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Description Huntsman spiders are familiar to many Australians as the large, flat-bodied and extremely fast intruders, which, to some people's horror, occasionally take up residence in kitchens and living rooms. There are 94 described species of huntsman spider in Australia.

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The musky rat-kangaroo gets its name from its rat-like appearance and musky smell. It's is the smallest of all macropods. But it is different from other macropods because it doesn't hop. The musky rat-kangaroo has remained relatively unchanged for over 20 million years and does not hop.

While often claimed to be the smallest kangaroo, this is incorrect, as only the four largest macropods are classified as kangaroos.

Musky Rat-Kangaroo - Description What Makes the Musky Rat-Kangaroo Unique

The musky rat-kangaroo has a body length of 21-34cm with an additional 7-12cm of tail. It weighs between 330-680gms. It is dark brown in colour. Its head is greyish brown with large ears and eyes and a pointed snout.

The musky rat-kangaroo's tail is thin and rat-like, with scaly skin (no fur). This tail is prehensile too, like potoroos and bettongs and capable of grasping objects. Its feet have five digits on all four limbs, and the toes on its hind feet are well articulated, and none are fused. It has opposing thumbs on its hind feet, which are usually found on animals that climb trees, but the musky rat-kangaroo does not climb trees. Unlike other macropods, which are usually active at night time, the musky rat-kangaroo is active during the day. At night it sleeps in a nest made of dry leaves. Other differences include unspecialised teeth, a simple digestive tract, and its tendency of birthing twins or triplets. Males and females are similar in appearance and colour, but males are slightly larger.

Musky Rat-Kangaroo - Movement (Locomotion) Bounding not Hopping

Even though the musky rat-kangaroo has large hind legs like other macropods, it doesn't hop at all. Instead, it bounds along on all four legs more like a rabbit, rather than hop on two legs like a kangaroo.

The musky rat-kangaroo's usual mode of locomotion is a slow gait in which the forepaws are placed on the ground, and the hind feet brought forward in unison beneath its body and placed behind the front limbs. Then the front legs are lifted, the body extended, and the front paws placed a distance ahead of the rear one, and the process repeated. Unlike a kangaroo that uses its tail as a support at slow speeds, the Musky rat-kangaroo holds its tail above the ground and stretched out behind it. The tail does not act as a support. Fast locomotion is a version of the slow gait but with its hind legs placed forward outside its forelegs.

Whilst the musky rat-kangaroo has a thumb-like toe on each of its hind legs and a prehensile tail, both of which are characteristic of a tree-climbing animal, it does not climb trees.
How Kangaroos Move by Hoping
A 'Cool' Use for its Prehensile Tail How the Musky Rat-Kangaroo Uses Its Tail

While the musky rat-kangaroo no longer uses its prehensile tail to grasp tree branches, it has found a handy use for this dexterous tail. It uses it to carry things.

Musky Rat-kangaroo Was It the First Kangaroo?

The musky rat-kangaroo has remained relatively unchanged for over 20 million years and is believed to be the most primitive macropod. It is thought that macropods evolved from tree-dwelling possum-like ancestors about 50 million years ago. Although ground-dwelling, its hind feet still feature 'thumb-like' toes, and it has a prehensile tail similar to that of tree-dwelling possums.

It picks up nesting material with its mouth, transfers the material to its forepaws, then places this on the ground in front of the hind feet. It then curves its tail down and forward, lifts its body up with its weight transferred onto its forelimbs, and kicks the material with its airborne hind legs into its curled tail. It then tightens its tail around the material to grasp it firmly and moves off, carrying its small bundle behind it. (Note: The photograph is of a brush-tailed bettong which also carries bundles).

Musky Rat-Kangaroo - Habitat Where Does the Musky Rat-kangaroo Live?

The musky rat-kangaroo lives in the tropical forests of north-eastern Queensland, Australia. Some populations are also found in New Guinea). In Australia, it ranges from Mount Amos in the north to Mount Lee in the south at elevations from sea-level to 1200m.

It prefers dense rainforests near watercourses rich with fruiting trees and vines.

Musky Rat-Kangaroo - Diet What Does the Musky Rat-kangaroo Eat?

Musky rat-kangaroos are primarily frugivores; their favoured diet is fruits. They forage on the forest floor for fruits, seeds, invertebrates, and fungi. They prefer large fleshy fruits and seeds with a soft to moderate seed coat. They also supplement their diets with invertebrates and fungi.

Musky Rat-kangaroos hold hard-shelled insects and seeds in its forepaws and turns its head to one side so that the sectorial premolars can shear through exoskeletons and seed covers. With the head then directed forward, the incisor teeth are used to pull the innards out and chewed before swallowing.

Forest plants often produce fruit for only a short period. So musky rat-kangaroos, in a trait similar to squirrels in North America, bury fruits and seeds in various locations for retrieval later. Many of these hidden stashes are never retrieved, which has a beneficial effect on many plant seeds that only germinate if buried in this way. Like another rainforest animal, the Cassowary, the musky rat- kangaroo plays a vital part in forest vegetation propagation and regeneration.

Musky rat-kangaroos eat the lowest-fibre diet of all macropods. This is reflected in their simpler, less specialised digestive tract.

Musky Rat-Kangaroo - Threats & Conservation Status Is the Musky Rat-Kangaroo Endangered?

The musky rat-kangaroos have no significant predators (Because predators such as dingoes, feral foxes, and cats do not like living in tropical rain forests). The musky rat-kangaroos are not endangered.

Australian Animals - List of Native and Introduced Animals

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Musky Rat-kangaroo - Facts, Habitat, Diet, Reproduction - Odd Macropod

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The musky rat-kangaroo gets its name from its rat-like appearance and musky smell. It's is the smallest of all macropods. But it is different from other macropods because it doesn't hop. The musky rat-kangaroo has remained relatively unchanged for over 20 million years and does not hop.

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Giant clams are huge molluscs that can grow up to 1.5 meters and weigh as much as 230 kilos. They have zigzag shaped opening with large protruding brilliant blue iridescent lips. Many are found in the Great Barrier Reef off the north-eastern coast of Australia.
Can Giant Clams Eat Humans?
Giant Clam - Description What Do Giant Clams Look Like?

The Giant clam is the world's largest sessile (attached to a fixed location) mollusc in the world. It has a rather uninteresting hinged double-sided shell with a serrated zigzag pattern on it. The two halves of the shell hinge on one side and are held together by strong muscles. This shell may have blotches of colour. The most notable characteristic of this clam, besides its huge size, is its beautiful blue iridescent lips. Because of these large lips, the giant clam cannot, unlike other clams, close its shell completely. At the centre of its blue lips it has two siphons (tubes) which it uses to suck in water and also eject waste.

Giant Clam's Big Blue Lips Why the Giant Clam's has Blue Lips

The giants clam has special iridescent cells, called iridocytes, in its lips that give them their beautiful blue and aqua colour. These brilliant coloured lips actually serve a very useful purpose - they direct sunlight into the interior of the clam providing the sunlight necessary for algae it hosts in its lips.

These clams live in a symbiotic relationship with algae. This symbiotic relationship is referred to as mutualism, because both clam and algae mutually benefit from their partnership. Typically the shallow coral reefs the clams live on is exposed to levels of sunlight strong enough to kill the algae. But by hosting the algae within its body, clam provides the algae with a safe and sunny environment. The algae in return produce sugars and proteins which they share with the clam.

The clam can open and close its shell thereby expanding or contracting the surface and angle of its mantel to manage the amount of light penetrating to its microscopic algal tenants below. It can also lighten or darken its colour pigmentation to regulate light penetration.

Why are its lips blue?

The reason the giant clam's lips are blue is because the clam's iridocytes transmit mainly red and blue light, the wavelengths that the algae photosynthesise most efficiently, and deflect much of the green and yellow wavelengths because it's of no use to the algae. This is what gives the clam's lips their colour. Interestingly the algae themselves are a dull grey-brown colour.

Giant Clam - Diet What Do a Giant Clams Eat?

Giant clams are filter feeders that suck in large quantities of water through an inhalant siphon which is usual a flat hole in its mantel. The water is circulated over its gills where a sticky mucus causes microscopic plankton and other particulate organic matter from the water to adhere to it. Tiny hair-like structure called cilia continuously sweep these food particles towards the clam's mouth and into its digestive system. Digestive waste is excreted through an anus. And filtered water is ejected through an exhalent siphon with a tubed spout.

Giant clams also supplement diet this with sugars (glycerol) and proteins produced by the microscopic algae that they host within their mantel. The algae feed on carbon dioxide and other products supplied by the giant clam and using photosynthesis with the light directed to them by the clam's iridocytes produce these nutrients for the clam.

Giant Clam - Habitat Where Do Giant Clams Live?

Giant clams are sedentary animals that are found in the relatively shallow water not more than 20 meters deep. Once a young clam larvae finds a suitable location on the reef it attaches itself to the reef and stay there for the rest of its life. They inhibit inhabits reefs and lagoons with good sunlight penetration.
Great Barrier Reef - Coral, Animals, Plants and Attractions
Giant Clam - Reproduction & Life Cycle Giant Clam Babies

Giant clams are hermaphrodites. They have both male and female reproductive organs but they don't self-fertilise.

They release millions of eggs and sperm into the water through their siphon where they intermix with eggs and sperm from other giant clams and are fertilised. This spawning, known as broadcast spawning, is synchronise by chemical signalling using a substance referred to as the spawning induced substance that individual clams release into the water signalling their readiness to spawn. Many individuals then time the release of their eggs and sperm to have the best opportunity of being cross-fertilised by other clams. Spawning is most common during the incoming tide and lasts for 30 to 180 minutes. .

Once fertilised the eggs float in the water for about 12 hours before the larvae hatch out and immediately start to develop a shell. Within a few days the little clams descend to the bottom the ocean and for the first few weeks will move from place to place in search of a suitable location. It will then attach itself to the ocean floor and remain there for the rest of its life.

Even though million upon millions of eggs and sperm are produced very few clams survive into adulthood. A giant clam reaches adulthood in 4 to 9 years and can live for up to 100 years.

Giant Clam - Attack Legend Can Giant Clams Eat Humans?

There are many unfounded legends, myths and tales about attacks by giant clams. These tales usually claimed that these giant clams gobbled up unwitting divers. A U.S. Navy diving manual even gave detailed instructions on how to free oneself form the grip of a giant clam.

Today the giant clam is known to be non-aggressive. It will only close is shell in self-defence. It is possible that a human could get a limb caught during such a closure and drown as a consequence. But this is very unlikely because the clam closes its shell very slowly, giving a person plenty of time to extricate themselves.

Giant Clam - Threats & Predators What Treats Do Giant Clams Face?

Marine Predators

Giant clams are preyed upon by many animals much smaller than themselves. They include snails, eels and starfish that nip off pieces of the giant clam's lips.

Humans

One of the major treats facing giant clams are humans who harvest them for their shells, as displays in their aquariums and for their flesh which is considered a delicacy in some countries. This has led to a drastic decline in the number of these beautiful clams world-wide. The giant clam is listed as vulnerable to extinction.

Giant Clam - Conservation Status

The giant clam is considered to be vulnerable because of humans. As with all plants and animals the giant clam is protected in the Great Barrier Reef sanctuary.

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Giant Clam Facts - Description - Habitat - Diet - Photos

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Giant clams are huge molluscs that can grow up to 1.5 meters and weigh as much as 230 kilos. They have zigzag shaped opening with large protruding brilliant blue iridescent lips. Many are found in the Great Barrier Reef off the north-eastern coast of Australia. Can Giant Clams Eat Humans?

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There are 35 species of funnel web spider distributed alone the eastern seaboard of Australia but only 6 of these are dangerous. The deadliest, of course is the Sydney funnel web spider that is found in the vicinity of the city of Sydney.

The Sydney funnel web spider (Atrax robustus) is the deadliest spider in the world. Its venom, if untreated can kill a human in as little as 15 minutes. Interestingly, this spiders venom is only fatal to primates such as humans. Cats and dogs don't seem to suffer the same consequences.

The Sydney funnel web spider is a large aggressive spider with prominent and menacing fangs. If threatened it will rear up, display its prominent fangs and stand its ground and attack if necessary.

They have body lengths of 35mm for the females and 25mm for males. Being an arachnid its body consists of two parts. The front part referred to as the cephalothorax contains eight tiny eyes, brain, mouth consisting of a tube similar to a feeding straw, its chelicerae which are pincers with inbuilt fangs, pedipalps which are a set of arms for holding prey, venom glands, a sucking stomach and all of its eight long legs. (See diagram). The cephalothorax is a glossy black in colour. The second part of its body is its abdomen, located immediately behind the cephalothorax and joined to it by a thin flexible waist called a pedicel. This acts like a joint, allowing the spider to move its abdomen without moving its cephalothorax. The abdomen contains its lungs, heart, intestine, reproductive organs, silk glands and spinnerets from which it produces its silk. The abdomen is usually black or dark purple in colour.
*Anatomy of a Spider - What are a Spider's Body Parts?
The funnel web spider builds a funnel-shaped web (hence its name the "funnel web") with fine strands of silk web treads extending from the entrance into the surrounding area. These thread act as tripwires. The moment an unwitting insect trips on of these threads the funnel web spider. Lurking within its burrow leaps out and stings its prey, paralysing it, and drags it into its lair to be consumed. The spiders diet usually consists of as all sorts of crawling insects such has beetles, cockroaches, snails and also small animals such as lizards.

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Funnel Web Spider: Description Habitat Diet Attack Reproduction Facts

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There are 35 species of funnel web spider distributed alone the eastern seaboard of Australia but only 6 of these are dangerous. The deadliest, of course is the Sydney funnel web spider that is found in the vicinity of the city of Sydney. The Sydney funnel web spider (Atrax robustus) is the deadliest spider in the world.

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The reef stonefish is the most venomous fish in the world. It has thirteen spines along its dorsal fin that can inject a highly toxic venom into anyone who disturbs it. Its venom causes excruciating pain and swelling and can lead to heart failure and even death.

This carnivorous bottom-dwelling fish lives along the coast of Australia. It usually hides amongst coral and rocks and blends effortlessly into its environment. Its favourite disguise is to look like an algae-covered stone. Hence its name- stonefish. Its scientific name is Synanceia verrucosa.
* The Stonefish's Sting - Painful & Deadly
Stonefish - Description What Does a Stonefish Look Like?

The stonefish is a stout, 35 -50cm in long fish with a large upward-opening mouth. The male and female are similar in appearance. However, the female is larger and broader around the abdomen than the male and can weigh 50% more. The stonefish does not have scales. Its skin is covered with bumps and nodules and may have filaments and growths that appear like outgrowths of algae.

A stonefish is usually grey or brown with patches of yellow, orange and red. It has the uncanny ability to morph into various rock-like shapes and add splashes of colour to its appearance to mimic and blend in with its surroundings. Even its eyes can impersonate algae. Typically it tries to appear like an algae-encrusted rock or coral. Is also lays on soft sand or mud and, using its large pectoral fins as spades; it partially buries itself to appear like a rock on the sea-floor. Hidden by its excellent disguise, it waits motionless for prey to pass by.

From a human perspective, it is the stonefish's dorsal fin (the top fin on its back) that is the most dangerous. Thirteen fully covered spines support the dorsal fin. But unlike most fish, these hidden spines are hollow and connected to venom glands that discharge their contents along ducts in each spine. Usually, these sharp hypodermic needle-like spines are hidden beneath the skin of its dorsal fin. However, if the animal's spine or dorsal fin were to be squeezed, these needle-like spines break through its skin and impale the attacker, injecting venom into the wound. Its deadly spines are strictly defensive. It never uses them to capture or attack other animals.

Worldwide there are five species of stonefish. They all share common characteristics. Two species of stonefish are found in waters around Australia and are the most venomous. The only way to tell them apart is in the position of their eyes. The Reef Stonefish ( Synanceia verrucosa) has a deep depression between its eyes. The Estuary Stonefish ( Synanceia horrida) has elevated eyes separated by a bony ridge.

The stonefish can survive out of water for up to 24 hours. This may be an adaptation to its shallow water existence where it may get trapped in drying out rock-pools during low tide.

