Whenever I was in Australia, I never saw a dingo, but I heard then howling at night and my daughter's dogs answered them by barking , which seemed to keep them away.They don't show themselves easily, but friends of mine told us that they were once on the beach and then they saw a group of several dingoes coming towards them and it was rather scary.
We thank Denise Nesbitt, who created ABC, and we must thank
Roger too for the weekly job to find ten bloggers for each of the ABC Team members to visit
and to read their posts. For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo
in the sidebar . This week we are looking for words beginning with D in the new round.
I am going to talk about the Xiphias, as my previous post was about the whale. And this fish may swim in the same waters as the whale does.
The swordfish is named after its bill resembling a sword. This makes it superficially similar to other billfish such as marlin, but upon examination, their physiology is quite different and they are members of different families.
They commonly reach 3 m in length, and the maximum reported
is 4.55 m in length and 650 kg in weight. Females are larger than males, and Pacific swordfish reach a greater size than northwest Atlantic and Mediterranean swordfish.They reach maturity at 4–5 years of age and the maximum age is believed to be at least 9 years.
The oldest swordfish found in a recent study were a 16-year-old female
and 12-year-old male. Swordfish ages are derived, with difficulty, from
annual rings on fin rays.
Swordfish have evolved to be formidable predators. They possess acute
eyesight, with which they can locate prey, and their flesh consists
primarily of ‘white’ muscle which provides energy for sudden bursts of
activity, such as when in pursuit of their quarry . The swordfish then uses its bill to stun or impale its victim, slashes it into pieces or swallows it whole . Swordfish feed during the day , primarily on squid, but also fish and occasionally crustaceans
Swordfish have special organs next to their eyes
to heat their eyes and brains. Temperatures of 10 to 15°C above the
surrounding water temperature have been measured. The heating of the
eyes greatly improves their vision, and consequently improves their ability to catch prey.
Don't forget to link to ABC Wednesday and to mention the creator of this meme, Denise Nesbitt!
The Ulysses butterfly (Papilio ulysses) lives in Australia and Asia.
I have seen it each time when I was in Queensland. It is as if the blue colour of the wings is illuminated.
Ulysses Butterfly:(Papilio ulysses)
It has an alternative common name of Mountain Blue.
This is one of the most easily recognised butterflies due to its trade marked electric blue wings.
It has become a symbol of tourism throughout Northern Queensland.
Its is commonly found from Mackay north, but appears more prevalent in upland rainforest areas.
The Ulysses populations have recently increased in suburban area due to the planting of its larval food plant (Euodia elleryana).
During
courtship the male briefly flutters above the female, displaying its
bright blue wings. Pairing usually lasts around 2 hours.
Flight is strong, controlled, and swift. It flies in woodland and open country with an undulating flight.
It Drinks from flowers and puddles of water.
Ulysses Butterfly
With thanks to Denise Nesbitt, who created ABC.For more interesting ABC
posts click on the logo in the sidebar . This week we are looking for
words beginning with U.
The first time I came to Australia, now more than seventeen years
ago, I asked about the brown, grey or white mounds among the trees, and
it was then that I learned they were termite mounds.
My knowledge about termites is from Wikipedia!
Termites
may be considered a pest from a human point of view, but their behaviour
and biology is among the most sophisticated and fascinating in the
insect world. Like ants, bees and wasps, they are 'social' insects,
living in colonies with thousands of individuals of various 'castes'
each with a specific function. Most termites are blind and prefer to
live in the dark.
Queen King The Queen termite is the only
individual able to lay eggs - her sole function. She is capable of
nothing else since her huge abdomen, bloated with eggs, prevents her
from moving. She may produce 2000 eggs or more per day. Living in a
chamber deep inside the nest, she is fed and groomed by worker termites
who also take care of her eggs, carrying them away for hatching. The
Queen may live up to 30 years. Tiny creatures in relation to the Queen,
King termites live only to mate with her, and while he is quite
long-lived when compared to 'ordinary' members of the colony, their
lifespan is usually much shorter than that of the queen. They also
assist in grooming and feeding her, and will continue to mate throughout
their life, ensuring that a steady supply of new colony members is
maintained.
Worker Soldier The Worker termites comprise
the majority of the population of a nest, and are the ones who do the
colony's 'dirty work', building and repairing the nest, grooming other
termites and foraging for food. They are the ones responisble for
structural damage to timber. Once a worker has eaten its fill of wood,
special bacteria within its gut help it break down the normally
indigestible material into a 'soup' which it takes to the nest and
shares with others. The fearsome Soldier termites guard the nest from
predators. They are usually distinguished by their hugely enlarged heads
accommodating massive jaws, their main weapon. Some termite species
have also evolved formidable chemical weapons. Nasute (latin for
'nosey') soldier termites repel their enemies by squirting then with a
poisonous or sticky substances through a prominent nozzle-like
protrusion in their heads.
