Fauna

From AustraliaWiki

Contents 1 Introduction 2 Mammals 2.1 Dingo 2.2 Camel 3 Birds 3.1 Laughing Kookaburra 3.2 Blue-Winged Kookaburra 3.3 White-Breasted Sea-Eagle 4 Reptile 4.1 Estuarine Crocodile 4.2 Freshwater Crocodile 4.3 Perentie Goanna 5 Amphibians 5.1 Rockhole Frog 6 Insects 6.1 Spinifex Termite 6.2 West Australian Fly 7 See also

Introduction

Dingo Latin: Canis familiaris dingo Family: Wild Dog Occurrence: Everywhere in Australia without Tasmanien Surroundings: Forest and Veld Notes: Famous wild dog imported by the Indigenous People.

In the course of time I learned something about animals living in Australia. Some of them I will introduce here.

Mammals

Dingo

The Dingo is a wild dog. Scientists think that this dog was imported 10000 years ago by the Indigenous People via the southeastern of Asia. Consequently the Dingo is not an original animal in this country. It is interesting that the Dingo only lives in the mainland. At Tasmaia - an island in the southeast - you cannot find him. At the mainland he allmost lives everywhere but far away of humans, cities and agriculture. With a length of 1 meter and a weight of 20 kilogramms he is relatively big.

He is shy. On my journey in 1997 I could see one of them a few secods 50 meters away of our car in the Flinders Ranges. A meaningful picture was not possible. Be aware of camping: If you leave your shoes outside the tent during the night they may be solen by the Dingos.

Camel

Feral Camel Latin: Camelus dromedarius Family: Dromedar Occurrence: Dry inland Surroundings: Desert/Veld Notes: Imported by the europeans, now savaged.

The dromedary - a camel with only one bump - was imported by the europeans. In 1840 the first 10 camels arrived from Afghanistan in the Melbourne harbour. With their help the dry inland should be explored. The camels were excellent pack animal in the heat, the dryness and the great fluctuation of temperature. They only need less to eat and they can store 200 litres of water in their body. Also they can walk 70km of distance at only one day. At the building of the (first) Ghan-Railway (Text only available in German!) their help was strongly recommended in the desert. The dromedary only eats plants and they like the foliage of trees. This is a problem because they damage the limbs of the trees. The camels lives in a crows and they can be up to 40 years old. In the 1950s they had a population of 15000 animals. In 2007 700000 animals were counted. Up to 2020 a population of 1.5 Mio animals is expected. There are lots of interests to protect or to kill this camels. Today all camels are living in the wild.

Quote - Dieter Tischendorf, 2006 (Translation in English) In the beginning of the exploration or the north-south-crossing a lot of people died or had other problems because of all the difficulties in the outback. Horses were not the solution. But camels were the solution. Most of the camels came from Pakistan, a former colony as a part of Britisch India. At first they worked for the explorers. Later they also carried settlers and miners following the explorers. The camles and their cameleer - mostly Afghans - were not accepted by the community. But everyone needed them. The term "Afghan" was to long for the Aussies, so they called them "Ghan".

Quote - Dieter Tischendorf, 2006 (Original in German) Am Anfang der Erschließung oder Durchquerung der Nord- Süd- Passage sind viele Forscher, viele Reisende durch die unsagbaren Schwierigkeiten des Outbacks zum Teil sogar dort gestorben. Pferde halfen bei der Überwindung der Strecke nur wenig. Deshalb wurden die Kamele benötigt. Die meisten kamen von Pakistan, damals eine „Kolonie“, ein Teil von Britisch Indien. Zunächst bewährten sie sich beim Transport der Forscher, später arbeiteten sie für die Siedler und die Miner, die den Entdeckern folgten. Die Kamele und ihre Treiber, meist Afghanen, waren gesellschaftlich nicht anerkannt. Obwohl man sie so sehr brauchte. Da die Aussprache „Afghane“ für die Aussies zu lang war, riefen sie diese Kamelkarawanen einfach „Ghan“.