25 Interesting Stonefish Facts

1. The stonefish is the most venomous fish in the world.

2. It has 13 highly venomous spines on the top of its body.

3. These spins are hidden under its skin and break out when the fish is squeezed or pressed.

4. Stonefish venom has cardiovascular and neuromuscular toxicity.

5. Its sting is excruciatingly painful and can cause death.

6. It doesn't attack human.

7. Instead, humans disturb it and get stung.

8. The stonefish lives in shallow water off the Australian coastline.

9. It is a stout 50cm long fish with excellent camouflage skills.

10. Its skin is covered with nodules, bumps and other odd growths that appear like outgrowths of algae.

11. Its favourite disguise is to pretend to be an algae-encrusted stone or clump of coral.

12. Male and females are similar in appearance,

13. But the female is 50% larger.

14. The stonefish is a hide-and-wait predator and snaps up its prey when it passes close by.

15. It eats other fish and bottom-dwelling invertebrates.

16. It has a huge upward-opening mouth that can catch prey in 1/100th of a second.

17. It sucks its prey into its huge mouth.

18. The stonefish can survive out of water for up to 24 hours.

19. Stonefish and Scorpionfish are often confused.

20. The main predators of the stonefish are sharks, stingrays, and sea snakes.

21. Stonefish antivenom is the second-most frequently used antivenom in Australia.

22. No humans in Australia die from stonefish stings. There are many death in other countries.

23. There are five species of stonefish worldwide.

24. If prepared correctly, you can eat a stonefish.

25. It is a delicacy in Japan and China.

Stonefish - Habitat Where Do Stonefish Live?

Stonefish live in shallow water off the Australian coastline. They usually hide amongst coral or rock formations and camouflage themselves to look like a clump of coral or a piece of rock.

Where there isn't sufficient environmental cover to disguise itself, the stonefish will use its powerful pectoral fins to dig itself into the seabed and pretends to be something most appropriate to its surroundings, typically an algae-covered rock.

Stonefish are also found in other parts of the Indo-Pacific region.

Stonefish - Diet What Do Stonefish Eat?

The stonefish is a carnivore that eats other fish and bottom-dwelling invertebrates. It is a sit-and-wait ambush predator that stays motionless and grabs its prey when they swim close by. (See video).

The stonefish's capture technique is called 'gape and suck'. The stonefish can expand the volume of its throat, which has extra pleated skin to allow expansion, and mouth in a split second. When it opens its powerful jaws wide open and expands its throat, it creates a significant vacuum suction pressure between the inside of its mouth and the outside environment which sucks its unsuspecting prey into its gaping mouth where it is swallowed whole. This action is so quick that it's all over in less than 1/100th of a second.

Can You Eat a Stonefish?

The venomous stonefish is indeed edible - provided it is prepared properly. The protein-based venom quickly breaks down when cooked. If eaten raw, it is safe to eat provided the fish's dorsal fin with its associated venom is removed. It is a delicacy in Japan and China.

Stonefish - Reproduction Stonefish Babies

The stonefish is a solitary animal. The only time it actively seeks out another is during mating season for spawning. The female stonefish release a layer of fertilised eggs on the sea-floor and the male comes along, releasing sperm over them.

Stonefish - Predators & Threats What Kills Stonefish?

The main predators of the stonefish are sharks, stingrays, and sea snakes. They are not endangered.

Stonefish - Conservation Status Is the Stonefish Endangered?

The stonefish is not endangered.

Stonefish - Attack Do Stonefish Attack Humans?

Do stonefish attack humans? Absolutely Not!

Stonefish do not attack humans. Instead, they do what they have always done and stay hidden and motionless in their habitat with their venomous dorsal fin spines erect as a defence. They are also sometimes washed up near the shoreline or on beaches where humans may step on them or pick them up. So strictly speaking any injury suffered by a human is self-inflicted - You ventured into its habitat, stepped on it or touched it. You didn't leave the animal alone.

Even though the stonefish is the most venomous, it ranks 9th in human deaths worldwide.

Stonefish - Sting Are stonefish dangerous? Absolutely!

The stonefish is the most venomous fish in the world. Hidden beneath its dorsal fin are 13 spines with deadly spikes that act like hypodermic needles and inject highly toxic venom into any creature that comes in contact with them. The venom in these spines is only released-when pressure is applied to the stonefish's spine, which means the venom is most often emitted when the stonefish is being attacked by a predator or stepped on by a human. Stonefish venom has both cardiovascular and neuromuscular toxicity. The pain caused by the venom is described as being immediate and excruciatingly painful and may last many days. The severity of the outcome is depended on the number of punctures suffered from these spines. Symptoms include muscular paralysis, breathing difficulties and shock. If left untreated heart failure and death may occur.

There have been no recorded human deaths in Australia as a result of an encounter with a stonefish. It is believed that several fatalities may occur in other Indo-Pacific areas, usually due to the lack of medical treatment.

Stonefish antivenom is the second-most frequently administered antivenom in Australia.

Stonefish Sting Treatment What to Do if You are Stung by a Stonefish

Best Precautions

The best precautions against a stonefish injury are being alert, wearing sturdy footwear, and not touching or picking up these animals.

Immediate First Aid

If you do step on a stonefish or are foolish enough to pick one up and get stung, wash the wound with cold water (saltwater is fine). Then apply heat to the wound for 30-90 minutes. Soaking the wound in very hot water (but not so hot that it causes burns on the victim) is one easy option. Heat may help destroy stonefish venom and provide some pain relief to the victim. Vinegar, supplied on most Australian beaches for use against jellyfish stings, is also said to reduce pain.

Seek Medical Treatment

These remedies are offer temporary relief only. Medical treatment should always be sought urgently.

Stonefish vs Scorpionfish What's the Difference Between Stonefish & Scorpionfish

Stonefish and Scorpionfish are often confused.

The stonefish is best at pretending to be a stone and is capable of less colour-matching compared to the scorpionfish. It is also the most venomous fish in the world. Only its dorsal fin is venomous.

The scorpionfish has more prominent eyes and can change its colour to better match its surroundings, including colourful corals. It has venomous spines on its back as well as on its fins. It isn't as venomous as the stonefish.

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25 Stonefish Facts, Sting, Diet, Habitat, Venom/Poison

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The reef stonefish is the most venomous fish in the world. It has thirteen spines along its dorsal fin that can inject a highly toxic venom into anyone who disturbs it. Its venom causes excruciating pain and swelling and can lead to heart failure and even death.

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The marsupial mole is a rarely seen and little known burrowing animal that lives underground and literally 'swims' through sand. Found in the arid Australian Outback this animal spends almost its entire life underground. It is probably one of the most unusual and least understood animals in the world.

There are two species of marsupial moles. While they differ genetically, the main difference between the two are their habitats and slight variations in size. The southern marsupial mole Notoryctes typhlops) found in northern South Australia, the Northern Territory and central Western Australia is approximately 13-15 cm in length, and weighs 30-60 gms with a tail of 2-2.5 cm. The northern marsupial mole (Notoryctes caurinus), which is the larger of the two, is found in the north western part of Western Australia is 10-20 cm in length (average 16cm) and weigh 30-70 gms with similar length tails. The lifespan of these animals is not known.

Marsupial Mole - Description What Do Marsupial Moles Look Like

The marsupial mole is a little sausage-like animal. Its short dense silky smooth white fur is usually tinged by the colour of the sand it burrows through giving its body colour ranges from almost white through pinkish cinnamon to rich golden red. There is no noticeable difference between male and female animals except that the female has a larger backward facing pouch with two nipples. (The male stores its testes internally in its smaller pouch). It has a cone-shaped head with a stiff, almost non-existent neck, with five of the animal's seven neck vertebrae fused together to give its head added rigidity so it can be used like a ram when digging in its underground environment.

The marsupial mole has very short stumpy legs with five toes on each foot. Toes three and four of its front feet are enlarged and have triangular, spade-like claws that are used for excavate soil in front of it. The first and second toes have small claws and are opposed to the third and fourth allowing the animal to grasp its prey. Its rear feet are flattened and slightly webbed with middle three digits possessing small claws. It uses its hind feet to push soil behind it. It has a short bald tail covered in leathery skin just a few centimetres in length with a a hard knob at the end.

It has a featureless face with vestigial eyes hidden beneath its fur. These eyes have lost their usefulness in the course of evolution. As a consequence the marsupial mole is totally blind. Its ears are just tiny holes on the side of its head and are safely tucked away under its thick fur. These ears are very sensitive to low frequency sounds. It has a nose with small slit-like nostrils protected by hard callused keratinised (The same stuff as your hair and fingernails.) skin acting like a shield. The marsupial mole has a very good sense of smell.

Special Adaptations of the Marsupial Mole

Marsupial moles have some unusual tricks for dealing with their unique lifestyle and to conserve energy.

* They have very low oxygen requirements and can subsist by breathing the air trapped between grains of sand.
* They can adjust their body temperatures to that of the surrounding sand. This allows them to fluctuate their body temperatures from 15°C to 30°C without affecting their metabolism.
* They have a generally low metabolic rate to conserve energy but can increase it up to 60 times when required, giving them a huge burst of additional energy.
* Both male and female marsupial moles have backward facing pouches to prevent sand from entering it while they are digging underground.
* The male marsupial mole stores its testes in its pouch thereby protecting it from harm while digging.

Marsupial Mole - Swims Through Sand How the Marsupial Mole Moves Underground & Aboveground

Unlike most other burrowing animals the marsupial mole doesn't dig out hollow tunnels through which it travels. Instead, it "swims" through the sand, like some sort of underwater swimmer, displacing the sand in front of it as it slow nudges itself, a few centimetres at a time, forward.

The mole uses its spade-like front limbs to scope out sand in front of it, nudges its nose into the excavated space and deftly passes the said under its body where its webbed and clawed back limbs push the excavates sand back behind it. This scoping and push action slowly propels the animal through the sand without creating a noticeable tunnel behind it. As the animals moves, sand behind it caves in, filling up its path through the sand.

The marsupial mole rarely wanders aboveground and then only for a very short distance. It hauls itself on the surface using a similar swimming motion that it uses underground. When on the surface and re-entering underground, the marsupial mole begins digging with its forefeet, quickly scoping out soil in front of it and its nudges its nose into the newly excavated space. Once below the surface it reverts to its normal digging stance using its front limbs to scope out soil and its back limbs to push the newly excavated sand behind itself.

Marsupial Mole - Habitat & Range Where Does a Marsupial Mole Live?

The southern marsupial mole is found in the western central deserts of Australia at the intersection of South Australia, Northern Territory and Western Australia (coloured blue on the map). The northern marsupial mole is found in the north-western parts of Western Australia (coloured green on the map).

The marsupial moles spends almost its entire life underground. It is rarely see above ground, only appearing on the surface to grab aboveground prey, to mate and when the soil gets too wet after heavy rains.

These moles inhabit areas with soft sandy dunes, sand-plains and sandy soils along river flats where shrubs and grasses such as spinifex are present. Being borrowing animals that do not travel very far aboveground, they spend most of their lives 10cm to 2.5m below the surface and require sufficiently large areas with these conditions in order to burrow freely through the soil. Usually they borrow 20-100 cm below the surface however in extremely hot or cold weather they may burrow deeper to maintain a comfortable body temperature. Marsupial mole tunnelling activity can sometimes be determined by tell-tale oval shaped mounds in the sand identifying their underground trail.

The marsupial mole seems travel underground individually through its collapsing burrow. No evidence of large or permanent burrows where more than one individual might congregate has been found.

Marsupial Mole - Diet What Does a Marsupial Mole Eat?

Marsupial moles are omnivores and feed on a variety of animal and plant matter. These include invertebrates, ant eggs, insect pupae and larvae, centipedes, beetles, small salamanders and lizards, and also seeds and vegetable matter. Given its preference to remain and feed underground it has been suggested that it prefers insect eggs, larvae and pupae deposited underground.

The exact way in which they search for food is unknown. Given their disproportionately large and well developed olfactory bulbs it has been suggested that the primary sense they use for searching out food is their sense of smell. This may be complimented by their their sense of hearing which may detect the sound made by other animals.

Marsupial Mole - Reproduction Marsupial Mole Babies

There is very limited information about the mating and reproductive behaviour of marsupial moles. There has been no observations made in the field or in captivity and no live young marsupial moles have yet been observed. It is believed that breeding takes place around November and that one or two offspring are born. As the all other marsupials, marsupial moles give birth to underdeveloped young that find their way to their mothers pouch where they attach themselves to a nipple, feed and grow into viable offspring.
How do Marsupials Reproduce?
Marsupial Mole - What We Don't Know Lots of Things We Don't Know

There are many things we do not know for sure about the marsupial mole. These include
* How they detect their food.
* How they mate, how many babies they have per litter and how often they mate.
* What times of the day they are active.
* If they build permanent burrows.
* Their social behaviour is not known but it is thought that they are solitary animals.

Marsupial Mole - Threats and Predators Is the Marsupial Mole Endangered?

Marsupial moles were rarely hunted by the native aborigines and were quite common until the early 20th century. During the early 20th century marsupial moles were hunted for their pelts. It is believed that several hundred of thousand were killed during this time and the sighting of these animals before more and more rare.

While well protected underground, when on the surface the marsupial moles falls prey to introduced animals such as the feral cats and foxes, dingoes, native birds of prey and snakes.

There is no direct evidence of the status of the marsupial mole population in the wild. It is thought, however, that their are in decline. For this reason the marsupial mole is classified in the ICUN Red List as threatened and the Australian government lists it as endangered.

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Marsupial Mole - Description, Habitat, Diet, Reproduction, Facts

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The marsupial mole is a rarely seen and little known burrowing animal that lives underground and literally 'swims' through sand. Found in the arid Australian Outback this animal spends almost its entire life underground. It is probably one of the most unusual and least understood animals in the world.

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The eastern brown snake a large, fast-moving Australian snake. It is the second most venomous snake in the world. Its venom can kill a human in less than four hours. It is responsible for the most snakebite deaths in Australia.

The eastern brown snake is not naturally aggressive towards humans. Unfortunately, its fondness for living near human habitation results in a high number of human fatalities and many death of these snakes too.
* Eastern Brown Snake - Attacks, Bites & Venom
Eastern Brown Snake - Description What is an Eastern Brown Snake?

The eastern brown snake has a slender body and is about 1.5-2.0 meters in length. Males are generally larger than females.

The snake's colour varies, ranging from very dark brown to light tan to burnt orange. Lighter coloured animals have a uniform colouring, while the very dark ones have a lighter head colouring. Its belly is typically cream, yellow or light orange with darker pink or orange spots. It has smooth and slightly glossy body scales. The eastern brown snake has a small head that blends into its body without any noticeable indentation. It has medium-sized orange eyes with round black pupils below an obvious brow-ridge.

The eastern brown snake belongs to the elapid family of snakes, which means it has hollow syringe-like venom injecting fangs located in the front of its mouth. This snake has relatively small fangs (approximately 3mm), but makes up for this with the toxicity of its venom. Like most snakes, it is deaf, has a forked tongue, and no eyelids.

25 Eastern Brown Snake Facts

1. The eastern brown snake is a large, fast-moving venomous Australian snake.

2. It has a slender brown body and can grow to 2m in length.

3. The eastern brown snake has a small head that blends into its body without any noticeable indentation.

4. The eastern brown snake can move as fast as a human can run.

5. The eastern brown snake is the second most venomous snake in the world.

6. It is responsible for about 60% of snakebite deaths in Australia.

7. Even a newly born hatchling has enough venom to kill a human.

8. This snake has relatively small fangs, but its venom is highly toxic.

9. The initial bite is generally painless and often difficult to detect.

10. This snake prefers avoiding humans.

11. You are 50 times more likely to die from falling off your bed than from a snake bite.

12. It lives in the eastern parts of Australia.

13. It prefers open grasslands, pastures, and woodland.

14. The eastern brown snake eats frogs, other reptiles, lizards, birds, mammals, and eggs.

15. The eastern brown snake can dislocate its jaw to swallow its prey.

16. Its skin is stretchable, so it can swallow large prey.

17. The snake likes to live close to human habitation because of the availability of its favourite food--rats and mice.

18. The eastern brown snake rarely eats during winter, and females may not eat at all while carrying eggs.

19. Like most snakes, it is deaf, has a forked tongue, and no eyelids.

20. Eastern brown snakes mate in mid to late spring.

21. Males aggressively compete with each other females.

22. The female lays about 15 eggs and abandons the eggs. The eggs will hatch about 36 to 95 days later.

23. Hatchlings are independent from birth.

24. Animals that prey on the eastern brown snakes include birds of prey and feral cat.

25. An eastern brown snake can live for 7-10 years.

Eastern Brown Snake - Attack & Bite Eastern Brown Snake Strikes

The eastern brown snake is not aggressive towards humans. From the snake's point of view, humans are not a food source, and there is little incentive for it to attack a person.

If approached at a distance, it will choose to flee or remain stationary, hoping to avoid detection. Even at close range, if the human moves slowly and in a non-provoking manner, the snake is most likely to refrain from any aggressive behaviour. If, however, the snake is startled or confronted at close quarters, it will react defensively and will not hesitate to put on a threatening display and strike at any perceived threat, including humans.

