10 totally bonza Australian animals
Australia is home to some of the most unique animals in the world: geographic isolation means it contains the majority of our planet’s marsupials, some of the only egg-laying mammals and a frightening variety of venomous species including snakes, spiders and jellyfish. Those who are willing to brave the perils found down under will be … Continued
Mortal Wombat! A woman was just savaged by a seemingly cuddly marsupial
A woman in Australia who was attacked by a wombat in a suburban street in the country’s capital city has said that she thought she was going to be killed by the deceptively docile looking marsupial. Wombats, although extremely powerful animals, are usually peaceful vegetarians, but it didn’t look that way when Kerry Evans became … Continued
28 facts about echidnas you may not know
What is an echidna? They’re like a cross between an ant-eater and a hedgehog, with their long snout noses and quills. However, echidnas are not closely related to either animal and pretty much stand alone as one of two egg-laying mammals on Earth (the other being the platypus). So what exactly makes the echidna so … Continued
The strange world of river sharks
Worldwide there are more than 500 recognised species of sharks and that number is continuing to grow as new species are discovered lurking in the depths of the world’s oceans. Encompassing everything from the well known great white and hammerhead sharks, to little known oddities such as the deep-sea dwarf lanternshark or the enormous plankton … Continued
Nature's kidneys are knackered—World's worst mangrove die-off recorded in Australia
The worst ever recorded incident of mangrove die-off has recently taken place around the Gulf of Carpentaria in northern Australia, with warm waters caused by climate change combined with El Niño to blame for the devastation. Over 700km of coastline has been affected by the ecological catastrophe, which will have a serious knock-on impact on … Continued
19 facts about frilled-neck lizards you may not have known
The frilled-neck lizard may be one of Australia’s most iconic reptiles. Named after the flappy collar that folds around their neck, this lizard thrives in northern parts of Australia, and southern parts of New Guinea, where it hangs out high up in the treetops. Check out some fun facts about these reptiles above!
Python gets trapped inside perfect circle of its shed skin
It’s a real-life Ouroboros! A Stimson’s Python at the Alice Springs Reptile Centre, in Australia, became trapped inside its own dead skin after it was shed into a perfect circle. According to a post that the Reptile Centre left on their Facebook page, the snake was stuck literally within itself for over 3 hours, until … Continued
Aussies don't want killer sharks hunted down
A study conducted by the University of Sydney in the immediate aftermath of two fatal shark attacks in Western Australia this month, has revealed that the vast majority of locals do not want to see sharks hunted down and destroyed after such incidents. The west coast of Australia has experienced the highest rate of shark-bite … Continued
This is the first mammal to go extinct due to climate change, and you probably didn't know it existed
The image above is of the Bramble Cay melomys, or Bramble Cay mosaic-tailed rat. These rodents were once found on a tiny, remote reef island found at the northern tip of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, which they shared with shore birds and green turtles looking to lay their eggs. Very little is known about this … Continued
Tasmanian town wrapped in web after thousands of spiders fall out of the sky
It has been raining spiders in a small Tasmanian town, after severe flooding prompted the arachnids to resort to an unusual escape method known as ballooning. Local trees and bushes are now covered in a vast web of silk in Westbury, near Launceston on the Australian island state, and within the folds an unimaginable number … Continued
Two humans and one shark dead after a bloody week in the waters of Western Australia
A female scuba diver has been killed in shark attack in Western Australia, the second such fatality on beaches peripheral to Perth during the same week, after a surfer died as a result of having his leg bitten off on Tuesday in an attack in Mandurah, just south of the West Australian capital. The two … Continued
Tree Kangaroo: The Living Plush Toy
The Tree Kangaroo, or Boongarry, as the locals call them, looks like a monkey mixed with sloth mixed with a bear, but it’s neither sloth nor monkey nor bear. I think it’s safe to say, they’re anything but normal. While they have an appearance more akin to a monkey or sloth, the tree kangaroo is … Continued
Aussie town invaded by 100,000 flying foxes
A popular tourist destination town in New South Wales, Australia, has been declared a disaster zone after being descended upon by an immense colony of megabats. The fruit bats, which have bodies about the size of a small dog and an average wingspan of one metre, are commonly known as flying foxes because of the … Continued
'If you go swimming at 10 o’clock at night, you’re going to get consumed'—woman killed by croc in Australia
A woman from New Zealand has been killed in a crocodile attack in Tropical North Queensland, Australia, after going for a late night moonlit paddle while celebrating the end of her friend’s cancer treatment. Witnesses heard 46-year-old photographer Cindy Waldron screaming ‘A croc’s got me, a croc’s got me!’ as she was dragged away by … Continued
Australia uses Soviet–style tactics to rip climate-change damage out of UN report
All mentions of Australia have been ripped out of a major UN report on climate change because of pressure from the Australian government, terrified about the potential impact such news might have on tourism, The Guardian has today revealed. The report, entitled World Heritage and Tourism in a Changing Climate, came out on Friday and … Continued
Rhinos to be airlifted to Australia in a desperate bid to save the species
If one man’s mission is successful, Australia is set to see an influx of refugees whose lives are in grave peril in their African homeland. The group is escaping conditions that would be described as genocidal if they were human. But they’re not. They’re rhinos. And according to expat South African Ray Dearlove, they and … Continued
Is the cassowary the deadliest bird on the planet?