Birds

Laughing Kookaburra Latin: Dacelo gigas Family: Kingfisher Occurrence: Southeastern parts and Tasmania Surroundings: Forest and Bushland Notes: Most famous Kookaburra, because of his laughter.

Blue-winged Kookaburra Latin: Dacelo leachi Family: Kingfisher Occurrence: Subtropic northern parts near the coast Surroundings: Forest Notes: Rather unknown Kookaburra with unremarkable sounds.

Laughing Kookaburra

Rüdiger watched this Laughing Kookaburra on his journey in 2008 in the south of Australia in the Grampians Nationalpark. He is the most famous Kookaburra because his sounds compares whith the laughter of humans. The solution of an adventure of the Three Investigators is this bird. At this story I learned the first things about Australia in the 1980s. This bird reach an age of 20 years and live in families in three or four generations.

Blue-Winged Kookaburra

The Blue-Winged Kookaburra I saw at my journey in 1997 in the northern part. In the morning we saw two of this bird near the camping side at Ubirr Rock in the Kakadu Nationalpark. Some kilometers south in the Nitmiluk Nationalpark (Katherine Gorge) we watched a third Blue-Winged Kookaburra sitting on an eucalyptus tree. He sat there near the Katherine River. This species of Kookaburras lives in the subtropic northern parts of Australia. South of the Tropic of Capricorn (about Alice Springs) you cannot see him.

Laughing Kookaburra

White-Breasted Sea-Eagle

White-breasted Sea-eagle Latin: Haliaetus leucogaster Family: Bird Of Prey Occurrence: Coasts and lakes Surroundings: Near water Notes: Sits on tops of trees.

The White-Breasted Sea-Eagle lives at all Australian coastlines. Also he lives inland at lakes and rivers. To hunt fishes the White-Breasted Sea-Eagle needs clearly arranged waterscapes. Additional to fish he eats vertebrate and tortoise. Allready dead animals he eats, too. Full-grown the bird is 85 cm long. The nests - build high in the trees - reach diameters of great 2 meters.

In the Kakadu Nationalpark I saw a White-Breasted Sea-Eagle in 1997 hight on a tree. We wanted to watch crocodiles at Yellow Water at sunrise. We did not see any crocodile but this nice bird.

Reptile

Estuarine Crocodile Latin: Crocodylus porosus Family: Reptile Occurrence: (Sub-)Tropic north near coastline Surroundings: Water Notes: Very big and dangerous crocodile. In norhtern parts at the coast and in lakes.

Freshwater Crocodile Latin: Crocodylus johnstoni Family: Reptile Occurrence: (Sub-)Tropic north in lakes Surroundings: Water Notes: Small and not dangerous crocodile.

Estuarine Crocodile

The Estuarine Crocodile is one of the the most dangerous animals in the northern Australia. It is lovley called Salty because is lives mainly in saltwater. But take attention: It swims often into fresh water rivers and lakes. Because of this you can "meet" it everywhere. In the last years the population grows into the south at the coastlines to the Indian an Pacific Ocean. In the Kakadu Nationalpark you can watch it in the early mornung at sunrise at Yellow Water boating tours. In 1997 I did not see any dangerous crocodile.

In general the Salty grows up to a lenght of 5 or 7 meters. Some 10 meteres crocodiles are seen, too. In the 1980s they were hunted and the population was in danger. Since about 1985 the animals are protected by law. Hunting is now illegal and will be punished. Because of this new laws and protection the population could grow again in the last 20 years. The Estuarine Crocodile is no endangered species any more.

The cinema hit Crocodile Dundee of 1986 was a nice publicity.

Freshwater Crocodile

The Freshwater Crocodile is relatively small with about 3 meters of length. Like the Estuarine Crocodile it mainly lives in the norhern parts of Australia. But in contrast it lives only in lakes and rivers. You cannot find it at the coastline. They eat fish, amphibians and small reptiles and mammals.

