Identify the Australian Animal Quiz

The Australian southern cassowary can be found in the tropical rainforests of Queensland but may wander to nearby savannah forests or mangrove stands. It is the third-largest bird in the world, after the ostrich and emu. The female is around 1.5 to 1.8 m (4.9 to 5.9 ft), and the females can weigh up to around 76 kg (with an average of 58.5 kg or 129 lb). The female is slightly taller and heavier than the male.

It's not a good idea to get too close to a cassowary, as they don't particularly like humans. It is possible for the animal to jump five feet (1.5 m) in the air and give a good kick with their massive legs, which have dagger-like claws. Records show, however, that very few people have died from attacks from this bird, although several have been injured.

The future for the cassowary is uncertain. The "EPBC Act", a federal law, lists the Australian population as endangered. The northern population is listed as vulnerable, while the southern population is still listed as endangered under the Nature Conservation 2020.

The emu is the second-largest bird in the world, after the ostrich. Even though the emu has wings, it can't fly due to the size of the wings and the overall weight of the animal. One thing the emu can do is run very quickly. In fact, the emu has been recorded to run up to 31 mph (50 kph). The emu is quite a tall bird, reaching on average between 1.5 to 1.9 m (5 to 6.5 ft).

Emus will just about eat anything available when needed. They will eat small reptiles, mice, insects, seeds, and fruit.

The two most common possums you might see in Australia are the common brushtail and the common ringtail. Because the possum is a nocturnal animal and a herbivore, they will eat mostly at night, eating eucalyptus and other leaves, flowers, ferns, buds, and fruits. It has to be said, the possum has also been known to eat birds eggs and insects.

The brushtail in general lives a solitary life except in breeding times, whereas the common ringtail may live in family groups. The ringtail also builds nests, called dreys, in trees. They spend most of their lives in the trees and only very occasionally drop to ground level.

The males are called a jack and the female a jill while the babies are known as joeys.

The first thing I learnt about the koala is it is not a bear but a marsupial, like wombats and wallabies. It eats eucalyptus but only from certain types of eucalyptus trees. You could say it is very fussy on what leaves to eat. Because the koala is nocturnal, it mainly eats at night and can spend up to 20 hours a day sleeping.

When it is first born, the baby koala lives in its mother's pouch for the first six months and then spends the next six months holding on to its mother's back but still eats and sleeps in the mother's pouch.

The koala is a solitary animal and will defend its own space among the trees. The only time the koala will mix is in the breeding season. It likes to climb high up in the trees to get the best leaves. The paw of the koala is very special; each front paw consists of five digits, including two opposed digits that may move independently of the others, much like our thumbs. The second and third digits on their hind paws are fused together; this helps with grooming.

The barking owl is native to mainland Australia but can also be found in certain parts of New Guinea and the Moluccas. The owl got its name because it sounds like a dog barking. The owl can alter the pitch of its call depending on the circumstances. If it's a high-pitched screaming sound, it is said to sound like a woman or child screaming in pain or fear.

On average, the barking owl weighs between 380 and 960 g (13 and 34 oz), with the males just a fraction heavier. This brown owl has vertical streaks on its breast and white dots on its wings. It has yellow skin on its feet, a distinct face mask, and big eyes with a yellow iris. The tail and flight feathers are heavily banded in brown and white, while the underparts are brownish-grey and coarsely speckled white.

Because the owl is carnivorous, it will eat small birds, frogs, fish, and reptiles. Once the barking owl has found a partner, it will stay together for life. The barking owl is also under threat due to habitat loss but is not considered to be dangerous or vulnerable although it has seen a decline in population.

The photo depicts the Nankeen kestrel, which is native to Australia and New Guinea. The kestrel is a small bird of prey with an average weight of around 165 g, under 6 oz, (male), 185 g, 6.5 oz, (female), and around 30-40 cm (around 25 to 16 inches) in length. As seen in the photo, the features of this small bird include a short hooked bill, a faint moustache stripe behind each eye, a rufous-chestnut back, black flight feathers, a cream-white striped breast, a black band at the end of a long tail, and long, pointed wings. Adult females are more strongly spotted and have brown heads and tails, while males have a black-spotted back and a grey head and tail.

