Australia

Cane Toad News!

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Cane Toad - Bufo Marinus​


ABC News said:
The female cane toad can pump herself up to mega-size to throw off smaller males striving to mate with her, Australian biologists said.

The unusual tactic suggests that female anurans, as frogs and toads are called, may have far more power to select their sex partner than thought, according to their study in the British journal, Biology Letters.
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Linky


Goanna.jpg

Lolwut?​
 
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Freshwater crocs muscled out by salties

This won't end well.


Freshwater crocodiles are being driven out of parts of the Northern Territory by their larger, more aggressive saltwater cousins.

A proposed new crocodile management plan has found that numbers of freshwater crocs have fallen in some Top End rivers since the late 1990s.

Territory Government scientist Robyn Delaney says increasing numbers of large salties have moved into the Daly River, pushing out their smaller counterparts.
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ABC News


So that's why the camels are on the move. It's not dinosaurs after all.


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Freshwater, or Johnstone River Crocodile (a 'freshie')
​


Mostly harmless, but they are bad tempered. They won't eat you like a saltie, but you're going to need a couple of band-aids.
 
Fish schooled in survival skills

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Thousands of fish fingerlings are being trained how to recognise predators and swim away, in a bid to boost native fish numbers in the wild.

Murray cod are the first species to enrol at the biggest school for fish in a research centre on Bribie Island, north of Brisbane.
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ABC News



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Murray Cod (Maccullochella peelii peelii)​


Picture from the Murray Darling Basin Commission
 
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We just spent some time camping on the Ovens up near Peechleba (pronounced Peach-el-bar) and have come home fat and tanned.

We had a great time - some fishing - caught stuff all despite the fact of it being Murray Cod country; some shooting - my 13 year old thinks he has a shot at the Olympics as a shooter - he managed to ping a rabbit with an air rifle; the fact is it was a lucky shot as he plonked the slug in a group of about eight of the buggers and it dropped on its head knocking him cold. I dispatched it with my knife and the dogs had a nice feed of rabbit stew. We did heaps of swimming - the water temp was fantastic.

We nearly got rained out with the fierce thunder and lightening storms that came through about 14 days ago, then nearly blown away with the wind that followed the next day. The lightning was something to behold as we had a clear view to the north-west as the storm rolled in, nature really put on a fantastic light show; it would beat the fireworks held in sin city. After that it got hot.

Now, Peechelba is where the Bush Ranger Mad Dog Morgan was killed. Here is a bit of a bio on him. Towards the end of the article you will see the odd fashion in which they treated some of the various .. er.. parts of offenders after his death.

Peecheleba is not too far from Euroa either which was the site of Ned Kelly's last stand. They would have stamped some similar ground.

http://www.dinkumaussies.com/BUSHRANGERS/Daniel Morgan - Mad Dog Morgan.htm

Mad Dog Morgan

Daniel Morgan was born illegitimate in 1833 of poor Irish parents in Sydney and later brought up in the area around Campbelltown and Appin.

In 1853 he went off to the Gold Rush in NSW and Victoria in search of his fortune. Disappointment followed and he took to a life of crime. He was caught two weeks after his first robbery of 4 shepherds at Castlemaine by an Aboriginal policeman under Mounted Sergeant Leonard Cahill and sentenced to 12 years hard labour in Melbourne, spending time in the prison hulks at anchor in Port Phillip Bay.


Death of Dan Morgan

He was paroled in 1860 but absconded to become a horse thief, being wounded in the arm during an unsuccessful crime at Whitfield, Victoria.

By 1863 he had become a serious criminal and even held up and wounded Wagga magistrate, Henry Baylis. The Government then placed a £200 reward for the apprehension of Morgan. Morgan returned his loot on discovering the identity of his victim.

In January, 1864, the reward on Morgan's head was raised to £500.

On April 2nd, 1864, Morgan held up the Tumbarumba mail coach.

In June, 1864 he shot stockman John McLean and police sergeant McGinnerty at Round Hill. McGinnerty was killed instantly and McLean died a few days later.

The search was on. On 28th August, 1864, Morgan fired 6 shots into a tent containing pursuing troopers. Sergeant Smythe was hit and died some days later in Albury.

On 8th March, 1865, the Colonial Secretary proclaimed a reward of £1,100 for the apprehension of Daniel Morgan and for information leading to his capture.

On March 30th Morgan robbed the Albury mail near Kyamba.

On April 11th, 1865, he was shot dead, with a bullet in the back, fired by John Wendlan, at Peechelba station, near Wangaratta. Morgan did not die straight away but his spine was shattered. When he finally died his head was cut off and tobacco pouches were made from his scrotum.

Ben Hall was shot dead near Forbes just over 3 weeks later.

Morgan was an inspiration to Ned Kelly.

There is conjecture as to him being called Mad Dog or just plain Mad Dan.

The film Mad Dog starred Dennis Hopper with David Gulpilil as Billy, Jack Thompson as Mainwaring and Frank Thring as Cobham.
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Akhenaten said:
This won't end well.


"Freshwater crocodiles are being driven out of parts of the Northern Territory by their larger, more aggressive saltwater cousins.

A proposed new crocodile management plan has found that numbers of freshwater crocs have fallen in some Top End rivers since the late 1990s.

