Australia boasts a rich abundance of wildlife, housing a staggering number of up to 300,000 distinct animal species within its borders. Australia’s cities and outback are home to a plethora of remarkable creatures, ranging from kangaroos to crocodiles. However, there are also plenty of strange animals, but which species are among the weirdest Australian animals?
When searching through the weirdest Australian animals, we had a lot to consider. When we use the term “weird,” we do not intend it as a negative connotation, as a significant number of our choices possess multiple delightful characteristics that can be considered peculiar. Perhaps they have an interesting story or have a distinctive look. These are the animals we consider the weirdest.
10. Bilby
Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Greater Bilby is more commonly known as a Bilby. The small mammal may look similar to a common rat, but this weird Australian animal is more complex than it appears. A Bilby spends most of its time hunting at night. They chase down insects, but will also settle for easy to find fruits or fungi. However, what makes the Bilby one of the weirdest animals in Australia is how they carry their young. Similar to a kangaroo, the Bilby has a small pouch which holds their offspring. Their pouches are larger than you’d think, because a Bilby can grow up to 55 centimeters long.
Sadly, the Bilby is not only one of the weirdest Australian animals, but it’s also under threat from extinction. The IUCN Red List regards Bilbys as vulnerable, and these amazing creatures have previously gone extinct. The Lesser Bilby went extinct during the 1950s, prompting multiple conservation efforts to reduce the chance of the Greater Bilby suffering the same fate. To raise awareness of the Bilby’s issues, Australia celebrates National Bilby Day on the second Sunday of September every year.
9. Tree-Kangaroo
Calistemon, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
One of the weirdest Australian animals is also one of the cutest. Kangaroos are very common in Australia, but you won’t find the Tree-Kangaroo jumping around the outback. As the name points out, these Kangaroos prefer to climb from tree to tree instead of facing the roaring heat of the desert. However, you’ll only find two types of Tree-Kangaroo in Australia. North East Queensland is home to Lumholtz’s Tree-Kangaroo and Bennett’s Tree-Kangaroo.Although both species are classified as Near Threatened, it appears that they have successfully adapted to living in the trees.
Tree-Kangaroos are still amazing jumpers, but they’re much smaller than their outback counterparts. On average, a male weighs 16 lbs and a female weighs 13 lbs. A Tree-Kangaroo will only grow to around five feet long, with most of their length coming from their tail. The Tree-Kangaroo faces another challenge in Australia, fighting against blindness. There is speculation that the Kangaroos’ vision loss is tied to the leaves they ingest, but the precise cause of this peculiar occurrence is yet to be determined.
8. Thorny Devil
Bäras (talk · contribs), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
As you can see, the Thorny Devil isn’t a standard reptile. This incredible creature is the sharpest reptile in the world and is among the weirdest Australian animals based on appearance alone. Based in the deserts of central Australia, the Thorny Devil spends most of its time walking under the burning sun while hunting for ants. However, Thorny Devils are under a constant threat from predators, meaning this fascinating reptile has developed many survival tricks. The Thorny Devil’s sharp spikes serve a purpose beyond appearance, as they deter hungry predators by inflicting cuts. In addition, it utilizes a “false head” to intimidate birds and other animals, tricking them into thinking it’s a more challenging prey.
The Thorny Devil lives up to its name, as they’re the master of deception. Not only can they present a “false head” to threaten predators, but the Thorny Devil can also change color. However, one of their most impressive tricks is adjusting their size. The Thorny Devil can “puff up” and appear much larger to scare away its many predators in the desert. Wild birds and Goannas are the major threat to Thorny Devils in the Australian central deserts. With all of their tricks and secrets, it’s easy to see why the Thorny Devil is one of the weirdest Australian animals.
7. Frilled Lizard
Matt from Melbourne, Australia, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Although the Frilled Lizard is much more common than most of the reptiles on our list, it’s still one of the weirdest Australian animals. The Frilled Lizard has a striking appearance and looks as close to a dinosaur that we can get in the modern age. Found in Australia and New Guinea, the Frilled Lizard is the only member of the Chlamydosaurus species. These lizards climb trees most of the time, but they can also inhabit the desert.
When a Frilled Lizard feels threatened, they will expand their neck frills to make themselves look bigger. The main purpose is to frighten predators, as the Frilled Lizard solely preys on insects or small invertebrates. Frilled Lizards are popular pets, but they are complex creatures and require a long-term commitment. Their lifespan can reach up to 20 years and they can reach a length of 90 centimeters. Males are usually larger than females, but even the heaviest Frilled Lizard will only be over 1 lbs in weight.
6. Quoll
Rexness, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Australia is home to four out of the six species of Quolls, which come in different shapes and sizes. The Northern Quoll and Eastern Quoll are among the smallest species, with the Tiger Quoll the largest. While Quolls aren’t necessarily the strangest looking creatures, the wide variety of Quolls makes them one of the weirdest Australian animals. The Western Quoll has a body resembling a rodent, but its ears and head show bat-like features. All species of Quoll have spots, even the varieties found in New Guinea. New Guinea is home to the Bronze Quoll and New Guinean Quoll. You can also find the New Guinea Quoll on Yapen Island in Indonesia, but they are much rarer.