Nymph Alates When termite
eggs hatch, the young insects or Nymphs are capable of developing into
whatever caste is most urgently required by the colony - normally
workers or soldiers, or even additional Queen or King termites if more
eggs are needed. When conditions are suitable, however, they may develop
into a specialised winged caste known as Alates in preparation for
establishing a new colony. Alates are the future Kings and Queens of a
termite colony. When seasonal, food and weather conditions are just
right, winged Alates will swarm from the nest in search of new
territory. They are rather poor flyers and depend largely on the wind to
carry them along. When a likely nesting location is found, they soon
drop their wings, mate and breed new generations of workers and
soldiers, starting the cycle again.
The indigenous people use termites to create their didgeridoos. They use thin trees that are hollowed by termites, blow the termites out of them and then they are almost ready for use.Another way to make a didgeridoo, is to put a thin tree trunk, or a straight branch of a tree in a termite mound and leave it there until the termites have eaten the inside of the tree trunk.
We thank Denise Nesbitt, who created ABC, and we must thank
Roger too for the weekly job to find ten bloggers for each of the ABC
Team members to visit
and to read their posts. For more interesting ABC posts click on the
logo
in the sidebar . This week we are looking for words beginning with T.
As I already showed you in one of my previous posts , this colourful bird had my full attention when I was in Australia at Christmas 2013.
Here they have a great party, feeding on a slice of bread with honey.
Rainbow lorikeets live mainly in the forests of north-east Australia.They live in trees and feed in large flocks. The male and female birds are the same colours.
In this photo there are some grey birds. They are Mickey Birds or Noisy Minors.
Rainbow Lorikeets often travel together in pairs and occasionally
respond to calls to fly as a flock, then disperse again into pairs.
Rainbow Lorikeet pairs defend their feeding and nesting areas
aggressively against other Rainbow Lorikeets and other bird species.
They chase off not only smaller birds such as the Noisy Miner, but also larger and more powerful birds such as the Australian Magpie.
Three photos from Wikipedia
In Brisbane, Queensland. The yellow wing-bar is present in all subspecies, except T. h. rosenbergii where it is deep orange
Rainbow Lorikeets feed mainly on fruit, pollen and nectar, and
possess a tongue adapted especially for their particular diet. The end
of the tongue is equipped with a papillate appendage adapted to
gathering pollen and nectar from flowers.
Don't forget Denise Nesbitt, who created ABC, and Roger , who took over from her.For more interesting ABC
posts click on the logo in the sidebar . This week we are looking for
words beginning with R.
Every night, during our stay in Tasmania in December 2012, we took the car and drove around in the surroundings looking for wildlife.One night when we tried to see some of the animals which hunt late in the evening or at night, we suddenly saw this Spotted -tailed Quoll. At that moment we were driving on a very long bridge. The poor Quoll was very frightened for it could only run in front of the car. There was nothing for it but to keep running and running. We drove slowly so we could see that small animal very well.
The Quoll is a predator and hunts birds, small mammals, lizards and insects, but will also scavenge carcasses and it eats fruit as well. The Spotted-tail Quoll is the largest and may weigh up to 7 kg. When a quoll becomes pregnant, folds of skin of her abdomen develop into a pouch. Baby quolls remain attached to their mother's nipples for between 8 and 10 weeks. By the time they shift to her back, her nipples may be torn and affected.
The bridge over the Arthur River.
With thanks to Denise Nesbitt, who created ABC, and thanks to Roger.
For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar. This
week we are looking for words beginning with Q.
A wellknown Australian animal is the Possum. It's an endangered species in Australia, in New Zealand however it is a pest and wrongfully introduced.
In its native land the possum is up against dingoes, bush fires and
less palatable vegetation. In New Zealand there are no predators and
lots of very palatable vegetation. As a result, possums have a huge
impact on New Zealand ecosystems.
Possums are quadrupedal marsupials with two well developed front teeth and with long thick tails. The smallest possum, indeed the smallest diprotodont marsupial, is the Tasmanian pygmy possum, with an adult head-body length of 70 mm and a weight of 10 g. The largest is the bear cuscus that may exceed 7 kg. Possums are typically nocturnal and at least partly living in trees..
The various species inhabit most vegetated habitats, and several
species have adjusted well to urban settings.
