Australia Australia has many ancient animals and plants. About 200 million years ago, Australia separated from other continents and existed in the oceans of the southern hemisphere. For a long time, due to the simple natural conditions, the evolution of animals is very slow, and many ancient species are still preserved. There are no advanced wild mammals, only low-level marsupials, such as kangaroos with pockets in their bellies to preserve their young, wombats that feed on eucalyptus leaves, and platypus, an oviparous mammal endemic to Australia. There are more than 12 000 species of plants in Australia, 3/4 of which are endemic. Australian eucalyptus and acacia are two representative tree species, among which eucalyptus has strong adaptability and good water absorption ability, and can grow in deserts and swamps. Eucalyptus grows rapidly and the wood is hard. The leaves can be used to make eucalyptus oil, which has high economic value. Australia's forest area is 6.5438+0.06 million square kilometers, and the forest coverage rate is 20%.