Territory Government scientist Robyn Delaney says increasing numbers of large salties have moved into the Daly River, pushing out their smaller counterparts."

ABC News


So that's why the camels are on the move. It's not dinosaurs after all.
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Correlation ≠ causation. I’m sticking with the dinosaur hypothesis.
 
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I thought I may as well post this brief piece about Tassie Devils over here so it doesn't get lost when the Yowie thread goes down the gurgler.

The last reference is all news to me, so I'd be interested to hear what other's think.


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Tasmanian Devil, Sarcophilus harrisii​

Picture: ABC News


Parks Tasmania says:


The Tasmanian devil cannot be mistaken for any other marsupial. Its spine-chilling screeches, black colour, and reputed bad-temper, led the early European settlers to call it The Devil. Although only the size of a small dog, it can sound and look incredibly fierce.
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and:


Devils once occurred on mainland Australia, with fossils having been found widely. But it is believed the devil became extinct on the mainland some 400 years ago – before European settlement. Devils probably became extinct there due to increasing aridity and the spread of the dingo, which was prevented by Bass Strait from entering Tasmania.
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However, Mainland Devils reckon:


Although it is not common knowledge, five Tasmanian devils have been collected from the wild in mainland Victoria during the 88 years between 1903 and 1991 (see the photo of two mainland Tasmanian devil specimens).
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Buggered if I know. Sounds interesting.
 
I must say I am a little skeptical about Tassie Devils being in Victoria.

My first point is the name, they're not called Viccy Devils, are they?

Second, and more seriously, how come they look just the same as the ones from the apple Isle? How long has it been since Tassie was attached to the mainland? What of natural variation through the different locale, conditions etc.

I think it far more likely that the five are escaped animals from local or private zoos.
 
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A little skeptical? You're just being polite, aren't you? :)


There's no way there could be a breeding population of Devils in Victoria or everyone would know about it. They're, like, really noticeable.

Escapees from mainland zoos or naughty people bringing young ones over is my best guess too, so that's two votes for that theory.


I read the whole of that Mainland Devils site, and it's pretty vague stuff, and one story in particular struck me as a very strange.


They reckon an eight-year-old kid in Queensland found one caught in a rabbit trap and it turned out to be tame.

A Devil with its foot in a rabbit trap could be described in a lot of ways, I'd say, but tame is never going to be one of them.
 
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Akhenaten said:
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, Bottom Half, has the best New Year fireworks in the world.

Discuss.
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Debatable - Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, Top Half:

fireworks_edinburgh.jpg


However it was a good deal warmer in Sydney (balmy summer temperatures when I was there) in 2004/2005 than in Edinburgh this year (-6C as I recall... shiver)
 
I'd love to see a tame devil (rarer than yowies or bigfootses). I'd be the first to buy one.

I reckon they are fantastic animals, but even after generations of breeding by humans taming just doesn't happen. I have heard experts say that "taming is impossible".
 
big-E said:
Debatable - Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, Top Half:

[qimg]http://www.saltireconnect.com/images/fireworks_edinburgh.jpg[/qimg]

However it was a good deal warmer in Sydney (balmy summer temperatures when I was there) in 2004/2005 than in Edinburgh this year (-6C as I recall... shiver)
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Looks great. Watching the Military Tattoo on TV used to part of New Year tradition for me growing up in Australia.
 
big-E said:
Debatable - Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, Top Half:

However it was a good deal warmer in Sydney (balmy summer temperatures when I was there) in 2004/2005 than in Edinburgh this year (-6C as I recall... shiver)
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I'm not going to argue that for a second. The fireworks are great in themselves, but that stunning picture is makes them into a masterpiece.

That's really beautiful. Thanks.


My favourite thing at New Year, apart from the fireworks, is The Edinburgh Tattoo. Wouldn't miss it for quids, and I reckon I won't even notice the cold if I ever make it to the real event.


Cheers,

Dave


ETA: Beaten again? Ohnoes!
 
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Akhenaten said:
There's no way there could be a breeding population of Devils in Victoria or everyone would know about it. They're, like, really noticeable.
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I beg to differ. There's absolutely a breeding population of devils in Victoria.

They were taken there to isolate them from the facial tumour disease.
 
A.A.Alfie said:
I'd love to see a tame devil (rarer than yowies or bigfootses). I'd be the first to buy one.

I reckon they are fantastic animals, but even after generations of breeding by humans taming just doesn't happen. I have heard experts say that "taming is impossible".
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Yep, that's what I've always been led to believe, and I've never heard of a tame one anywhere.

Emus are bastiges as pets too, but terrific watchdogs, apparently.

A Devil would be better though. Dispose of the intruder and everything, he would.
 
arthwollipot said:
I beg to differ. There's absolutely a breeding population of devils in Victoria.

They were taken there to isolate them from the facial tumour disease.
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That'll teach me.

I meant in the wild, and should have specified.

I think the Australian Reptile Park has some as well, for the same purpose, and another place in Queensland, maybe Fleahy's or somewhere like that.

Thanks for the correction.


Dave
 
Right - who has fish (Arripis trutta aka Australian salmon) samples for me??

I am in Melbourne. Well.. Merricks Beach.

:-)
 
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