Christopher Darwin’s Pseudoscorpion, or Synsphyronus christopherdarwini, is a terrestrial invertebrate that grows up to 0.5cm in length.
It is only found in the Charles Darwin Reserve in Western Australia, hiding under pieces of flaking granite.
The Peacock Spider, or Maratus pavonis, is a terrestrial invertebrate found across southern Australia, including Tasmania.
Common Peacock Spider Image copyright WA Museum
Do you know anyone who’s afraid of spiders?
Certainly not this scorpion! The Spider-hunting Scorpion, or Isometroides vescus, is a terrestrial invertebrate whose favourite prey are spiders.
Spider-hunting Scorpion Image copyright Julianne Waldock
The Southern Pygmy Spiny-tailed Skink, or Egernia depressa, is a terrestrial reptile that can be found in the woodlands of southwestern Australia.
The Black-striped Snake, or Neelaps calonotos, is a terrestrial reptile that lives in Banksia woodlands and sandy areas of the Perth region.
Black-striped Snake Image copyright Brad Maryan
The Northern Pilbara Goanna, or Varanus pilbarensis, is a carnivorous reptile that only lives in the rocky areas of the Pilbara region of Western Australia. It has to be tough to survive here!
Pilbara Goanna Image copyright Brad Maryan
This arachnid, the Black Wish-Bone Spider, is a terrestrial invertebrate. This is a technical way of saying this spider is an animal that lives on land, and has no backbone!
Black Wish-bone Spider Image copyright Julianne Waldock
When we think of a frog, we imagine it relaxing on a lily pad on the edge of a lake, lazily catching flies with its long, sticky tongue. But did you know that some hardy frog species have adapted to survive in some of the driest places in Australia?
Scientists call an area that doesn’t receive much, if any, rainfall a desert. Much of Western Australia is classified as desert, and surprisingly, these dry areas are home to at least 19 species of frog.
The female Golden Orb Weaving Spider certainly is a fearsome looking arachnid, and can grow up to 4cm in length. The good news is that they’re harmless to humans. It will still hurt if one bites you, though! Her male counterpart is tiny, measuring in at a maximum size of 6mm. Imagine if your mum was over four times the size of your dad!
The Common Kangaroo Tick, or Amblyomma triguttatum, is a terrestrial invertebrate that lives on the outside of a host animal. This pesky creature especially likes to latch onto warm mammals such as a kangaroo or wallaby. An animal that lives this way is called an ectoparasite.