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Miami Herald
3 days ago
- General
- Miami Herald
‘Rarely seen' bottom-dwelling sea creature washes up on beach in Australia
A 'rarely seen' marine creature — nearly 6 feet long — washed up on a beach in northern Australia, attracting the attention of wildlife enthusiasts. Rhynchobatus australiae, commonly known as a bottlenose wedgefish, was found stranded on Casuarina Beach in the Casuarina Coastal Reserve, according to a May 29 news release from Australia's Northern Territory Government. Officials said the 'distinctive' bottom-dweller is known for it's wide wedge-shaped snout and is typically found at depths of about 200 feet. 'They don't often wash up on beaches, making sightings extremely rare,' officials said. The wedgefish was dead with no signs of injury, according to the release. Researchers from the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory collected data and a tissue sample, which will be used to analyze 'the species' genetic makeup and population diversity,' officials said. The species is listed as 'critically endangered' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. Wildlife officials said the species is targeted for their fins that are highly valuable in the international fin trade. Casuarina Beach is in Australia's Northern Territory.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Yahoo
Disbelief as people play, swim in river just metres from crocodile: 'Absolute stupidity'
Beachgoers in the Northern Territory have been blasted as 'stupid' and 'idiotic' for their actions in the water just metres away from a curious crocodile. Children were spotted along the shoreline at Buffalo Creek, while fishermen waded 20m into the shallows to cast their nets. And while the area is well-signposted about the dangers of crocodiles, one expert told Yahoo News that it's not rocket science when it comes to the dangers of the Territory's waterways. 'Everywhere here is very well signed and also, it's the bloody Territory, it's not a mystery as to what lives in 99 per cent of the waterways,' croc expert Tommy Hayes said, describing the scenes as "absolute stupidity and complacency'. Local Darwin man Sam Warner was fishing in Shoal Bay when he spotted the croc on his return to the boat ramp. 'We initially drove past it but then circled back to take a look. The croc was not scared by the boat at all and stayed on the surface when usually crocs will disappear if you get too close,' he said. While the crocodile lingered on the surface on one side of the channel, on the other side of the bank were children playing at the water's edge and the fishermen in waist-deep water. 'Very dangerous behaviour in croc territory,' Sam said. He believes it's an accident waiting to happen. 'It's a known fact that crocs can be in any body of water in Darwin but particularly the rivers. People just don't seem to care and it's a shame because it will result in someone getting attacked one day and they will hunt the croc and blame it for doing its natural thing in its natural habitat instead of blaming the idiot that was doing something they shouldn't be doing in croc infested waters,' he said. Sam and his friends on the boat tried to alert the people on the bank but they were too far away to yell and the water was too shallow for the boat to approach the shore. 'We told people when we beached the boat next to the boat ramp. They seemed more interested in spotting the croc then getting away from the waters edge,' he said. The Northern Territory Government says people should never enter the water unless there are designated safe swimming signs. "It should be assumed that any water body in the saltwater crocodile's natural range in the NT is unsafe to swim, unless signposted otherwise," they state on their website. "Most fatal crocodile attacks in the NT in the past 20 years have occurred when people have entered the water outside of designated swimming areas." Last year there were seven crocodile attacks in Australia, with four of those in the Northern Territory. The region's only fatal attack happened on July 2, when a 12-year-old girl was taken while swimming at Mango Creek near the remote town of Palumpa. Two other fatalities occurred in Queensland last year – in Torres Strait waters in April and near Cooktown in August. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Warning as fast-spreading invasive pest swarms Aussie suburbs: 'Hundreds of them'
