1.7 Australia's unique flora and fauna

1) So many plants and animals are unique because they have been isolated for 50 million years
2) So many species have survived due to the stability of the continent.
3) endemic means species that are formed nowhere else in the world
4) 89%
5) three areas within Australia with great biodiversity are the Great barrier reef, tropical rain forests of Queensland and the south west botanical province of western Australia
6) The richest insect fauna can be found in the tropical rain forests of Queensland.
7) Marsupials are for example kangaroos are mammals with pouches and fur skin
8) Monotremes for example duck-billed platypus are mammals that lay eggs
9) There is not much difference between a wallaby and Kangaroo but a wallaby is generally smaller and prefer more rugged terrain, whereas kangaroos are found on grassy plains.
10) the duck-billed platypus are found in the rivers and lakes of eastern Australia and are shy solitary creatures. They spend around 12 hours each day swimming and searching for food and the remainder in burrows that they dig into the banks close to water level. There feet are slightly unusual as well, The back feet are partially webbed, have curved claws to help steer when swimming. But there front legs have large webs of skin to help propel through the water.