Strange critter...

[Gary~]

Here's a pic that I just took of a visitor to my place. Looking for ants:

[Switchy]

Cute little guy .  So what is it ?  We have Porkypines around this area but you sure do not want to get hit by one of them.

[Gary~]

Cute little guy .  So what is it ?  We have Porkypines around this area but you sure do not want to get hit by one of them.

It's an echidna. Never heard of anyone being hurt by one. To defend themselves they just dig their claws into the ground and tuck their head under their belly so it's hidden. I've seen dogs going bananas trying to "get" them but there is nothing the dogs can do. The echidna just waits them out and then slowly waddles off when the dog loses interest.

I've got a feeling from watching cartoons when I was a kid that porcupines quills can get stuck into your skin [ie they detatch from the body of the porcupine] but these fellas don't do that.

[Switchy]

Cute little guy .  So what is it ?  We have Porkypines around this area but you sure do not want to get hit by one of them.

It's an echidna. Never heard of anyone being hurt by one. To defend themselves they just dig their claws into the ground and tuck their head under their belly so it's hidden. I've seen dogs going bananas trying to "get" them but there is nothing the dogs can do. The echidna just waits them out and then slowly waddles off when the dog loses interest.

I've got a feeling from watching cartoons when I was a kid that porcupines quills can get stuck into your skin [ie they detatch from the body of the porcupine] but these fellas don't do that.

Indeed Gary , when a Pocupines throw a quill's at you or your dog, The quills are like fishhooks and they do hurt.  But just critters using their defense system.   Thanks for the pic.   

[Gary~]

And I have just thrown out some vegetable scraps as I am making my dinner and these fellas just dropped in. They are pademelons which are a sort of small wallaby which is a sort of small kangaroo. These fellas are about 16 inches tall. There is also a mini variety called a potoroo about 10 inches or so tall which is very cute.

It would be good if others could upload pics to this thread of any wildlife they come across. I find it interesting.

[Beardman]

I am so jealous you have pademelons locally! I would love to see one in the wild, at uni (I did a bachelor of environmental science (wildlife and conservation biology)) on one of my camps. We went out trapping with one of the local research teams which were targetting Potaroos in order to log their population sizes and that kind of thing, in order to see how  their mass baiting of foxes in the Gippsland region was working. Sad fact, since the introduction of foxes to Australia, like many other native species, the potaroo was almost driven to extinction. But with this baiting project called SOuthern Ark, they've seen an increase in potaroo numbers. While out, I actually got to see a potaroo, so I was pretty stoked. During the same camping trip we were doing our on research on small mammals in particular 2 species of Antichenus.

The Antichenus agilis:

http://biosnaps.gaiaresources.com.au/bdrs-core/public/speciesInfo.htm?spid=1832&mode=fieldguide

and Antichenus swainssonii:

http://biosnaps.gaiaresources.com.au/bdrs-core/public/speciesInfo.htm?spid=1834&mode=fieldguide

Bah can't link images for some reason, so here is some links to the Museum Victoria website, with some info about them too.

Fun fact about them, During the mating season, males hump and fight so much that at the end of the season, all the mature males die off from the population.

[Gary~]

I am so jealous you have pademelons locally!

There are literally hundreds and hundreds of them and nearly all of them are tame -- no-one hurts them in my area. If I go for a walk anytime during the day I'll see 10 or 20 -- at night time hundreds. I really love the potoroo though -- not many around here but I have lived in one place that was positively "infested" with them.


And these little buggers are always around in the summer:


And your  Antichenus swainssonii:


Environmental biology must have been an interesting course -- I find wildlife fascinating. Here we also have quolls [spotted tail and eastern], possums [ring tail and brush], Tassie devils and wombats. All of them regularly visit my place even of they don't all live here [I think they all live here except for the wombat which seems to range further afield.]

[Beardman]

It was very interesting, I am glad I had the opportunity to do it.

Blue tongues are everywhere during the summer indeed, 1 almost made me mess my pants a few weeks ago when I was standing in thigh-high weeds doing herbicide spraying. all I saw was this reptile dart between rocks just in the corner of my eye... so what do I go and do... investigate. Glad it wasn't actually a snake ahaha

[Beardman]

O and.. hundreds :S no fair haha. That's it I'm going to have to  Tasmania for a holiday next time I can afford it and have some spare time. I've already got a standing invitation near Devonport, if I remember rightly that's not too far from you? But that could be anytime from 12 months away to never haha. But Mum is always talking about how beautiful the place is. My parents did a tour around Tassie for their honeymoon.

[Gary~]

O and.. hundreds :S no fair haha. That's it I'm going to have to  Tasmania for a holiday next time I can afford it and have some spare time. I've already got a standing invitation near Devonport, if I remember rightly that's not too far from you? But that could be anytime from 12 months away to never haha. But Mum is always talking about how beautiful the place is. My parents did a tour around Tassie for their honeymoon.

Well make sure that drop in -- I am indeed only about 45 minutes from Devonport.

I just went up to the neighbours about 800 m away and on the way there and back I counted 10 pademelons with another one caught in the chook pen that needed to be guided out. Plus, on the way back I say a Rufus wallaby which is a much bigger beast and a very rare solitary visitor here.

[Beardman]

Hrmm, are you sure that's what they are called, are they called something else cos I thought Rufus wallabies were only in WA, maybe a bit into NT... Now you are going to make me research (he says it like it's a bad thing)

[Beardman]

Done some research, of course you are right! lol, I was thinking of RufOus hare Wallaby...

[baldjoeg]

Gary and Beardman,

Thanks for sharing this with us. Awesom to say the least!

When we were in Australia,in February, 2009, the only place that we saw kangaroos was in a wild life refuge park near Adelaide. They were great to see and fun to feed. WE also saw Koala Bears that were feeding on Eucalyptis.It wasa great ecxoereince to hear about. THanks again.

Joe G.

[Gary~]

Gary and Beardman,

Thanks for sharing this with us. Awesom to say the least!

When we were in Australia,in February, 2009, the only place that we saw kangaroos was in a wild life refuge park near Adelaide. They were great to see and fun to feed. WE also saw Koala Bears that were feeding on Eucalyptis.It wasa great ecxoereince to hear about. THanks again.

Joe G.

You are most welcome but I would really love to see others post their wildlife pics perhaps on this thread or another. I would love to see what others see in other parts of the world as I'm sure many others would too. Birds would be great and for those with the right camera equipment insects would be very interesting -- but let us know what part of the world you are in.

10,000 bonus points for a real photo [one you take yourself] of a grizzly or any sort of bear. Be nice to see moose, deer and especially a real pic of a wolverine.

As soon as I next see a tiger snake I'll take a pic and put that up for switchy. They're very common here but they are not quite so prolific this year. Might take a day or two.

Oh, and Voodoo should be able to provide a pic of an armadillo I hope. I've read some of Kinky Friedman's novels and they are often mentioned in them and they look amazing.

[Hingatao]

And I have just thrown out some vegetable scraps as I am making my dinner and these fellas just dropped in. They are pademelons which are a sort of small wallaby which is a sort of small kangaroo. These fellas are about 16 inches tall. There is also a mini variety called a potoroo about 10 inches or so tall which is very cute.

It would be good if others could upload pics to this thread of any wildlife they come across. I find it interesting.

Cute little things aren't they?