an aussie in austria

It’s not surprising there are no kangaroos in Austria. But I met a lot of new animals when I moved here. Here’s some of them!

Hedgehogs
I guess the Australian equivalent is the echidna. Hedgehogs are generally shy and unfortunately quite often spotted squashed on the road. But we’ve also had one or two in our garden over the years and they are super cute.

Groundhogs
Which just makes you think about Punxsutawney Phil in Groundhog Day. They scurry around up in the mountains and I have managed to see exactly one in my time in Austria!

Bumblebees
Like bees, but bigger, fatter, fluffier and definitely bumblier. They make a sweet, soft buzz and look like they would bounce right off when they bump into you.

Hornets
Evil hornets. I definitely don’t like these loud, scary creatures. However, despite my misgivings, and the fact that I see quite a few around the garden in late summer, they’re not actually that aggressive and don’t disturb us too much.

Mole crickets
I never saw a cricket so big in Australia. Although apparently they do exist there. These nasty creatures hang out in the veggie garden bed, just snacking on the seeds I painstakingly plant. And they look terrifying… like robotic, mutant giant crickets.

Moles
Unlike mole crickets, moles are sweet little blind creatures that bumble around underground. Though… to be fair they can also create huge problems if you get one in your garden, digging a labyrinth of tunnels beneath your property. So… cute little moles, stay out in the fields!

Woodpeckers
Hearing these guys in the woods here is still kind of trippy. It’s such a different noise than I’m used to. I’m definitely too young for bird watching but I’ve seen a couple of these guys at work up close and they’re pretty cool.

Blindworm
My favourite ‘snake’… even though it’s not actually technically a snake, but a legless lizard. I see them around in the garden quite often in the summer… about 30cm or so long and though they are at first startling, they are harmless and super cute.

Ticks
Sure, there are ticks in Australia. But I’ve never seen one. Or had any reason to be afraid of them. You can read more on the nasty tick-borne-encephalitis that exists in Europe in my previous tick blog. Let’s just say, the fewer I see of these guys, the better.

Squirrels
I didn’t technically meet my first squirrel in Austria. I met him in the UK on one of my first trips there. But even to this day when I (regularly) see a squirrel scampering around here, I still get excited, so I think it‘s worth a mention.