Five things we learnt about Tasmania's animals from David Attenborough

Legendary naturalist Sir David Attenborough has narrated a documentary about Australia's smallest and most southern state, Tasmania.

He tells the story of a "vast island wilderness at the bottom of the world with ancient forests, pristine rivers and beautiful coastline".

Sir David describes the island's creatures as "every bit as extraordinary as they are bizarre".

So what did we learn about Tasmania's animals?

1. The platypus can walk between rivers

Platypus are one of Australia's most weird and wonderful creatures, but we now know that in Tasmania they are fatter and can walk, or waddle, between rivers and creeks.

Sir David tells us that in Tasmania the otter-crossed-with-a-beaver-like creatures are three times heavier than their mainland counterparts and have to eat more to stay warm.

We also learnt that they are blind when they are swimming under water, meaning they often run into rocks.

They use their duck-like bills to find food in rivers and can hunt for food for up to 12 hours per day.

2. The odds are against the devil

Tasmanian devils are synonymous with the island state.

The small black-and-white marsupials terrifyingly have the most powerful bite relative to body size.

Sir David tells us these tough little creatures can smell a carcass from a kilometre away and got their names from the shocking growl they make.

But we learnt that the odds are against them right at the beginning of their lives.

Mothers can give birth to 40 tiny devils but have only four teats to feed them.

We also learnt that devils have quite a complex mating process.

Female devils will mate with as many strong males as they can and grow fat around their necks to protect them from the male's biting grip.

3. Jack jumpers are smart

These nasty venomous ants call Tasmania and the south-east of mainland Australia home.

They can ruin a picnic in a matter of seconds with a stinging bite and are potentially deadly for those who are allergic.

But we now know that these pesky ants are cleverer than we thought.

Sir David tells us that these ants hunt alone and have acute vision.

They are smart architects and cover their mounds with dark materials to absorb warmth in winter.

In hot weather they make white nests using light-coloured stones to reflect the sun.

4. Echidnas and wombats are hairier

Tasmania's cool climate has forced the animals that inhabit it to adapt.

While echidnas are widespread across Australia, Sir David tells us that Tasmania's have a unique twist.

They are covered in not only spikes but hair to keep them warm.

Tasmania's wombats also have a thicker coat of hair than their mainland cousins to keep them toastie in the colder months.

5. White wallabies are growing in numbers

Tasmania is home to a growing population of white wallabies.

The genetic mutation means the wallabies have snow-white fur and a pink nose and eyes.

Sir David tells us that while they are poorly camouflaged, the creatures have survived because there's no predators in Tasmania big enough to kill them.

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