Australia is home to wondrous animals, many of which don't exist anywhere else. Kangaroos make their homes across our land, and emus speed across the countryside, their feathers flapping. We have lizards and snakes and scary-looking spiders, and predators that eat them. New South Wales has its share of these common Australian animals, but we have some unique to our state, too.
| 😻 Animal | 📛 Biological name | 📍 Only in NSW? | 🔍 Characteristics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platypus | Ornithorhynchus anatinus | No | A duck's bill Males have a venom spike They are semi-aquatic |
| Kookaburra | Alcedo gigantea | No | Carnivores Have a distinctive song Five different species |
| Blue Groper | Achoerodus | No | Large tails and heavy scales Thick lips and peg teeth Only males are blue |
| Albert's Lyrebird | Menura alberti | No | A unique tail shape Colourful plumage Lives on the ground |
| Red-necked Wallaby | Notamacropus rufogriseus | No | Mostly solitary Eat grass and shrub leaves Successful introduction to other countries. |
| Brown Striped Frog | Limnodynastes peronii | No | Shades of brown with a dark stripe on its back. Will colonise any body of water. Eats other frogs. |
| Australian brush turkey | Alectura lathami | No | Dark feathers with a colourful head Lives mainly in rainforests Introduced to Kangaroo Island |
| Eastern Blue-tongue Lizard | Tiliqua scincoides scincoides | No | A blue tongue Medium sized |
| Eastern Water Dragon | Intellagama lesueurii | No | Long limbs Powerful claws A dark band behind the eyes |
| Wompoo Fruit Dove | Ptilinopus magnificus | No | Vivid colouring Generally quiet May gather in large flocks where abundant food is present. |
Platypus
In 1799, British explorer, John Hunter, sent a platypus pelt and sketch to Great Britain for examination. British scientists believed they were victims of a hoax. They took scissors to the skin, thinking some clever Asian had stitched this creation together. It took a long time to accept that such a creature could exist.
The more people learned about the platypus, the stranger it got. It's a mammal that lays eggs. It has a duck's bill and a beaver's tail. It's related to the land-dwelling echidnas, if only distantly.
Thanks to its unique features, NSW's emblem mammal helps biologists make new discoveries in evolutionary biology.
The platypus plays a crucial role in Tasmania's wildlife ecosystem. This iconic Australian creature calls both Tasmania and Queensland home, and it is the official state mammal of New South Wales.
Laughing Kookaburra
Tossing out a cool-sounding word like kookaburra is fun. But, behind that name, lies serious cultural connections. Aboriginal Peoples revere these birds. Indeed, their name comes from the Wiradjuri language.
Besides the iconic laughing bird, four more species of kookaburras exist. Of them, only the blue-winged kookaburra is native to Australia.
Loss of habitat and dwindling prey, along with predators and growing environmental hazards, are causing kookaburra populations to shrink.
Currently, all kookaburra species are on the 'least concern' list. Native animals are protected by law in our country, so our wildlife professionals take extra steps to make sure they thrive.
Blue Groper
Biologically speaking, many species start out female, including humans. Later in their development, determining characteristics emerge. Blue gropers are also in this class, but with a strange twist.
Juvenile gropers are greenish brown, and female gropers are brown, or a greenish yellow. Should it turn blue, you can rest assured it is now male.
Upon a male groper's death in an area, the largest female will grow, change colour, and gender.
Gropers typically form loose groups, inhabiting a specific area. These groups have one or two males, and many females. Remarkably, rather than letting another groper in, a female will undergo a spontaneous sex change.
Albert's Lyrebird
This bird, with its lovely tail, is large enough to live on the ground. They weigh almost a kilo, and the males are nearly one metre long (females are a little smaller).
The bird gets its name from the male's tail shape. It boasts six long, filamentary feathers, surrounded by more conventional plumes. Its outermost pair of lyrates are long and fully webbed. By contrast, the females' tails are dull and straight.
The lyrebird is one of the animals in the snowy mountains. It has a powerful, distinctive song, with a flexible vocal range.
Red-necked Wallaby
Kangaroos are abundant throughout NSW, as long as the conditions and terrain are right. By contrast, this wallaby only likes temperate areas, with fertile grasslands and tender shrubs.
