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Noosa Biosphere Reserve
Noosa Biosphere Reserve is an internationally protected area covering the region of Noosa in Queensland, Australia. It is formally recognised as a Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Man and the Biosphere (MAB) program for its highly diverse ecosystem over a relatively small space. It was the first Biosphere Reserve for the state of Queensland, established in September 2007. The reserve is bound by the Noosa Shire Council boundaries, extending offshore by , covering in total. It is governed by Noosa Biosphere Limited (NBL), a not-for-profit company, which mainly consists of members from the local community who fulfil roles in the governance board, sector boards, and partnerships. Community plays a significant role in the implementation of the Biosphere Reserve guidelines. History The Noosa Biosphere Reserve was established as a protected area by UNESCO in 2007. A designation for the biosphere reserve was reinsta ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Noosa
The Shire of Noosa is a local government area about north of Brisbane in the Sunshine Coast district of South East Queensland, Australia. The shire covers an area of . It existed as a local government entity from 1910 until 2008, when it was amalgamated with the Shire of Maroochy and City of Caloundra to form the Sunshine Coast Region. The shire was re-established on 1 January 2014. History Geological history The Noosa Hinterland was formed during the Oligocene era around 25-30 million years ago when volcanic activity created the ranges. By the beginning of the Neolithic era, Noosa's coast experienced a change in sea level rises when its beaches and waterways began to take shape. Ancient history The Noosa area was originally home to several Aboriginal groups. They primarily include the '' Undumbi'' tribe to the south, the '' Dulingbara'' to the north, and the ''Kabi Kabi'' (or ''Gabbi Gabbi'') to the west. ''Gubbi Gubbi (Kabi Kabi, Cabbee, Carbi, Gabi Gabi)'' is an Aus ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Koala
The koala or, inaccurately, koala bear (''Phascolarctos cinereus''), is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia. It is the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae and its closest living relatives are the wombats. The koala is found in coastal areas of the mainland's eastern and southern regions, inhabiting Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. It is easily recognisable by its stout, tailless body and large head with round, fluffy ears and large, spoon-shaped nose. The koala has a body length of and weighs . Fur colour ranges from silver grey to chocolate brown. Koalas from the northern populations are typically smaller and lighter in colour than their counterparts further south. These populations possibly are separate subspecies, but this is disputed. Koalas typically inhabit open ''Eucalyptus'' woodland, as the leaves of these trees make up most of their diet. Because this eucalypt diet has limited nutritional and calor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tiger Quoll
The tiger quoll (''Dasyurus maculatus''), also known as the spotted-tail quoll, the spotted quoll, the spotted-tail dasyure, native cat or the tiger cat, is a carnivorous marsupial of the quoll genus ''Dasyurus'' native to Australia. With males and females weighing around , respectively, it is the world's second-largest extant carnivorous marsupial, behind the Tasmanian devil. Two subspecies are recognised; the nominate is found in wet forests of southeastern Australia and Tasmania, and a northern subspecies, ''D. m. gracilis'', is found in a small area of northern Queensland and is endangered. Taxonomy The tiger quoll is a member of the family Dasyuridae, which includes most carnivorous marsupial mammals. This quoll was first described in 1792 by Robert Kerr, the Scottish writer and naturalist, who placed it in the genus ''Didelphis'', which includes several species of American opossum. The species name, ''maculatus'', indicates this species is spotted. Two subspecies are r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Regent Bowerbird
The regent bowerbird (''Sericulus chrysocephalus'') is a medium-sized, up to 25 cm long, sexually dimorphic bowerbird. The male bird is black with a golden orange-yellow crown, mantle and black-tipped wing feathers. It has yellow Beak, bill, black feet and yellow Iris (anatomy), iris. The female is a brown bird with whitish or fawn markings, grey bill, black feet and crown. The name commemorates a prince regent of the United Kingdom. Diet The diet consists mainly of fruits, berries and insects. Behaviour All male bowerbirds build Bowerbird, bowers, which can be simple ground clearings or elaborate structures, to attract female mates. Regent bowerbirds in particular are known to mix a muddy greyish blue or pea green "saliva paint" in their mouths which they use to decorate their bowers. The male builds an avenue-type bower consisting of two walls of sticks, decorated with shells, seeds, leaves and berries. Regents will sometimes use wads of greenish leaves as "paintbrushes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eastern Ground Parrot
The eastern ground parrot (''Pezoporus wallicus'') of Australia is one of only five ground-dwelling parrots in the world, the others being its closest relatives, the western ground parrot (''Pezoporus flaviventris''), the extremely rare night parrot (''Pezoporus occidentalis''), the somewhat closely related Antipodes parakeet (''Cyanoramphus unicolor''), and the unrelated highly endangered kakapo (''Strigops habroptilus'') from New Zealand. The colouration of the three ''Pezoporus'' species and the kakapo is similar – yellowish green with darker barring, somewhat reminiscent of the head and back of the wild-type budgerigar. This is not an indication of a true relationship, however, but either adaptation to a particular lifestyle or a feature retained from ancestral parrots; probably the latter as barred plumage is found all over the family, from the tiny tiger parrots to female cockatiels. When disturbed, a ground parrot flies swiftly just above the ground before dropping bac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Swift Parrot