During a low-level attack, the snake flattens its neck, raises the front part of its body horizontally just above the ground, and strikes its victim. Given that the snake is probably moving, the angle of attack these low-level strikes are not optimal and less likely to deliver an envenomed bite (venom rich bite). These bites usually occur around the feet, ankles, and calves of a human.

In a high-level attack, the snake lifts most of its body off the ground and coils its neck into an "S" shape, opens its mouth wide, fully exposing its fangs and strikes with great accuracy and power, injecting its venom very effectively into its victim. The snake may also strike many times from this position. Given the height of attack, these usually result in bites to the thigh in humans.

Eastern Brown Snake - Venom What Happens Once Bitten

Eastern brown snake venom is the second most toxic snake venom in the world. It will kill a human within about 4 hours if untreated. It is 12 times more deadly than that of an Indian cobra. Eastern brown snake venom contains a cocktail of powerful and fast-acting pre-synaptic neurotoxins, procoagulants, cardiotoxins and nephrotoxins that cause progressive paralysis, uncontrollable bleeding, respiratory failure resulting in death.

Because of its small fangs (about 3mm), the initial bite is generally painless and often difficult to detect. Once symptoms appear, however, progression is very rapid, and death can be sudden and unexpected.

Dying from a Snake Bite

You are 50 times more likely to die from falling off your bed than from a snake bite.
What to Do If Bitten by a Snake
Prompt medical attention, with the administration of antivenom, is required to prevent death.

Eastern Brown Snake - Habitat Where Does the Eastern Brown Snake Live?

The eastern brown snake prefers open grasslands, pastures, and woodland and is common in farmland and on the outskirts of urban areas. The snake's affinity for areas close to human habitation may be due to the presence of its favourite food - rodents.

The eastern brown snake is found throughout eastern Australia, from northern Queensland to South Australia, and extending towards the central deserts. Two isolated habitat pockets are also found in the Barkly Tableland and the MacDonnell Ranges in the Northern Territory. They inhabit a wide range of habitats with the exception of rainforests and alpine regions. They are also absent from the island of Tasmania.

When inactive, it shelters beneath any structure under which it can creep, such as fallen logs, large rocks, fissures in the earth and animal burrows. Many human structures and rubbish also provide excellent hiding spots and areas in which to hibernate for these snakes.

Eastern Brown Snake - Diet What Do Eastern Brown Snakes Eat?

The adult eastern brown snake diet consists almost entirely of vertebrates (animals with backbones) such as frogs, other reptiles, lizards, birds, mammals, and eggs. Since European settlement and the introduction of rats and mice, these have become one of its favourite delicacies. Rabbits too fall prey to the eastern brown snake. Snakes larger than about 7cm in length predominantly eat warm-blooded animals. Those smaller than this length eat more exothermic prey, such as lizards.

The eastern brown snake hunts during the cooler hours of daylight. It relies mostly on sight to find its prey, lifting its head up, from time to time, like a periscope to survey the landscape. Once a victim has been sighted, it gives chase, racing along at high speed to catch its victim and subduing it. It kills its victim by both injecting venom and in some instances, for large more thick-skinned prey, such as the blue tongued lizard (in photograph), where its relatively short fangs might not pierce the animal's skin, it constricts and suffocates its prey too. The eastern brown snake can dislocate its jaw to swallow its prey. Its skin is also stretchable to allow it to swallow large prey.

While most animals attacked by the eastern brown snake succumb to it, it has been observed that the breaded dragon lizard may actually be immune to its venom and will usually fight back to escape the eastern brown snake's grasp.

The eastern brown snake is susceptible to cane toad toxins. It appears however, that these snakes have learned to avoid these poisonous toads.

The eastern brown snake rarely eats during winter, and females may not eat at all while carrying eggs.

Eastern Brown Snake - Reproduction & Life Cycle Eastern Brown Snake Babies

Eastern brown snakes mate in mid to late spring. Males engage in ritual combat where they intertwine their bodies and wrestle with one another in an attempt to overpower the other. The stronger usually wins and gains access to the receptive female. Copulation can last up to two hours, and the female may store sperm for several weeks after mating. The female lays a clutch of about 15 eggs and abandons the eggs. Depending on the incubation temperature in the nest, eggs will hatch about 36 to 95 days after being laid.

The size of hatchlings varies greatly, from 189-275mm and 4-10gm. All hatchlings have a common head banding but differ greatly in the patterns and bandings on their bodies. These markings fade as they mature. Hatchlings are independent from birth and acquire the distinctive threat display characteristic of their species within 15 minutes of hatching. Eastern brown snakes reach sexual maturity in about 31 months of age.

An eastern brown snake can live for 7-10 years.

Eastern Brown Snake - Predators & Threats Is the Eastern Brown Snake Endangered?

Animals that prey on the eastern brown snakes include birds of prey and feral cats. Large numbers of these snakes are also killed by humans. Road kills too, claim a large number of these snakes.

Eastern Brown Snake - Conservation Status Is the Eastern Brown Snake Endangered?

Given the eastern brown snake's ability to easily adapt to human environmental activities such as farming and urbanisation, they are not considered endangered.

Eastern Brown Snake Bite - Prevention Helpful Hint to Prevent Being Bitten

Most snake bites occur as a direct result of people trying to kill snakes. The simplest safety precaution is the leave the snake alone. Move away slowly and calmly and let it slither away on its own accord. Call a snake-catcher if necessary to remove it. Do not attempt to handle a snake even if it appears dead as it can reflex bite up to several hours after death.

When travelling through areas the snake is likely to inhabit, avoid going off the beaten track and into dense undergrowth. Wearing long pants, thick socks and solid footwear will greatly reduce the chances of suffering from a snake bite.

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25 Eastern Brown Snake Facts, Diet, Habitat, Baby, Bite, Venom

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The eastern brown snake a large, fast-moving Australian snake. It is the second most venomous snake in the world. Its venom can kill a human in less than four hours. It is responsible for the most snakebite deaths in Australia. The eastern brown snake is not naturally aggressive towards humans.

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Tasmanian Devil | Facts, Diet, Habitat, Reproduction, Sound

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The Tasmanian Devil is about the size of a small dog. It gets its name because of its unearthly screams, dark colour, foul odour & bad temper. It is an endangered Australian carnivorous marsupial.

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The blobfish is a deep-water fish that lives off the coast of Australia. Underwater, the blobfish looks like a large tadpole. But on land, its body collapses, and it looks like a slime blob.

Blobfish Description What Does a Blobfish Look Like?

The blobfish ( Psychrolutes marcidus) is about 30 cm long and weighs approximately 2kgs. It has a globulous head with large black eyes, a blunt fat-filled snout that looks a bit like a bulbous nose, and a large mouth with villiform teeth (teeth the resemble bristles of a brush) on both jaws. Its head makes up 40% of its total body mass. Its body tapers quickly from its head to a small flat tail and is covered in smooth, loose skin. It has no scales. It is usually pink in colour but can also have grey tones.

The most notable characteristic of the blobfish is the composition of its body, which is made up almost entirely of a gelatinous substance with a density slightly less than water. Because of this lighter density, there is natural buoyancy in the fish, permitting it to float just above the seafloor. It can also change the density of the gelatinous mass in its body to vary the depth at which it floats. This enables it to adapt to different depths of water. This lighter-than-water body allows the blobfish to float effortlessly in its habitat, expending very little energy to move around. Another sea creature that has a gelatinous body is surprise - surprise, the jellyfish.
* Why is the Blobfish a Slime Blob?
The blobfish has very soft cartilaginous bones which easily compress to the extreme pressure of the deep sea without breaking. It also has no teeth.

The blobfish has just enough muscle, attached to its soft cartilaginous skeleton, to perform the basic function of living. These include breathing with its gills, opening its mouth, and moving its fins slowly to navigate just above the ocean floor. Its low muscle mass and usage have an added benefit that it uses very little energy in movement.
*The Sad Story of Mr. Blobby - Winner of the Ugliest Animal Award
25 Blobfish Facts

1. The blobfish lives off the coast of Australia.

2. It is found in the ocean at depths of 1,000 meters or more.

3. The blobfish swims or floats just above the seafloor.

4. Only underwater deep-sea rovers can reach this depth.

5. The blobfish's body is designed to work under pressure.

6. The water acts as a container and compresses its body into shape.

7. For this reason, in the ocean, it looks like a tadpole. On land, its a blob.

8. It has no hard bones.

9. Instead, its skeleton is made from soft, flexible cartilage.

10. The blobfish has hardly any muscle. Just enough to operate its gills, open its mouth and move its fins very slowly.

1. Its low muscle mass and usage mean it uses very little energy for movement.

2. Unlike most fish, the blobfish has no swim bladder to keep it from sinking.

3. Instead, its body is made of a gelatinous substance lighter than water.

4. Because its body is lighter than water, it floats effortlessly at whatever depth it likes.

5. It floats by adjusting the water content of gelatinous mass in its body,

6. By doing this, the blobfish makes itself lighter or heavier.

7. It has no scales.

8. It is not an active hunter. It waits for food to come its way.

9. The blobfish female lays thousands of tiny, pink eggs.

10. Nobody knows for sure if the blobfish is endangered.

11. The blobfish named Mr Blobby was voted the ugliest animal in the world.

12. Yes, you can eat a blobfish.

13. But it is quite tasteless.

14. Blobfish may live for a 100 years.

15. Three types of blobfish are found in the oceans around Australia.

Why is the Blobfish a Blob? How the Blobfish becomes a Slime Blob

The blobfish looks pretty much like a typical bottom-dwelling fish when swimming in its habitat 1,000 meters below the surface of the ocean. This is because the high water pressure keeps its body in the correct shape. It only looks like a blob of jelly when it is out of deep water. The reason for this drastic distortion and collapse of its shape is due to the huge decrease in pressure around its body. When swimming in the depths of the ocean, the water pressure around it forces its soft body into its natural shape.

Here is a real-life example of how this works. We all know of the slimy stuff kids play with called "Slime". Now when the slime is in its container, the sides of the container keep it in shape. In this case, the shape of the container is putting pressure on the slime, forcing it into a shape. However, when you take the slime out of its container, it no longer has something forcing it to have a shape. So it becomes blobby and has no particular shape. The same principle applies to the blobfish. It is designed to work under pressure. The water acts like a container.

Where do Blobfish Live? Blobfish - Habitat & Distribution

Blobfish are bottom dwellers, living close to the ocean floor at depths in excess of 1,000 meters. This is more than 2.5 times deeper than the depth at which even the most powerful submarine can go. A submarine, if it were to go this deep would be crumpled like a tin can by the water pressure. At this depth, the water pressure is over 100 times greater than on land at sea level. Only specially designed undersea rovers can penetrate down to these depths.

No sunlight reaches these depths and as a result, there is no vegetation of any sort. The water temperature is just above freezing (2 - 4 degrees Celsius). Except for a rare photograph taken by a deep-sea rover underwater vehicle; no blobfish has ever been observed by humans in its natural habitat.

Three types of blobfish are found close to Australia. Their habitats are colour-code in the map. The Smooth-head Blobfish ( Psychrolutes marcidus) is found off the coasts of southern Australia, the Western Blobfish ( Psychrolutes occidentalis) lives off Western Australia and "Mr. Blobby" (Psychrolutes microporos) lives near Norfolk Island.

What Do Blobfish Eat? Blobfish - Diet

The blobfish is lie-and-wait predator and eats whatever comes its way. This may consist of dead biomass drifting down from above, floating crustaceans, and larvae. It spends most of its time just floating around, waiting for food to come its way and then sucks it into its big mouth. It may also pick up slow-moving creatures such as sea slugs, sea snails, and sea urchins that scientists found in the stomachs of some dead blobfish they examined.

Can You Eat a Blobfish?

The blobfish's body is gelatinous (like a jellyfish) and is mostly made up of water. Yes, you can eat a blobfish. But it is quite tasteless. would you eat a tasteless blob?

With very little food in the depths at which the blobfish lives, scientists believe its body structure, with very few muscles, very low metabolic rate, and slow movement helps it to conserves energy.

Blobfish Reproduction & Life Cycle Baby Blobfish

Scientists postulate that the blobfish reproduces by laying tens of thousands of tiny, pink eggs in a nest on the ocean floor. Then she and her mate hover over the eggs to protect them from predators.

Deep-water fish such as the blobfish tend to live to a ripe old age because of their slow growth rates and the lack of natural predators. It has been suggested that a blobfish may live up to 130 years.

Blobfish Predators & Threats What Kills Blobfish?

Because so little is known about the blobfish, we do not know if it has any natural predators or threats.

The main predators that may be endangering the future survival of the blobfish are humans. Deep-sea trawlers run nets all the way down the depths at which the blobfish lives. It is caught up in these fishing nets, and since it is commercially worthless, it is tossed back into the sea. But by then it is too late for the blobfish. It cannot survive out of its depth and is already dead.

Blobfish Conservation Status Are Blobfish Endangered?

It is hard to be sure if the Australian blobfish is endangered as no one knows what its population numbers are. Conservationists believe that deep-sea trawling may have an impact on their survival. These assertions, however, have not been validated with any credible scientific evidence. To date, very few blobfish have been trawled up in fishing nets, and large areas of their habitat off the coast of Australia are not heavily trawled. So they may, in fact, not be seriously affected by human activities.

Some people claim that there are only 430 blobfish in the world. This is mere hearsay and not based on any credible scientific evidence.

The Sad Story of Mr. Blobby Winner of the Ugliest Animal in the World Award

Mr. Blobby (see photo) was a blobfish of the species Psychrolutes microporos. It was trawled up in 2003 by the NORFANZ scientific expedition from a depth of between 1013 to 1340 meters off the Norfolk Ridge 1300 km off the coast of eastern Australia. It was 285 mm in length and weighed 1.7kg. Although called Mr. Blobby, no one knows if this fish was a male or female as it was never dissected.

Mr. Blobby had his "fifteen minutes of fame". He was an overnight media sensation. Today, Mr. Blobby sits alone in a bottle preserved in 70% ethyl alcohol, on a shelf in the Australian Museum Ichthyology Collection (AMS I.42771-001). He no longer looks like the photos. His skin has tightened, his eyes sunken and his distinctive nose has shrunk-poor Mr. Blobby.

Based on photographs of Mr. Blobby, the blobfish was voted the "World's Ugliest Animal". The contest definitely wasn't fair. The Ugly Animal Preservation Society had good intentions when it voted the blobfish the ugliest animal in 2013. It is trying to raise awareness of endangered animals that don't grab the public's imagination because they are ugly.

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25 Blobfish Facts - Habitat, Diet, Swimming Underwater

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The blobfish is a deep-water fish that lives off the coast of Australia. Underwater, the blobfish looks like a large tadpole. But on land, its body collapses, and it looks like a slime blob. The blobfish ( Psychrolutes marcidus) is about 30 cm long and weighs approximately 2kgs.

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The headless chicken monster is a deep-sea swimming sea cucumber that gets its name because its body shape looks like a decapitated chicken. It is also referred to as the Spanish dancer because it looks like a flamingo dancer when it is swimming.

It has a reddish, semi-transparent jelly-like see-through body, where you can see its internal organs. It is also bioluminescent. That is, it can create and emit light and can glow in the dark. Its scientific name is Enypniastes eximia which means dreamer.

Headless Chicken Monster - Description & Characteristics What Does a Headless Chicken Monster Look Like?

Like all sea cucumbers, the headless chicken monster has a barrel-shaped body with a roundish mouth opening with tentacles at one end, and an anus at the other. Juveniles are usually pale pink in colour, and adults colours range from crimson, dark red and reddish-brown. It grows to between 6-25 cm length.

The most unique characteristic of the headless chicken monster is the composition of its body which is covered in a thin leathery skin and made up almost entirely of a gelatinous mass with a density slightly less than water. Because of this lighter density, there is natural buoyancy in the animal, permitting it to float just above the sea-floor. It is likely that it can also change the density of its gelatinous mass to vary the depth at which it floats. This allows it to adapt to different depths of water. This lighter-than-water body allows the headless chicken monster to float effortlessly just above the sea-floor expending very little energy to move around. Other sea creatures that have a gelatinous body are the blobfish and jellyfish.

The headless chicken monster has no bones. But it does have an endoskeleton (i.e. skeleton inside the body), which lies just beneath its skin. This is made up of a very thin and simple calcium-based webbing which easily compresses to the extreme pressure of the deep sea without breaking.

The headless chicken monster has retained just enough muscle to perform the basic function of living. These include breathing which it does by pumping seawater in and out of an internal organ called a respiratory tree, opening its mouth and moving its tentacles for feeding just above the ocean floor, and moving its fins to navigate. Its low muscle mass and the limited usage of its muscles has an added benefit that it uses very little energy in movement.

