Many of us love seeing an echidna. Their shuffling walk, inquisitive gaze and protective spines are unmistakable, coupled with the coarse hair and stubby beak. They look like a quirky blend of hedgehog and anteater. But they’re not related to these creatures at all. They’re even more mysterious and unusual than commonly assumed. Australia has […]
Tag: Short-beaked echidna
Wildlife of Kangaroo Island, South Australia
Kangaroo Island is often referred to as ‘Australian Galapagos’. And for a good reason. Because of its isolation, Kangaroo Island is free of many diseases and pest species found on the mainland, providing a much-needed breeding safe heaven to a wide variety of wildlife species. It is a premier eco-tourism destination in Australia that I […]
Scientists: bizarre mammal could still roam Australia
The continent of Australia is home to a wide variety of wonderfully weird mammals—kangaroos, wombats, and koalas among others. But the re-discovery of a specimen over a hundred years old raises new hopes that Australia could harbor another wonderful mammal. Examining museum specimens collected in western Australia in 1901, contemporary mammalogist Kristofer Helgen discovered a […]
Finding mammals in Sydney (Urban mammals)
When most of us think about wildlife watching, cities are not the environments that usually come to mind. Typically urban development is associated with habitat destruction and local extinctions. However, not all wildlife species are equally affected by human activities and some have adapted and become quite successful in human-dominated landscapes. Sydney – Australia’s largest […]