Unique Wildlife of Australia & New Zealand....That You Won't Find in the U.S.

AUSTRALIA

1. Red Kangaroo- I had to start off with one that everyone would know. The red kangaroo is Australia's largest kangaroo of the nearly 60 species in the kangaroo family, and normally move in groups ranging from a few dozen to several hundred individuals.

2. Bilby- Bilbys are rabbit size marsupials with large ears (they have great hearing, and the ears also allow the bilby to lose heat, a sort of "thermoregulation") and their fur is soft grey with a bluish tinge. The Bilby has gone from being a very prolific animal in Australia, once covering more than 70% of the mainland, to near extinction and surviving on the edges of Australia's great arid regions.



3. Dugong- The Dugong (sometimes refered to as a "Seacow") is a mammal, that is, it suckles its young. Dugongs are large grey mammals which spend their entire lives in the sea. Though Acquatic, it breathes air through lungs and has live babies, not eggs like fish.

NEW ZEALAND

1. Kiwi- The kiwi is New Zealand's national icon and unofficial national emblem. New Zealanders have been "Kiwis" since the days of the First World War. It's a nickname bestowed by fellow Australian soldiers, and it stuck. Today their identity as "Kiwis" is based around their national bird.

2. Killer Whale/Orca- Despite its confusing name, the killer whale is actually the largest member of the dolphin family. It is well known and can be identified relatively easily by its distinctive black and white markings and very tall, prominent dorsal fin.

3. Long-Tailed Bat- Bats are New Zealand's only native land mammals. Long-tailed bats were common throughout New Zealand in the 1800s and were recorded in colonies of "scores", "hundreds", and "thousands". By 1900-1930 they were becoming scarce in many districts.