Worksheets Australian Animal Down Under! 6schmitzec.weebly.com/.../australian_animals.pdf · nosed wombat, is an endangered species. There are only about 130 of these animals left

Down Under! 6Australian Animal

Worksheets

Australia is home to some of the most diverse wildlife on the planet!Discover some of the most famous Australian animals and their friends in

this life science series that stars Australian animals.

Table of ContentsKangaroo

Animals of Australia: KoalaWombat

CassowaryGoanna

Animals of Australia: Dingo

Copyright ©2012-2013 by Education.com More worksheets at www.education.com/worksheets

Animals of Australia

KangarooKangaroo Facts

• Kangaroos are goodswimmers.

• A group of kangaroos iscalled a mob, court ortroop.

• Male kangaroos oftenplay fight, which looks likethey are boxing.

• The largest type ofkangaroos can be over 6feet tall and weight up to200 pounds.

This little kangaroo is telling her big brother kangaroo a secret. Tell a storyabout what the secret is and what happens next.

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A motherkangaroo witha baby, called a

joey, in herpouch

A red kangaroo

A kangaroo is an animal from Australia. There are four majortypes, or species, of kangaroos. Each species is found in differentareas of Australia and are different sizes and colors.

Kangaroos move by hopping and jumping. They have large backlegs and feet. They often use their strong tails to help them keeptheir balance. Kangaroos can travel great distances by hopping.They can also hop very quickly, up to 44 miles per hour.

A kangaroo mother carries her baby in apocket, called a pouch, on her stomach. Thebaby kangaroo may stay in her mother’s pouchfor over a year.

Kangaroos only eat plants such as grass andshrubs. The plants often wear down thekangaroo’s teeth. The kangaroo has specialteeth, which move forward as they are worndown. Eventually, the teeth fall out and thekangaroo grows another set.

Kangaroos are shy and do not normallyinteract with humans. These popular animalsare the national symbol for Australia.



KoalaKoala Facts

• Like humans, koalas havefingerprints.

• Koalas are usually silent,except when they aretrying to find a mate.

• The average weight for akoala is 11 to 31 pounds.

• Koalas are sometimescalled koala bears, butthis is incorrect. They arenot bears.

This sleeping koala had an adventure in a tree last night. He is now verytired. Write a story about the little koala’s adventure.

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The koala comes from Australia. It isfound in four Australian states:Queensland, Victoria, New South Walesand South Australia.

Koalas live most of the time in trees,where they sleep and eat. Koalas rest orsleep about 16 to 18 hours a day.

When koalas are on the ground, theywalk on four legs. A young koala will rideon its mother’s back when it is on theground.

A mother koala keeps her baby in apocket of skin on her stomach. Thispocket is called a pouch. The koala baby

stays in the pouch for about six months, until it has grown upenough to come out and explore. It will stay with its mother until itis a year old.

It is uncertain how long wild koalas live. In zoos and animalparks, koalas can live up to 18 years.

Koalas were hunted for their fur in the early 1900s. They almostbecame extinct. They have recovered, however, and there are nowabout 100,000 wild koalas in Australia.

A small baby koalawith its mother



Wombat

Wombat Facts• Wombats can run very

fast, sometimes up to 25miles per hour.

• The average weight for awombat is between 44and 77 pounds.

• Wombats are about 40inches long.

• While wombats lookcuddly, they can also biteand claw when they areafraid.

This is a wombat burrow, or a hole where a wombat lives. Imaginethat it is evening and the wombat is coming out of its hole. Write astory about what happens next.

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Wombats come from Australia, where they live in holes calledburrows. They dig these burrows with their teeth and from feet.These burrows often have tunnels, leading to other burrows.

There are three types, or species, of wombats. Each species livesin a different part of Australia. One species, the northern hairy-nosed wombat, is an endangered species. There are only about 130of these animals left in the wild. All species of wombats areprotected under Australian law.

Wombats usually live alone.A mother wombat keeps herbaby in a pouch, like akangaroo or koala. The babywombat stays in the pouch forabout six to seven months.After it comes out of the pouch,it will stay with its mother forabout another year.

