Though the surface is hot and absorbs much of the suns dry heat, animals can escape it easily burrowing underneath the top layer of dirt and dust. The deeper they dig their burrow the cooler the ground becomes! Burrowing animals can simply stay underground during the hottest parts of the day to avoid overheating.

Australian fauna have developed behaviours that help them survive fire, including moving towards gullies and depressions, climbing higher, or occupying hollows and burrows (even if not their own) when they sense fire.

Animals have a honed sense of danger, so when wildfire occurs, most animals sense it and can run away or stand in streams to avoid the hazard. Smaller animals take cover in logs, under rocks, or by burying themselves in the dirt.

Australia has officially confirmed the extinction of 13 species endemic to the country. These include 12 mammals, along with the first reptile to have gone extinct since European colonisation ended.

Although dead and scorched koalas and kangaroos have become the symbols of wildlife suffering in the worst blazes ever to hit fire-prone Australia, conservationists note that those species are not at risk of extinction.

The worst losses were on Kangaroo Island in South Australia, where the conservation group estimates more than 41,000 koalas were killed or harmed by the ferocious fires.

Extinction. The genus was present until at least about 45,000 years ago before going extinct, although some evidence indicates it may have survived to as recently as 18,000 years ago.

Kangaroo meat was legalised for human consumption in South Australia in 1980. Many Australian supermarkets now stock various cuts of kangaroo including fillets, steaks, minced meat and ‘Kanga Bangas’ (kangaroo sausages). Many Australian restaurants serve kangaroo meat. Kangaroo meat has been exported since 1959.