25 Headless Chicken Monster

Facts

1. The headless chicken monster is a swimming sea cucumber.

2. It gets its name because its body looks like a decapitated chicken.

3. It is also called the Spanish dancer because it looks like a flamingo dancer when it is swimming.

4. It has a Batman-like cape which it opens out to sail through with the currents.

5. Its two rear fins provide steering and stability.

6. It lives 4,000km southwest of Australia.

7. Its worldwide distribution is uncertain.

8. Its body is made of a gelatinous substance covered in a thin leathery skin.

9. The headless chicken monster is bioluminescent.

10. It emits light to create its own light show.

11. It lights up to scare off predators.

12. When stressed, it sheds parts of its skin to generate a glowing cloud around it.

13. With a body density less than water, it floats effortlessly above the sea floor.

14. It can adjust its buoyancy to raise or lower itself in the water.

15. You can see its internal organs through its reddish semi-transparent body.

16. It grows to between 6-25 cm in length.

17. The headless chicken monster has no bones.

18. The headless chicken monster has just enough muscle to perform the basic function of living.

19. This helps it save energy in movement.

20. The headless chicken monster is a bottom dweller.

21. It lives close to the ocean floor, at depths in excess of 1,600 meters.

22. Here, the water temperature is just above freezing.

23. The headless chicken monster moves along the seabed to feed.

24. It uses its tentacles to pick up food off the ocean floor.

25. It eats micro-organisms, crustaceans and polychaetes.

The Headless Chicken Monster is Bioluminescent The Headless Chicken Monster Glows in the Dark

The headless chicken monster is bioluminescent. That is, it can create and emit light. It does so with hundreds of specialised light-producing cells called granular cells. These cells lie just beneath its skin and are scattered throughout its body surface, feet and tentacle tips. The headless chicken monster's luminosity is generated mechanically as a response to a stressful situation-typically an attack by a predator. A local stimulation results in a localized reaction that gradually spreads over the entire body of the animal. A broad impact results in its whole body becoming instantly luminescent and the animal shedding parts of its skin to generate a glowing cloud around it. This anti-predator behaviour may be designed to scare off a predator or to light up its surroundings to attract other visually-cued predators lurking nearby the attack its attacker, allowing the headless chicken monster to escape. The shed skin regenerates rapidly.

Headless Chicken Monster - Swimming & Walking How Does A Headless Chicken Monster Move About?

The headless chicken monster differs from other sea cucumbers in that it has fins. It has a Batman-like cape made up of a membrane stretched over twelve conically shaped feet (podia) on the front of its body and extending to the back where it has two paddle-like fins made up by stretching this bat-like membrane over ten more podia at the rear of its body. To swim, it unveils this cape, and rhythmical pulsates of this membrane to provide movement. This cape also acts as a sail to push it from point to point. In a panic, the headless chicken monster defecates (that is, it does an extreme poop) to lighten is bodyweight to make it more buoyant for escape. The two rear fins provide steering and stability. It can also use this Bat-cape like a parachute to slow its descent to the sea-floor.

Headless Chicken Monster
Video

The headless chicken monster does not walk as such. Its tube-feet are actually tentacles for feeding. To move on the sea-floor., it points itself downstream of a water current and using its cape on top of its head to push it along. The movement of tube-like feeders may also provide some assistance in movement.

Headless Chicken Monster - Diet What Do Headless Chicken Monster Eat?

The headless chicken monster moves along the seabed and uses its twenty tentacles to feed on benthic sediments on the seabed. These include micro-organisms such as bacteria and fungi, as well as larger invertebrates, such as crustaceans and polychaetes.

Can You Eat a Headless Chicken Monster?

The headless chicken monster's body is gelatinous (like a jellyfish). Because it has very little muscle and is mostly made up of water, It also almost tasteless. As other sea cucumbers are eaten by people, it is conceivable that if it could be easily harvested it too could be eaten by some.

Headless Chicken Monster - Habitat Where do Headless Chicken Monster Live?

The extent of this animal's habitat and distribution is not known. It was first sighted in the Gulf of Mexico in 2017. It was most recently spotted about 4,000 kilometres southwest of Australia, off the coast of Antarctica. Given the two widely dispersed locations where it has been sighted, it is likely that it is widely distributed around the world.

Headless chicken monsters are bottom dwellers, living close to the ocean floor at depths in excess of 1,600 meters. This is more than 2.5 times deeper than even the most powerful submarine can go. At this depth, the water pressure is over a 100 times greater than on land at sea level. A submarine, if it were to go this deep would be crumpled like a tin can by the water pressure. Only specially designed undersea rovers can penetrate down to these depths.

No sunlight reaches these depths and as a result, there is no vegetation of any sort. The water temperature is just above freezing (2.5 - 4 degrees Celsius).

Headless Chicken Monster - Reproduction Baby Headless Chicken Monster

Like so much about the headless chicken monster, very little is known about its reproductive habits.

Headless Chicken Monster - Predators & Threats Who Kills Headless Chicken Monster?

Because so little is known about the headless chicken monster, we do not know if it has any natural predators or threats.

The main predator that may be endangering the future survival of the headless chicken monster is humans. Deep-sea trawlers run nets all the way down the depths at which the headless chicken monster lives. It is caught up in these fishing nets and since it is commercially worthless, it is tossed back into the sea. But by then it is too late for the headless chicken monster. It cannot survive out of its depth and is already dead.

Headless Chicken Monster - Conservation Status Are Headless Chicken Monster Endangered?

It is hard to be certain if the headless chicken monster is endangered as no one knows what its population numbers are.

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25 Headless Chicken Monster Facts, Diet, Habitat,Swimming, Video

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The headless chicken monster is a deep-sea swimming sea cucumber that gets its name because its body shape looks like a decapitated chicken. It is also referred to as the Spanish dancer because it looks like a flamingo dancer when it is swimming.

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The echidna is an egg-laying mammal known as a monotreme. It is one of the oldest surviving examples of early mammals and shows both mammalian and bird-like characteristics. For example, even though it is a mammal that feeds its baby milk, it lays eggs like a bird or reptile. Its anatomical makeup shows the evolutionary transition of prehistoric reptile and bird-like egg layers to milk-feeding mammals.

The name Echidna is pronounced ih-KID-na. Its scientific name is Tachyglossus aculeatus (Meaning quick tongue + equipped with spines).

Echidna - Description What Do Echidnas Look Like?

Echidnas are usually black or dark brown in colour. They have roundish stocky bodies covered with sharp beige and black spines. They are somewhat similar in appearance to hedgehogs.

There are two species of echidna: the short-beaked echidna, found in Australia and New Guinea and the long-beaked echidna found only in the highlands of New Guinea. The short-beaked echidna is the smaller of the species. There are five subspecies of short-beaked echidna in Australia.

An echidna measures between 30 to 45 cm in length and weighs approximately 2 to 7 kilos. Male and female echidnas are identical in appearance. A fully grown male echidna, however, is about 25% larger than a full-grown female.

Echidnas colour varies depending on their geographic location. They are light brown in the hotter northern regions but become darker in colour, with thicker fur, further south. In Tasmania, the coldest area in which they live, they are black. Two types of fur cover their bodies. A coat of short, coarse fur insulates the animals from extreme weather. While longer specialised hairs, commonly referred to as "spikes" protrude from the undercoat and cover the animal except for its face, legs, and underside. These spikes are pointed but hollow quill-like structures made up of keratin, the same material that makes up our fingernails. The echidna's tail is short, stubby, very spiny on the top and hairless underneath.

The echidna has a tiny face with small eyes. Its eyesight is poor, but it makes up for this with an excellent sense of hearing and smell. The echidna has no external ears but has funnel-like slits on either side of its head, which are well hidden beneath its fur and spines. Its slender, elongated rubbery snout, called a beak, functions as both a mouth and a nose. At the tip of this beak, on the top, are its nostrils. On the bottom is a very small mouth with toothless jaws, which can only open about 5 mm, from which the echidna sticks out a very long sticky and flexible tongue with which it catches its prey. The tongue can flick in and out at up 100 times a minute.

The echidna is one of the few land animals to have electro-receptors in its snout. These receptors enable it to locate prey by detecting the electrical signals they emit. The long-beaked echidna has as many as 40,000 electro-receptors on its beak. The short-beaked echidna, on the other hand, has only about 400 receptors.

The echidna has a distinct gait with short, stout limbs positioned on the side of its body like the platypus and reptiles. Its limbs are ideal for rapid digging. Its front feet have five flat claws forming an effective spade for digging, to burrow, dig up forest litter and to tear open termite mounds and rotting logs. Its hind feet point backwards, and help it push soil away while the animal is burrowing. The second claw on each hind foot is extra-long and also helps in grooming, where it is used to comb and scratch out dirt and bugs from its fur and spines.

25 Echidna Facts

1. The echidna is an egg-laying mammal.

2. This is very unusual because mammals usually don't lay eggs-except for the platypus, its distant cousin.

3. The echidna is an example of what early mammals may have been like-egg-layers.

4. Echidnas live throughout Australia.

5. They have roundish bodies covered with sharp beige and black spines.

6. They are somewhat similar in appearance to hedgehogs.

7. There are only two species of echidna: the short-beaked echidna and the long-beaked echidna.

8. An echidna is 30-45cm in length and weighs 2-7kg.

9. Males and females are similar in appearance.

10. But the female is about 25% larger.

11. The echidna has very poor eyesight.

12. But it makes up for this with an excellent sense of hearing and smell.

13. The echidna has no external ears but has funnel-like slits on either side of its head.

14. It has a slender, elongated rubbery snout called a beak.

15. From which it sticks out a long sticky tongue to catch its prey.

16. Its tongue can flick in and out up 100 times a minute.

17. The echidna's diet consists of termites and ants.

18. The echidna has no stomach. Its gullet connects directly to its intestine.

19. Echidnas have a body temperature of 5-8°C lower than other mammals.

20. It has only one rear opening called a cloaca. Other mammals have two.

21. Echidnas have a small neocortex, the most recent part of the brain to evolve.

22. The female echidna lays a small, leathery egg and places it in her pouch where the egg hatches.

23. She has no nipples or teats like other mammals.

24. Instead, it oozes milk through its skin and the baby laps it up.

25. The lifespan of an echidna is 16 years.

Echidna Adaptations They are Unusual Animals Indeed

Besides being an egg-laying mammal which indeed is unusual, the echidna also has several other characteristics, which makes it quite unique.

The echidna has no stomach

Its gullet connects directly to its intestine. There's no sac, like in most other animals, in the middle that secretes powerful acids and digestive enzymes.

Lower Body Temperature

Echidnas have a body temperature of between 31-32°C, which is between 5 to 8°C lower than other mammals. For example, a rabbit's body temperature is 38-40°C.

Echidnas have only One Rear Opening

The echidna has only one opening at the end of its body called a cloaca. This all-in-one opening is the exit of a common chamber into which the intestinal, genital, and urinary tracts discharge. This is a common characteristic amongst birds and reptiles but very rarely found in mammals. In other mammals, these are separated into two openings, namely the rectum/anus and reproductive tracts such as the vagina and penis.

Echidnas Hibernate

The echidna is one of the very few Australian animals that hibernate. (The others are four species of possum and a few bats). It is also the largest of these hibernating Australian animals. Hibernation is an extended period of deep sleep or inactivity that allows an animal to survive extreme environmental conditions such as the coldness of winter. In this state of near suspended animation the animal's heart rate, breathing and body temperature drops significantly thereby conserving energy. During hibernation, an echidna's body temperature falls to very close to that of the temperature of the soil around it. This can be as low as 4.7°C, with a reduced heart rate of just 4 beats per minute. Hibernation usually starts in late summer and ends in June-July. During hibernation echidnas regularly rewarm themselves and may move to another location. They seem to do this to find the coldest rest spot when it's hotter and the warmest rest spot when it gets cooler, thereby maintaining an optimal hibernation body temperature. In this state, the echidna's metabolic rate is around 30% of that of equivalent sized placental mammals, making it the lowest energy-consuming mammal in the world. In cold areas, echidnas hibernate for 6-28 weeks. Males go into hibernation earlier than females with young. Yearlings that don't breed, stay longer in hibernation. The echidna uses hibernation as a hardy tactic to deal with the extreme heat of bushfires too.

The Echidna has a Small Neocortex

The echidna's neocortex makes up less than half its brain. In a human, it is about 76%. The neocortex is the most recent part of the brain to evolve. This too, highlights the fact that these are the last of a prehistoric group of animals pre-dating modern mammals.

Echidnas have Spurs

The echidna is born with a spur on each of its hind legs. These soon disappear in the female. These spurs may once have produced venom and have served a defensive purpose (like the poisonous spurs of the platypus). The spurs of the echidna today seem to serve only a communication function. Recent research suggests that the echidna secretes a waxy substance from these spurs which it uses to mark its territory to indicate its readiness to mate to females, or as a signal to other males to keep away.

Echidna - Habitat Where Do Echidnas Live?

Echidnas live throughout Australia in almost all habitats, from snow-covered mountains to deserts and even urban areas. They are shy well-camouflaged animals that you would seldom encounter. They are usually found among rocks, in hollow logs, and in holes among tree roots or rummaging through leaf litter or sometimes in wombat or rabbit burrows.

For most of the year echidnas are solitary, territorial animals roaming over a large territory that often overlaps with the territories of other echidnas. While there is an adequate food supply, echidnas will generally remain in a fixed location.

Echidnas tend to avoid temperature extremes. In temperate climates, echidnas are most often seen during the early morning and in the late afternoon. In hot arid environments, echidnas forage during the night and shelter in rock crevices, burrows or caves during the hotter parts of the day. This is because echidnas do not have sweat glands, nor do they pant to lose body heat.

Echidna - Diet What do Echidnas Eat?

The echidna's diet consists mainly of termites and ants. It uses its nostrils and electro-receptors on the tip of its beak to locate its prey, which is usually hidden within a termite mound, anthill, a rotting log or under leaf litter. Once it has detected its prey, the echidna uses its powerful claws to tear open the mound and nests. It then flicks its 18cm long sticky tongue in and out to lap up its prey. The echidna has no teeth. So it uses hard keratin pads at the base of its tongue to push food up against the roof of its mouth and grinds its meal into a paste before swallowing. They avoid termites and ants that bite, sting or have chemical defences.

The echidna gets most of the water it requires from its diet. This is sometimes supplemented by drinking water or by licking morning dew from plants and grasses.

Like most Australian animals, the echidna's feeding habits are governed by the climate. In very hot weather it is nocturnal, only feeding at night. In cooler climates the echidna is diurnal, foraging in the mornings and evening.
Echidna Feeding Video
Echidna - Reproduction & Life Cycle Mating, Egg Laying, No Nipples for Milk

Echidnas are promiscuous. They mate with as many partners as possible. They mate by lying on their sides with their spineless undersides facing each other, so their spiky spines don't get in the way. The male penis located inside its cloaca is extended out and inserted into the female cloaca for impregnation.

After fertilization, the female begins to develop a temporary pouch which is essential a depression in her abdomen covered by two overlapping flaps of skin. Approximately 16 days after fertilization, she lays a single leathery egg, roughly the size of a small grape (13-16 mm), into her pouch. Nobody knows for certain how she does this. Some suggest that she collects the egg as it comes out of her cloaca and deposits it into her pouch. Another more likely scenario is that she curls up into a shape like the letter "C" and deposits the egg from her cloaca directly into her pouch. She then incubates the egg in her pouch for 10 days.

On about the tenth day the young echidna, referred to as a puggle, uses its eye-tooth (another example of its reptilian ancestry) to tear through its leathery shell and exists into the pouch. At this stage, it has well-developed forelimbs and is about the size of a small jelly bean. The puggle uses its forelimbs to hold onto fur in its mother's pouch.

The mother echidna has no nipples or teats like other mammals. Instead, it oozes milk through its skin from specialised milk patches. The puggle nuzzles up against these patches, which encourages them to secrete milk which the puggle licks up rapidly.

The baby puggle stays in its mother's pouch for about 3 months. During this time, the female may remove the puggle from its pouch and leave it in a special nursery burrow while she goes out to forage for food. Once the puggle's spines have begun to develop its mothers, no doubt finding it uncomfortable encourages its offspring to spend more and more of its time outside the pouch. When the puggle is about 200 days old, the mother will feed it one last time, dig out its nursery burrow opening and leave the young puggle to fend for itself. She will not return to the burrow again.

The average lifespan of an echidna in the wild is estimated to be around 16 years. Some are known to have lived to up-to 45 years of age. Their longevity is attributed to their rather "laid back" lifestyle and low metabolic rate.