Wombats usually come out of their burrows at night, althoughthey can sometimes be seen in the daytime. They eat plants, usuallygrass, roots and bark from trees. Some of their teeth are long andsharp, so they can gnaw on the tough plant food.



CassowaryCassowary Facts

• Cassowaries can be up to6 feet 6 inches tall.

• Unlike many other birdspecies, the femalecassowary is the mostbrightly colored.

• Wild cassowaries arebelieved to live up to 50years.

Imagine you are walking through the forest and meet thiscassowary and it can talk! Write a story about the conversation youwould have with this cassowary.

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Tell a Story

A cassowary is a bird found in northeastern Australia, NewGuinea and other islands nearby. Like the ostrich and emu, thecassowary cannot fly.

Cassowaries eat mostly plants,especially fruit. They also will eat fish,frogs, and small mammals.

The female cassowary lays dark green orpale greenish blue eggs. She lays them in anest and then goes away. The malecassowary keeps the nest warm and waitsfor the eggs to hatch. When the chicksarrive, the adult male protects them untilthey are grown.

Cassowaries have brightly coloredfeathers. The cassowary has a crest on its

head, called a casque, which gives it a distinctive look.Cassowaries can run very fast, sometimes over 30 miles per

hour. They are able to jump long distances and can also swim.Cassowaries have claws on their feet which they use to attack or

defend themselves. Usually very shy, cassowaries have been knowto attack humans and dogs.

Drawing ofcassowary chicks



GoannaGoanna Facts

• Goannas stand on theirback feet when they fightor when they want to lookaround an area.

• The largest species ofgoanna can be over 6 feetlong.

• The smallest species ofgoanna is under 8 incheslong.

This goanna is climbing a tree. Write a story about the things it sees and whatit does when it reaches the top.

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Goannas are monitor lizards found in Australia and southeastAsia. There are 30 different types, or species, of goannas. Some livenear water, some in forests and some in the desert. They are foundall across Australia.

Goannas are reptiles, likesnakes and crocodiles. Whatthey eat depends on where theylive. Usually, they eat insects,snakes, birds and smallmammals.

Goanna have sharp claws andteeth. For those species that livein wooded areas, their claws helpthem to climb trees.

Goanna females lay eggs in nests or in termite mounds. A goannafemale may lay up to 14 eggs a year. Like many reptiles, the mothergoanna does not raise her babies.

The tongue of the goanna is forked, like a snake’s tongue. Thegoanna uses its tongue to find animals to hunt.

Scientists have discovered that some species of goannas mayinject poison, called venom, when they bite. While most goannasavoid humans, they can also attack humans when they are afraid.



DingoDingo Facts

• Dingoes are usually about20 to 24 inches tall at theshoulder and weigh about30 to 44 pounds.

• While they can bark,dingoes do not bark asmuch as dogs.

• Dingoes can have up toten puppies at a time.

• Dingoes live up about fiveto ten years in the wild.

Here’s a group of young dingo puppies near their den.One little puppy sees a kangaroo hoping past. Write astory telling what happens next.

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Tell a Story

A dingo is type of wild dog in Australia. The dingoes are believedto have come to Australia with humans from southeast Asia. Theyare related to the Asian wolf.

Dingoes usually live in groups, called packs. Each pack has aboutthree to 12 dingoes, which hunt together and raise puppies. Eachpack lives in its own area, called a territory.

Dingoes eat many different foods,but mostly they eat meat. When theyhunt together, they can kill largeranimals, such as a kangaroo and cattle.

Dingoes are usually light brown,tan, reddish brown or white. Theyoften have white markings on thechest, feet and muzzle.

Sometimes dingoes will kill farmand ranch animals, like wolves andcoyotes do in the United States. Thisoften makes the dingo unpopular withpeople. The government of Australia

has built fences to keep the dingo from moving into certain areas.The government also established places where the dingo will not behunted and will be safe.

A dingo father and pups

Documents

Worksheets Australian Animal Down Under! 6schmitzec.weebly.com/.../australian_animals.pdf · nosed wombat, is an endangered species. There are only about 130 of these animals left