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I knew that Australia had plenty of endemic species, but I never knew that their young could be this adorable! Here are 15 super-cute Australian baby animals: |
| Quokka Joey and Mother |
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Quokkas are native to the tip of southwestern Australia and also inhabit some of the islands off the coast of Western Australia. |
| Tasmanian Devil Joeys |
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Tasmanian Devils are only found on the island of Tasmania in the wild. While mothers give birth to about 40 joeys, only about 10% of them survive and survive to suckle. |
| Emu Chicks |
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Mother emu disappears once she lays her eggs. Male emus rear the young they have fathered for up to two years. |
| Fur Seal Pup |
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Fur seal pups are left alone for a week by their mothers, who go off to feed at sea, just five days after they are born. |
| Quoll Pup |
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Quoll pups cannot see a thing for the first 60 days of their lives. |
| Little Penguin Chick |
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Little penguin chicks are brooded for up to 38 days. The one pictured is molting its feathers. |
| Koala Joey |
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Koala joeys emerge from the mom's pouches at six or seven months old, and are fully weaned at around 12 months. |
| Wallaby Joey |
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Many species of wallaby exist throughout Australia. Joeys jump into their mother's pouches when they sense danger. |
| Southern Elephant Seal Pups |
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Southern elephant seal pups weigh approximately 88lbs at birth and lactate for about 23 days. |
| Flatback Turtle Hatchlings |
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Female flatback sea turtles only nest once every two or three years, however, they lay about 50 eggs at one go, three or four times during a single season. |
| Dingo Pup |
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An average of five pups are born in each dingo litter. The pups reach maturity at three or four months. |
| Galah Chicks with Dad (left) and Mom (right) |
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Two to five galah eggs are laid in a clutch, and chicks leave the nest around 50 days after they hatch. |
| Wombat Joey |
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Only one wombat joey is born to a female wombat, which can breed every two years. |
| Echidna Puggle |
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The four species of echidna still in existence today, together with platypuses, are the only mammals in the world to lay eggs. |
| Kangaroo Joey |
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Kangaroo Joeys remain in their mother's pouch for up to 190 days after being born. |
| Content Source: Australian Geographic |
