Meet Australia's new species of giant stick insect
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Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Sad reason why six rare Aussie animals were placed in backpacks and flown 570km to secure location
Australia has the worst record in the world for mammalian extinction. So in a bid to stop history repeating, six rare wallabies have been taken from their rocky stronghold and flown 570km across the country to help bolster an important insurance population. Fewer than 100 southern brush-tailed rock-wallabies remain in the wild, primarily due to habitat destruction and predation by invasive European foxes. But there are an additional 300 to 400 living at the Mount Rothwell sanctuary, west of Melbourne, which is run by environmental charity the Odonata Foundation. Its chief operating officer Matt Singleton explained the wallabies are a curious creature that scales high rocky cliffs, watching people as they walk past. 'They stand up there almost like meerkats. When you sit still and watch them... they mind their own business, but they're always keeping a watchful eye over you,' he said. Related: Rare colour footage of extinct wallaby seen again after 90 years With most of the brush-tailed rock-wallabies at this one location, just north of the You Yangs, the species was deemed susceptible to threats like bushfire. So work is being done to spread the genetics around to improve the health of two smaller populations at faraway predator-proof sanctuaries. Wallabies placed inside backpacks to keep them calm When populations get too small, there's a danger they can become inbred. On Friday morning, three males and three females with healthy genetics were selected to be sent to Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve in the ACT where a population of 20 live. At the same time, two will be taken from Tidbinbilla to Central Victoria, to help set up a population there. Tidbinbilla is well known for its work in helping save threatened species, and it is one of the last remaining places on Earth where the critically endangered Canberra grassland earless dragon survives. Brush-tailed rock-wallabies are well known for their ability to help the landscape by nibbling between long tussock grasses, potentially improving the landscape for dragons, which require open spaces. They also spread mycorrhizal fungi, which attach to tree roots to help them communicate. As Singleton spoke to Yahoo on Friday afternoon, the wallabies were mid-flight. Each was placed inside a backpack so they'd feel comfortable. 'They feel like they're in a pouch, and it reduces stress on the animals. A lot of macropods like rock wallabies have stress toxins build up in their bodies and they can be fatal to them,' he said. After the wallabies are picked up at Canberra Airport, they'll be placed inside one to two-hectare pens to keep them quarantined from the established Tidbinbilla while they adjust. 🚨 Alarm raised after strange backyard frog phenomenon worsens 🎞️ Incredible Australian footage reveals native predator killing city rats ☠️ Warning 'nowhere is safe' as Australia's 500km toxic problem spreads While the Odonata Foundation has been successful in breeding up numbers, Singleton said the Southern Brush-Tailed Rock-Wallaby Recovery Team's work has been a collaborative effort. 'I think it's a great example of how people can work together to achieve really great outcomes to recover a species. And from Odonata's perspective, our work couldn't be done without the support of Amazon's Right Now Climate Fund,' he said in reference to the tech giant's $100 million nature investment fund to help conserve natural landscapes and build climate resilience around the world. The project was also supported by the ACT Government and Cesar Australia. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Sad reason six rare Aussie animals were placed in backpacks and flown 570km to secure location
Australia has the worst record in the world for mammalian extinction. So in a bid to stop history repeating, six rare wallabies have been taken from their rocky stronghold and flown 570km across the country to help bolster an important insurance population. Fewer than 100 southern brush-tailed rock-wallabies remain in the wild, primarily due to habitat destruction and predation by invasive European foxes. But there are an additional 300 to 400 living at the Mount Rothwell sanctuary, west of Melbourne, which is run by environmental charity the Odonata Foundation. Its chief operating officer Matt Singleton explained the wallabies are a curious creature that scales high rocky cliffs, watching people as they walk past. 'They stand up there almost like meerkats. When you sit still and watch them... they mind their own business, but they're always keeping a watchful eye over you,' he said. Related: Rare colour footage of extinct wallaby seen again after 90 years With most of the brush-tailed rock-wallabies at this one location, just north of the You Yangs, the species was deemed susceptible to threats like bushfire. So work is being done to spread the genetics around to improve the health of two smaller populations at faraway predator-proof sanctuaries. Wallabies placed inside backpacks to keep them calm When populations get too small, there's a danger they can become inbred. On Friday morning, three males and three females with healthy genetics were selected to be sent to Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve in the ACT where a population of 20 live. At the same time, two will be taken from Tidbinbilla to Central Victoria, to help set up a population there. Tidbinbilla is well known for its work in helping save threatened species, and it is one of the last remaining places on Earth where the critically endangered Canberra grassland earless dragon survives. Brush-tailed rock-wallabies are well known for their ability to help the landscape by nibbling between long tussock grasses, potentially improving the landscape for dragons, which require open spaces. They also spread mycorrhizal fungi, which attach to tree roots to help them communicate. As Singleton spoke to Yahoo on Friday afternoon, the wallabies were mid-flight. Each was placed inside a backpack so they'd feel comfortable. 