Echidnas are solitary animals. The only time they socialise is between June and September when female echidnas are receptive to advances from males. The typical echidna mating ritual is one of pursuit. Up to 11 males echidnas form a line, sometimes referred to as a "love train", and follow a female around for extended periods and try to mate with her. Usually, the male who endured the longest and stuck closest to her is the successful suitor.

Echidna - Swimming Can Echidnas Swim?

Echidnas are good swimmers. They are known to visit their favourite watering-holes for an occasional dip. Unlike most land animals, the echidna swims with its head underwater, only lifting its beak above the waterline when it needs to take a breath. Like most quadrupeds (four-legged animals), the echidna uses a dog paddling swimming stroke.
Echidna Swimming
Echidna's Defences How the Echidna Protects Itself from Predators

The echidna's speckled brown body is its first defence against predators. It will stay motionless for long periods and try to blend into its environment.

If it is confronted while on a hard surface, which it cannot dig into, the echidna may try to waddle away at full speed. Unfortunately, it is not a very fast runner.

Its next strategy is the curl up into a spiky ball, protecting its underbelly and head and exposing only its spines to its assailant. Very few predators would attempt to attack the echidna in this pose.

The echidna's favourite defensive tactic is to use its powerful claws to dig itself into the ground until it is completely covered by soil or firmly embedded into the soil so that it is difficult for any predator to dislodge it. It may also try to wedge itself under a rock or log while exposing its spiky spines, making it nearly impossible for an assailant to pull it out.

How Echidnas Survive Bushfires Echidna's Unique Bushfire Survival Tactics

Australian bushfires are terrifying events. Raging fires with flames as high as four-story building tear through tinder-dry vegetation at breakneck speeds, incinerating almost everything in its path and leaving a charred desolate landscape behind.

Many people have noticed that after a bushfire, the only animals that seem unaffected by the catastrophe are echidnas. They have been seen frequently roaming about the burnt-out landscape seemingly untouched. So how do they do it? What survival tricks do they use?

The echidna survives by digging itself below the surface of the ground. The layer of earth above it protecting it from the scorching flames and heat overhead. It then hibernates, lowering its metabolic rate drastically thereby reducing its oxygen requirement and allowing it to breathe the toxic oxygen-starved and carbon dioxide saturated environment of its underground shelter. Following the devastation of a bushfire, the echidna emerges from the safety of its underground shelter. Because food is scarce after a bushfire, the echidna compensates by dropping its body temperature down by as much as 20 °C, slowing its heartbeat and decreasing its metabolism and goes into frequent states of torpor (mini hibernations) for as long as three weeks enabling it to conserve energy and live through the hard times.

Echidna - Predators & Threats What Treats Do Echidnas Face?

The only native predator of adult echidnas is the Tasmanian Devil. Baby echidnas sometimes fall victim to goannas - native monitor lizards who tear open their nursery burrow and capture spineless little puggles. Snakes too venture into nursery burrows and attack the young puggles. Several introduced animals such as dingoes, foxes, feral cats, and dogs are known to attack echidnas. Fortunately, the echidna's spiky defences offer it good protection and these attacks are rarely successful.

Aborigines have been hunting echidnas since they arrived in Australia about 50,000 years ago. They have, however, had little impact on the overall survival of the echidna population. Since the arrival of European settlers in 1778, humans have had a larger impact on the echidna population as a result of land clearing and forest felling. The echidnas, however, are very versatile and adaptable animals and don't seem to have been seriously affected by these activities either.

Australian bushfires are the largest single threat to an echidna. The echidna is too slow to run away. So instead of fleeing it stays put and adapts a rather bizarre survival tactic.

Echidna - Conservation Status Is the echidna Endangered?

The echidna is quite common and not considered threatened. It is protected by Australian law.

How Did the Echidna Get its Name? The Echidna is Named After a Greek Goddess

The name Echidna is derived from the Greek name Ekhidna. Because the echidna appeared to be half reptile and half mammal, in 1802 the British anatomist Everard Home named this unusual animal after the Greek goddess Ekhidna (meaning "she viper") who was half-snake and half-woman.

Echidna and the Mutiny on the Bounty How are They Related?

The first European to describe the echidna was, in fact, none other than William Bligh, the captain of the sailing ship the HMS Bounty of Mutiny on the Bounty fame. The Bounty was on its way to Tahiti in 1792 when it stopped at Adventure Bay in Tasmania. There Bligh reported that the animal had a bill like a duck and a thick brown coat of hair with quills. A member of the crew shot an echidna and later roasted it, reporting that it had a "delicious flavour".

An Excerpt from the Original TrishansOz Page
(Excerpt from the original TrishansOz page written in 1997 when Trishan was 11 years old.)
An echidna is about 50 cm long, and it is dome-shaped. It has short sharp spikes covering its body (like a porcupine). It has a short pointy snout and a sticky tongue with which it catches ants and termites. It has no teeth. The echidna has very sharp claws too and can burrow underground very quickly. An echidna has short stubby feet and waddles when it walks.

When it gets frightened, it raises its spikes to defend itself and tries to dig itself into the ground.

Echidnas adapt their activity according to the climate they are in. In hotter climates, they are nocturnal, coming out only during the cooler hours of the night. In cooler climates, they more diurnal, coming out during the day to forage for food.

You can see how the echidna is trying to hide in the photograph.

My dog Sage once tried to catch an Echidna and hurt his tongue.

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Echidna Facts: Appearance, Diet, Habitat, Baby, Videos

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The echidna is an egg-laying mammal known as a monotreme. It is one of the oldest surviving examples of early mammals and shows both mammalian and bird-like characteristics. For example, even though it is a mammal that feeds its baby milk, it lays eggs like a bird or reptile.

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The red-bellied black snake is a medium-sized venomous snake with a glossy black upper body and bright red or crimson sides and belly. It prefers to avoid humans. But it is one of the most frequently encountered snakes on the east coast of Australia. It accounts for approximately 16% of all snake bites.

While this red and black snake is frequently called the Red Belly Black Snake, its correct name is Red-bellied Black Snake. Its scientific name is Pseudechis porphyriacus.
Red-bellied Black Snake -Attacks & Consequences
Red Belly Black Snake - Description What is a Red-bellied Black Snake?

The red-bellied black snake's head is barely distinguishable from its body. That is to say; there isn't a clearly visible constricted neck area. Its snout is usually a pale brown colour. The scales on its body are smooth and glossy. It has medium-sized, dark eyes with round pupils that sit below a noticeable brow-ridge.

The average adult is about 1.5 - 2m long, with males growing slightly larger than females. Some have been known to grow up to 2.5 metres in length, making it one of the largest venomous snakes in Australia. The red-bellied black snake likes to maintain a body temperature of between 28 to 31º C during the day. Being a cold-blooded animal, it does so by moving from sunny positions to shady positions to maintain its body temperature.

The red-bellied snake is typically diurnal but may become nocturnal during hot or dry weather.

The red-bellied black snake belongs to the elapid family of snakes which means it has hollow syringe-like venom injecting fangs located in the front of its mouth. The fangs on this snake are relatively small. Like most snakes, it is deaf, has a forked tongue, and no eyelids. It is a very shy creature that prefers to avoid humans. A red-bellied black snake can live for up to 6 years.

25 Red-Belly Snake Facts

1. The red-bellied black snake is a medium-sized venomous Australian snake.

2. It is about 1.5 - 2m long.

3. Some have grown to 2.5 metres in length.

4. It lives along the east coast of Australia.

5. The red-bellied black snake prefers moist habitats close to water.

6. They rarely venture more than 100 meters away from water.

7. It hunts on land and in water and can even climb trees.

8. It is usually active when it's dark.

9. Red-bellied black snakes mostly eat frogs and tadpoles, lizards, fish, eggs, small mammals.

10. But sometimes, it also eats other red-bellied black snakes.

11. It can stay underwater for 23 minutes.

12. Like most snakes, it is deaf and has no eyelids.

13. The red-bellied black snake belongs to the elapid family of snakes.

14. It has small hollow syringe-like fangs to inject its venom.

15. It is non-aggressive and avoids humans.

16. It only attacks under extreme provocation.

17. But it is the snake most frequently encountered by humans.

18. It accounts for 16% of all snake bites.

19. Red-bellied black snake venom is low in potency and output compared to other snakes.

20. Bite symptoms include swelling at the site of the bite, nausea, vomiting, headache, diarrhoea, muscle pain, and general weakness. And passing red-brown urine.

21. No deaths have been recorded from its bite.

22. Do not attempt to handle a red-bellied black snake even if it appears dead. It can reflex-bite up to several hours after death.

23. It shelters in thick grass clumps, logs, burrows and under rocks.

24. Females are ovoviviparous. That means females give birth to live young.

25. A red-bellied black snake can live for up to 6 years.

Red Belly Back Snake - Habitat Where does the Red-bellied Black Snake Live?

Red-bellied black snakes live in moist habitats within forests, woodlands, and grasslands close to bodies of shallow bodies of water such as rivers, streams, swamps, and wetlands. They are found along the eastern seaboard of Australia, from south-eastern Queensland through eastern New South Wales and Victoria. They can also be found in parts of the Mount Lofty Ranges of South Australia. They can be found in small areas of north-eastern Queensland. (See map).

Red-bellied black snakes have adapted to the modern rural environments and can be found close to irrigation canals and dams. They rarely venture more than 100 meters from water. The snakes shelter under large rocks, in logs, in burrows and in clumps of grass. They seem to be territorial and have several shelters within their domain. They are active mostly during the day and warm evenings and nights.

Red Belly Black Snake - Diet What do the Red-bellied Black Snakes Eat?

Red-bellied black snakes predominantly eat frogs and tadpoles. They also eat lizards, fish, eggs, small mammals and other snakes-including members of their own species. Red-bellied black snakes may sometimes slither up trees for several meters in search of prey.

The snake is known to forage in water where it may submerge itself completely and swim underwater in search of prey. It can stay submerged for as long as 23 minutes. It may also intentionally stir up underwater sediment to flush out hidden prey. Captured prey may be swallowed while still underwater or, if large, brought to the surface to be consumed.

Red Belly Black Snake - Reproduction & Live Cycle Baby Snakes are Born Alive

Red-bellied black snakes usually mate during spring, around October and November. During the breeding season, they will fight other males to gain access to a female. Jousting involves the two rivals spreading their necks and rearing up their fore-bodies and twisting their necks around each other and getting entwined during the struggle. The snakes may hiss loudly and bite each other (they are immune to their own species' toxin). This jostling usually lasts for less than half an hour with one of the contenders conceding defeat by leaving the area.

Red-bellied Black Snakes
Fighting Video

The female gives birth about four to five months after mating. Red-bellied black snakes are ovoviviparous. That is, they do not lay eggs like most other snakes. Instead, they give birth to between 8 to 40 live young each in their own individual membranous sac. The young break through this membranous sac soon after birth. They are about 122mm in length at birth. The babies are born with well-developed venom glands. Their bite is just as toxic as that of their parents. Most young do not survive to adulthood. They fall prey to birds such as the kookaburra, other snakes, and frogs, etc. A red-bellied black snake reaches sexual maturity at around 2 to 3 years.

Red Belly Black Snake - Threats and Predators Is the Red-bellied Black Snake Endangered?

The red-bellied black snake does not have any significant predators. It is not a threatened species. There are many of these snakes in the wild. They are, however, susceptible to the following threats.

There was some initial concern about the rapid decline in the population of the red-bellied black snake after the introduction of the Cane Toad in 1935. The snake was eating the highly toxic toad and dying. It appears however, that the snake and cane toad seem to be co-existing in the wild. There are two theories put forward. The first is that the snake has learned to avoid eating the toad. The second is that natural selection is at play as it appears that the snakes have gradually got longer since 1937. While a single cane toad could poison a smaller snake the large snake, due to its bigger body mass, may survive a single cane toad ingestion. So natural selection has favoured bigger snakes.

Feral cats are known to attack and kill red-bellied black snakes. They also fall prey to large birds of prey such as the brown falcons. Juvenile snakes also fall prey to kookaburras.

Given the human fear of any snake, many of these harmless animals are killed when humans encounter them.

Red Belly Black Snake - Attacks Why Red-bellied Black Snake Attacks People

Do red-bellied black snakes attack humans? Yes they do!

But they only attack under extreme provocation. From the snake's point of view, humans are not a food source, and there is little incentive for it in attacking a person.

Red-bellied black snakes are one of the most frequently encountered snakes on the east coast of Australia. They account for approximately 16% of all identifiable snake bites.

This snake is a shy and non-aggressive animal. When approached, the red-bellied black snake will choose to flee or remain stationary, hoping to avoid detection. As a consequence, humans may get a lot closer to the snake before they realize their predicament and come face to face with the snake. The snake's first response will be to try to flee to the safety of its closest retreat. This could, be in behind the person, giving the impression that the snake is attacking.

It is far less dangerous than the eastern brown snake, and no deaths have been recorded from its bite.
Red-bellied Black Snake -Attack Video
Red Belly Black Snake - Bite How the Red-bellied Black Snake Attacks

The red-bellied black snake's first instinct is to flee from humans. If it is unable to escape, the snake will try to bluff its way out of the situation by flattening its body and lifting its body up in a striking stance and hissing loudly. It may even make a few mock strikes with a closed mouth hoping to scare its assailant away

If provoked further, it will attack in self-defence, delivering a quick bite and injecting venom into its victim. In some circumstances, it may also cling to its victim and chew vigorously.

Red-bellied black snake venom is low in both potency and output compared so some other more venomous snakes in Australia. Its venom consists of a cocktail neurotoxins (destroys nerve tissue), myotoxins (destroys muscle tissue), coagulants (makes blood clot) and also has haemolytic properties which rupture and destroy red blood cells.

Red-bellied black snake bites are rarely fatal. Many victims experience mild to negligible symptoms which include bleeding and swelling at the site of the bite, nausea, vomiting and headache, diarrhoea, muscle pain, and general weakness. The victim may also pass red-brown urine as a result of muscle damage caused by the cytotoxin in the snake's venom. There is no record of any human dying from a red-bellied black snake bite

As an individual's reaction to the snake's venom may vary, it is prudent that any bite be taken seriously and medical attention should be sort as soon as possible.
What to Do - If Bitten by a Snake
Red Belly Black Snake - Bite Prevention How to Avoid Being Bitten

Most bites occur as a direct result of people cornering the snake and trying to kill it. The simplest safety precaution is the leave the snake alone. Move away slowly and calmly and let it slither away on its own accord. Call a snake-catcher if necessary to remove it. Do not attempt to handle a snake even if it appears dead as it can reflex-bite up to several hours after death.

When travelling through areas the snake is likely to inhabit, avoid going off the beaten track and into areas with dense undergrowth Wearing long pants thick socks and solid footwear will significantly reduce the chances of suffering from a snake bite.

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The red-bellied black snake is a medium-sized venomous snake with a glossy black upper body and bright red or crimson sides and belly. It prefers to avoid humans. But it is one of the most frequently encountered snakes on the east coast of Australia. It accounts for approximately 16% of all snake bites.

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Wombats are pudgy burrowing herbivorous marsupial mammals found only in Australia. There are three species of wombat-the common wombat, and two types of hairy-nosed wombats. These animals usually walk very slowly but can gallop as fast as 40 kph for short periods when they want to. The wombat is the only animal that produces cubed poop (faeces).
How the Wombat Got Its Name
Wombats are timid animals, and would rarely see them in the wild. They are usually quiet but grunt loudly at intruders. The wombat's closest living relative is the koala. With a relatively large brains, they may be the smartest of all marsupials.

Wombat - Description What Do Wombats Look like?

The male and female wombat have a similar appearance. They are about 71 to 119 cm in length, 36 cm in height, and weigh about 35kgs. Some can weigh as much as 50kgs. It is the largest burrowing mammal in the world and the second-largest marsupial after the kangaroo.

The wombat's thick, soft fur can vary in colour from light brown to black. It has a large head with a thick snout, thick whiskers and short muscular legs with strong claws which it uses to tunnel underground. Wombats have small eyes with weak eyesight but compensate for this with an excellent sense of smell and hearing. They can also detect tiny ground vibrations.

The wombat has a round sloping rear-end with an extremely tiny tail, measuring around 2cm. Its rump is covered with cartilage and thick skin, which is also extremely tough. When attacked, the wombat points its hard well-padded rear at the attacker to protect itself. When threatened, a wombat will flee to the nearest burrow and block the entrance with its rump making it difficult for a predator to grab on it. If a predator follows it into the burrow, the wombat will defend itself by smashing the attacker's head against the roof or wall of the burrow with its hard well-protected rump.

