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Marion Downs Sanctuary
Marion Downs Sanctuary, a former cattle station, is a nature reserve in the Kimberley region of north-west Western Australia. The once privately owned cattle station that occupied an area of had to sell following years of financial hardship and a change in local government boundaries that increased the rates by 800%. Phil Stoker, Gerald Adamson and Joe Batiste sold the property for just over 4 million after owning it for 22 years. It is currently owned and managed by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC), by which it was purchased in 2008 with funds from private donors and a 1.8 million grant from the Australian Government. It lies in the Central Kimberley Bioregion and adjoins Mornington Sanctuary, already owned by the AWC. The two sanctuaries combined will form a protected area extending over from north to south, and will be one of the world's largest privately owned reserves. Landscape and climate The landscape of the reserve is similar to that of Mornington, a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Marion Downs Station
Marion Downs Station, often just referred to as Marion Downs, is a pastoral lease that operates as a cattle station in Queensland, Australia. Description The station is located about south west of Boulia and north of Birdsville in the Channel Country of Central West Queensland. It occupies the entirety of the locality of Amaroo in the Shires of Boulia and Diamantina, extending to a small extent into some of the neighbouring localities. The property is well watered by the Georgina, Burke, Hamilton and Mulligan Rivers. The land varies from floodplains to open rolling downs vegetated with Mitchell and Flinders grasses and to desert country of the Simpson Desert along the western boundary. Marion Downs is run in conjunction with the Herbert Downs outstation, employing about 15 people, and together occupy a total area of . The property is stocked with about 15,000 head of cattle and is currently owned by the North Australian Pastoral Company. The homestead is located at ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fitzroy River (Western Australia)
The Fitzroy River is located in the West Kimberley region of Western Australia. It has 20 tributaries and its catchment occupies an area of , within the Canning Basin and the Timor Sea drainage division. It often floods extensively during the wet season, and is known as the major remaining habitat for the critically endangered sawfish. History Pre-colonisation The first people to live along the river were the traditional owners of the areas around the river, including the Bunuba and Nyikina people to the west, and the Walmajarri and Gooniyandi people to the east, who have lived in the area for at least 40,000 years. The Nyikina and Bunuba people know the river as ''Mardoowarra'' and Bandaral Ngarri respectively; the river and its vast floodplains are of great spiritual, cultural, medicinal and ecological significance. The Nyikina word ''Raparapa'', translates as "alongside the river". 19th to 21st centuries The first European to visit the Fitzroy River was George Grey in 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Australian Wildlife Conservancy Reserves
Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Australians, indigenous peoples of Australia as identified and defined within Australian law * Australia (continent) ** Indigenous Australians * Australian English, the dialect of the English language spoken in Australia * Australian Aboriginal languages * ''The Australian'', a newspaper * Australiana, things of Australian origins Other uses * Australian (horse), a racehorse * Australian, British Columbia, an unincorporated community in Canada See also * The Australian (other) * Australia (other) * * * Austrian (other) {{disambiguation Language and nationality disambiguation pages ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nature Reserves In Western Australia
Western Australia is the second largest country subdivision in the world. It contains no fewer than separate Protected Areas with a total area of (land area: – 6.30% of the state’s area). Ninety-eight of these are National Parks, totalling (2.14% of the state’s area). Protected areas of Western Australia Conservation Parks As of 2014, the following 58 conservation parks are listed as part of the National Reserve System with a total area of . *Blackbutt * Boyagarring * Brooking Gorge *Burra *Camp Creek *Cane River * Coalseam *Dardanup *Devonian Reef *Geikie Gorge *Goldfields Woodlands * Gooralong *Hester *Kerr *Korijekup * Lane Poole *Laterite *Len Howard *Leschenault Peninsula * Leschenaultia * Lupton *Monte Bello Islands *Mount Manning - Helena And Aurora Ranges *Muja * Penguin Island *Rapids * Rowles Lagoon * Shell Beach *Totadgin *Unnamed WA01333 *Unnamed WA17804 *Unnamed WA23088 *Unnamed WA23920 *Unnamed WA24657 *Unnamed WA28740 *Unnamed WA29901 *U ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Freshwater Crocodile
The freshwater crocodile (''Crocodylus johnstoni''), also known as the Australian freshwater crocodile, Johnstone's crocodile or the freshie, is a species of crocodile endemic to the northern regions of Australia. Unlike their much larger Australian relative, the saltwater crocodile, freshwater crocodiles are not known as man-eaters, although they bite in self-defence, and brief, nonfatal attacks have occurred, apparently the result of mistaken identity. Taxonomy and etymology When Gerard Krefft named the species in 1873, he intended to commemorate the man who first reported it to him, Australian native police officer and amateur naturalist Robert Arthur Johnstone (1843–1905). However, Krefft made an error in writing the name, and for many years, the species has been known as ''C. johnsoni''. Recent studies of Krefft's papers have determined the correct spelling of the name, and much of the literature has been updated to the correct usage, but both versions still exist. Accor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Antilopine Wallaroo
The antilopine kangaroo (''Osphranter antilopinus''), also known as the antilopine wallaroo or the antilopine wallaby, is a species of macropod found in northern Australia: in Cape York Peninsula in Queensland, the Top End of the Northern Territory, and the Kimberley region of Western Australia. It is a locally common, gregarious grazer. Taxonomy The description of the species by John Gould was published in 1842, one of four new species of 'kangaroos' presented before the Zoological Society of London in 1841. The type location was given as Port Essington. The author assigned the new species to the genus ''Osphranter'', a taxon later submerged as a subgenus of ''Macropus'', and recognised an affinity with his earlier description of ''Macropus robustus'' (known as the common wallaroo or euro). A taxonomic restructuring in 2019, based on genetic analysis, promoted ''Osphranter'' back to genus level, redefining the antilopine kangaroo and the red kangaroo, among others, as species ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rock Ringtail Possum
