Up close and personal with Australian Wildlife
Have you ever cuddled a koala?
They're warm, furry and they smell beautiful!
Plenty of other animals can be cuddly too, or at least look cuddly, like this Tasmanian Devil who, besides being a bit on the nose, has extremely strong teeth and jaws.
Australian animals have spent a long, long time separated from the rest of the world - on a life raft as it were - evolving in isolation for roughly 45 million years. Being so long separated from the rest of the large land masses allowed different evolutionary paths, and the Marsupials took the front seat.
There are all sorts of creatures in Australia, like mammals which lay eggs.
Some are cuddly and some are creepy. Come and meet a few.
Wombling Wombat
Wombats spend between three and eight hours each night grazing on their favourite food like this little fellow.
They feed on native grasses such as wallaby, and kangaroo, grasses and also eat sedges, and the roots of shrubs and trees. They can wonble around for about 3 km a night looking for dinner.
They chomp through their food with sharp, chisel-like front teeth which grow continuously.
Wombats have been pushed into the scrub, into the rugged hills and mountains, far away from pesky people. They're endangered and are protected in some States.
Definitely Cuddly
Angelic Tasmanian Devil
Curious and energetic, Tasmanian devils travel up to 16 km - 10 miles looking for food. They are carrion eaters, scavenging anything that comes their way, plus hunting any small mammals and birds. They are nocturnal hunters, with a keen sense of smell and hearing.
By day, they shelter in caves, bushes, old wombat burrows, or hollow logs. As they amble along with their stocky bodies and large heads, Tasmanian devils look slow and awkward in their movements, but they are the top carnivore in Tasmania!
Almost Cuddly
Devilish Links
- Save the Tasmanian Devil
- There has been a 64 per cent decline in Devil sightings since a dreadful disease, Devil Facial Tumour Disease, appeared a few years back. Foxes (an introduced species) are also multiplying rapidly and the poor little Devil faces a very uncertain future.
- Taz the Tasmanian Devil
- Taz, from Looney Tunes shares the voracious appetite and 'crazy' behaviour of the real marsupial - but that's all!
The Devil on Video
Bite of the Tasmanian Devil
The odd Tasmanian devil has a huge head to power its massive jaws. It also has an unsettling array of sounds. More Animal Oddities : SAT MARCH 15 9P et/pt : http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/videos/?source=4003
Runtime: 3:13
145460 views
10 Comments:
The Mystery of the Tasmanian Tiger
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Tasmanian Tiger : Wildlife Australia
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The Tasmanian Tiger or, to give him his real name, the Thylacine, is generally believed to be extinct. However each year there are about a dozen unconfirmed sightings in remote areas, and several reported sets of Tiger tracks. As recently as 1995, a...
Playing Possum
Despite the similarity in name, the 60+ "Opossums" from South America and the 20+ "Possums" from Australia are very different. They may look alike but they aren't closely related biologically. They are separated by 2 continents and 70+ million years.
In Australia, possums are almost a national treasure. They are protected under the provisions of various State laws. It's quite common to have a possum or two hanging out in your backyard.
I live backing onto a creek and any night of the week when I turn on my outside light, lots of eyes blink at me. My only anxiety is that they will chew my computer cable!
Definitely Cuddly
Possum Links
- The Lost Cat
- This is a photo going round my neighbourhood at the moment.
- Possums in the Roof
- How to manage possums on your property
Possums on Video
Possums eating bread at Carlton Gardens (12JUL2008)
I filmed some possums eating bread at Carlton Gardens in Melbourne the night of 12JUL2008.
Runtime: 3:21
50 views
0 Comments:
Sleepy Koala
Once numbering in the millions, koalas suffered major declines in population during the 1920s when they were hunted for their fur. Today, habitat destruction, traffic deaths, and attacks by dogs kill an estimated 4,000 koalas yearly.
Definitely Cuddly
Koala Links
- Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
- Over 130 koalas ready to cuddle
- Save the Koala
- The Australian Koala Foundation urges you to Foster a Koala
Poll : Pick a Pet
More Australian Wildlife
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Dingo, ancestor of dogs : Wildlife Australia
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The mother of all dingoes was most probably a single pregnant female. An intelligent animal, she trotted across the landbridge from Indonesia to Australia about 5,000 years ago and made a home for herself close to the people who inhabited the great...
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Kookaburra : Wildlife Australia
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He who laughs last, laughs longest and in the case of the Kookaburra it's true. For he laughs the last, laughs the longest, and also laughs the loudest. In the Dreamtime, when Googoorgaga the kookaburra laughed, it was a signal to the Sky Spirits to...
Creepy Crocodile
The Saltwater Crocodile is the world's largest reptile.
These amazing creatures are found on the northern coast of Australia and inland for up to 100 kms or more. Some have been measured as long as 7 metresm but the average size of a Saltie is 4 metres long.
Long enough!
The crocodile is now a protected species in Australia, however if human danger is a factor, the crocodile will be moved away from possible contact.
Definitely creepy
Creepy Carpet Python
Carpet pythons are found in New Guinea as well as northwestern Western Australia and in the Northern Territory
They aren't venomous, they kill by constriction many different birds and mammals including brush-tailed possums. They eat vermin too.
Another definitely creepy
Creepy Great White Shark
The Great White is found in temperate waters throughout the world's oceans. In Australia, many shark species are listed as threatened and the Great White is listed as "vulnerable".
Shark attacks on people are rare, but if a shark takes a bite at you, it's pretty sure to be fatal.
Avoid attacks by
* Not swimming or surfing where sharks are known to congregate.
* Always swimming or surfing with other people.
* Not swimming with pets and domestic animals
If schooling fish start to behave erratically or congregate in large numbers, get out of the water!
Creepy
Great White on video
Great White Shark
Great white sharks leap out of the water in pursuit of their favorite food - seals. See all National Geographic videos: http://video.nationalgeographic.com/?source=4001
Runtime: 2:29
503393 views
10 Comments:
Poll : Creepiest
Creepy Links
- Sydney Aquarium
- Crododile web cams
- Australia Zoo
- Complete with carpet pythons
- Great White Shark
- Predator of the Deep
Downunder Update
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Cuddly and Creepy Feedback
daoine wrote...
We have numerous brushtail and ringtail possums in our garden. They are gorgeous, but they stomp on our roof at night and they've eaten all but one of the flowers on my magnolia tree!
I love Tassie Devils too, but I wouldn't want one of them nipping at my ankles. Apparently they are one of the few animals of their size with the jaw power to crunch through a skull bone.
Posted September 02, 2008
estherjane13 wrote...
Great lens! 5*. When I went to Melbourne last year and drove the great ocean road I fell in love with kangaroos!
Posted August 04, 2008
Stazjia wrote...
This is wonderful 5* lens and it's beautifully illustrated. More please on the creatures of Australia!
Posted August 01, 2008
Thanks for dropping by ......
Thanks very much for dropping by this lens. You're more than welcome to leave a note in the guest book above and, if you're a member of Squidoo, you can also rate this lens :)It's all much appreciated, Susanna
