When Australia became an independent country in 1901, two opposing sides debated whether Sidney or Melbourne would serve as the national capital. A compromise was reached in 1908 calling for New South Wales to cede a tract of land, referred to as the Australian Capital Territory, for the construction of Canberra.
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Tachyglossus aculeatus - The short-beaked echidna is one of four extant echidna species in the Monotremata Order and the only echidna found in Australia; the other three are native to New Guinea. The powerful front claws are used for breaking into ant and termite nests or to dig burrows. The flexible tongue can extend 18 centimeters from the snout and is covered with a sticky mucus to catch and hold ants or termites. When threatened, the echidna can escape by burrowing into the ground or rolling itself up into a ball of spines.