Perentie goanna Latin: Varanus giganteus Family: Reptile Occurrence: Dry inland Surroundings: Desert/Veld Notes: Biggest goanna in Australia. Likes to live in rocky regions.

Perentie Goanna

The raptorial living Perentie Goanna is the biggest goanna in Australia. The eyeformed blurs of color are distinctive. He lives in the Outback of Queensland, Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia, in dry and rocky regions. On his journey in 2008 Rüdiger watched this nice animal. The natural habitat of the rocky environments in deserts is confirmed because Rüdiger saw him in the Watarrka Nationalpark at Kings Canyon. Full-grown animals are up to 2 meters long. Damit erreichen sie eine größere Länge als der Lace monitor (Varanus varius) mit einer maximalen Länge von 2,30 Meter. Somit sind nur der Water monitor (Varanus salvator) und der Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) in Indonesien mit ca. 3 Metern größer als dieser Riesenwaran. In rock shelters there is plenty of food like mammals, snakes and birds.

Amphibians

Rockhole Frog Latin: Litoria meiriana Family: Amphibian Occurrence: Northern Western Australia in Nördliches Westaustralien in humid regions Surroundings: Water Notes: Thumbnail small frogs, belong to tree frog.

In Australia there is something special: All the amphibians are frogs. There live no other amphibians. Because of this the family of the frogs is listed in this article.

Rockhole Frog

In the Purnululu Nationalpark (Bungle Bungle) at the end of a gorge there is a small billabong called Froghole. Here in the most southern parts of the Kimberley Region is the most southern region where the Rockhole Frogs live. Hundreds of of this thumbnail-small Rockhole Frogs live here. They are an endangered species. They are so small that a rambler me met in 1997 did not see them. You must watch very strong the billabong to see them. This image I took without a tripod takes 10 minutes. With a length of maximal 21mm they are so airy that they can jump at the watrers surface. This ability is the reason for a popular name of Jesus Christ Frog.

If you visit the Purnululu Nationalparks you should take the side trip to the Froghole. It is a very nice walk along the rocks and trees and bushes.

Insects

Spinifex Termite Latin: Nasutitermes triodiae Family: Insects Occurrence: Halfdry region in all north regions Surroundings: Bushland and desert Notes: Build noticeable high buildings.

Spinifex Termite

Termites are not to be confused with ants. Both families live against in war.

You find the Spinifex Termite in all regions in the northern parts. From Western Australia to Queensland. They live in the humid parts in the Kakadu Nationalpark and in the arid parts int the Tanami Desert. Within their states the queen is the first part. She lives in the middle of the Termite Hills well protected. She produces eggs all the day. The 2nd partes are taken by the gender ones. Than soldiers and workers. The soldiers protect the state and take the responsibility to fight against all aggressors to protect the queen and folk. The workers care about food and feed the soldiers. Also they build the Termite Hill and maintenance it. With the help of their saliva and brickearth they produce a mass like concrete.

The Termite Hills can rise up 7 meters. On my journey in 1997 I saw a very big one in the Tanami Desert near the region calles Ant Hills. To relative the dimensions we take our car.

West Australian Fly

West Australian Fly Latin: Pestilence Supremo Family: Insects Occurrence: Dinner at barbecue grill Surroundings: Plate with barbecue meat Notes: At the latest noticeable when flying between glases an eyes.

You find the West Australian Fly in all Austrlia. For specific views you can take a barbecue because the flies love them. At this events the West Australian Fly can annoy the tourists the best way. The West Australian Fly like to fly beteween glases an eyes. They also like it to fly into the tourists ear.

See also

• Birds in Backyards - Website about a lot of birds in Australia
• The Rockhole Frogs are listed in the "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species": http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/41098/0
• Flora here in the Wiki.