The swift parrot (''Lathamus discolor'') is a species of broad-tailed parrot, found only in southeastern Australia. The species breeds in Tasmania during the summer and migrates north to south eastern mainland Australia from Griffith-Warialda in New South Wales and west to Adelaide in the winter. It is a nomadic migrant, and it settles in an area only when there is food available. The species is critically endangered, and the severe predation of introduced sugar gliders (''Petaurus breviceps'') on breeding females and nests in some locations has demonstrated an unexpected but potentially serious new threat. Sugar glider predation is worst where logging is severe; these threats interact in a synergistic manner. Genetic evidence for the effective population size suggests that the minimum potential population size is now fewer than 300 individual swift parrots. The genetic evidence supports the results of earlier studies that use demographic information about swift parrots to sh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Coxen’s Fig Parrot
Coxen's fig parrot (''Cyclopsitta diophthalma coxeni''), also known as the blue-browed, red-faced or southern fig parrot or lorilet, is one of the smallest and least known Australian parrots. It is a highly endangered subspecies of the double-eyed fig parrot. It was named by John Gould after his brother-in-law Charles Coxen. Description Coxen's fig parrot is about 15–16 cm long, larger than the other subspecies of double-eyed fig parrot. Its very short tail gives it a top-heavy, big-headed appearance. It is predominantly bright yellowish-green in colour with a blue forehead surrounded by a few scattered red feathers, and with orange-red cheeks bordered below by a variable mauve-blue band. The female is similar in appearance to the male, though slightly duller in colouration. Its flight is rapid and direct, generally above the forest canopy. It can be distinguished from little and musk lorikeets by its dumpier build, more rounded wings and seemingly tail-less silhouett ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Glossy Black Cockatoo
The glossy black cockatoo (''Calyptorhynchus lathami''), is the smallest member of the subfamily Calyptorhynchinae found in eastern Australia. Adult glossy black cockatoos may reach in length. They are sexually dimorphic. Males are blackish brown, except for their prominent red tail bands; the females are dark brownish with some yellow spotting. Three subspecies are recognised. Taxonomy The glossy black cockatoo was first described by Dutch naturalist Coenraad Jacob Temminck in 1807. The scientific name honours the English ornithologist John Latham. The glossy black cockatoo's closest relative is the red-tailed black cockatoo; the two species form the genus ''Calyptorhynchus''.Forshaw, p. 89 They are distinguished from the other black cockatoos of the genus '' Zanda'' by different tail colour and head pattern, significant sexual dimorphism, and differences in two juvenile call types, a squeaking begging call and a vocalization when swallowing food. Subspecies The three subsp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Red Goshawk
The red goshawk (''Erythrotriorchis radiatus'') is probably the rarest Australian bird of prey. It is found mainly in the savanna woodlands of northern Australia, particularly near watercourses. It takes a broad range of live prey, mostly birds. Taxonomy The red goshawk was first described by the English ornithologist John Latham in 1801 under the binomial name ''Falco radiatus''. The species used to be regarded as a very large member of the goshawk subfamily, Accipitrinae, but it is now believed that the resemblance to these other birds is convergent. Experts now group the red goshawk with the superficially dissimilar black-breasted buzzard ''Hamirostra melanosternon'' and square-tailed kite ''Lophoictinia isura'' as one of the Australasian old endemic raptors. It is believed that the ancestors of these birds, possibly together with a handful of species from South-east Asia and Africa, occupied Gondwana and over millions of years have diverged into their current forms. Gen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Square-tailed Kite
The square-tailed kite (''Lophoictinia isura'') is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as kites, eagles and harriers. Taxonomy German naturalist Johann Jakob Kaup described the square-tailed kite in 1847. The square-tailed kite is monomorphic with no recorded geographic variations. Description As an adult the square-tailed kite is a medium-sized raptor, with the following features: * Length: 50–56 cm (tail is about half the length of bird) * Wingspan: 130–145 cm * Weight: Male-501g, Female-650g Plumage variation As an adult, the squared-tailed kite has a white face, with pale eyes and black streaks across the crown. The breast is also heavily streaked. The ventral surface of the wings has a rufous-brown lining, a dark carpal crescent, and a boldly barred finger. There is also a pale white patch on the ventral surface of the wings, at the base of the primary feathers; the saddle, rump ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Loggerhead Turtle
The loggerhead sea turtle (''Caretta caretta'') is a species of oceanic turtle distributed throughout the world. It is a marine reptile, belonging to the family Cheloniidae. The average loggerhead measures around in carapace length when fully grown. The adult loggerhead sea turtle weighs approximately , with the largest specimens weighing in at more than . The skin ranges from yellow to brown in color, and the shell is typically reddish brown. No external differences in sex are seen until the turtle becomes an adult, the most obvious difference being the adult males have thicker tails and shorter plastrons (lower shells) than the females. The loggerhead sea turtle is found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, as well as the Mediterranean Sea. It spends most of its life in saltwater and estuarine habitats, with females briefly coming ashore to lay eggs. The loggerhead sea turtle has a low reproductive rate; females lay an average of four egg clutches and then become ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Flatback Turtle
The Australian flatback sea turtle (''Natator depressus'') is a species of sea turtle in the family Cheloniidae. The species is endemic to the sandy beaches and shallow coastal waters of the Australian continental shelf. This turtle gets its common name from the fact that its shell has a flattened or lower dome than the other sea turtles. It can be olive green to grey with a cream underside. It averages from 76 to 96 cm (30 to 38 inches) in carapace length and can weigh from 70 to 90 kg (154 to 198 lb). The hatchlings, when emerging from nests, are larger than other sea turtle hatchlings when they hatch. The flatback turtle is listed by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as data deficient, meaning there is insufficient scientific information to determine its conservation status at this time. It was previously listed as vulnerable in 1994. It is not as threatened as other sea turtles due to its small dispersal range. This animal can be 31 to 37 inches long and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