Wombats have two incisor teeth on each of their upper and lower jaws. All its teeth grow throughout the animal's life, compensating for the wear and tear on them. All species of wombats have a split upper lip. This allows the wombat's incisor teeth to delicately pick individual blades of grass close to the ground.

The female wombat's pouch entrance faces backwards. This adaptation prevents dirt from entering the pouch when the animal is digging, and also because the wombat has very low ground clearance, it prevents the young baby from hitting obstacles or getting entangled in vegetation when the wombat runs.

Wombats are more tolerant of cold than heat. Wombats don't sweat. During warmer period their prefer to retire into a burrow. Wombats may also apply saliva on their fore legs and chest to aid cooling by evaporation.

10 Wombat Facts

1. Wombats are burrowing marsupials found only in Australia.

2. Wombats have short legs, but they can run at speeds of up to 40 kph.

3. The wombat does cube-shaped poop.

4. It uses its thickly padded bottom as protection by pointing it at attackers.

5. It often uses its rear to block the entrance to its burrow.

6. The female has a backward-facing pouch to prevent dirt from entering it while she digs.

7. The now extinct giant wombat was as large as a rhinoceros.

8. A group of wombats is called a wisdom, a mob or colony.

9. Wombats have an extremely low metabolic rate.

10. Because of their burrowing habit, wombat can tolerant low oxygen and high carbon dioxide levels in their environment.

Are Wombats Dangerous?

The wombat is a shy, docile animals that would rather be left alone. Given the opportunity, it would rather run away than be confrontational. However, if threatened or provoked, it can be ferocious and very dangerous to humans. With a top speed of over 40kpm hour, you can't outrun a wombat. Being a solidly built animal, it can charge at you and bowl you over with such force as to cause fractured bones from the fall. It also has sharp claws and teeth that can cause severe puncture wounds and lacerations. If you are foolish enough to crawl into a wombat burrow, it will defend itself by using its rump to ram your head against the roof of its burrow.

Wombat attacks are extremely rare. Just leave them alone. They are not pets.

Wombats - Species Types of Wombats

Even though wombat species are related, the hairy-nosed wombat is genetically very different from the common wombat? Their genetic codes are around 8% different. This difference in genes is higher than that between humans and chimpanzees, which is only 2% different.

Common Wombat (Vombatus ursinus)

The common wombat, also known as a bare-nosed wombat, has a bare, pointed nose, small ears, and coarse brown fur. It has short ears, a narrow snout, rough fur, and no hair in its nose. Its front paws are more dexterous than that of the hairy-nosed variety. This allows the common wombat to grasp vegetation to rip it out of the ground. It is the only surviving member of the species Vombatus.

Common wombats weigh between 22-39kg, and the male is larger than the female. They are nocturnal during the summer, but in winter, they often come out of their burrows during the day to feed and sun themselves.

Hairy-nosed Wombat (Two Types)

There are two types of Hairy-nosed wombats. They have larger ears, a hairier nose, slightly longer heads with squarer snouts, and softer fur compared to the common wombat. These wombats are genetically very different from their distant cousins, the common wombats.

Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat ( Lasiorhinus krefftii) is the largest of the three species of wombats, measuring up to a meter in length and weighing up to 32 kilos, , and the female is larger than the male. They are only found in a very small area of Queensland and are critically endangered. Only about 100 survive in the wild. They were once found throughout the arid inland parts of Victoria and all the way up to Queensland.

Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat ( Lasiorhinus latifrons) is the smallest of the wombat species. An adult weighing about 23 kilos, and the male is larger than the female. They prefer the coastal and high country of south-eastern Australia and are the most adapted to arid climates.

Wombat - Burrow The Wombat's Home

Wombats are very fond of their burrows, which can be quite extensive and up to 20m long. They spend up to two-thirds of their lives in them. Wombats dig their burrows into slopes, gullies, and creeks. These burrows provide protection against predators, bushfire and, most importantly, extremes of temperature and humidity.

The wombat hollows out its burrow by digging with its front legs while pushing the dirt out with its rear feet. It digs the sides and ceiling of its tunnels by lying on its side and using is front feet. It has strong legs and flat claws for digging.

A wombat can have up to twelve burrows scattered around its home range, with three or four serving as its primary residence. These main burrows are more elaborate with many sub-tunnels, sleeping quarters, and entrances. A wombat typically spends 1-4 days sleeping in the same burrow and then moves to another. It also appears to share burrows. It is not known if there is any family connection between these sharing wombats. Because burrowing requires large amounts of energy and time, newly independent young wombats prefer to occupy burrows already constructed and vacated by adults.

Wombat - Habitat & Distribution Where Do the Wombats Live?

Wombats are only found in Australia. Common wombats live in temperate forests and grasslands of eastern Australia. The northern hairy-nosed wombat is only found in a small area of east-central Queensland. The southern hairy-nosed wombat only lives in a few parts of southern Australia.

Wombat Habitat

The home range of both male and female wombats is typically about 18 ha, with an inner core area of around 3 ha and circular in shape. This home range size is comparatively small area for an animal of its size, but given its low-energy lifestyle, this area provides it with all the food it needs. Wombat ranges may overlap with that of others, but they do not actively defend their territories; they just keep out of each other's way. Wombats are territorial and solitary animals. They mark out their home range by rubbing their scent on trees and by scattering their dropping throughout this area and live within their territory on their own.

Wombat Distribution

Common Wombat - The common wombat lives in temperate forests and grasslands of eastern Australia extending from Queensland to southern parts of Victoria and all of Tasmania where the habitat is suitable for burrowing. It is one of the few marsupials that will venture above the snowline in some of the mountainous areas of New South Wales and Victoria. (Red areas of the map).

Northern Hairy-nosed Womba t - The northern hairy-nosed wombat is only found in a small area of east-central Queensland in semi-arid grasslands and eucalypt woodlands. (Little purple dot on the map).

Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat - The southern hairy-nosed wombat only lives in parts of southern South Australia and south-western Western Australia in semi-arid grasslands and eucalypt woodlands. (Green area on the map).

Wombat - Diet What Does a Wombat Eat?

Wombats are mainly nocturnal grazing herbivores that usually come out after dark to feed. In cooler months, they may also come out during the day. Their main food is native grasses, roots, and tree bark. Because it grazes on high-fibre high-silica grasses, a wombat's teeth rootless and grow continuously as they are worn down by its rough diet and digging. Wombats graze for between three to eight hours a day.

Wombats have a very slow digestive process. Food can take between 3-8 days to pass through its gut which enables the wombats to extract the maximum energy and moisture from their generally poor-quality diet. Their faeces are among the driest of any animal. It is renowned for producing distinctive, cube-shaped poop.

Hairy-nosed wombats, which live in the drier parts of Australia, have a very low basal metabolic rate, only 64% of the average marsupial, or 44% of the average placental mammal. The metabolic rate of common wombats is close to that of the average marsupial.

Hairy-nosed wombats receive sufficient moisture from their diet and do not need to drink.

Wombat - Poo (Poop)Why do Wombats do Square Poos?

The wombat is a nocturnal animal with poor eyesight. However, it has an excellent sense of smell. It also prefers to live alone and reacts very badly when other wombats encroach on its territory. So to keep the peace, wombats have evolved a unique signalling mechanism. It is with its poop, which is officially referred to as "scat". The wombat leaves its poop outside its barrow-on logs, rock and other predominate places, as a scent signal. The scent from the scat helps the animal find its way back to its burrow in the dark. This poop is also like an animal business card. It tells other wombats that the burrow is occupied and the owner's age, sex, sexual maturity, general health, and what type of wombat it is. Wombats are not unique in using their faeces as a signal. Other animals do this too. The uniqueness of a wombat's poo is that it is cube-shaped.

The reason seems to be that its unique six-sided shape cube-shape is more visible and does not roll off easily. By pooping in strategic locations around its territory, a wombat is signalling other wombats to stay away. The wombat deposits between 80 to 90 of these cubed scats a day. Each deposit consists of approximately four to eight cubes. The wombat is the only animal that produces this unique cubed faeces.

So how does a wombat make cube-shaped poop? No, it doesn't have a square-nozzled anus and poop slicer. The real reason for the cube-shaped poop is that the wombat has a very long digestive tract and as the animal's food passes through the last 30% of its bowel every last bit of nutrient and water is extracted. This part of the intestine has flexible and rigid sections that contract at different rates as the faeces passes through it, some parts squeezing harder than others. This causes the poop material to become cube-shaped, extremely compacted and dry. Having being shaped in this intestine, the faeces retains its compact dry cube shape when it is defecated. This is how the cube is made.

Wombat - Reproduction & Life Cycle Baby Wombat

Wombats become sexually mature at about two years of age and usually breed between October and January when there is plenty of vegetation, and the weather is mild.

Courtship consists of the male wombat chasing the female in wide circles, biting her on her rump, and rolling her over on her side for coitus.

Female reproductive anatomy is similar to that of other marsupials. The gestation period for wombats is 20-30 days. The young neophyte, no bigger than a jelly-bean and weighing just a half a gram exits from its mother's birth canal and crawls up into her rearward-facing pouch. There it latches onto a nipple and remains hidden and growing for around 6-10 months. After this time, it will venture out of its pouch to feed with its mother and is wholly independent 8-10 months later. A baby wombat is called a "joey".

Wombats live for about 15 years.
Kangaroo Reproduction (Similar to that of the wombat)
Wombat - Threats and Predators Is the Wombat Surviving?

Until the mid 20th century, wombats were considered as pests because of their borrowing, damage they did to fencing and grazing competition with pastoral livestock. There were bounties for killing wombats.

The major threats to the wombat today are land clearing, motor vehicle impacts, dingoes, foxes, and dogs.

Wombat - Conservation Status Is the Wombat Endangered?

Wombats are protected in all states of Australia except Victoria.

The northern hairy-nosed wombat. There are approximately 100 northern hairy-nosed wombats in the wild. The reason for their decline is their small population size, predation, competition for food by overgrazing by cattle and sheep, habitat loss, droughts, bushfires, and disease.

The common wombat and southern hairy-nosed wombats are not endangered at this time.

Wombats - Pets Pet Wombats are Not Such a Good Idea

Wombats are docile solitary wild animals that will avoid people. They are not suitable for domestic pets.

While wombats may look cute and cuddly, especially when young, they can be quite aggressive, unpredictable and even dangerous when they get older. A large wombat is a very strong animal. It can easily knock you over and even claw or bite you if provoked. A determined wombat can easily knock down or burrow under fences, doors, and even walls.

Wombats are best left in the wild. In most states in Australia, it is illegal to have a wombat as a pet.

Extinct Wombats Giant Wombats of the Past

Fossil records show that there were once massive wombats living in Australia. The biggest of these was the Giant Wombat ( Diprotodon) which was two meters in length and weighed between 180 to 250 kgs. They were as tall as a human. These animals were so large that they, unlike present-day wombats, didn't burrow underground, but instead lived their entire lives above ground. These animals became extinct about 40,000 years ago. Two reasons have been suggested for their extinction, along with other megafauna in Australia. The first is climate change, where Australia became drier and more arid depriving these huge animals of their food supply. The second is that early Aborigines may have hunted down these huge slow-moving animals hastening their extinction.

How the Wombat Got its Name

Early European settlers referred to these animals as badgers because they were about the same size and behaved like that animal back in Europe. A white settler, named John Price, first wrote about this animal in 1798 and called it a 'Whom-batt'. He was using a name used by the Dharuk Aboriginal people who once lived in the area that is now the city of Sydney. They called this animal a 'wambad'.

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Wombat - Facts, Description, Diet, Habitat, Square Poop

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Wombats are pudgy burrowing herbivorous marsupial mammals found only in Australia. There are three species of wombat-the common wombat, and two types of hairy-nosed wombats. These animals usually walk very slowly but can gallop as fast as 40 kph for short periods when they want to.

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Koala Diet, Habitat, Reproduction, Brain | Koala Bear

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The koala (Koala Bear) is an endangered, tree-dwelling Australian marsupial that eats toxic eucalyptus leaves and spends most of its life sleeping.

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The duck-billed platypus is a semi-aquatic monotreme mammal that lives in rivers and creeks of the eastern regions of Australia. It has a beak-like a duck, a tail like a beaver, webbed feet like an otter. The most striking thing about the platypus is it lays eggs like a bird. But the mother feeds the baby platypus milk like other mammals. Interestingly, it is also one of a few mammals that is venomous. Its scientific name is Ornithorhynchus anatinus.
* What is the Plural of Platypus?
Platypus Description Platypus Appearance

The platypus is about 35-50mm from head to tail and weighs between 0.5 to 2 kilograms. That's about the size of a cat. The female is smaller and weighs less than the male. Platypuses in the southern parts of Australia are larger than those found in the north. Some living on the southern island of Tasmania can weigh as much as 3 kilos.
* How did the Platypus Get its Name?
The platypus's upper body is covered in thick brown fur. The underside has cream or greyish coloured fur. It has a grey undercoat. The platypus's waterproof fur coat is double-layered and traps air for insulation. This keeps the animal's body warm and dry and gives it natural buoyancy when swimming underwater.

The platypus's beak is called a bill. It is flat, soft, rubbery and very sensitive. (It looks like it's made of plastic). Its nostrils are located on the top of its bill and close when the animal submerges. Electro-receptors on its bill are so sensitive that they can detect even the smallest movements made by underwater worms, insect larvae and crustaceans on which its feeds. Once detected, the platypus uses its bill to shovel up and unearth these creatures for it to eat. An adult platypus has no teeth; instead, it chews by grinding its food between two bony grinding plates on its upper and lower jaws.
* What is a Monotreme?
The duck-billed platypus's eyes and ears are located in grooves just behind its bill. Each groove acts like a pair of large eyelids. These lids open when the animal is above water, revealing its eyes and ears, and closes when it is underwater protecting them. It also has a third inner eyelid called a nictitating membrane, which acts like a squeegee and lubricates and removes dust and debris from the eye. (Cats, birds and even crocodiles have this membrane.)

The platypus has four short dark brown limbs with broad clawed webbed feet. The front feet are fully webbed and are like large paddles when extended. The rear feet are partially webbed and are equipped with venomous spurs. The animal paddles with its front limbs and uses its rear limbs for steering. It can retract the webbing on its feet, allowing it to walk on land and for digging its burrow.

The platypus has a large flat tail covered in dense fur. It does not use its tail to propel itself through the water. It is used as a stabiliser and to store fat. A fat-tailed platypus means a happy, healthy platypus. The female platypus lives off the fat stored in her tail while she is incubating her eggs.

The platypus has only one opening at the end of its body called a cloaca. This all-in-one opening is the exit of a common chamber into which the intestinal, genital, and urinary tracts discharge. This is a common characteristic amongst birds and reptiles but very rarely found in mammals. In other mammals there are two openings, namely the rectum/anus and reproductive tracts such as the vagina and penis.

25 Platypus Facts

1. The platypus lives in the waterways of eastern Australia.

2. It is an egg-laying mammal.

3. This is very unusual because mammals don't normally lay eggs.

4. It is also a monotreme because it has only one rear opening. (Other mammals have two openings).

5. The platypus is an example of what early mammals may have been like-egg-layers.

6. It one of a few mammals that is venomous.

7. The platypus is about the size of a cat.

8. The platypus uses its webbed front feet to paddle through water, steers and brakes with its back feet and uses its tail as a stabiliser.

9. It is also called the Duck-billed platypus because it has a beak like a duck.

10. This beak is flat, rubbery and looks like its made of plastic.

11. Its beak works like a metal detector or radar to locate its prey under the gravel of a river bed.

12. The platypus feeds on small bottom-dwelling creatures.

13. Occasionally, it also eats fish, frogs and insects.

14. The platypus stores its catch in cheek-pouches.

15. The platypus has no teeth.

16. It grinds its food between two bony plates on its upper and lower jaws.

17. It does not have a separate stomach.

18. It has a relatively low body temperature of 32°C, which is low for a mammal.

19. Males have venomous spurs on their hind legs.

20. It is mainly active from dusk to dawn.

21. During the day, it shelters in its burrow.

22. The opening of the burrow has a tight fit and squeezes water from its fur.

23. It has no nipples and oozes milk instead.

24. Baby platypuses are called puggles.

25. The Platypus stores extra fat in its tail.

Platypus Habitat Where do Platypuses Live?

The platypus lives in freshwater creeks and streams throughout tropical, semi-tropical and temperate zones from Queensland to South Australia. (see map). They prefer heavily wooded areas where there are steep stable riverbanks into which it can build its burrow.

They also require waterways with riverbeds that are gravelly or pebbled which is where its food sources are found.