These are solitary animals, who only congregate when they're certain of abundant resources. When in groups, they follow a distinctive hierarchy. Violations of protocol lead to fights, particularly among males.
1. A female indicates her interest by licking the male's neck.
2. The male responds by rubbing her cheek with his.
3. They fight.
Luckily, it's just a short fight, that typically leads to acceptance. Producing offspring is a quick affair, and then, they go their separate ways.
For some reason, these wallabies stop just east of Victoria's western border. We've no explanation for why these marsupials don't join the rest of South Australia's diverse wildlife.
Brown Striped Frog
This species is the biggest frog population on Australia's east coast. They colonise any body of water they encounter, be it a puddle after a downpour, or a neighbourhood swimming pool. It matters not how clean the water is.
These are relatively small creatures, and they vary in colour. However, one characteristic remains, no matter its hue. These frogs invariably have a dark stripe running down their back. That's where it gets its name from.
These amphibians are quite common in urban areas. What is uncommon is that they prefer eating other frogs: Bribon's toadlets. The brown striped frogs don't have to travel far for their food; both species inhabit the same areas.
Australian Brush Turkey
This large bird is the biggest of its family, and of the three existing turkey species in Australia. It doesn't fly very well but can manage it, especially to escape predators. It might also take a short flight to shelter in a tree when it's very hot.
This bird goes by many names, including gweela, scrub turkey, or bush turkey.
Unfortunately, the latter name makes things confusing, as the Australian bustard is also known as a bush turkey.
During the early 1900s, these birds were hunted nearly to extinction. Today, the population has bounced back admirably, in part due to their protected status. For instance, in NSW, the Biodiversity Conservation Act imposes heavy fines on anyone who shoots a turkey without prior approval.
They like to dig up gardens, and often damage food crops.
Brush turkeys are no strangers to urban environments. Their protected status allows them to roam (and dig!) with impunity, and they show no fear of humans. Fortunately, they are not aggressive birds, and the NSW government provides tips on how to deal with the animals when they cause trouble.
Eastern Blue-tongue Lizard
These lizards are fairly good-sized. They may weigh up to a kilogram, and stretch up to 60 cm, nose to tail. They're not the biggest lizard in Australia; that title goes to a species in Victoria's wildlife catalogue.
Still, these chunky blue-tongued beasts have a measure of security, thanks to their size. That is, unless they encounter a large, hungry snake, or sense a bird of prey above.
When threatened, this lizard flicks its blue tongue, hisses loudly, and puffs itself up.
If it gets the chance, it will run to safety.
These skinks are omnivores. They eat insects and other reptiles, as well as fruits and plants. They're very fast, which allows them to snack on grasshoppers and beetles. Their behaviour and activity, including eating, helps them regulate their body temperatures.
Eastern Water Dragon
This water dragon is a sub-species of the Australian water dragon species. It lives along Australia's eastern coast areas, near water. It prefers ponds and pools with places for them to bask - stand high, with their heads raised.
This sub-species has a close cousin, that matches it in size, habitat, and dietary needs. We can tell them apart by these differences:
Eastern water dragon
- dark band behind its eyes
- no pattern on its throat
- light green colour
- better at temperature self-regulation
Gippsland water dragon
- no dark bands around the eyes
- a patterned throat
- more pronounced green
- more temperature sensitive
Both dragons are prey for carnivorous birds, snakes, and feral animals. They may also come to harm from pets like dogs and cats.
Fortunately, they are fast. This speed helps them escape threats, and hunt. They dine on mice and other rodents, as well as frogs, yabbies, and other reptiles. Insects are their dietary staple, but they don't mind a piece of fruit or the occasional flower.
Wompoo Fruit Dove
This 'magnificent fruit dove' ranks among the larger of their species. We find them throughout NSW, and along the eastern seaboard. Despite their vivid colouring and relative size, they are hard to spot in the wild, as they tend to be rather quiet.
As their name suggests, these birds mostly consume fruit. Their rainforest homes keep them well-fed, but they're not above noshing on the occasional insect if fruit is lacking. These birds don't like to travel far, so they make do with whatever their forest home provides them with.
Notably, none of the animals we explored in New South Wales exist in Western Australia's animal populations, despite their wide distribution. NSW wildlife could be a fair sampling of wildlife in Australia, if not for that fact.
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