With thanks to Denise Nesbitt , who created ABC. For more interesting
ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar . This week we are looking
for words beginning with P.
Marsupials are an infraclass of mammals living primarily in Australasia and the New World. A distinctive characteristic, common to most species, is that the young are carried in a pouch.
With thanks to Denise Nesbitt, who created ABC.For more interesting ABC
posts click on the logo in the sidebar . This week we are looking for
words beginning with M.
Some marsupials, like the wombat and Tasmanian Devil , have pouches that
open backwards to avoid getting the pouch contaminated by sand and dirt during digging their burrows.
The Laughing Kookaburra is a stocky bird of about 45 cm (18 in) in
length, with a large head, a prominent brown eye, and a very large bill.
The sexes are very similar, although the female averages larger and has
less blue to the rump than the male. They have a white or
cream-coloured body and head with a dark brown stripe through each eye
and more faintly over the top of the head. The wings and back are brown
with sky blue spots on the shoulders. The tail is rusty reddish-orange
with dark brown bars and white tips on the feathers. The heavy bill is
black on top and bone coloured on the bottom.
Perched on a Silver Wattle (Acacia dealbata) in Tasmania
The name "Laughing Kookaburra" refers to the bird's "laugh", which it
uses to establish territory amongst family groups. It can be heard at
any time of day, but most frequently shortly after dawn and after sunset
to dusk.
One bird starts with a low, hiccuping chuckle, then throws its head
back in raucous laughter: often several others join in. If a rival tribe
is within earshot and replies, the whole family soon gathers to fill
the bush with ringing laughter. Hearing kookaburras in full voice is one
of the more extraordinary experiences of the Australian bush, something
even locals cannot ignore; some visitors, unless forewarned, may find
their call startling.
The Kookaburra is also the subject of a popular Australian children's song, the Kookaburra.
Kookaburras occupy woodland territories (including forests) in loose
family groups, and their laughter serves the same purpose as a great
many other bird calls—to demarcate territorial borders. Most species of
Kookaburra tend to live in family units, with offspring helping the
parents hunt and care for the next generation of offspring.
Feeding
Catching a worm, Bruny Island, Tasmania, Australia
Kookaburras hunt much as other kingfishers (or indeed Australasian robins) do: by perching on a convenient branch or wire and waiting patiently for prey to pass by. Common prey include mice and similar-sized small mammals, large insects, lizards, small birds and nestlings, and most famously, snakes. Small prey are preferred, but kookaburras sometimes take large creatures, including venomous snakes much longer than their bodies.
The Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae) is a carnivorous bird in the kingfisher family Halcyonidae. Native to eastern Australia, it has also been introduced to parts of New Zealand, Tasmania and Western Australia.
Male and female adults are similar in plumage, which is predominantly
brown and white. A common and familiar bird, this species of kookaburra is well known for its laughing call.
We thank Denise Nesbitt, who created ABC, and we must thank
Roger too for the weekly job to find ten bloggers for each of the ABC Team members to visit
and to read their posts. For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo
in the sidebar . This week we are looking for words beginning with K, in our new round . .
When I stayed in Cooktown I walked in the wood around my daughter 's house . On one of my walks I saw these nests made by green ants . These nests are so beautiful and they are well protected by their inhabitants, the green ants. The nests are made by sticking the leaves at the end of branches together. The ants live in fruit trees, so if somebody wants to pick fruit, he should be aware of the ants. Their bites are not very painful, but if many of them attack you, it is not a pleasant experience.The abdomen is filled with a sour tasting fluid, and is often used by Aborigines as a medicine against the flu or a cold. I didn't try but my daughter's first husband , who is Aboriginal, showed it to us.
At night the weaving of the nests is done by the major workers towards the exterior, while the minor workers conduct the weaving within the interior. A mature colony can hold as many
as 100,000 to 500,000 workers and may span as many as 12 trees and
contain as many as 150 nests. Green ant colonies have one queen and a
colony can live for up to eight years.
Photos can be enlarged by clicking on them
With
thanks to Denise Nesbitt, who created ABC, and Roger, who took over
from her. For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the
sidebar. This week we are looking for words beginning with G
In 
Frontal and side view of rainbow lorikeets in 
Green Ants in Cooktown , Queensland.
At night the weaving of the nests is done by the major workers towards the exterior, while the minor workers conduct the weaving within the interior. A mature colony can hold as
many as 100,000 to 500,000 workers and may span as many as 12 trees and contain as many as 150 nests. Green ant colonies have one queen and a colony can live for up to eight years.
Photos can be enlarged by clicking on them