The rock-haunting ringtail possum (''Petropseudes dahli''), also known as the rock ringtail possum, is a species of Australian possum. It is found in rocky escarpments in the Kimberley, Arnhem Land and Gulf of Carpentaria across Western Australia and Northern Territory and just passing the Queensland border. It is also found on Groote Eylandt. It the only species in the genus ''Petropseudes'', but is part of the group including the common ringtail possum (''Pseudocheirus peregrinus''). The rock-haunting ringtail possum has one of the shortest tails of all ringtail possums, and at its end it is hairless and scaly. It lives in small groups and is mainly herbivorous. It has a stocky build and is mostly grey in colour. Description The rock-haunting ringtail possum is almost the size of a small rabbit. It is grey to reddish-grey in colour on the back, while its underside is a light cream colour. It has white hair patches underneath its small, round ears and both above and below the e ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Northern Quoll
The northern quoll (''Dasyurus hallucatus''), also known as the northern native cat, the North Australian native cat or the satanellus is a carnivorous marsupial native to Australia. Taxonomy The northern quoll is a member of the family Dasyuridae, and is often stated to be the most distinctive Australian quoll. It was first described in 1842 by naturalist and author John Gould, who gave it the species name ''hallucatus'', which indicates it has a notable first digit. This species has sometimes been placed in a separate genus, ''Satanellus''. Life history The northern quoll is the smallest of the four Australian quoll species. Females are smaller than males, with adult females weighing between and adult males . Head and body length ranges from for adult males and for adult females. The tail length ranges between . Northern quolls feed primarily on invertebrates, but also consume fleshy fruit (particularly figs), and a wide range of vertebrates, including small mammals, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mammal
Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur or hair, and three middle ear bones. These characteristics distinguish them from reptiles (including birds) from which they diverged in the Carboniferous, over 300 million years ago. Around 6,400 extant species of mammals have been described divided into 29 orders. The largest orders, in terms of number of species, are the rodents, bats, and Eulipotyphla (hedgehogs, moles, shrews, and others). The next three are the Primates (including humans, apes, monkeys, and others), the Artiodactyla ( cetaceans and even-toed ungulates), and the Carnivora (cats, dogs, seals, and others). In terms of cladistics, which reflects evolutionary history, mammals are the only living members of the Synapsida (synapsids); this clade, together with Saur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Australian Bustard
The Australian bustard (''Ardeotis australis'') is a large ground dwelling bird which is common in grassland, woodland and open agricultural country across northern Australia and southern New Guinea. It stands at about high, and its wingspan is around twice that length. The species is nomadic, flying to areas when food becomes plentiful, and capable of travelling long distances. They were once widespread and common to the open plains of Australia, but became rare in regions that were populated by Europeans during the colonisation of Australia. The bustard is omnivorous, mostly consuming the fruit or seed of plants, but also eating invertebrates such as crickets, grasshoppers, smaller mammals, birds and reptiles. The species is also commonly referred to as the plains turkey, and in Central Australia as the bush turkey, particularly by Aboriginal people, who hunt it, although the latter name may also be used for the Australian brushturkey, as well as the orange-footed scrubfowl. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Purple-crowned Fairywren
The purple-crowned fairywren (''Malurus coronatus'') is a species of bird in the Australasian wren family, Maluridae. It is the largest of the eleven species in the genus ''Malurus'' and is endemic to northern Australia. The species name is derived from the Latin word ''cǒrōna'' meaning "crown", owing to the distinctive purple circle of crown feathers sported by breeding males. Genetic evidence shows that the purple-crowned fairywren is most closely related to the superb fairywren and splendid fairywren. Purple-crowned fairywrens can be distinguished from other fairywrens in northern Australia by the presence of cheek patches (either black in males or reddish-chocolate in females) and the deep blue colour of their perky tails. Like other fairywrens, the purple-crowned fairywren is socially monogamous. However, unlike other species in the genus, it is not sexually promiscuous and shows low rates of extra-pair paternity. However, females with related males as partners will mate ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gouldian Finch
The Gouldian finch (''Chloebia gouldiae''), also known as the Lady Gouldian finch, Gould's finch or the rainbow finch, is a colourful passerine bird that is native to Australia. Taxonomy The Gouldian finch was described by British ornithological artist John Gould in 1844 as ''Amadina gouldiae'', in honour of his deceased wife Elizabeth. The specimens were sent to him by Benjamin Bynoe although they had been described some years before by Jacques Bernard Hombron and Honoré Jacquinot. It is also known as the rainbow finch, Gould's finch, or the Lady Gouldian finch and sometimes just Gould. The Gouldian finch is sister to the parrotfinches in the genus '' Erythrura''. Description Both sexes are brightly coloured with black, green, yellow, and red markings. The females tend to be less brightly coloured. One major difference between the sexes is that the male's chest is purple, while the female's is a lighter mauve. Gouldian finches are about 125–140 mm long. Gouldian f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
