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gemfyreIn other words - lots of photos of cute critters.
We'll start with what I saw in the Barna Mia enclosure last night.
Boodie (Burrowing Bettong) Bettongia lesueur
The Boodie used to be found over a large proportion of mainland Australia but is now confined to a few offshore islands. There are Boodies in the Return To Dryandra enclosure as well. I'm not sure if they have been released into the wild anywhere on the mainland yet. They live in communal burrows - but it isn't known if they dig their own burrows, or just renovate and expand the burrows of other species such as Bilbies and Sand Monitors.
Woylie (Brush-tailed Bettong) Bettongia penicillata
The Woylie is one of the success stories of the Western Shield program. Woylies were also once found over a lot of the mainland but had severly diminished due to fox and cat predation and habitat clearing. One of the main activities of Western Shield is fox baiting with 1080. This has been extremely successful and many native species have benefitted. The Woylies began appearing again in reserves where they were thought to be non-existent. They are one of the few species to be downgraded from Endangered to Conservation Dependent. Unfortunately, lately it has been found that Woylie populations are dropping again and no-one knows why. Trapping this species is a lot more complicated process now because tissue samples are taken, scats are collected and exoparasites are monitored in an attempt to figure out what the cause of decline is - most likely a disease. The Woylie has the endearing characteristic of carrying nesting material with it's prehensile tail. Due it's previous success, the Woylie is not bred in the Return To Dryandra facility.
Bilby (Rabbit-eared Bandicoot) Macrotis lagotis - also known as the Dalgyte
Yet another marsupial that used to have a MUCH wider range than it does currently. The Bilby is possibly our best known small marsupial - especially since Coles started selling Easter Bilbies (as an alternative to bunnies, which in Australia are a massive pest) to fundraise for conservation. It is now mostly confined to desert areas but has been released in the wheatbelt with mixed success. There is a warren at Tutanning Reserve which looks remarkably like the work of Bilbies but there is no sign that it's inhabited. If Bilbies ARE at Tutanning - then they have managed to find their way there from Dryandra, which bodes well for them. Bilbies are known for digging huge underground warrens that rival those of rabbits.
Quenda (Southern Brown Bandicoot) Isoodon obesulus
The Quenda is actually quite common around Murdoch University and St. John of God Hospital over the road. There is even a resident Quenda at Walter's Cafe, which is located in the middle of the Murdoch campus library. Quendas suffer from fox and cat predation and land clearing and have a diminished range, but they are of much less concern than any of the other animals within the Barna Mia enclosure. For this reason they are not in the Return To Dryandra enclosure either.
Mala (Rufous Hare-wallaby) Lagorchestes hirsutus - also known as the Wurrup
The Mala is already close to my heart. I guess I better like an animal I'm going to be working with for the next few months. There are four subspecies of Mala. One confined to Dorre Island near Shark Bay and one to Benier island near Shark Bay - these two colonies are doing fine away from predators and human activities. The type specimen was found in southern areas of Australia (inlcuding the wheatbelt) and is now extinct. The last subspecies is unnamed and hails from the Tanami Desert in the Northern Territory. An enclosure was built here to assist with bumping up the numbers and it was lucky they did so because in 1993 a fire wiped out the remaining wild population of this sub-species. Subsequent re-releases from the enclosure into the desert have been unsuccessful due to fox and cat predation. Although it isn't the same sub-species as lived here in the wheatbelt, it's the closest thing we have to re-release down here. Tutanning Reserve has been chosen because it's regularly fox-baited and seems to have very few cats. Lets hope it all goes well.
There were two species we didn't see at Barna Mia last night.
Marl (Western Barred Bandicoot) Perameles bougainville
This is a very small marsupial which is also confined to offshore islands and now extinct on the mainland. In the last few years, a mysterious disease started wiping out the Marl and captive breeding was put on hold. Luckily the disease has been identified and named after Kanyana Wildlife Hospital - where it was isolated, and a cure is in the making. Hopefully we can pull this little creature back from the brink once more.
Mernine (Banded Hare Wallaby) Lagostrophus fasciatus
I honestly don't know an awful lot about this species except that it's another that is now confined to offshore islands and extinct on the mainland.
There were two species we saw yesterday outside of the enclosure.
Western Grey Kangaroo Macropus fulginosis
A common sight in any rural area at dawn and dusk. All three species of kangaroo (Western Grey, Eastern Grey and Red) have greatly benefited from pastoralism. The cleared land provides an ideal spot to graze and artificial water supplies have allowed the kangaroo population to boom to above the levels that would be supported by native conditions. The three kangaroo species are at absolutely no risk of dying out and are actually managed to keep the population down - which provides a source of kangaroo meat, leather and fur. I think kangaroo meat is quite tasty. It's very sweet, high in iron and low in fat. The leather is also very soft and supple.
