ISLAND

What makes an Island a unique habitat?

The Island habitat is perhaps the most unique because of the endemic nature of the species living on islands. Because each island tends to be isolated from mainland areas, species are also isolated and restricted to one or two areas. The most famous island habitats are the Galapagos Islands to the west of Ecuador and the Seychelles east of Somalia. Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species was written after his voyage to the Galapagos, further speaking to the biodiversity of island habitats.

Islands vary in climate, temperature, yearly rainfall and size. Thus the life they support also varies quite a bit. However, animals in such isolated conditions are general less wary of humans and particularly sensitive to the introduction of new species. Even the smallest changes, including temperature, can have a much larger effect on island inhabitants.

What kind of animals can be found there?

The animals living on island habitats are forced to adapt to changing conditions. Their versatility in that respect makes for some interesting animal adaptations. These animals are usually drastically different from animals in other habitats and other islands. Examples of these rare animals are Galapagos Tortoises, Komodo Dragons and Tasmanian Devils. All can be found on Windaroo Zoo Islands.

Would you like to know more about the Island inhabitants?

Bali_Mynah   Bat   Bee   Beetle   Bird_of_Paradise   Butterfly   Chameleon   Cockatoo   Echidna   Flamingo   Frog   Galapagos_Tortoise   Guam_Rail   Hornbill   Hummingbird   Ibis   Iguana   Jacana   Kingfisher   Kiwi   Komodo_Dragon   Ladybug   Lizard   Lorikeet   Lory   Monkey   Newt   Owl   Peafowl   Pelican   Rhinoceros   Salamander   Scorpion   Sea_Lion   Siamang   Small_Cat   Snake   Spider   Stick_Insect   Stork   Tarantula   Tasmanian_Devil   Toad   Tortoise   Tuatara   Turtle   Wild_Cattle   Wild_Swine