The Tiger Quoll is one of the larger species in the Quoll family and is similar in size to a Tasmanian Devil. Tiger Quolls are nocturnal, but can hunt during the day on rare occasions. Young and female Quolls are the most likely to explore the daytime, but even they spend the majority of their time in dens. A den can be nearly anything, with Quolls living in hollowed-out trees, caves, crevices, and burrows. Quolls are social creatures and enjoy each other’s company. Male Quolls will greet each other by touching noses when they meet, but female Quolls don’t do this.
5. Platypus
Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
There is nothing conventional about a Platypus, which is why we had to include it on our list of the weirdest Australian animals. Besides the Platypus’ appearance, this amazing creature has plenty of quirks. They are surprisingly more dangerous than you’d expect, with male Platypus using venom on its prey. The venom packs a punch and is strong enough to kill a dog-sized animal. However, Platypus’ venom isn’t powerful enough to kill humans, but it’s still not advised to anger this sneaky swimmer.
Another interesting Platypus fact is their lack of eyesight underwater. Platypus are amazing swimmers, but they don’t use their eyes underwater. Without using its ears, eyes or nose, the Platypus hunts underwater using electrolocation. By utilizing its electroreception sensors, the Platypus detects electric currents in the water to find its prey. Platypus’ aren’t blind and will use their eyesight on land, but they don’t rely on their vision to survive. This makes young Platypus extremely vulnerable to predators, as they are usually clumsy and uncoordinated until they’re grown.
4 . Cassowary
Nick Hobgood, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Southern Cassowary is the only species of Cassowary found in Australia. New Guinea is home to both the Northern Cassowary and Dwarf Cassowary, which are also found in Yapen. However, the Cassowary didn’t make our list of the weirdest Australian animals because of its habitat. The Cassowary looks exactly who we’d expect a dinosaur to appear, with vibrant colors and Turkey-like neck features. All Southern Cassowary have a brown casque on the top of their head, which can be up to seven inches in length. Female Southern Cassowary has larger casques than males.
Sadly, Cassowary populations are dropping in three areas in Australia. Northeastern Australia has the highest population, with up to 2500 Cassowary living in Northeastern Australia. However, the numbers of these amazing birds are still dropping. Paluma Range and McIlwraith Range are also seeing their Cassowary population declining. The Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act lists Southern Cassowary as endangered, but the IUCN Red List ranks the bird’s decline as least concern.
3 . Echidna
Wildlifecartoons, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Echidna is a strange creature, and even its name doesn’t have a “normal” origin. Some believe the Echidna is named after a mythical Greek half-woman, half-snake, creature. However, the name could have also come via a mistranslation of the Ancient Greek language. This unusual origin story would have been enough to deserve a place among the weirdest Australian animals just by itself, but the Echidna has even more quirks. Echidnas are commonly called spiny anteaters, with the small creature sharing similarities with anteaters, but the two animals aren’t related.
Although Echidnas are compared with anteaters, they share multiple traits with hedgehogs. The Echidna has spikes on its back, which look exactly the same as a hedgehog’s spikes. Echidnas will also curl into a ball when they feel threatened, which happens a lot given the creature is very easily scared. The “spiny anteater” is under attack from household dogs, foxes, and even cats. Meaning the Echidna is hardly an ape predator in Australia, mainly hunting insects as its main source of food.
2 . Albino Crocodile
Tylwyth Eldar, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Seeing an Albino Crocodile in the wild is extremely rare, but in 2017, locals spotted “Pearl” in an Australian river. It’s not normal for crocodiles to be this color and is likely caused by hypomelanism, meaning a low amount of pigment melanin in their skin. Albino Crocodiles are more common when they’re young or in captivity, but “Pearl” was nearly full size and based in a wild lake. That is why we had to include the Albino Crocodile on our list of the weirdest Australian animals.
“I’ve seen crocodiles like this every now and then, but not as big in the wild.” – Adam Britton
In 2014, a similar-looking Albino Crocodile attacked a fisherman. Sadly, that led to the amazingly rare creature being put down, but some locals believe “Pearl” could be related to this crocodile. The Adelaide River saw a big tourism boom after the discovery of “Pearl” which many crocodile enthusiasts keen to catch a glimpse of the rare Albino Crocodile. Crocodiles in the local area are usually either green or grey, making survival a tough job for the Albino Crocodile because of their distinct appearance.
1. Yoda Bat
Pxc06142, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At the top of our weirdest Australian animals list is a relatively “new” species. The Yoda Bat grabbed headlines all over the globe when it went viral on social media because of its distinct appearance. Star Wars fans will immediately understand the hype, with the bat looking identical to one of the leading characters of the film, Yoda. In 2017, the Yoda Bat gained official recognition, but the species is actually called a tube-nosed fruit bat. These are mainly found in New Guinea but are also located in Australia.
You can find Yoda Bats in New South Wales and Queensland, but they also live in the Philippines and Indonesia. They are similar to every other bat in many ways, eating largely the same foods and hunting in an identical manner. It’s really only the Star Wars resemblance that sets the Yoda Bat apart, but it’s still a fantastically unique creature. Thankfully, the Yoda Bat isn’t under an immediate threat of extinction and is thriving in its natural habitat.
Featured Image by Wildlifecartoons, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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