The kestrel can be found in farmland and lightly wooded areas. It hovers above the ground looking for small mammals, reptiles, lizards, and insects. The nest of the kestrel can be in hollow trees, old unused nests, and even on the ground. The female looks after the nest and young for the majority of the time, while the male takes charge of the food supplies.

Found in the Southwest of Western Australia, the quokka is a small mammal, about the size of a small domestic cat. This little animal is nocturnal, so it will spend most of the daytime asleep or just resting. Although you will normally see the quokka on the ground, they can climb pretty well, climbing up to two meters (six and a half feet) from the ground with their sharp claws, mainly when looking for food. They mix well with other quokkas and are not territorial, although that can also depend on where they live. They have been known to share food and take refuge together.

Similar to the kangaroo and wallabies, they hop instead of running. In fact, the quokka are members of the Macropodidae family, which includes kangaroos and wallabies. They also have a pouch for their babies.

As herbivores, quokkas consume a wide range of plant parts, including leaves, stems, and bark, as well as native grasses.

The only place on earth you'll see the Tasmanian devil is in Tasmania. At one time, it would have been seen in many parts of Australia. Even in Tasmania, this little chap is on the endangered list because of a contagious facial tumour disease.

An average weight for the devil is around 6-12 kilograms (13-26 lbs) and has an overall length of 50-78 centimetres (19-30 in). Being a carnivore, it eats anything from mammals, fish, birds, and carrion. Because it is nocturnal, it is most active at night time looking for food. The devil is another marsupial that carries its babies in a pouch for up to 16 weeks. The devils keep to themselves except when mating and cover a large amount of ground in search of food.

The photo is of an Eastern grey kangaroo, which can be found over most of the eastern states, including Tasmania. They live in groups of around ten, which are known as "mobs.". This particular species weighs, on average, up to 69 kg (152 lb). From head to tail, the length is around 2.2 m (7' 5 feet). The markings are grey, with a darker grey around the face and the end of the tail.

Out of all the kangaroo species, the grey is the second largest and heaviest, after the red kangaroo. It likes to live among the trees but will venture out on the grassland looking for food. With its massive legs, it can run up to 35 mph (56 kph) for a short spell but can run at 15 mph (24 kph) for long distances. They are also known to jump 25 ft (7.62 m) in a single leap.

The grey eats several types of grasses, but has a taste for the younger green shoots and will also eat a range of plants. At birth a baby kangaroo only weighs around 1 gram and will spend the next nine months in its mother's pouch until it can look after itself but will still suckle from its mother occasionally even after leaving the pouch. At 18 months, the babies are old enough to look after themselves.

The wallaby is native to Australia and New Guinea but can now be found in New Zealand, Hawaii, and the United Kingdom. They look a bit like a kangaroo, but are a lot smaller. According to records, there are around 45 species of wallaby. Like kangaroos, wallabies are herbivores, meaning they consume a range of grasses, vegetables, leaves, and other plants.

On average, the largest species can weigh up to 18 kg (40 lb). They have clawed fingers and short arms, powerful legs, and long clawed four-toed feet. Their strong legs allow them to hop and jump, very similar to the kangaroo.

The fur of the wallaby is a mix of brown and grey but, depending on the species, it can vary. The wallabies spend a lot of time in scrublands, grasslands, and forests. They can travel at 23 km/h (14 mph), although it has been said they can reach up to 32 km/h (20 mph) although this has not been confirmed.

Since 1940, wallabies have been seen in Scotland on an island, Inchconnachan, in Loch Lomond, having been introduced by the landowner. The island is quite remote, so the animals are more or less left alone, with the odd day tripper or tourist visiting.