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Western Shield
Western Shield, managed by Western Australia's Department of Parks and Wildlife (Western Australia), Department of Parks and Wildlife, is a nature conservation program safeguarding Western Australia's animals and protecting them from extinction. The program was set up in 1996 and as of 2009 was the largest and most successful wildlife conservation program ever undertaken in Australia. Conservation practices Between the 1920s and 1950s scientists synthetically developed a poison called sodium fluoroacetate (commonly called 1080 poison) for use in biological warfare. Subsequently, it has been found that sodium fluoroacetate occurs naturally in many plants of the south-west coast of Western Australia and many of the native mammalian herbivore fauna in that region have evolved with a natural tolerance to the poison. The plants in the genus ''Gastrolobium'', are commonly called "poison peas", and farmers often suffer livestock fatalities due to wandering animals that encounter and g ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Numbat
The numbat (''Myrmecobius fasciatus''), also known as the noombat or walpurti, is an insectivorous marsupial. It is diurnal and its diet consists almost exclusively of termites. The species was once widespread across southern Australia, but is now restricted to several small colonies in Western Australia. It is therefore considered an endangered species and protected by conservation programs. Numbats were recently re-introduced to fenced reserves in South Australia and New South Wales. The numbat is the faunal emblem of Western Australia. Taxonomy The numbat genus ''Myrmecobius'' is the sole member of the family Myrmecobiidae, one of four families that make up the order Dasyuromorphia, the Australian marsupial carnivores. The species is not closely related to other extant marsupials; the current arrangement in the order Dasyuromorphia places its monotypic family with the diverse and carnivorous species of Dasyuridae. Genetic studies have shown the ancestors of the numb ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pilbara
The Pilbara () is a large, dry, thinly populated region in the north of Western Australia. It is known for its Aboriginal peoples; its ancient landscapes; the red earth; and its vast mineral deposits, in particular iron ore. It is also a global biodiversity hotspot for subterranean fauna. Definitions of the Pilbara region At least two important but differing definitions of "the Pilbara" region exist. Administratively it is one of the nine regions of Western Australia defined by the ''Regional Development Commissions Act 1993''; the term also refers to the Pilbara shrublands bioregion (which differs in extent) under the Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA). General The Pilbara region, as defined by the Regional Development Commissions Act 1993 and administered for economic development purposes by the Pilbara Development Commission, has an estimated population of 61,688 , and covers an area of . It contains some of Earth's oldest rock formations, and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shark Bay Mouse
Gould's mouse (''Pseudomys gouldii''), also known as the Shark Bay mouse and djoongari in the Pintupi and Luritja languages, is a species of rodent in the murid family. Once ranging throughout Australia from Western Australia to New South Wales, its range has since been reduced to five islands off the coast of Western Australia. Taxonomy In 2021, a comprehensive genetic analysis of native Australian rodents found the djoongari or Shark Bay mouse (''P. fieldi''), which survives on several islands off the coast of Western Australia, to be conspecific with the Gould's mouse. This would make the Gould's mouse, formerly thought extinct, extant once again, albeit only surviving on several islands, a fraction of its former range. The study is based on earlier work by Emily Roycroft for a PhD thesis. It has been proposed that the ''P. gouldii'' be retained for the merged species as ''P. gouldii'' was described first, but the species' common name be changed to djoongari or Shark Bay ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Western Ringtail Possum
The western ringtail possum or ngwayir refers to a species of possum, ''Pseudocheirus occidentalis'', found in a small area of Southwest Australia. They are a cat-sized marsupial with a stocky build, dark greyish-brown fur, pale underparts and a long prehensile tail with a whitish tip. Ngwayir forage at night through the upper canopy of trees, feeding on young leaves, flowers and fruit, especially in groves of the weeping peppermint ''Agonis flexuosa''. Breeding occurs mainly during the winter, the single juvenile emerging from the pouch after about three months. The population has declined by more than 95% since British settlement, due to clearing of habitat, fire and the introduction of the red fox ''Vulpes vulpes'', and is classified as Critically Endangered. The population in most areas has catastrophically declined or become locally extinct, but strongholds remain in the urbanised areas near Busselton and Albany. Taxonomy A description of the species was published in 18 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tammar Wallaby
The tammar wallaby (''Notamacropus eugenii''), also known as the dama wallaby or darma wallaby, is a small macropod native to South and Western Australia. Though its geographical range has been severely reduced since European colonisation, the tammar wallaby remains common within its reduced range and is listed as "Least Concern" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It has been introduced to New Zealand and reintroduced to some areas of Australia where it had been previously extirpated. Skull variations differentiate between tammar wallabies from Western Australia, Kangaroo Island, and mainland South Australia, making them distinct population groups. The tammar wallaby is among the smallest of the wallabies in the genus ''Notamacropus''. Its coat colour is largely grey. The tammar wallaby has several notable adaptations, including the ability to retain energy while hopping, colour vision, and the ability to drink seawater. A nocturnal species, it spends ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rufous Hare-wallaby