Armed and dangerous: Cassowaries have three-toed feet with extremely sharp claws. The claw on their second toe is particularly deadly, as it can grow to be 5 inches long! Imagine being kicked by one of these birds (which they are known to do). Their powerful legs combined with their razor-sharp talons makes them one of … Continued
Great Barrier Reef now 93% damaged by coral bleaching, and scientists are spitting fury
‘I have cried. I have broken down in front of cameras. This is the most devastating, gut-wrenching fuck up.’ Professor Justin Marshall from the University of Queensland is talking to The Guardian in unconventionally candid terms. The scientist is deeply upset. And he has good reason to be. A marine biologist, Marshall is an expert … Continued
10 awe-inspiring natural wonders to visit via Google Maps
Nothing beats experiencing nature first hand. Whether you’re standing in the shadows of a vast geological monument, witnessing wild animals up close or soaking up the ambience of some remote untouched wilderness, no one’s yet found a way to fully replicate our planet’s most amazing spectacles through technology. That said, not everyone has the budget … Continued
Blood, suckers: 6 types of mosquito that make mankind's life miserable (+1 that's not too bad)
With the recent explosion of stories about the Zika virus, the world’s attention has once again returned to mosquitos. Sometimes called ‘the most dangerous animal on Earth’, mosquitos have been part of ecosystems around the globe since at least the Cretaceous period, and have been a pest to humans throughout recorded history. While it’s easy … Continued
Meet Brian, a newly discovered surfing spider from Australia
A species of spider just discovered in Queensland, Australia, has been observed surfing waves, swimming and diving underwater to catch its prey, which can include animals as big as frogs. The spider, which can grow to the size of an adult human’s palm, has been called Brian after the noted American theoretical physicist Brian Greene, … Continued
Supercute quoll leads bid to reintroduce threatened species to mainland Australia
Australia is famous for its fabulous menagerie of fantastic fauna, including many species that are unique to the great southern continent and have little respect for the rules of nature that apply elsewhere (yes, platypus, you egg-laying mammal, we are talking about you). Beyond the headline-hogging predators of the spider, snake, shark and crocodile worlds, … Continued
Koala chlamydia crisis leads scientists to consider a cull of the cuddly animals
It’s been a grim month for Australia’s koala population, with scientists Down Under stating that around half of the country’s entire population is now suffering from a nasty and highly virulent strain of chlamydia, and one expert even suggesting that the only way to save the iconic animal might be to start killing them. The … Continued
Hairy panic hits Australia
A small town in Australia is being invaded by hairy panic, and the authorities are at a loss to know what to do about it. Thankfully, this hirsute horror show has nothing to do with an influx of bearded hipsters on fixies, although it’s feared that it might cause an outbreak of yellow bighead disease, … Continued
Photo reveals dark side of kangaroo sex
Though many were quick to assume an eastern grey male kangaroo and accompanying joey were in mourning, photographed clinging to his mate long after her death, the more likely truth is he was still keen to mate. Last week while on a morning stroll in the brush, Australian Evan Switzer spotted a rather unusual sight—a … Continued
Dingoes and Aboriginal Australians have likely been tight from the start
For over thirty years now researchers have been trying to explain changes in the Australian archaeological records from around 5,000-years-ago, when people suddenly began using new tools, eating harder to process foods, and hunting a wider array of animals. While many would like to think these developments were the result of increasing human ingenuity, people like Jane … Continued