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Archive for November, 2007

Flying Foxes in the Heat of Debate

Friday, November 30th, 2007

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Flying foxes to wilt with climate change, by ABC Science Online’s Stephen Pincock, contends that new research shows some of Australia’s flying foxes face a grave threat from extreme temperatures expected to become more frequent with climate change. (more…)

Lesser Sooty Owl

Thursday, November 22nd, 2007

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The piercing, descending shriek of the Lesser Sooty Owl Tyto multipunctata sounds much like a falling bomb, without the explosion at the end. It has enormous eyes and exceptional hearing, allowing it to hunt in almost total darkness.

It is a formidable rainforest predator of almost all the creatures I have posted at this weblog over the past few years.

Formerly classified as a sub-species of the much larger and darker Sooty Owl Tyto tenebricosa, it has since been re-classified into a distinct species that is endemic to Australia.

Fantastic phasmids

Tuesday, November 20th, 2007

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Macleay’s Spectre Extatosoma tiaratum would have to be one of the most spectacular insects in the Daintree rainforest. Males readily fly in search of mates, but much larger females are incapable of flight. First instar nymphs resemble ants. (more…)

Praying Mantid

Saturday, November 17th, 2007

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I photographed this praying mantid last night on the flowers of a Wax Jambu Syzygium samarangense. There are around 160 described species of mantid in Australia with the greatest diversity in the tropics. (more…)

Northern Leaf-tailed Geckos

Friday, November 2nd, 2007

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Driving to Cape Tribulation two nights ago, I was hit with the unmistakable stench of what the Guugu Yimithirr indigenous people (just up the coast) call yumu; a scummy residue of coral spawning (more…)

Giant White-lipped Tree Frogs

Thursday, November 1st, 2007

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In the centre of the Daintree rainforest, Giant White-lipped Tree Frogs Litoria infrafrenata ordinarily call for mates at the beginning of September, but much cooler temperatures persisting until very recently, have delayed the unmistakable clatter of competing males.

They are world’s largest tree frog (more…)