Plants and Animals

One of Australia’s largest native rodents, the Giant White-tailed Rat (Uromys caudimaculatus) has such formidable teeth and jaw strength, they have been known to eat through steel garbage bins. They are also capable of dispersing large-seeded tree … [Read more...] about The Giant White-tailed Rat

The Bleeding Heart (Homalanthus novoguineensis) is the preferred food plant of the caterpillar (above), which attains a length of 12 cm and produces Australia's largest moth: The Hercules (Coscinocera hercules). The female moth has a slightly paler … [Read more...] about Australia’s Largest Lepidopterans

Hi Jennifer, In the animal world we have heard about the most strange adoptions, for example a lion that adopted an antelope, a turtle that adopted a rhino baby and the list goes on. Here's a story about hedgehogs that adopted a cleaning brush as … [Read more...] about Hedgehogs (Part 2)

Like most birds that I see at night, this Azure Kingfisher (Alcedo azurea) was roosting strategically on the distal end of isolated vegetation, to forecast the vibrations of predators. In this instance, the climbing bamboo (Bambusa moreheadiana) … [Read more...] about The Azure Kingfisher

There are two criteria which should be applied to the harvest of an animal species: 1. Are the numbers taken sustainable, and 2. Is the method of killing humane? At least that’s what I said on ABC Radio National last Friday morning when Steve … [Read more...] about Ignoring the slaughter of dugongs in Northern Australia

These voracious, venomous predators of the night are seldom seen and even more infrequently in pairs, but what can be said of the affairs of the Scutigeromorph heart? Well first of all, they have a series of trachea originating at dorsal openings … [Read more...] about Affairs of the Scutigeromorph Heart