The document summarizes the key characteristics of the fauna found in the Australasian region, which includes Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, and nearby islands. Some key points:
- The region has a thin diversity of vertebrate species and lacks many families found elsewhere. However, it contains many unique genera.
- Marsupials and monotremes are only found in this region. Common mammals like rabbits have been introduced.
- Birds are abundant with many unique families like cassowaries, emus, and birds of paradise.
- Reptiles include crocodiles, turtles, geckos, and snakes. Amphibians are few and do not include toads
5. Geographical Limits:
It includes Australia,NewZealand,
New Guinea, Tasmania, Moluccas
and neighbouring islands
This region has no land
connection with any other region
6. Climatic conditions:
It is partly tropical and partly
temperate
New Guinea is tropical and is mostly
covered with rain forests.
The Northern part of Australia is
tropical but most of the interior is arid
Tasmania is cool and temperate.
7. Fauna:
The vertebrate fauna is very thin.
It lacks both the variety as well as the
number of families
But it has several unique genera
The most peculiar feature is the absence of
highly evolved mammals and it contains
many primitive forms
Marsupials and Monotremes are found only
in this region
10. Fauna-Amphibians:
Amphibians are few
The common Toads and tailed Amphibians are
absent
The Australian representatives are Frogs like Hyla
and Rana
11.
12. Fauna-Reptilia:
Reptiles are moderately varied
Two families are exclusive.
Crocodiles,Turtles,Geckos,Skinks,Varanus,Typhlops
,Pythons and some Colubrids occur in New Guinea
and parts of Australia
Pythons and tiger snakes are abundant
13.
14. Fauna-Aves:
Bird fauna is abundant having 58 families about 44 are
more or less widely distributed all over the world
Two families are divided between Australia and
Oriental regions
12 families are exclusive
Trangon and King fishers,Hawks,Cockoos,Pigeons and
Parrots are very numerous.
The pigeons and parrots have reached their maximum
diversity
15. Fauna-Aves:
There are three exclusive families of parrots and
cuckoos
Loris and pigmy parrots, frog mouths, wood
swallows, flower peckers and megapodes are
shared with oriental region.
Pheasants, finches barbets and wood peckers are
absent
Total 10 families are exclusive
16. Fauna-Aves:
Total 10 families are exclusive like
Cassowaries
Emu
Honey suckers
Lyrebirds
Bower birds
Legendary bird of Paradise
Megapodes
Owlet frogmouths
Flower peckers
Bell magpies
Scrub birds
17.
18.
19.
20. Fauna-Mammals:
Complete absence of eutherian mammals.
Few Monotremes
Several families of Marsupials.
Echidna and Ornythorhynchus are the monotremes
found only in this region
Dasyurus,Perameles,Opposums,
Bandicoots,Wombbats and Phascolomidae are 6
families of Marsupials
6 families of insectivorus bats and few fruit bats
,mice,Australian dog and European rabbit and Hare
have introduced into this region