31/5/2017 Swamp Rat (Rattus lutreolus) Lots of these fat little cuties running around.
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4/2/17 From Museum Victoria: I can see the animals are certainly Antechinus of some sort due to the sharp insectivorous teeth, conical snout and haired, tapering tail; likely to be a Agile Antechinus Antechinus agilis, based on their relative abundance at the locality of the specimen. Although superficially rodent like in size and colour, Antechinus are unrelated to rats and mice; instead they are insectivorous marsupials more closely related to quolls and the Tasmanian Devil. Antechinus are renowned for their semelparity; a reproductive strategy that sees all adult males die off after a single, frenzied episode of mating, usually in the depths of winter every year, leaving a predominantly female adult population until the offspring reach maturity.
Interesting!
Interesting!
We've seen some cute little bats flying around - but MAN are they hard to take a photo of! Here is a dead one I found. Museum Victoria identified it as a Common Bentwing Bat (Miniopterus schreibersiss). It's a widespread species found across the globe, with many regional sub-species, some of which are endangered. Unfortunately I didn't keep it, so I couldn't send it to them for further identification. If I see another one.......maybe! 1/4/16
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9/21 Another cute little bat. This one got stuck on a curly lightbulb and died :( It looks like a Gould's long-eared bat (Nyctophilus gouldi). Apparently the ears fold down when resting!
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Snakes! They are definitely around - lots of rats and frogs for them to eat :) Tiger and brown snakes have been seen. Andy found th (25/9/2015), apparently somewhere near a bend in the driveway was known to be a "black snake" nest by the former owner (Ben did run over a very dark snake near the bend which somehow managed to slither away!). This snake skin I found on the easement was 1.25m long (12/11/16) It gave me a bit of a scare! The boys wouldn't let me keep it in the house :(
The bottom snake was with a larger one - possibly mum - who slithered away revealing a dark pink underbelly - possibly a red bellied black snake? (24/8/17) Apparently they grow to a metre, can have 12 offspring at a time and have live births rather than eggs. Also highly venomous, of course!! http://www.whatsnakeisthat.com.au/vic.html
The bottom snake was with a larger one - possibly mum - who slithered away revealing a dark pink underbelly - possibly a red bellied black snake? (24/8/17) Apparently they grow to a metre, can have 12 offspring at a time and have live births rather than eggs. Also highly venomous, of course!! http://www.whatsnakeisthat.com.au/vic.html
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Striped Marsh Frog we nearly stepped on when out spotlighting 15/1/16
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20/10/20 Pobblebonk (Eastern Banjo Frog) They bury themselves when it gets too hot or dry.
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19/01/18 This orangey frog is also a southern brown tree frog. Either a Litoria ewingii or Litoria verreauxii according to Museums Victoria. I'll have to listen out for the call for a positive identification!
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21/11/21 Found this cutie under a log next to my frog pond (yay)
9/21 One of many tiny froggies down on the swamp part of our property.
We regularly see between 10 and 20 Eastern Greys hopping around - but we cannot figure out where they sleep! Some are pretty big! Taller than me I think! October 2015
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Wilbur the Swamp Wallaby turns up regularly outside the kitchen window 7/1/16
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May 2018 - Wilbur brought an extra guest to breakfast today!
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Could this be the home of a bandicoot? Apparently they do not have permanent homes and they like to live in the scrubby grass.
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A 2010 video of bandicoots at our place!
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Thought this was a snake! Just a sneaky blue tongue lizard. 3/10/15
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Cute little echidna 10/10/15
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Southern Grass Skink 18/10/15
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Little skinks everywhere. Check out the tail on this one!
A cheeky brush tail possum with baby and a brush tail nest 24/9/16
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And a sweet little ring tail possum - see how it uses its tail? 17/10/15. We used to see it in the fig tree outside our bedroom window a lot. Then, when cleaning out the gutters on the bungalow I discovered that there was one nesting in the corner of the gutter. We didn't see any for a while after that, but we did find a drenched one hiding in Andy's Gore-text coat which was hanging up outside (he got a fright when he tried to put it on!) and then this one in the video ran up the tree outside the study today and gave us a lovely show 18/03/18.
9/21 We noticed this nest in a pittosporum we were about to cut down.. We weren't sure what type of nest it was or if it was still in use, so we gave the tree a gentle shake and a little ringtail climbed out! Since then we've found a few more - unfortunately all in pittosporum!
9/21 We noticed this nest in a pittosporum we were about to cut down.. We weren't sure what type of nest it was or if it was still in use, so we gave the tree a gentle shake and a little ringtail climbed out! Since then we've found a few more - unfortunately all in pittosporum!
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Burrowing crayfish hole - not sure what kind. 3/10/15
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Found a bunch of these yabbie caracases around the dam (some lucky bird had a feast!) Not sure if they are the same as the burrowing crayfish. 17/10/15
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Pests
Hard to believe - but we saw a Sambar deer today (lucky I had my camera!) 24/10/15
We have seen lots of rabbits (28/12/15), cats (with collars -did manage to catch one!) and at least one very smelly bold-as-brass fox (16/1/16).
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Not sure I want to know what this is/was - rabbit? Or who ate it?! 19/8/16