The rufous hare-wallaby (''Lagorchestes hirsutus''), also known as the mala, is a small macropod found in Australia. It was formerly widely distributed across the western half of the continent, but naturally occurring populations are now confined to Bernier Island and Dorre Island Islands off Western Australia. Although once widespread in the central and western deserts, predation by feral cats and foxes, and destructive wildfires, caused the last wild population on mainland Australia to go extinct in the early 1990s. Despite its extinction in the wild, the mainland subspecies persisted in captivity. The species, which is currently classified as vulnerable, has rufous-grey fur and is the smallest hare-wallaby, weighing just 800-1,600 grams. It is a solitary nocturnal herbivore that feeds on herbs, leaves and seeds. Mala prefer spinifex sandplain habitat; the animals build burrows under large spinifex hummocks. The burrows are tunnel-like structures with a spinifex roof. This p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Western Barred Bandicoot
The Western barred bandicoot (''Perameles bougainville''), also known as the Marl, is a small species of bandicoot; now extinct across most of its former range, the western barred bandicoot only survives on offshore islands and in fenced sanctuaries on the mainland. Description The Western barred bandicoot Is much smaller than its relative the eastern barred bandicoot (''Perameles gunnii''), and is darker in its colouring, which is a grizzled brown. It measures about in length. It has two "bars" across its rump and has a short, tapered tail. It was a solitary and crepuscular hunter, eating insects, spiders, and worms and occasionally tubers and roots. When the bandicoot feels threatened, it typically leaps into the air and then burrows to safety. Taxonomy The first description of the Western barred bandicoot was from a specimen taken at Peron Peninsula in 1817 by naturalists on the ''Uranie''. Populations of the ''Perameles'' species have been referred to by various names, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Quenda
The southern brown bandicoot (''Isoodon obesulus'') is a short-nosed bandicoot, a type of marsupial, found mostly in southern Australia. It is also known as the quenda in South Western Australia (from the Noongar word ''). Taxonomy George Shaw described the species as ''Didelphis obesula'' in 1797. While some authorities list as few as two subspecies (''I. o. obesulus'' and ''I. o. nauticus''), there are currently five recognised species: * ''Isoodon obesulus nauticus'' - restricted to the Nuyts Archipelago * ''Isoodon obesulus obesulus'' - NSW, Victoria, SA * ''Isoodon obesulus peninsulae'' - Cape York Peninsula * ''Isoodon obesulus affinus'' - Tasmania and Bass Strait Islands * ''Isoodon obesulus fusciventer'' - southwest WA Description Southern brown bandicoots have a stocky body with a short snout and short, rounded ears. They show sexual dimorphism, with females being smaller than males. On average, males measure in total length, and weigh up to , while females measure ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Numbat
The numbat (''Myrmecobius fasciatus''), also known as the noombat or walpurti, is an insectivorous marsupial. It is diurnal and its diet consists almost exclusively of termites. The species was once widespread across southern Australia, but is now restricted to several small colonies in Western Australia. It is therefore considered an endangered species and protected by conservation programs. Numbats were recently re-introduced to fenced reserves in South Australia and New South Wales. The numbat is the faunal emblem of Western Australia. Taxonomy The numbat genus ''Myrmecobius'' is the sole member of the family Myrmecobiidae, one of four families that make up the order Dasyuromorphia, the Australian marsupial carnivores. The species is not closely related to other extant marsupials; the current arrangement in the order Dasyuromorphia places its monotypic family with the diverse and carnivorous species of Dasyuridae. Genetic studies have shown the ancestors of the numb ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dibbler
Dibbler (''Parantechinus apicalis'') is an endangered species of marsupial. It is an inhabitant of the southwest mainland of Western Australia and some offshore islands. It is a member of the order Dasyuromorphia, and the only member of the genus ''Parantechinus''. The dibbler is a small, nocturnal carnivore with speckled fur that is white around the eyes. Description The dibbler is long with a tail; it weighs . Distinctive features include a white eye-ring, gray-brown fur flecked with white hairs, and a short tapering tail. It has strong jaws and large canine teeth for killing prey, which include small vertebrates such as mice, birds and lizards, as well as insects and other invertebrates. They are semi-arboreal and will also feed on nectar from flowering plants and berries. Dibblers weigh about 40–135 grams (1.4–3.6 oz).The breeding season for the species is March–April, with the female able to give birth and raise up to eight young. The dibbler is a so ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chuditch
The western quoll (''Dasyurus geoffroii'') is Western Australia's largest endemic mammalian carnivore. One of the many marsupial mammals native to Australia, it is also known as the chuditch. The species is currently classed as near-threatened. Taxonomy The western quoll is a member of the family Dasyuridae and is most closely related to the bronze quoll (''Dasyurus spartacus''), a recently described species from New Guinea that was for some time believed to be an outlying population of the western quoll. Its species name, ''geoffroii'', refers to the prominent French naturalist Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, who named the genus ''Dasyurus'' in 1796. The species has occasionally been placed in the genus ''Dasyurinus''. It is also known as the chuditch () in Western Australia (from Noongar ''djooditj''); ''chuditch'' serves as both the singular and plural form. Other common names include ''atyelpe'' or ''chilpa'' (from Arrernte), ''kuninka'' (from Western Desert language); ' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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