A platypus establishes a home range and forages in that range. Its home range may overlap with that of other platypuses, but they do not have territorial disputes. Instead, they try to avoid each other, even changing their foraging schedule to do so.

The Platypus prefers riverbanks that are at least one meter tall. It uses its claws and feet to dig its burrow into the sides of these riverbanks just above or beneath the waterline. The entrance to its burrow is usually hidden amongst the roots and branches of vegetation and has an underwater entry. Females occasionally share burrows.

Females construct two types of burrows. Nesting burrows are specifically for her and her offspring and are built deep into the riverbank with a nesting chamber as far as 4 meters from the entrance. Camping burrows, on the other hand, are constructed by both males and females and usually have a short passageway which extends about 1 to 2 meters into the riverbank. The nesting chamber is dry and the platypus spends many hours sleeping there. A platypus may have multiple camping burrow dispersed through its home range.

Platypus Diet What does a Platypus Eat?

The platypus's diet consists of invertebrates such as water beetles, water bugs, larvae of caddisflies, mayflies, damselflies, dragonflies, dobsonflies, midges, craneflies, and blackflies. It also eats snails, shrimp, mussels, water mites, worms, and small crayfish.

The platypus is extremely active when underwater, scurrying from place to place in search of food. It uses super-sensitive electro-receptors in its duck-like bill to detect its food. It moves its head from side to side as it swims underwater picking up the tell-tale electrical signals given off by its prey. Quickly homing in on these signals, the platypus shovels them out its bill and pounces on them.

Because the platypus has no teeth, it does not attempt to catch large prey. But does occasionally eat small frogs, fish, and surface insects.

The platypus stores its catch temporarily in cheek-pouches located just behind its jaw as it continues to rummage along the waterway floor in search of more prey. In 30 to 60 seconds, when its oxygen supply starts to run out, its heads back up to the surface. Once floating on the water surface, the platypus quickly retrieves the morsels it stored in its cheek-pouches and starts to consume it. As the adult platypus does not have teeth, it grinds its food between two bony plates on its upper and lower jaws for about 10 to 20 seconds and swallows this mashed up food. It consumes between 15% to 30% of its body mass in food each day.

The platypus does not have a stomach; the sac usually found between the oesophagus and intestine that secretes powerful digestive acids and enzymes to break down food. Its oesophagus is connected directly to its intestine doing away with the stomach altogether. Scientists believe that the platypus lost its stomach because its diet does not require this complex organ to break down its food.

Platypuses feed mainly in the evening and night. On rare occasions, they may also venture out during daylight hours. They are bottom feeders, spends 10 to 12 hours each day foraging for food. The Platypus prefers to forage along the edges of the waterways it occupies such as the spaces near overhanging river banks, among submerged vegetation and decomposing plant matter. It also searches for food in pools and riffles of streams where water flows more turbulently over rocks and boulders

Platypus Reproduction & Life Cycle Platypus Eggs & Babies

Platypuses are solitary animals and don't socialise. The only time they come together is to mate. The mating season starts in late winter and early spring. The exact timing may be a factor of the climate, with those in the north commencing reproductive activities early than those in the colder south (Remember Australia, being in the southern hemisphere, has a reverse climate - the north is warming than the south). During this time the male actively competes for territory and the females in it. To do so it produces venom in the spurs on its rear legs and uses them to inflict injury on competing males. When battling another male, one male will wrap his legs around an opponent, and stab him with his venomous spurs. These fights are rarely fatal. The loser will be temporarily paralysed by the venom and will usually retreat. The winner gets whatever females reside in his new fought territory. Females too become more aggressive during this period and nip each other on the tail with their toothless bills to chase them away from the area.

Females do not appear to be choosy about the male they couple up with. They do so with any male in their territory assuming that he is probably the biggest and strongest in the area. The courting ritual may last for several weeks with the female playing coy and refusing his advances until she is receptive. She is receptive for 4-6 days. She will indicate her readiness to mate by nipping the male on his tail and he will nip hers in return and will swim in a circle and indulge in other aquatic courting rituals for a few days more before mating.

Copulation takes place when the male partially mounts the female, curls his tail under her rear, positions his cloaca against hers, inserts his penis (which was stored inside his cloaca) and ejaculates into her. A process that takes around 10 minutes. Once copulation is complete the male will depart to find other females and the female will start nest preparations.

After mating the female prepares a burrow deep into a riverbank with a nesting chamber as far as 4 meters from the entrance which she lines it with vegetation.

The eggs develop internally first ( In utero) and then approximately 2-3 weeks after mating the female lays 1-3 leathery white eggs, the size of small marbles (11 mm). She positions these eggs in a slight depression on her belly and curls up its tail to cradle them. Kept warm by her, the eggs incubate in about 10 days. The young platypus hatchling, about 9 mm in length, exit its egg by tearing the shell open with a small egg tooth located on the tip of its snout and clawing its way out with its front feet. It also has very tiny rudimentary teeth that fall out with a few weeks.

Once the hatchlings are born the mother's body secretes milk from two special paths on its skin (as the platypus does not have nipples like other mammals). Because its milk is deposited on the surface of the skin, and doesn't offer the relative sterility of a nipple; its milk contains special antimicrobial chemicals which protect young from infection.

Baby platypuses (sometimes called puggles) remain in the burrow for about 3-4 months feeding on milk and then solids brought to them by their mother. When they finally emerge they are about 80% of the length of an adult platypus and are fully furred. At this time they need to fend for themselves, learning to swim and feed on their own. Platypuses reach sexual maturity at two years of age. A baby platypus, when hatched, has very tiny rudimentary teeth that fall out with a few weeks. Adults don't have any teeth. They grind their food between bony plates on their upper and lower jaws.

This solitary animal is active during the evening and night. It lives for about 10 years.

Platypus Walking (with Video) How Does a Platypus Walk?

Even though the platypus is an aquatic animal, it has four legs which it also uses for walking and burrowing. There are two interesting characteristics about the way it walks. Firstly, the platypus walks in a manner similar to a reptile, such as a crocodile or a lizard by moving its legs from the side of its body rather than from under it. Secondly, because its front feet are fully webbed, the platypus walks on its knuckles in order to protect the webbing and to prevent them from getting entangled in obstacles as it walks. This is called Knuckle-walking. (Knuckle-walking is also used by gorillas and chimpanzees). Because a platypus is designed for efficiency in water, it is not well adapted for walking on land. It has been estimated that it uses 30% more energy walking on land than a land animal of comparable size. They are rarely observed on dry land.
* Platypus Walking - Video
Platypus Swimming (with Video)How Does a Platypus Swim?

The platypus is an expert swimmer and diver. It swims and propels itself underwater by using its large webbed paddle-like front feet and steers with its tail and rear feet. It closes its eyes, nostrils, and ears when swimming underwater and uses its super-sensitive bill to guide it through the water. A Platypus usually remains submerged for about 4 minutes but can remain submerged for as long as 14 minutes. It can swim and dive at the rate of 12 meters per minute. While foraging for food it travels at a speed of about half a meter per second. The platypus has a very low above water profile making it hard to spot.
* Platypus Swimming - Video
Platypus Venom (Poison)Is the Platypus Venomous and Dangerous?

The platypus is one of only five mammals in the world that is venomous. However, it rarely attacks other animals. Its spurs are purely for defence and used only under extreme provocation.

The male platypus has two sharp poisonous spurs near each rear ankle that are connected to a venom gland in each thigh. These spurs are usually held close to the ankle but can be rotated out to 90 degrees creating highly efficient jabbing spikes. When a platypus attacks, it grabs a part of its victim's body, typically a limb such as a leg, with its hind legs and buries its spurs into the victim's flesh. It repeatedly jabs with these spars injecting venom into its victim.

Venomous vs Poisonous Why We Use the Term "Venomous"?

Wondered why we use the term 'venomous' rather than 'poisonous'? Here is the reason.
A venomous animal injects or otherwise delivers its toxin into another animal. While a poisonous animal's entire body or parts of it may contain a toxic substance that is harmful if touched or eaten. Because the platypus injects its toxins, it is venomous.

Platypus venom is composed largely of defensin-like peptides (OvDLPs). Its composition is unique to the Platypus and is related to, but distinct from, snake venom. While the venom is not fatal to humans, it results in swelling around the affected area and excruciating pain that can temporarily incapacitate its victim. The pain can also linger for days if not months and cannot be suppressed with drugs such as morphine. Dogs are known to have died as a consequence of platypus attacks. The platypus is one of five venomous mammals and the only one which uses venomous spurs.

Since platypuses don't have many natural predators and don't use their spurs to capture food, and venom seems to be produced mostly during the breeding season, it is believed that this is part of the mating ritual between rival males. They rarely die from these duelling matches. The female platypus also hatches with spurs but these soon disappear as the animal grows.

Platypus Predators & Threats What Kills Platypuses?

Platypuses fall prey to dingoes, feral cats, foxes, large birds of prey and crocodiles. Domestic dogs too occasional attack platypuses. The young in nesting burrows are threatened by water-rats and goannas.

Is the Platypus Endangered? Platypus Conservation Status

The number of platypuses in the wild has never been determined. This is because it is extremely difficult to detect and track these animals. The general consensus is that the animal population has returned to its pre-European settlement numbers. The platypus is listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as a species that is of Least Concern. It is currently protected by legislation in all Australian States. It is illegal to capture, kill or keep it as a pet.

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25 Platypus Facts, Diet, Habitat, Eggs, Baby

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The duck-billed platypus is a semi-aquatic monotreme mammal that lives in rivers and creeks of the eastern regions of Australia. It has a beak-like a duck, a tail like a beaver, webbed feet like an otter. The most striking thing about the platypus is it lays eggs like a bird.

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Quokkas (Setonix brachyurus) are cat-sized marsupials best known for their cute smiley faces. It is easy to assume that they are glad to see us. Actually, it's just the ways their mouths are shaped.

The quokka is roughly the size of a cat. It has coarse thick greyish brown fur with lighter brown on its underside. It has a slightly hunched stocky body and a relatively short muscular rat-like tail. The quokka has a roundish face and head with short teddy-bear ears, black nose and eyes. It appears to wear a permanent smile, but this happy face shape of its mouth help it pant and cool off.

It is a macropod and belongs to the same family of animals as the kangaroo and wallaby. The quokka has all the familiar characteristics as these types of animals. It has short small forelimbs with hands with five-clawed fingers for grasping and pulling down branches, fighting and grooming. Its hind legs, which are relatively short compared with other macropods, are used for hopping. While very efficient at speed, the quokka's hind legs are ineffective at low speeds and hardly used. Instead, it uses pentapedaling locomotion at slow speeds. The male quokka is larger than the female. A quokka weighs between 2.5 to 5 kilos and is between 40 to 54 centimetres in length. The female quokka raises its offspring in a pouch located on its abdomen. Male quokkas don't have pouches.

25 Quokka Facts

1. Quokkas are small hopping marsupials.

2. They weigh between 2.5 to 5 kilos and are 40-54 centimetres in length.

3. Quokkas are best known for their cute smiley faces.

4. Actually, it's just the ways mouths are shaped.

5. There are only about 13,000 quokkas in the wild.

6. They are found mainly on Rottnest Island off the coast of Western Australia.

7. And are mostly extinct elsewhere.

8. Quokkas prefer moist conditions with dense scrub-land.

9. They feed on leaves and the soft shoots of woody plants.

10. Because of the food sources available on Rottnest Islands, they have adapted to eating succulents and grasses.

11. Quokkas eat by biting off a piece of vegetation, stuffing it into their mouths and swallowing it.

12. They regurgitate it later, chew it thoroughly and swallow it once more.

13. They need very little water to survive.

14. Quokkas can climb small trees. Most other macropods can't.

15. A baby quokka is called a joey.

16. It is smaller than a grain of rice when born.

17. It crawls up into its mother's pouch and grows there for six months or so.

18. A quokka mother may eject and abandon the baby in her pouch when fleeing a predator.

19. Quokkas live for about 10 years.

20. The name quokka originated from the native Aboriginal name gwaga or kwaka.

21. Quokkas face the threat of extinction.

22. It is illegal to touch or feed a quokka.

23. Quokkas are quite harmless.

24. But have razor-sharp teeth and sharp claws.

25. They can bite and scratch if frightened.

Quokka - Habitat Where Do Quokkas Live?

Quokkas are found predominantly on the Rottnest Island and Bald Island off the coast of Western Australia. They prefer moist conditions with dense scrub-land.

On the mainland, they are found in vegetation around swamps and near water courses. On Rottnest Island, however, they have adapted to the seasonally arid and harsh conditions and are thriving there.

It is estimated that their population on the islands number about 12,000 animals. The number of animals on the mainland of Australia, in the south-western parts of Western Australia, number less than 1,000.

Quokka - Diet What Do a Quokkas Eat?

Quokkas are browsing herbivores, meaning that they prefer to feed on leaves and soft shoots of woody plants such as shrubs and trees. The quokkas on Rottnest Island, however have adapted to a slightly different diet associated with the food available on the island. Here a large part of their diet consists of succulents and grasses.

Quokkas don't actually chew their food immediately after they bite it. They simply chop off a piece of vegetation, stuff it into their mouths, and swallow. They later regurgitate their food and chew it thoroughly before swallowing it once more. (Similar to cattle chewing the cud).

When food sources are not readily available at ground level, they may even climb up a tree to reach their meals. They also eat water-retaining succulents to supplement their diet. Quokkas get most of the water they require from their food and are capable surviving for months without drinking at all. It is only in very dry conditions that they need to drink water.

Like most macropods, quokkas store fat in their tails as an insurance in hard times when food may become scarce.

'Quokka Selfie' - Video Why Quokkas Loves Selfies

Quokka - Behaviour & Social Structure More Details About the Quokka

Quokkas live in family groups varying in size from 20 to 150 individuals. Dominated by a male, these groups aren't territorial and have overlapping home ranges. While peaceful animals, fights do sometimes occur between males, usually for choice rest locations under a shady tree. Quokkas spend most of the day snoozing in the shade.

These animals are categorised and being nocturnal animals. That is, they are active mainly at night. Strictly speaking they are actually crepuscular. That is that they are most active around dawn and dusk and this activity can continue in the night. During these times quokkas venture out of their daytime shelters, usually in dense vegetation and travel along well-worn paths and tunnels they have forged through grass and shrubs in search of food.

It is not uncommon, on Rottnest Island, to the see quokkas moving about during the daytime. This is an adoption by them to be fed by humans.

Quokka - Reproduction & Life Cycle Quokka Baby (Joey)

A quokka becomes sexually active at about 18 months. Female quokkas give birth to a single baby at a time. Female quokkas on the mainland are capable of producing roughly two offspring each year. Quokkas on Rottnest Island however, due to its more arid climate, have a shorter breeding season and have only one offspring an year which is usually born between mid-February and the end of April.

The baby quokka, known as a joey, is extremely small when it is born - it is no larger 1cm and weighs less than 0.4 gram. The reason for this is because quokkas belong to a group of animals known as marsupials. Marsupial babies have two stages of development. One inside the mother like placental mammals such as humans and the other outside the mother's body in a special external pouch called a marsupium.

Stage 1 - A quokka joey is born approximately 21 days after gestation. When it emerges from its mother's birth canal it is blind, hairless, with stumpy forelimb and hardly any trace of its hind legs and tail. Using its little forelimbs in a swimming (breaststroke) motion, the young joey crawls laborious up its mother's fur to her pouch. This journey takes it about three minutes. The joey's journey is made entirely by itself. The mother does not assist it in any way.

Joey Crawling to Pouch Video

Stage 2 - Once inside its mother's pouch the joey quickly attaches itself firmly to one of four nipples in her pouch. There the young joey will stay hidden from view for up to six months. Then it will start to tentatively pop its head out of its mother's pouch and observe the world around it. About two weeks later, it will have gained enough confidence to venture out of the pouch and hop about close to its mother. However, if frightened, it will immediately jump, head first, back into the safety of the pouch. By the time it is about 8 months old the joey no longer uses its mother's pouch. It may still suckle from its mother for another 6 months or so.

It lives for about 10 years.
Learn More About Macropod Reproduction?
Do Quokkas Throw Their Babies Away?

The answer is yes, and no.

No, quokkas do not physically throw their babies at predators. Their arms are too short and not strong enough to do that. However, recent scientific research has confirmed that when a female quokka is in a life-threatening situation with a predator, she may expel her offspring from her pouch, thereby drawing the approaching predator to the young and allowing the female to escape. Considering the strong muscular control female quokkas have over their pouches, this eviction seems to be behavioural rather than accidental.

From a biological perspective, this approach is sound. By sacrificing her young, the mother saves herself, rather them both mother and offspring falling prey to the predator.