'They feel like they're in a pouch, and it reduces stress on the animals. A lot of macropods like rock wallabies have stress toxins build up in their bodies and they can be fatal to them,' he said. After the wallabies are picked up at Canberra Airport, they'll be placed inside one to two-hectare pens to keep them quarantined from the established Tidbinbilla while they adjust. 🚨 Alarm raised after strange backyard frog phenomenon worsens 🎞️ Incredible Australian footage reveals native predator killing city rats ☠️ Warning 'nowhere is safe' as Australia's 500km toxic problem spreads While the Odonata Foundation has been successful in breeding up numbers, Singleton said the Southern Brush-Tailed Rock-Wallaby Recovery Team's work has been a collaborative effort. 'I think it's a great example of how people can work together to achieve really great outcomes to recover a species. And from Odonata's perspective, our work couldn't be done without the support of Amazon's Right Now Climate Fund,' he said in reference to the tech giant's $100 million nature investment fund to help conserve natural landscapes and build climate resilience around the world. The project was also supported by the ACT Government and Cesar Australia. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Rare glimpse of 'spectacular' and elusive Aussie enigma
Australia is full of weird and wacky creatures, coming in a wide variety of different shapes, colours and sizes. One of the most megadiverse countries in the world, we play host to a significant proportion of the earth's species, between 600,000 to 700,000 animals and plants, many of which only exist here. Among these, few are quite as striking as the feather-horned beetle, a curious little critter with wonderfully flamboyant features. As their name suggests, the species' "horns", which are actually antennae, resemble large, almost peacock-like feathers. Their bodies are covered in white spots. What makes them especially remarkable is their rarity and mysterious life cycle. While adult males are sometimes seen flying in search of mates, females are rarely observed. Even more elusive are their larvae, which are believed to be parasites of cicadas, but this behaviour remains poorly documented. Earlier this month, Queensland-based insect enthusiast Tony Vernon was observing the "spectacular" creatures when he came across numerous clusters of 10 to 12 of the insects, in the space of 100 metres near the Gregory River, about 18 kilometres north of Proserpine. An amateur photographer and wildlife documenter, Tony said he'd never seen anything quite like it. "The curious thing was, they were all on the hot tape of an electric fence. I only saw one or two on weed seed heads, and just one on a Melaleuca leaf," Tony told Yahoo News Australia. Tony said the problem with feather-horned beetles is that very little is known about their life cycle and ecology. "There are six species in Australia, and all the ones I've seen belong to the same one: rhipicera femorata," he said. "Interestingly, most of the beetles people see are males. They're the ones following pheromone trails left by the females, which is why you see them actively searching. I haven't seen any females myself. Even more fascinating — no one has ever found the larvae of these beetles." Tony wondered why, all of a sudden, this apparent boom was taking place near his home. "Has anyone else ... noticed an increase?" he questioned. 📸 Sad story behind viral image highlights Australia's invasive species crisis 😳 Grim discovery in abandoned fishing trap near popular track 🌏 Air crew makes exciting 'once-in-a-lifetime' discovery in outback What makes feather-horned beetles so special? Feather-horned beetles are among Australia's most striking and lesser-known insect species, instantly recognisable by the dramatic, feathery antennae sported by the males. These elaborate, comb-like structures, sometimes longer than the beetle's own body, are used to detect pheromones released by females, allowing them to locate a mate with extraordinary sensitivity. Belonging to the family rhipiceridae, feather-horned beetles are part of an ancient lineage with very few species found worldwide. Australia is home to several, including the particularly distinctive rhipicera femorata, which emerges in summer and is often spotted in bushland areas. These beetles are a vivid example of Australia's rich and still-unfolding insect biodiversity, with their unique appearance and life history continuing to fascinate entomologists. Entomologist says beetle sightings may be linked to surge in cicadas Speaking to Yahoo News, Nicole Gunter, Scientist and Curator of Entomology at Queensland Museum, revealed a possible reason Tony spotted so many of the little bugs in a relatively short distance. She said adult feather-horn beetles are relatively short-lived. They undergo synchronous emergence (when multiple individuals start acting together, or in a coordinated way, at the same time) to increase their chances of successfully reproducing. "Seasonality differs between species ... in Queensland, with peak emergence in late winter," she said. "These beetles are parasites of cicada, and the warming soil temperatures that are important in cicada life cycles are responsible for the synchronous emergence. The impact of soil temperature may be indirect, though, and it might be that their hosts, the cicada larvae, are moving to the surface, and this triggers the emergence of the beetles. "The male beetles use their impressive fan-shaped antennae to detect pheromones of the females, so you'll often find them perched somewhere with lots of air circulation where they spread their antennae and wait to detect the pheromones of a potential mate." Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
