Australia

Australia stands apart in the distinctiveness of its biota. Not only does it have more endemic species than any other nation for such groups as reptiles and marine fish, but it far exceeds anyplace else at higher taxonomic levels such as unique genera and families. Australia even has two vertebrate orders found nowhere else: the marsupial moles (EDGE) and the Australian Lungfish (Australian Museum).

A remarkable number of plant families are confined to Australia including the following:   Akaniaceae (flickr), Anarthriaceae (FloraBase), Aphanopetalaceae (FloraBase), Austrobaileyaceae (Univ. Connecticut), Blandfordiaceae (Pacific Bulb Society), Boryaceae (FloraBase), Cephalotaceae (Carnivorous Plants of W.A.), Dasypogonaceae (FloraBase), Doryanthaceae (PlantNET), Ecdeiocoleaceae (FloraBase), Emblingiaceae (FloraBase), Gyrostemonaceae (FloraBase), Petermanniaceae (PlantNET), and Xanthorrhoeaceae (FloraBase). Other striking plants unique to Australia include two of the world's tallest trees, the Mountain Ash (Wikipedia) and the Karri (ASGAP) , the recently discovered Wollemi Pine (Global Trees Campaign), the world's tallest cycad Lepidozyma hopei (PACSOA), the Red and Green Kangaroo Paw (ALA), Dryandra (ASGAP), the Scarlet Banksia (FloraBase), and Grevillea (ASGAP).

Australia has some notably enormous endemic invertebrates including the Giant Gippsland Earthworm (Museum Victoria), the Tasmanian Giant Crab (NMDC), the Giant Tasmanian Crayfish (Crayfish World), the Giant Burrowing Cockroach (ALA), and the Titan Stick Insect (Brisbane Insects). The Dinosaur Ant Nothomyrmecia macrops is famous as a living fossil (myrmecos.net). The invertebrates also have many families unique to Australia including the Cooloola Monster (ALA), a true bug Lestonia (ANIC), the hairy cicadas (Alexander Dudley), the moths Carthaea (ALA) and Lophocorona (LepTree), the Ancient Greenling (ARKive), the Giant Northern Termite (ANIC), a wasp Peradenia (ANIC), a caddisfly Antipodoecia (MDFRC), the ironic flies (ANIC), a webspinner Metoligotoma (ANIC), the Tasmanian Cave Spider (SoE Tasmania), Hickman's Pygmy Mountain Shrimp (parks.tas.gov.au), the Hairy Stone Crab (Museum Victoria), the Bell Clapper (Eddie Hardy), Diastoma (Eddie Hardy), the Giant Panda Snail (Australian Museum), and the relict bivalve mollusc Neotrigonia (Femorale).

In addition to the marsupial moles, representatives of families of mammals exclusive to Australia include the Platypus (ARKive), the Koala (ARKive), the Honey Possum (ARKive), the probably extinct Thylacine (ARKive), the Musky Rat Kangaroo (anhs.com.au), the Long-footed Potoroo (EDGE), the Numbat (ARKive), the Bilby (EPA Queensland), the extinct Pig-footed Bandicoot (ARKive), and the Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat (EDGE). 

Representatives of bird families endemic to Australia include the Emu (ALA), the Plains-Wanderer (Birds Australia), Albert's Lyrebird (ARKive), the Rufous Bristlebird (Creagrus), the Noisy Scrub-bird (BirdLife Int'l), the Striated Pardalote (Birds in Backyards), and the Apostlebird (Australian Birdlife Photo Library). Other endemic birds include the Laughing Kookaburra (Birds in Backyards), the Musk Duck (ALA), the Superb Parrot (ALA), the Red Goshawk (ARKive), the Royal Penguin (IBC), the Satin Bowerbird (IBC), the Rainbow Pitta (IBC), and the Malleefowl (Malleefowl)

The exceptionally rich reptile fauna includes the Thorny Devil (ALA), the Marbled Velvet Gecko (GGA), the Shingleback (wildherps.com), the Great Desert Skink (ABC), the Bronzeback Snake-lizard (ARKive), the Perentie (Pianka Lab Page), the Bandy Bandy (James Cook Univ.), the Inland Taipan (Wikipedia), the Woma Python (ARKive), the Australian Freshwater Crocodile (Crocodilian Species List), the May River Turtle (ARKive), the Western Swamp Turtle (ARKive), and, as a breeding species, the Flatback Turtle (EPA Queensland).

The recently extinct gastric-brooding frogs (ARKive) were sometimes considered to represent an endemic family. Other frogs unique to Australia include the Baw Baw Frog (EDGE), the Giant Barred Frog (EDGE), the Holy Cross Frog (AmphibiaWeb), the possibly extinct Sharp-snouted Day Frog (EDGE), the Sunset Frog (ARKive), the White-bellied Frog (ARKive), the Red-crowned Toadlet (ARKive), the Giant Frog (Frogs of Australia), and the Corroboree Frog (Frogs Australia Network).

In addition to the Australian Lungfish, the country has several other families of fish found nowhere else. These include the Salamanderfish (Practical Fishkeeping) with a highly limited range in the freshwaters of Western Australia and representatives of a number of marine groups: the Spotted Handfish (ARKive), the Red Velvetfish (MESA), the Old Wife (FishBase), the Warty Prowfish (Australian Museum), the Long-finned Pike (Australian Museum), and the Blind Shark (Australian Museum).

Southwest Australia (Biodiversity Hotspots) is recognized as a biodiversity hotspot while a number of other terrestrial ecoregions are exceptionally rich in local endemics. These include the Queensland Tropical Rain Forests (EoE), the Eastern Australian Temperate Forests (EoE), the Kimberley Tropical Savanna (EoE), and the Cape York Peninsula Tropical Savanna (EoE). Among noteworthy marine global ecoregions are the Western Australian Marine (WWF), the Southern Australian Marine (WWF), the Lord Howe-Norfolk Islands Marine (WWF), and the Great Barrier Reef (WWF). Estimates of Australia's endemic species for various taxonomic groups can be found at (environment.gov.au 3 MB pdf file).  An overview of Australia's biodiversity can be found at (environment.gov.au).

See also the following Australian territories: Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, and Norfolk Island.