zealand – is evolving at a rate of almost 10 times the animal average! The species is making about 1.37 minuscule genetic adaptations every million years, while the rest of us are managing a measly average of 0.2.

Largest batAlthough some mammals can glide, bats are the only ones that can truly fly. Flying foxes, aka fruit bats, are the largest, boasting a wingspan almost as wide as a man is tall. Several species live in Queensland, Australia, and on nearby Pacific islands.

Heaviest reptileOne of the most feared animals down

under, saltwater crocodiles live in estuaries and billabong lakes throughout northern Australia. “Salties” can swallow prey such as pigs

and even buffalo whole. No wonder they can weigh 1,200 kg (2,645 lb)!

Heaviest brain The sperm whale’s 9-kg (19-lb 13-oz) brain accounts for just 0.02% of the animal’s total weight, but is still six

times heavier than a human’s! Also the largest toothed mammal, the sperm

whale is among 45 or so cetaceans that call Australian waters their home.

O N T H E MA P