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Other stuff
Sometimes nature can surprise us. My venture to rid our place of Cane Toads gave us the proverbial ‘gift that keeps on giving’! And in more ways than one.
Camouflage is the use of shapes and colouring to blend in with surroundings. Nature does an impressive job at it.
Okay, time out for a bit of fun. These critters sure look cute when they’re little. In a feeble attempt to make this page informative I’ll also include pics to show what they grow into.
A lot of people enjoy feeding wild animals. It might be a visit to the park to feed the pigeons, or putting chopped bits of meat on your balcony for the kookaburras. So is feeding wild animals a good thing?
A licensed wildlife carer sent me this information (thank you, Terri!) and now I’m publishing it here. Because I think it’s important.
When I asked a bunch of people at random, most people said they didn’t think kangaroos could swim. ‘Not with those little front legs,’ was the usual response. Well, it turns out that kangaroos can swim. And surprisingly well, too.
There’s a common belief that fires are good for the Australian bush. And there’s a lot of truth in that too. But like many things, the more you look into it the more complicated it gets. The full story of fire in the Australian bush is too much for this website (or possibly for any website). However there’s enough room here for a few important points.
You don’t have to live in a tropical rainforest to find critters (although it helps). Some of the most amazing creatures I’ve come across have turned up in some of the most densely-populated and built-up areas in Sydney. There are plenty of rewards to be had for a little bit of looking around. This page shows a few of my recent favourites.
I’ve often heard it said that Australia had plenty of water, but that much of it was underground. I never really understood what that meant, although I think I’ve got a better idea now, after reading Back from the Brink.
People say animals are stupid. But after seeing a father proudly watching his kids teasing a wild goanna, I’m thinking it’s the humans that should be smarter. Goannas and other large lizards are capable of a really nasty bite and that dad was letting his kids take a big risk.
At first glance these pinkish-brown lizards are seriously cute. But the closer you look, the muddier their story becomes.
When I was a kid I was lucky. I lived on the edge of Sydney Harbour in an area surprisingly unaffected by housing and other types of development. Wild orchids, native to that area, and other types of wildflowers bloomed between the gum trees.
Birds
Insects and spiders
Plants
Nature words