<P> Two of the five living species of monotreme occur in Australia: the platypus and the short - beaked echidna . The monotremes differ from other mammals in their methods of reproduction; in particular, they lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young . The platypus--a venomous, egg - laying, duck - billed amphibious mammal--is considered to be one of the strangest creatures in the animal kingdom . When it was first presented by Joseph Banks to English naturalists it was thought to be so strange that it was a cleverly created hoax . The short - beaked echidna is similarly strange, covered in hairy spikes with a tubular snout in the place of a mouth, and a tongue that can move in and out of the snout about 100 times a minute to capture termites . </P> <P> Australia has the world's largest and most diverse range of marsupials . Marsupials are characterised by the presence of a pouch in which they rear their young . The carnivorous marsupials--order Dasyuromorphia--are represented by two surviving families: the Dasyuridae with 51 members, and the Myrmecobiidae with the numbat as its sole surviving member . The Tasmanian tiger was the largest Dasyuromorphia and the last living specimen of the family Thylacinidae died in captivity in 1936 . The world's largest surviving carnivorous marsupial is the Tasmanian devil; it is the size of a small dog and can hunt, although it is mainly a scavenger . It became extinct on the mainland some 600 years ago, and is now found only in Tasmania . There are four species of quoll, or "native cat", all of which are threatened species . The Eastern quoll for example is believed to have been extinct on the mainland since the 1960s, though conservation efforts are under way to reintroduce the secretive species to the mainland . The remainder of the Dasyuridae are referred to as "marsupial mice"; most weigh less than 100 g . There are two species of marsupial mole--order Notoryctemorphia--that inhabit the deserts of Western Australia . These rare, blind and earless carnivorous creatures spend most of their time underground; little is known about them . </P> <P> The bandicoots and bilbies--order Peramelemorphia--are marsupial omnivores . There are seven species in Australia, most of which are endangered . These small creatures share several characteristic physical features: a plump, arch - backed body with a long, delicately tapering snout, large upright ears, long, thin legs, and a thin tail . The evolutionary origin of this group is unclear, because they share characteristics from both carnivorous and herbivorous marsupials . </P> <P> Herbivorous marsupials are classified in the order Diprotodontia, and further into the suborders Vombatiformes and Phalangerida . The Vombatiformes include the koala and the three species of wombat . One of Australia's best - known marsupials, the koala is an arboreal species that feeds on the leaves of various species of eucalyptus . Wombats, on the other hand, live on the ground and feed on grasses, sedges and roots . Wombats use their rodent - like front teeth and powerful claws to dig extensive burrow systems; they are mainly crepuscular and nocturnal . </P>

Australia is known as the land of unique animals