Something strange is happening in the South Australian seas. Someone’s not turned up for their party. Around this time of year the Australian giant cuttlefish (Sepia apama) gather along the South Australian coastline between False Bay and Whyalla to mate and spawn. Why has it happened? Have they found a new place to get together? Or, are there so few of them now that it’s a big deal to see three or four in the one place? Will they come back? Is it natural, or something us humans have done?
Posts Tagged ‘Habitat’
The Powerful Owl: a stealthy top predator or a fancy umbrella for Hunter Valley forests?
This article is a special contribution from guest author Hayley Averell. If you’ve seen these birds in your back yard add your comments below because we’d love to hear about them. They are magnificent birds.
Australasia’s largest owl is found right on my doorstep, in the beautiful Hunter Valley and Lake Macquarie region of New South Wales. The Powerful Owl, Ninox strenua, is a stealthy top predator, and more imposing than any of the common nocturnal birds you find in backyards. Living along the east coast of Australia, the Powerful Owl is nationally listed as Least concern, meaning it is considered a secure species, but in New South Wales and Queensland is listed as Vulnerable.
Everybody needs a place to live
What did your neighbourhood look like 10, 50, or 100 years ago? If you live on the edge of an expanding city or town, like many people do, it’s likely that there was a lot more natural forest, grassland, scrub and bush around then than there is today. What happened to the residents who were therethen? Can you restore your local area or back yard? Here are some tips.
Nest boxes make new homes for sugar gliders
Australia is well known for it’s marsupials and many of them live in the trees. It can get windy, wet and cold living in a tree so a little hollow inside a tree makes a perfect den. Over 300 species of Australian vertebrates use tree hollows as a home for shelter, sleeping, nesting, and escaping predators! But where can they live in a new forest with few old trees?
New Zealand’s rarest parakeet settles into its ecological island
Ecological islands can help bring species back from the brink of extinction. New Zealand’s Department of Conservation created pest free island refuges for some of New Zealand’s most endangered fauna, including Malherbe’s parakeet (Cyanoramphus malherbi) read on to find out how its going.
Biodiversity: what it is and why it’s important
The United Nations declared 2010 to be the International year of biodiversity. This year we will celebrate life on earth and the importance of biodiversity. It also presents an occasion for us to think more about biodiversity. What exactly is meant by biodiversity? Why it is so important? This article answers these questions and introduces the concept of biodiversity.
The Forest Dragons (Hypsilurus spinipes) of the Border Ranges National Park
Have you ever walked through the forest and felt like you were being watched. Well if you were walking in the Border Ranges national park of New South Wales, you probably were being watched by forest dragons!