Quokka - Attack! Attack of the Quokka

Because they seem so friendly and cuddly many humans attempt to get very close to them. While relatively docile and harmless, quokkas will respond if threatened, provoked or attacked. Their first line of defence is to hop away. Or they may let out a loud shriek. If this fails; then they will resort to their last line of defence. Which is to sink their teeth into a fleshy part of their attacker and dangle from their victim as they ferociously scratch and claw away.

It is illegal to touch or feed a quokka. You could be liable for a hefty $300 fine for doing so. But people still try to touch them. While probably unintentional, a quokka is quite capable of nipping a finger or hand. The island's infirmary reported 60 quokka bites last year.

Human Cruelty to Quokkas Humans Harming Quokkas

Not all humans are nice to quokkas. Occasionally you hear of incomprehensible cruelty by humans towards these harmless animals. In April 2015 two French tourists ignited an aerosol spray producing a 30cm flame that singed the fur on the head and body of a quokka. They were each fined $4,000 and jailed when they claimed they couldn't pay the fine. The quokka survived the ordeal without serious injury and was spotted on the island with burnt fur on one side of its body. In February 2017 a man was videoed kicking a quokka numerous times. He was fined $4,000. A New Zealand man caught a quokka and threw it into the sea. Luckily the distressed animal swam ashore safely. The man claimed in court that he merely "placed" the quokka in the water and that he didn't actually throw it in. The judge fined him $2,000 for his act of cruelty.

The maximum penalty for animal cruelty is a $50,000 fine and five years in jail.

How the Quokka Almost Became Extinct Who Caused Quokka Near Extinction?

Fossil evidence indicates that quokkas once occupied an area of over 41,000 sq. kilometres of south-western Western Australia, and were widespread when the first European settlers arrived in the region in 1829. But within just a century the population of quokkas had plummeted drastically. As recently as the 1930s quokkas were still abundant on mainland Australia and were even declared vermin (Government Gazette of WA 1933) and actively hunted and poisoned on a large scale. This eradication strategy together with the introduction of the red fox in the 1930s brought about the catastrophic decline in the number of quokkas on the mainland.

Quokka - Predators & Threats What Threatens the Survival of the Quokka?

Quokkas on the remote offshore islands of Rottnest Island and Bald Island are strictly protected and the quokka populations there are stable.

Native Predators - There no native predators on Rottnest Island and Bald Island.
Humans - The major threat to quokkas on this islands is misplaced human kindness and occasional cruelty. Feeding quokkas "human food" can affect their digestion and also make them depended on human largess.
Introduced Animals - There are no introduced predators on Rottnest Island and Bald Island.

There are less than 1,000 quokkas on the Australian mainland. They live in very small areas on the southernmost tip of Western Australia. These areas are now protected and the quokka populations there have stabilised.

Native Predators - There no native predators of adult quokkas. Young quokkas, however, fall victim to goannas and wedge-tailed eagles.
Humans - Hunting and land clearing once affected quokka populations on the mainland. But the quokka and its habitat is now strictly protected.
Introduced Animals - A number of introduced predators such as dingoes, foxes, feral pigs, cats and dogs are known to attack quokkas.

Why Quokkas Survive on Rottnest & Bald Islands

These islands were separated from the mainland of Australia by the oceans about 6,000 to 8,000 years ago as a result of a rise in sea level. This was before the arrival of introduced animals such as the dingo, fox, feral pigs, cats and dogs to Australia. Fortunately these predators could not swim to these islands. Hence the quokka was protected.

Cats were once introduced by European settlers to these islands but they have since been eradicated from the islands.

Quokka - Conservation Status The Quokka is a Vulnerable Species

Quokkas are classified as vulnerable. There are approximately 10,000 quokkas on Rottnest Island. And very small numbers on mainland Australia. While Rottnest Island has been commercialised, with over 500,000 visitors arriving each year, its high profile publicity and the revenue raised is helping to protect these vulnerable animals.

How the Quokka Got Its Name

Local Aboriginals referred to this little animals by a number of names including as ' quak -a' and ' kwoka' and the European started calling it a ' quokka'. Its scientific species name is Setonix barchyurus. The genus name ' Setonix' is derived from the Latin 'seta' meaning bristle and the Greek 'onyx' meaning claw. The species name ' barchyurus ' is derived from the Greek 'brachys' for short and 'oura' for tail. It is also sometimes referred to as a short-tailed pademelon or short-tailed wallaby.

The word 'quokka' is pronounced in a number of different ways. Some pronounce it kwo-ka (rhymes with "mocha"). The majority say kwah-ka (rhymes with "wokka").

How Rottnest Island Got Its Name

Rottnest Island is a 19 sq. kilometre island of the coast of Western Australia, near the present day city of Freemantle. In 1658, Samuel Volckertzoon, the captain of the Dutch sailing ship Waeckende Boey, whose crew landed on this island off the coast of Western Australia, noted in his journal that he saw a wild cat, resembling a civet-cat, but with browner hair. He was the first European to record the sighting of a quokka. In 1696 ,Willem de Vlamingh, another Dutch sailor explored the same island and described that the island as overrun with 'rats the size of cats'. He named the island "Rotte nest" - meaning rat's nest. This name eventually evolved to the island's present name of Rottnest Island.

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25 Quokka Facts, Diet, Habitat, Photos, Video

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Quokkas (Setonix brachyurus) are cat-sized marsupials best known for their cute smiley faces. It is easy to assume that they are glad to see us. Actually, it's just the ways their mouths are shaped. The quokka is roughly the size of a cat. It has coarse thick greyish brown fur with lighter brown on its underside.

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The emu is the tallest and fastest land bird in Australia. Standing on two skinny scaly legs, with a shaggy sheepdog-like plumage, an adult emu is about 2 meters tall. It has a small head and a tapering bluish-black featherless upper neck. It usually wears a hairstyle that is unique to each bird. The emu belongs to a group of flightless birds known as ratites. Its closest living relative is the cassowary.
Emu Attack - Why, How & When
Emu - Description & Appearance What Does an Emu Look Like?

Emus grow up to 2 meters tall and weigh as much as 60 kgs. The average adult male emu is about 1.4 meters in length and weighs about 50 kgs. The female adult is slightly larger than the male and has a larger rump. The female is about 1.5 meters in length and weighs about 55 kgs.
What Does an Emu Sound Like?
The adult emu has a small head with large red to orange coloured eyes with very good eyesight. It has two sets of eyelids, one for blinking and the other to keep out dust and dirt. During the mating season, the skin on the female emu's neck turns blue. These birds have relatively small soft slender, pointed beaks measuring about 6cm, specially adapted for picking up insects and small seeds.

The structure of the emu's feathers is different from those of most birds. Most birds that have a feather with a single shaft with smooth bristles and interconnected barbs (top photo). On the other hand, the emu's feathers are bifurcated, with two feathers growing from the same shaft with no interconnecting barbs. As a result, the emu's feather is soft and shaggy and also not as waterproof as other birds' feathers. Compared to its other feathers, which are soft and shaggy, the emu's tail feathers are rather stiff. The Emu rattles its tail feathers to scare off predators.

Being a ratite, the emu lacks a keel on the sternum (breast-bone) on which to anchor any flight muscles. As a consequence, an emu cannot fly. Although entirely flightless, it still has tiny, vestigial wings, each about the size of a human hand (20cm). The emu manipulates these tiny wings while running to control its balance and direction. When changing direction rapidly, the emu points one wing up and the other down, almost like a child "playing airplane".

25 Emu Facts

1. The emu is the largest and fastest land-bird in Australia.

2. It is the second tallest and the second fastest bird in the world.

3. It is found throughout Australia.

4. Emus became extinct on the island of Tasmania, because humans killed them off.

5. It can run at 50kph for long distances.

6. An emu can also jump 2m straight up.

7. Each emu has its own unique hairstyle.

8. The emu cannot walk backwards because of the way its knee joints are constructed.

9. It has only stubs for wings and cannot fly.

10. It uses its stubby wings like rudders when running fast.

11. The emu is the only bird with calf muscles.

12. The Emu rattles its tail feathers to scare off predators.

13. It makes a deep-throated hollow, drumming sound and grunts and hisses.

14. It has two sets of eyelids, one for blinking and the other to keep out dust and dirt.

15. The female emu's neck turns blue during the mating season.

16. The emu's feathers are bifurcated- two feathers grow from the same shaft.

17. As a result, its feather s are soft, shaggy and not waterproof like other birds.

18. They are good swimmers and love to frolic in ponds and lakes.

19. They shake water off their bodies like a dog does.

20. Emus are omnivores but they are mostly vegetarian.

21. Emus swallow their food whole.

22. Emus drink water infrequently.

23. An emu egg is 12 times larger than a chicken egg.

24. The male incubates the eggs for about 60 days.

25. He rarely leaves his nest and may lose up to 16% of its body weight during this time.

Emu Running How Fast Can an Emu Run?

The emu has two long scaly legs. Each foot has three forward-facing toes with large pointed toenails. On the underside of the emu's toes are small flattened pads to provide traction on rough terrain. The emu is the only bird with calf muscles (the muscle on the back of the lower leg). Since it has no need to perch and grasp like other birds, the emu has fewer bones and muscles in its legs than flying birds.

With this configuration, the emu is capable of running at speeds up to 50 km/h. At full pace, an emu's stride can be as long as 3 meters. It can travel long distances at this speed without tiring. The bird can also jump straight up to an astounding height of nearly 2 meters - it can jump as high as it is tall.
How the Emu Got Its Name
Emu - Habitat & Distribution Where Do Emus Live?

Emus can be found throughout mainland Australia. They are most common in Sclerophyll forests which have eucalypt, wattle and banksia plants with hard, short and often spiky leaves. The only areas they don't occupy are the most arid parts of the Australian desert, rainforests and the island of Tasmania (After the arrival of European settlers the Emu became extinct in Tasmania).

Emus have benefited from animal husbandry by humans in the interior of the continent. They are now frequently found around man-made watering ponds. Emus once also occupied the eastern seaboard of Australia, but they were displaced by recent human settlement.

While there is adequate food, emus will generally remain in a fixed location, but they are highly nomadic and will migrate hundreds of kilometres at a rate of 15‐25 kilometres per day in search of food and water. While solitary animals, they usually travel in pairs.

These birds spend most of their day foraging, preening, resting and dust bathing. They are good swimmers and love to frolic in ponds and lakes.

Emu - Diet What do Emus Eat?

Emus are omnivores - they eat both animals and plants. Most of their diet, however, is vegetation. Emus forage for food during the day. Their diet is varied and is dependent on the seasonal availability of food. They eat fruits, seeds and shoots of plants such as Acacia, Casuarina, and grasses and sometimes eat wheat crops which makes them unpopular with farmers. They supplement their mainly vegetarian diets with practically any animal they can catch and swallow whole. These include insects, spiders, snails, millipedes, and small mammals. Emus don't bite, chew or tear their food. Instead, they prefer to swallow it whole. They also swallow large pebbles to help their gizzard grind up their food. Emus drink infrequently but consume copious amounts of water when the opportunity arises, drinking between 9 to 18 litres daily. This high water requirement is because they use their lungs as evaporative coolers in hot weather and as a consequence exhale a lot of water vapour.

When food is plentiful, emus store large amounts of fat in their bodies. They use this fat reserve to survive in hard times and while the male emu is incubating eggs during which time it does not eat or drink but lives on its fat reserve instead.

Emu droppings are large and soft. They are important seed dispersal agents. Many seeds they eat are excreted in their droppings with their own little fertilizer supply helping to propagate plants.

Emu - Attack How an Emu Fights

The emu is a non-aggressive bird that would rather run away than confront an adversary. If threatened, it has several defensive tactics.

The emu's first line of defence/attack, when threatened at close quarters, is to stand on tiptoes and pull itself up to its full height, puff up its neck feathers, open its mouth wide and dance about, giving out blood-curdling hisses and then charge at you pretending to attack. It will usually stop before actually coming in any physical contact. If this ruse doesn't work, then it will resort to its "plan b".

The emu's "plan b" at close quarters is a swift kick or two with its powerful legs armed with sharp claws. It the attacker is large the emu will kick forward with its feet. If the animal is smaller, the emu will jump up in the air and attempt to land its feet on top of the animal, preferably on its neck and head.

If attacked from above by a predator such as a wedge-tail eagle, the emu will run in a zigzag pattern. This tight evasive manoeuvre makes it very hard for its pursuer to follow.

Emu - Sounds What Does an Emu Sound Like?

Emus make different sounds depending on their gender. Adult males usually make a pig-like grunting sound, while adult females make a loud booming sound. Young birds make whistling sounds. Both sexes sometimes boom or grunt during threat displays or on encountering strange objects. The emu makes its deep guttural sounds by vibrating a 30cm long thin-walled tracheal pouch which is part of its windpipe. The female's booming sounds, most prevalent during the mating season, consists of two forms. A high-intensity booming which is audible up to 2 kilometres away to attract mates and a low reverberating call to its partner which can be heard from more than 100 meters away. Both males and females also give out a blood-curdling hiss when feeling threatened.

Emu - Reproduction & Life Cycle Emu Babies

Emus usually pair up during summer and breed in winter. The male builds a rather basic nest which is a slight hollow in the ground lined with trampled bark, grass, sticks and leaves.

The female then usually lays 8 to 10 large shiny green eggs that look like avocados and weighing nearly 680 grams. (That's the equivalent of about 12 chicken eggs). After she has laid her eggs, the female shows no further interest and wanders off, leaving the male to look after the brood. The male sits on the eggs for about 60 days and incubates them. During this time he rarely eats, drinks or leaves his nest. While he is incubating, his metabolism rate drops and he may lose as much as 8 kgs in weight.

A newly hatched Emu weighs about 500 grams and is small enough to fit in your cupped hand. Its body is covered with downy black and white striped feathers arranged in a squiggly pattern. This colouration helps break up the outline of the body when seen from above, so the chick is not easily spotted by predators.
Emu chicks follow their father everywhere whistling softly to each other eating tender plant shoots. The whistling becomes louder and high-pitched of they feel threatened or lose sight of their father.

The male cares for his chicks for up to 18 months, and most survive to adulthood. They reach breeding age at 2 years of age. They live for ten to twenty years and up to 35 years in captivity.
Emu Egg Art - Kalti Paarti
Emu - Predators and Threats What Kills Emus?

The emu did not have native ground-level predators until the introduction of animals by humans. Since then, it has dealt with ground-level predators such as dingoes, dogs, and feral cats by running away at top speed. While doing so, they raise one wing and lower the other and quickly swivel 180 degrees like a child "playing airplane" and scoots off, still at top speed in a different direction. Its four-legged pursuers cannot turn so rapidly and overshoot the emu going right past, as it heads off in an other direction. The emu can usually exhaust its predator before the predator can catch up with it.

Emu - Conservation Status Is the Emu Endangered?

There were once three types of emus in Australia, but the Tasmanian emu and King Island emu became extinct after the arrival of European settlers starting in 1788.

Wild emus today are protected by law. Harming them in any way is illegal. With an estimated population of between 650,000 to 750,000 wild emus in mainland Australia, their population is considered to be stable and is not under any threat. Furthermore, human agriculture in the Australian Outback may actually have contributed to an increase in the emu population because humans have dotted the landscape with numerous watering holes for sheep and cattle that emus use too.

There are also many emu farms where the birds are raised for their meat leather and oil.

How the Emu Got its Name What is a Male, Female and Baby Emu Called?

The most likely entomology for the word "emu" is that it was an Arabic word that early Portuguese explorers adapted as "ema" to describe large birds such as the ostrich. The word was subsequently used by them to describe cassowaries they discovered in Indonesia and New Guinea. It was then used by other European explorers, such as the Dutch, to describe the bird we know today as the Emu.

Scientific Name:Dromaius novaehollandiae (which roughly translates to "fast runner from New Guinea")
How to Pronounce Emu
Emu Egg Art Kalti Paarti

Emu egg carving became popular in the late 19th century when artists noticed the multiple layers of the emu's shell.

First, the egg is pierced at both ends, and the yolk is blown out. Pictures are then etched on the surface by scraping and carving away the outer layers of shell. The depth of the carving will not only create a three-dimensional effect but also influence the colours displayed. Shades of blue, blue-green, brown and grey will be exposed depending on what depth the shell is carved.

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25 Emu Facts, Diet, Habitat, Reproduction, Photos, Video

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The emu is the tallest and fastest land bird in Australia. Standing on two skinny scaly legs, with a shaggy sheepdog-like plumage, an adult emu is about 2 meters tall. It has a small head and a tapering bluish-black featherless upper neck. It usually wears a hairstyle that is unique to each bird.