I was recently out in the field nearby to Roma Queensland, poking around for weeds when I spooked a large goanna beside the track I was following. It ran up a fence post and I was able to get a good look at it. This particular goanna is more formally known as a Lace Monitor… Read more »
One of the most exciting things about night-time spotlighting searches is that you never know what you might come across. I was recently spotlighting for gliders and koalas with a couple of colleagues when one of us spotted these two snakes on the forest floor. They are Small-eyed Snakes (Cryptophis nigrescens), a common species in… Read more »
Australia has an incredible array of fantastic and iconic wildlife but few people have ever seen or even heard of our beautiful Greater Glider Petauroides volans. As voluntary wildlife carers this charming animal recently came into temporary care following its rescue from a nearby bush fire which burnt its home. This particular glider was lucky… Read more »
Outback Queensland is host to some of Australia’s best kept secrets. This unique country of ours is so vast that some areas are yet to be properly explored. With a keen interest in natural history and native animals and plants, BOOBOOK ecologists love to explore the unexplored to further understanding of this wonderful place we… Read more »
One of the privileges of living in an Outback Queensland town is that sometimes we are visited by some really cool creatures. This young Short-beaked Echidna Tachyglossus aculeatus was rescued yesterday when it ventured into a yard in suburban Roma. It was foraging for termites around some garden bed sleepers. Some caring locals alerted us to… Read more »
My insides by now were twisting and I could feel the prickling of goosebumps. Was I being a fool or could this be for real? Tylophora linearis (Slender Tylophora) is a rare plant for which no one in Queensland had seen since close to 60 years ago. If it was an animal, it would have… Read more »
Planigales and Dunnarts are the official names for species of native marsupial mice. Dunnarts found in Roma, or the Maranoa region include the Striped-faced Dunnart Sminthopsis macroura, Fat-tailed Dunnart Sminthopsis crassicaudata and Common Dunnart Sminthopsis murina. They are small marsupials around the same size as the introduced and pesky house mouse. What distinguishes them from the… Read more »
Happy New Year Everyone! With 2018 now under our belt we are looking forward to 2019 and hope you are too. Craig, I and our kids were fortunate to be able to take a little time off to go to Tasmania in December. We did lots of their wonderful walks and although we didn’t get… Read more »
Barn Owls are one of the most beautiful of all Australian owls; their ghostly white underparts contrast with the various shades of brown and grey on their back and wings. They are one of the most commonly encountered owls in the Outback, especially as they hunt rodents close to roads at night. They’ll often be… Read more »
A typical Monday. We start with me running a load of molasses out to our farm for the cattle. We use molasses with a mix of other supplements to help the cattle digest the older dry grass during the winter months to help them maintain condition and ensure that they’re at their best going into… Read more »