A rapidly-spreading invasive pest that was first discovered in Australia less than two years ago is causing massive destruction in thousands of suburban backyards. Over the past few weeks, numerous Brisbane residents have reported finding huge outbreaks of exotic papaya mealybugs sucking the life out of frangipanis and fruit trees in their gardens. The infestation has become so bad as of late, it's almost impossible to miss the mounds of insects as soon as you head out the door, with local horticulturists claiming they've been inundated with emails from concerned and puzzled homeowners. 'I can walk up and see them out the window now,' Tim Low, one of the original founders of the Invasive Species Council, told Yahoo News Australia on Friday. 'I've just checked a frangipani that's one minute walk from here, they're all over that. And I talked to a friend, yep she's got them. 'I've been wiping hundreds of them off my green pawpaw — they're really greasy — it's not very nice work. It's kind of slimy, and you've got to do it every, like three days, and they just come back really fast.' The author of Feral Future: The Untold Story of Australia's Exotic Invaders said he first noticed the creatures on his pawpaw last year, but assumed 'they were just some standard pest that's been in Australia for decades'. Roughly two weeks ago he officially identified them as papaya mealybugs, a Central American insect that was first detected in the country in July 2023 when it made an appearance in Darwin. They quickly spread throughout the city, Palmerston and Howard Springs, prompting the Northern Territory Government to release a species of native ladybirds nicknamed the mealybug destroyer. However, by 2024 the pest had travelled to South East Queensland and Townsville, placing the state's papaya industry at risk. 'It has to have been a plane moving between Darwin and Brisbane, or a truck or a car that's brought them, because the small bugs are pretty well invisible at only two to three millimetres-long,' Tim said, noting female mealybugs don't have wings. 'It's really interesting because they not only have to get to Brisbane, but they've got to get to a pawpaw, a frangipani, hibiscus or one of the other food plants they use.' Papaya mealybugs have over 200 host plants, including avocado, mango, pomegranate, grapefruit, cherry, eggplant and sweet potato. Tim, who is writing a second book on invasive species, told Yahoo the recent outbreak is a good example of the fascinating — and terrifying — ways 'insects are getting around these days'. 'It's really noticeable to me that the flow of species into Australia has speeded up,' he said. The number of pests that are on the move appears to be 'unprecedented'. 'Every year there's a range of new pests turning up. This is indicative of a very, very volatile situation. It's never going to end,' he added, pointing to the tomato brown rugose fruit virus that was detected in South Australia in September. The noticeable increase is largely in part due to 'the high levels of people and products travelling around the world' today, with bugs and seeds likely entering via people's clothes, luggage and overseas shipments or packages. As for the papaya mealybug, there are concerns it will continue to spread to other parts of Queensland, with the government urging those who do find them outside of Townsville and the state's southeast to alert biosecurity authorities. It is not known if the insect will head further south into NSW, but it's not uncommon for pests to appear in areas that differ from their native climate. 'In terms of predicting how far south they'll go, I mean, Sydney possibly, maybe not, but certainly north of Brisbane,' Tim said. 🌳 Thousands of critters 'swarm' backyards and gardens 🐜 Aussies warned about invasive creatures 'on the move' 🐸 Major problem in bold plan to eradicate $1.5 billion invasive threat Papaya mealybugs can cause severe damage by sucking sap out of green fruit or tree stems, and then excreting it back onto the plant, causing a 'sooty mould' to grow and giving it a 'black appearance'. If it is still early in the infestation, Aussies can wipe off the pests and the waxy coating they produce and dispose of them in a sealed bag in the general waste, according to the Queensland Government. Ladybirds can also be sourced from suppliers and introduced into the backyard. If you do prefer to use a pesticide, 'make sure it's very oily or very soapy — something that really soaks in', Tim added. Each female mealybug can lay up to 600 eggs in a short period of time, which is why they can sometimes 'appear' almost out of nowhere, well-known Brisbane horticulturist Jerry Coleby-Williams said on his Facebook page last week. 'In my experience in my garden, the spread of this pest is so rapid that biocontrols alone are insufficient,' he wrote. 'Quick control can be achieved by spraying with organic certified products including neem oil, horticultural spraying oil (including white oil) or horticultural soap,' Jerry Coleby-Williams continued, urging gardeners to only do this when temperatures are under 30C so the foliage doesn't burn. 'And don't hack off affected branches, you'll rob the plant of energy when it needs it most.' Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
