Mammal evolution has been flipped on its head, according to new research that suggests marsupials are the more evolved mammals. By estimating how the common ancestor of mammals reproduced and developed, scientists have turned over the longstanding belief that marsupials are more primitive than placentals. Marsupials have long been considered the intermediate step in evolution […]
Tag: marsupial
Extremely rare albino echidna named Raffie is found roaming the streets – but you must not approach it
One of Australia’s most rarely seen marsupials has been spotted – but locals have been warned to stay away. Bathurst Regional Council, which sits in central west NSW, posted photos of a snow white albino echidna, which an employee had come across. ‘We thought he is just too beautiful not to share, and particularly rare […]
Rottweiler Saves Aussie Mum’s Life After Attack By “Crazed Kangaroo”
While kangaroos look cute from afar, they can actually be quite dangerous. This is due primarily to their ability to kick like a mule. In fact, the walloping kickboxing-style punch they can unleash is equal to a bone-crunching 759 pounds of force. Their claws are also razor-sharp when slashing at whatever is in their way. […]
Rare scaly-tailed possum caught in the Northern Territory for the first time
For the first time, a rare scaly-tailed possum has been caught in the Northern Territory, indicating that private land protection is having a good impact, according to scientists. The scaly-tailed possum, also known as the Wyulda, is a rock-dwelling marsupial with robust limbs and a “grippy” tail that it utilizes to reach for seeds, fruits, […]
Quendas: The cute little helper keeping our gardens and bushland healthy
Quenda are helping to keep Perth’s native urban bushland, and our native gardens, healthy according to new research from Edith Cowan University. Quenda are a native marsupial, and a member of the bandicoot family found in parks and bushland around the Perth metropolitan area. They dig over tons of soil each year and by producing […]
How kangaroos could be jeopardising conservation efforts across Australia
The experimental fencing had gone up to keep the rabbits out, but the ground inside the conservation area at Yathong in central New South Wales had still been nibbled and munched bare. “It was completely denuded,” says Prof Mike Letnic. “It was like a moonscape.” The culprit? Australia’s most ubiquitous marsupial: the kangaroo. “There’s this perception […]
Australian wildlife 20 times more likely to encounter deadly feral cats than native predators
Australia’s wildlife are at least 20 times more likely to come across a deadly feral cat than one of the country’s native predators, according to a new study. Invasive cats, which kill billions of native animals each year, form a triple threat, the study finds, by hunting with greater intensity, in broader environments and in […]
Wombats’ deadly bums: how they use their ‘skull-crushing’ rumps to fight, play and flirt
Australia is known for its strange and deadly wildlife, with plenty of attention given to venomous snakes and bird-eating spiders. But it seems one terrifying aspect of outback fauna has been thoroughly ignored: the wombat’s deadly bum. The rump of the wombat is hard as rock, used for defence, burrowing, bonding, mating and possibly violently […]