The scary, the cute and the downright weird. Animals endemic to Australia part 2

Last time i focused on our most popular Aussie animals including the Koala the Platypus and the Kangaroo.

Today ill do some of our less known but equally intriguing creatures, without further ado here they are :)

The Quokka

Otherwise known as the happiest animal in the world.

The Quokka is a small marsupial most closely related to Wallabies and Kangaroos. They can be found on small islands just off Western Australia like Rottnest island as well as a couple of other small islands.
The Quokka is a curious friendly little animal approx the size of a cat, their mouth is shaped such that it looks as if it is permanently smiling. Helped along by the fact they seem to love people and have no issue with getting up close and personal they are quite well known and often a staple of the amateur photographers camera roll.

Its hard to resist that adorable little face
It is one of the premiere attractions of Western Australia and anyone travelling near Perth should definitely pay them a visit, you wont be dissappointed.
Unfortunately the Quokka is considered a vulnerable species due to a reduction in its habitat and the introduction of animals like foxes, as well as wild cats and dogs.

The eastern long neck turtle

The eastern long-neck turtle can be found in, you guessed it, the eastern parts of Australia.
With a long neck that retracts into its body sideways rather than moving straight back in their neck is approximately 60% of the length of the rest of its body. They are opportunistic feeders and can grow to nearly 30cm long.
This turtle is carnivorous and eats anything from bugs to small fish and frogs.
If threatened the eastern long neck can emit an offensive smelling odour from its "musk glands" which has led to another familiar name of "stinker" though you rarely hear it being called such.
They inhabit slow moving bodys of water like rivers and lakes and reside in freshwater.
The eastern long neck can actually deliver quite a painful bite and my mum has 2 of them at her wildlife rescue that are very cute to play with, if you dangle your hands above the water they think it is food and will often do short leaps to try and snap at your fingers.
()
They are known to wander in search of new homes and can sometimes be found on roads and footpaths. If damaged their shell can actually be repaired using fiberglass or other similar materials before they are released back into the wild.

The Dingo

The dingo is our largest land predator and has been made famous when a 2 month old baby girl named Azaria Chamberlain was apparently killed and taken in the night in outback Australia whilst the family were camping. There has been much speculation of what actually occurred but it has given rise to the phrase " A dingo ate my baby"
Dingos can weigh up to 35 kilos and live for up to 10 years in the wild. They hunt in packs and often make their dens close to a source of water. They are currently an endangered or at risk species even though they are very efficient hunters.
They can be found all over Australian bushland but more often than not avoid people.

It is actually not uncommon to find crossbreeds of Dingos with domesticated dogs such as Kelpies Labradors and other medium- large sized dogs.
There's actually one that goes to my local dog park that is registered as a Kelpie but the difference is obvious and they are illegal to keep as pets.

The Cassowary

The Cassowary is another large flightless bird found in Australia. It looks like an odd cross between an Emu and a Turkey. They can actually be found in Papa New Guinea and Indonesia as well but i like to think of them as Australian.

The Cassowary is omnivorous which means it eats basically anything although its main diet is vegetation and fruit.
They are quite shy animals and will run away before most people even know they were around however if threatened or cornered they are quite aggressive and can be fatal to humans and dogs.

They reach heights of up 10 1.8m tall and can weigh 60 kilos. They have 3 toes with the middle sporting a 5 inch (yes 5 inch) dagger like claw easily capable of tearing you to shreds. They are able to run up to 50km/h and are proficient swimmers and can even swim in the ocean.
There has been a dramatic decline in their numbers which is mostly attributed to the destruction of their habitat with only some 25% remaining.

"A 2003 historical study of 221 cassowary attacks showed that 150 had been against humans. 75% of these had been from cassowaries that had been fed by people. 71% of the time the bird had chased or charged the victim"

Basically they are an aggressive emu with more color lol.

I'll find some more our awesome animals for part 3 which should be up in a few days.
until then remember if you like what i post to follow upvote or even resteem.

Happy Steeming