Brush-tail Possum Trichosurus vulpecula - also known as the Koomal
The brush-tail is another familiar sight in Australia and has even become a pest in some urban areas where it lives in rooves and makes a racket at night. In an urban setting the brushie has become an adept scavenger and is sometimes found trapped in rubbish bins as well (the first one I ever saw was stuck at the bottom of a bin). It's probably the destruction of native forest that has pushed this species into urban areas. They require hollows to nest and breed and if all the old, hollow bearing trees have been destroyed, then a roof cavity makes a handy alternative.
There are a few other creatures you might see in Dryandra Woodland as well.
Tammar Wallaby Macropus eugenii
The Tammar is another species to removed from the endagered list in Western Australia. It turns out that in areas where predators are controlled, Tammar Wallabies breed quite happily and often feed their burgeoning population with young crops, to the chagrin of local farmers. This has become a problem on some reserves (such as Tutanning) and measures are being devised to control the population in these areas. Ironically, the South Australian sub-species of Tammar was thought to be extinct for many years, but was then discovered happily making a pest of itself on a New Zealand island, where it had been introduced in the 1800s. The wallaby was relocated back to South Australia and removed from the island, where it was not native.
Short-beaked Echidna (Spiny Anteater) Tachyglossus aculeatus
The Echidna is one of Australia's most common yet least seen animals. They are one of only two monotremes in the world (the other being the Platypus) - primitive mammals that lay eggs. They are active both night and day and feed solely on ants and termites. When disturbed they will either curl into a ball of spines or dig straight down, offering only spines to the world. This defense has probably helped them a lot, predation doesn't seem to be much of an issue with Echidnas.
Numbat (Banded anteater) Myrmecobius fasciatus
The Numbat is the animal people think of when they think of Dryandra, which is one of the strongholds of this species which has also suffered from human inteference and reduced in range greatly (the Numbat used to roam across the majority of the southern half of Australia). The great thing about the Numbat is that it is diurnal, so it can be viewed during the day. As termites become active during the day, the Numbat must be active too so it can feed on countless numbers of these insects, it's sole diet. When threatened, Numbats dash into the nearest fallen log for protection - so the burning and clearing of litter on the forest floor contributed to the decline of this endearing species. Captive breeding programs at Perth Zoo and the Western Shield initiative have ensured the safety of the Numbat for now.
We'll start with what I saw in the Barna Mia enclosure last night.
Boodie (Burrowing Bettong) Bettongia lesueur
The Boodie used to be found over a large proportion of mainland Australia but is now confined to a few offshore islands. There are Boodies in the Return To Dryandra enclosure as well. I'm not sure if they have been released into the wild anywhere on the mainland yet. They live in communal burrows - but it isn't known if they dig their own burrows, or just renovate and expand the burrows of other species such as Bilbies and Sand Monitors.
Woylie (Brush-tailed Bettong) Bettongia penicillata
The Woylie is one of the success stories of the Western Shield program. Woylies were also once found over a lot of the mainland but had severly diminished due to fox and cat predation and habitat clearing. One of the main activities of Western Shield is fox baiting with 1080. This has been extremely successful and many native species have benefitted. The Woylies began appearing again in reserves where they were thought to be non-existent. They are one of the few species to be downgraded from Endangered to Conservation Dependent. Unfortunately, lately it has been found that Woylie populations are dropping again and no-one knows why. Trapping this species is a lot more complicated process now because tissue samples are taken, scats are collected and exoparasites are monitored in an attempt to figure out what the cause of decline is - most likely a disease. The Woylie has the endearing characteristic of carrying nesting material with it's prehensile tail. Due it's previous success, the Woylie is not bred in the Return To Dryandra facility.
Bilby (Rabbit-eared Bandicoot) Macrotis lagotis - also known as the Dalgyte
Yet another marsupial that used to have a MUCH wider range than it does currently. The Bilby is possibly our best known small marsupial - especially since Coles started selling Easter Bilbies (as an alternative to bunnies, which in Australia are a massive pest) to fundraise for conservation. It is now mostly confined to desert areas but has been released in the wheatbelt with mixed success. There is a warren at Tutanning Reserve which looks remarkably like the work of Bilbies but there is no sign that it's inhabited. If Bilbies ARE at Tutanning - then they have managed to find their way there from Dryandra, which bodes well for them. Bilbies are known for digging huge underground warrens that rival those of rabbits.
Quenda (Southern Brown Bandicoot) Isoodon obesulus
The Quenda is actually quite common around Murdoch University and St. John of God Hospital over the road. There is even a resident Quenda at Walter's Cafe, which is located in the middle of the Murdoch campus library. Quendas suffer from fox and cat predation and land clearing and have a diminished range, but they are of much less concern than any of the other animals within the Barna Mia enclosure. For this reason they are not in the Return To Dryandra enclosure either.
