For an Australian marsupial facing extinction on a continent-wide scale, the news of an oncoming drought back in 2001 probably felt like the coming of the end times. But in a surprising break from the narrative, the ampurta (Dasycercus hillieri) a rat-sized predatory marsupial that was listed as Endangered in 1999, thrived through the lean […]
Tag: marsupials
Researchers eye marsupial recovery with first IVF kangaroo embryo
Researchers in Australia have successfully created the first kangaroo embryo using in vitro fertilization, or IVF, according to a new study. The team from the University of Queensland used IVF to produce an embryo of the eastern gray kangaroo (Macropus giganteus). Researchers say they hope to use the information they’ve gathered to help with the […]
Carnivorous marsupials, cryptic birds and feral cats: wildlife cameras capture life on a Queensland cattle station
Frame by frame, the wildlife living on a Queensland cattle station are revealed. A long-eared bilby is caught mid-hop on a gibber plain, the name given to the densely packed rocks of the desert pavement. The eyes of an endangered kowari – a palm-sized carnivorous marsupial with a bottle-brush tail – glow an eerie white. […]
Lures that attract seed-dispersing bats could aid tropical reforestation
Attracting seed-dispersing bats to degraded landscapes and aiding in tropical forest restoration efforts has long been an alluring prospect for conservationists: potentially a cheaper, less labor-intensive technique than media-hyped plantings of millions of trees. Researchers have experimented with a variety of seed disperser lures for decades, but a recent project in Costa Rica may show […]
Marsupial of the year heats up as koala and glider take on animal that mates itself to death
Tense competition is brewing between the greater glider and the koala in Australia‘s marsupial of the year vote but there are hopes a silky tailed species that “mates themselves to death” could win over voters and maybe even save it from heading towards extinction. Network Ten’s The Project launched the competition in collaboration with organisations […]
Horrific discovery of up to 84 dead kangaroos with severe wounds after being mowed down by a car at Gobarup in central Victoria
At least 84 kangaroos have been found dead with gunshot wounds and traumatic injuries from being mowed down by a vehicle in regional Victoria. The conservation regulator is investigating after at least 65 dead juvenile and adult eastern grey kangaroos were found in Gobarup in central Victoria. About 19 more kangaroos were found dead suffering […]
How Wombats and Their Burrows Offer Refuge to Animals During Wildfires
In the wake of Australia‘s catastrophic 2019-2020 Black Summer wildfires, a fascinating ecological discovery was made regarding the burrows of wombats. While initial reports inaccurately claimed wombats were herding other animals to safety, the reality, though less dramatic, revealed a vital role these creatures play in supporting biodiversity during such disasters. Source: Wicked Wildlife/YouTube […]
Australian state fails on koala conservation while relying on faulty offset schemes, experts say
In the leadup to his election as Premier of New South Wales, Chris Minns promised the establishment of a Great Koala National Park in the Australian state as part of the Labor government’s agenda to protect the endangered koala (Phascolarctos cinereus). One year later, the park is still not established and native woodland logging is […]