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Tasmanian devil

no@spam.com (Super Admin) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 18:17:11 CEST

The Tasmanian devil is an animal, which cannot be mistaken with any other. Its piercing voice, black fur and aggressive disposition caused European settlers’ associations with the devil. Alike the demonic creature, it lives in the nighttime. But really he is not so fast to hunt in the daytime. The maximum speed of the Tasmanian devil is ten kilometers per hour.

Being the biggest marsupial predator, the animal attacks practically all middle and small species. The Tasmanian devil weights sixteen kilos, and its body length is less than sixty centimeters. It even attacks snakes, reptiles and sheep. The daily necessity in food of Tasmanian devil is approximately 15% from its mass. That’s why it also eats carrion and is being a sanitary, destroying potential sources of disease.

Strong jaws and teeth help the Tasmanian devil to fight bigger animals. It really can tear up the skull or the spine. There are white spots on its fur. Tasmanian devil can be domesticated and madr a peaceful, friendly pet. Cleanliness is the part of this animal. It often cleans itself, like a home cat.

Although Tasmanian devil is active in the nighttime, it also likes sunbathing. It can swim well and also climb the trees at early age. Its natural length of life is eight years. The males and females of this kind meet only during coupling. The Tasmanian devil can live in different regions. It used to live in Australia, but disappeared because of dingo. Nowadays Tasmanian devils can be met on the Tasmanian island.

The Sunny coast

no@spam.com (Super Admin) — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:41:17 CEST

The Sunny coast is situated in 100 kilometers to the north from the capital of Queensland state – Brisbane. The coast is washed by the Pacific ocean on the south and consists of three administrative units: Noosa on the north, Maroochy in the center and Caloundra on the south.

The Sunny coast has been a very popular place among the Australians, and then it became much more famous, so many tourists nowadays from all over the world prefer to spend their holidays there. Alike the Golden Coast, it attracts people with its long and wide beaches, excellent sunny weather and unique natural resources.

The real famous property of this resort are its preserves: Kondalilla, Noose park, Mapleton Falls parks, Buderim park and many other. Surprising alloy of mountains, snow-white beaches, plains and bird hubbub of the rainforests, transparent rivers and fantastic waterfalls will not leave you indifferent.

The Glass House Mountains are separately standings peaks. They stand in the middle of the "tree ocean" and beckon to try the strengths of rock-climbers from all over the world. Practically in any park you will be offered a walk, will be given digression in history and will be told about a flora and fauna. You also can go fishing, bathe etc.

The Sunny coast is rich in many delicacies. Local exotic fruit and vegetables, fresh sea products can be tried in different restaurants, and also can be bought in supermarkets. The markets are very popular.

The climate in Sunny coast is subtropical. The temperature in winter is +20, in summer – 28 degrees. The weather is sunny and warm.

Echidna

no@spam.com (Super Admin) — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:33:12 CEST

Australian echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) is one of the subspecies, endemic in New Guinea. Echidna can be met in the eastern and western parts of Australian continent, in Tasmania and New Guinea. The existence of this animal was discovered during colonization of New South Wales and had not been paid as much attention as it deserved. In 1792 Show and Nodder described Australian echidna and called it Echidna aculeata. The Tasmanian specie was described by Joffroix and was called Echidna setosa. The echidna is a typically surface animal. It lives in dry bushes, preferring stone areas. It doesn’t make burrows. Its main protection from the enemies is the needles. Being disturbed, echidna convolves into a ball, like a hedgehog. With it’s claws help it can partly bury itself into loose earth; burying the forehand of body, it leaves only sharp needles on the surface, pointed to the enemy. In the daytime, lying in the emptinesses under the roots, stones or in the hollows, echidna rests. In the night it searches the insects. When it is cold, echidna stays in its den, falling into short hibernation, like the hedgehogs do. The supplies of hypodermic fat allow her, in the case of necessity, starve for a month and more. The echidna’s brain is much more developed, than the platypus’s brain. It has a very keen hearing, but really bad vision: it sees only the closest things. During its excursions, mostly in the nighttime, it uses its great sense of smell. Echidna eats ants, termites and other insects, but sometimes another animals (rain worms etc.) It beggars the ant-hills, moves the stones, pushing them with the paws, even pretty heavy stones, under which it finds worms and insects. The power of echidna’s muscles is unbelievable for such a small animal. There is a story about a zoologist, who left an echidna in his kitchen for a night. In the morning he was amazed when he found out, that the echidna has moved all the furniture in the kitchen. When it finds an insect, it throws out its thin, long and sticky tongue, which catches the insect. Echidna doesn’t have any teeth, but on the other side of its tongue there are horny teeth, which grind caught insects. With the tongue’s help echidna catches not only the insects, but also ground and detritus, which, after getting into the stomach, complete grinding the food. As well as the platypus, echidna hatches the eggs and feeds its babies with milk. The only egg is placed in a primitive bag, which appears during the season of reproduction. It is unknown, how an egg gets into that bag. G. Burrell proved, that echidna can’t do that with its paws, and created another hypothesis: echidna’s body is flexible enough, so the female can place the egg directly into the abdominal bag. To get out from an egg, the baby breaks up a shell by a horny bump on a nose. Then it pushes its head into the sac, covered with hairsprings, where milk glands are placed, and licks off the milk. The baby stays in the bag for a long time, until the needles don’t appear. Then mother leaves it in the den, but completes to visit and feed it with milk. Echidna can live well in the conditions of captivity, if it is well protected from the sun. It drinks milk with pleasure, eats eggs and other food. Echidna’s favorite food is raw eggs. Echidnas can live for 27 years.

Koalas in Australia

no@spam.com (Super Admin) — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 12:27:46 CEST

The wildlife of Australia is very diverse and interesting. Australia is the only continent where the animals like platypus and echidna hadn’t disappeared and are still resisting. The Australian continent is also famous for these unique animals like kangaroos, which consist of 50 species, dingo, marsupial devil, ant - bear and so on. Nevertheless koala is also a very interesting part of Australian fauna.

Koala is a small animal with solid frame: its height is 60 – 82 cm and the weight is 5 – 16 kg. The tail is very short, it almost can’t be seen. The ears are round and covered with thick fur.

Koala’s fur is very soft, the color of it varies from light to dark gray, there are also species with red colored fur.

The frame and color of koalas depend on the places they found in. For example, koalas of Victoria state are a lot bigger and heavier, than species of Queensland. The animals there are smaller and their fur is short.

The Koala is found all along the eastern coast of Australia from near Adelaide to the southern part of Cape York Peninsula. They live in eucalyptus forests, spending most of all their lifetime in the crowns of these trees. Koalas sleep in the daytime and in the night they actively climb trees searching for food. Even when koala isn’t sleeping, it can sit without any moves, clenching the branch of the tree with front paws. These animals don’t come down from the trees, but they do when they need to get to another tree which they can’t jump to. Also koalas can swim.

In the language of New South Wales tribes “koala” means “not to drink”. All the necessary water koalas get from the eucalyptus leaves and dew. They only drink water during long droughts and their illness.