Australia is a gigantic country packed full of different ecosystems - from jungles to desert and coral reefs. Because of the history and sheer size of this amazing continent, there is a LOT of different wildlife! Australian creatures can be cute, majestic, dangerous or strange. And some even need our help! So read on to find out why Australia is one of the wildest places on Earth!

And if these 15 fun facts aren't enough for you - we have lots more! Check out these barn owl facts, these alpaca facts, or even these slug facts! Wowee!

1. There is a LOT of wildlife!

Australia is famous for its amazingly diverse wildlife, and there are thousands of unique species of animals. From giant muscly kangaroos to tiny bugs and plenty of cute, scary, and weird things in between. Australia isn't just a country - it's a continent! It has deserts, grasslands, jungles, coastlines and more! It's wild places are a haven for a vast array of fascinating creatures. Let's take a look at some of them now!

2. Why is Australia so different?

Australia's been on its own evolutionary adventure for ages! It's been it's own island for millions and millions of years - since the age of the dinosaurs! This has created some seriously special animals. Being cut off from the rest of the world let Aussie creatures like kangaroos and koalas evolve in their own cool ways, without any interference from the other animals that evolved in Asia.

3. Aussie All-Stars

Guess what? Almost 9 out of 10 mammals, 9 out of 10 reptiles, 9 out of 10 amphibians, and almost half of all birds in Australia are exclusively local. It's like the VIP club of the animal kingdom! When animals from other parts of the world arrive in Australia, it can be a big problem for the locals. This is why it's illegal to bring live animals and plants into the country! Cats and cane toads are good examples of this - and scientists call them "invasive species".

4. Kangaroos!

Kangaroos are maybe the most famous Australian animal, but there are actually 60 different species! These hopping marsupials can be cute, muscly or both - and look after their young in pouches. The fancy term for animals like this is "marsupials"and most of them alive today live in Australia!

5. Wombat Wonderland

Now let's meet the wombats – they're like fierce teddy bears that dig huge holes (and who you really wouldn't want to cuddle). They have unique guts that squeeze their poo out in cube-shapes, and they play a key role in keeping the Aussie landscape in tip-top shape! Not just a pretty face!

6. Nature's Weirdo

What do you call a poisonous mammal that lays eggs and has a duck-like bill? No it's not a setup to a joke - or actually, maybe it is. It's the platypus – a mix of furry, feathery, and scaly. Platypuses are things called monotremes and they're another creature that's only found in Australia!

7. Danger! Jelly!

Australia's got some sting in its oceans – the box jellyfish. Transparent and armed with tentacles packing a punch, they're a reminder to swimmers that they shouldn't relax too much! Box jellyfish have actually killed more people than stonefish, sharks and crocodiles combined! Yikes!

8. The Land that Hooves Forgot

Hooved animals are a common sight across the world - so much so it's hard to imagine a place with no cows, pigs, horses or deer. But strangely, Australia was such a place! No deer, no antelope. The lack of hooved animals like these has had a huge effect on the landscape, with unique plants and a different kind of ecosystem.

9. Emus: 1, Australians: 0

Back in 1932, Australia faced an unexpected enemy – emus! It led to the "Emu War," where soldiers were sent out with machine guns to tackle emus that were damaging the crops of Australian farmers. The best bit about the story? The emus won!

10. Thirsty Devils

The thorny devil, an Aussie lizard, has a nifty water-gathering move. It uses its skin to slurp up water through something called capillary action, helping it survive in the dry outback. This is just one example of a unique Australian animal that has evolved to live in the harsh Aussie deserts.

11. Fact 11 (Between 4-12 words)

Down in Oz, koalas have a clear favourite food - eucalyptus leaves! These marsupials munch on approximately one kilogram of these pungent leaves every day! The oils in eucalyptus leaves aren't just tasty; they also help koalas stay hydrated. The leaves don't have much nutrition in them compared to other things, so when they're not eating koalas tend to just sit about or snooze!

12. Australia's greatest architects

Australia is home to colossal termite mounds, some towering over 15 feet tall! These strange, sandy structures are engineered by industrious termites and serve as both homes and climate control systems for the busy insects. The mounds are so good at keeping cool that some Aboriginal communities use them as natural refrigerators, storing food in the cool interiors.

13. Crabmas Island

Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean, hosts one of the most incredible natural phenomena on Earth – the annual migration of millions and millions of red crabs. These palm-sized crustaceans journey from the forests to the coast to breed, and have forced the local government to build special tunnels and bridges for them so they don't cause car accidents!

14. Before Australia was called Australia

For Australian Aboriginals, wildlife is not just a part of the landscape; it's part of their culture. And for thousands of years before European colonists turned up, they lived alongside them. Animals are thought of a bit like family, and they are often woven into Dreamtime stories, serving as guides for moral lessons and cultural teachings. The connection between animals and humans is something that we have lost today, and we might not be in this mess if we treated the natural world more like the aboriginals do!

15. Wildlife in Trouble

Australia's unique critters are facing some tough times. Loss of homes, climate change, and unwelcome guests are putting our furry, scaly, and feathery friends at risk. The environmenal crisis that the world is in at the moment is hitting Australia harder than other places, and wildfires and drought show how important it is to step up and protect our Australian wildlife!