Mala (Rufous Hare-wallaby) Lagorchestes hirsutus - also known as the Wurrup
The Mala is already close to my heart. I guess I better like an animal I'm going to be working with for the next few months. There are four subspecies of Mala. One confined to Dorre Island near Shark Bay and one to Benier island near Shark Bay - these two colonies are doing fine away from predators and human activities. The type specimen was found in southern areas of Australia (inlcuding the wheatbelt) and is now extinct. The last subspecies is unnamed and hails from the Tanami Desert in the Northern Territory. An enclosure was built here to assist with bumping up the numbers and it was lucky they did so because in 1993 a fire wiped out the remaining wild population of this sub-species. Subsequent re-releases from the enclosure into the desert have been unsuccessful due to fox and cat predation. Although it isn't the same sub-species as lived here in the wheatbelt, it's the closest thing we have to re-release down here. Tutanning Reserve has been chosen because it's regularly fox-baited and seems to have very few cats. Lets hope it all goes well.
There were two species we didn't see at Barna Mia last night.
Marl (Western Barred Bandicoot) Perameles bougainville
This is a very small marsupial which is also confined to offshore islands and now extinct on the mainland. In the last few years, a mysterious disease started wiping out the Marl and captive breeding was put on hold. Luckily the disease has been identified and named after Kanyana Wildlife Hospital - where it was isolated, and a cure is in the making. Hopefully we can pull this little creature back from the brink once more.
Mernine (Banded Hare Wallaby) Lagostrophus fasciatus
I honestly don't know an awful lot about this species except that it's another that is now confined to offshore islands and extinct on the mainland.
There were two species we saw yesterday outside of the enclosure.
Western Grey Kangaroo Macropus fulginosis
A common sight in any rural area at dawn and dusk. All three species of kangaroo (Western Grey, Eastern Grey and Red) have greatly benefited from pastoralism. The cleared land provides an ideal spot to graze and artificial water supplies have allowed the kangaroo population to boom to above the levels that would be supported by native conditions. The three kangaroo species are at absolutely no risk of dying out and are actually managed to keep the population down - which provides a source of kangaroo meat, leather and fur. I think kangaroo meat is quite tasty. It's very sweet, high in iron and low in fat. The leather is also very soft and supple.
Brush-tail Possum Trichosurus vulpecula - also known as the Koomal
The brush-tail is another familiar sight in Australia and has even become a pest in some urban areas where it lives in rooves and makes a racket at night. In an urban setting the brushie has become an adept scavenger and is sometimes found trapped in rubbish bins as well (the first one I ever saw was stuck at the bottom of a bin). It's probably the destruction of native forest that has pushed this species into urban areas. They require hollows to nest and breed and if all the old, hollow bearing trees have been destroyed, then a roof cavity makes a handy alternative.
There are a few other creatures you might see in Dryandra Woodland as well.
Tammar Wallaby Macropus eugenii
The Tammar is another species to removed from the endagered list in Western Australia. It turns out that in areas where predators are controlled, Tammar Wallabies breed quite happily and often feed their burgeoning population with young crops, to the chagrin of local farmers. This has become a problem on some reserves (such as Tutanning) and measures are being devised to control the population in these areas. Ironically, the South Australian sub-species of Tammar was thought to be extinct for many years, but was then discovered happily making a pest of itself on a New Zealand island, where it had been introduced in the 1800s. The wallaby was relocated back to South Australia and removed from the island, where it was not native.
Short-beaked Echidna (Spiny Anteater) Tachyglossus aculeatus
The Echidna is one of Australia's most common yet least seen animals. They are one of only two monotremes in the world (the other being the Platypus) - primitive mammals that lay eggs. They are active both night and day and feed solely on ants and termites. When disturbed they will either curl into a ball of spines or dig straight down, offering only spines to the world. This defense has probably helped them a lot, predation doesn't seem to be much of an issue with Echidnas.
Numbat (Banded anteater) Myrmecobius fasciatus
The Numbat is the animal people think of when they think of Dryandra, which is one of the strongholds of this species which has also suffered from human inteference and reduced in range greatly (the Numbat used to roam across the majority of the southern half of Australia). The great thing about the Numbat is that it is diurnal, so it can be viewed during the day. As termites become active during the day, the Numbat must be active too so it can feed on countless numbers of these insects, it's sole diet. When threatened, Numbats dash into the nearest fallen log for protection - so the burning and clearing of litter on the forest floor contributed to the decline of this endearing species. Captive breeding programs at Perth Zoo and the Western Shield initiative have ensured the safety of the Numbat for now.
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no subject
Date: 2006-11-11 08:29 am (UTC)Sssssssssssssssqqqqqqqqqqqqeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CUTE LIL FUZZY THINGS!!!
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Date: 2006-11-11 08:35 am (UTC)We also have highly endangered spiders and cave dwelling arthropods, but they are much less likely to survive because no-one cares about them (except for the scientists that study them). :(
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Date: 2006-11-11 08:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-11-11 09:45 am (UTC)I've seen a few Quendas at Murdoch uni and unfortunately I've seen alot of rabbits which have been breeding up alot recently .
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Date: 2006-11-11 03:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-11-11 05:23 pm (UTC)do you have pix of the spiders and cave-dwelling anthropods?
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Date: 2006-11-14 09:57 pm (UTC)