The Leadbeater's Possum
The leadbeater's possum is an endangered species located only in Victoria. It is a small, shy, nocturnal marsupial that is able to move quickly and easily. It is regarded as one of the rarest members of the Victorian fauna species inhabiting the eucalypt tall forests of Central Victoria. It’s was originally found in the North area of the Wonthaggi area in 1867. In 1909 it was thought that the possum had become extinct with almost no sightings. So, it was a fantastic surprise in 1961 in Marysville when the species was rediscovered.
The possum is about 40cm long in length from the nose to the tip of the tail. Half of the length is dedicated to the long tail. It has an adorable little face with soft dense grey and brown fur and a small white underbelly. It has sharp claws and fingers that helps the possum to climb up tall trees. The Leadbeater's possum is a cute, quick, little creature that throws itself from branch to branch, feeding upon living insects.
The possum is about 40cm long in length from the nose to the tip of the tail. Half of the length is dedicated to the long tail. It has an adorable little face with soft dense grey and brown fur and a small white underbelly. It has sharp claws and fingers that helps the possum to climb up tall trees. The Leadbeater's possum is a cute, quick, little creature that throws itself from branch to branch, feeding upon living insects.
The Helmeted Honeyeater
The Helmeted Honeyeater is a small bird that lives on the Woori Yallock Creek near the outskirts of Melbourne. It has sadly become an endangered species due to being vulnerable to habitat destruction and disturbances. For the bird to have a chance at existence it requires a combination of shrubby bushes, tea-trees, manna, swamp gums and grass lines watercourses.
The birds is quite small being about a total of 20cm in length. The upper parts of the body are an olive and grey colour, the outer wings and tail feathers are a green and yellow colour and the underparts being yellow and green with dark streaks. The side of the head is black with golden ears and a bright yellow throat. It has soft, plush fur with every bird being slightly different, depending on their helmet.
The Helmeted Honeyeater gathers most of its food from leaves, twigs and bark from eucalyptus trees. Manna is a special food that is a key for the bird, being created from broken and damaged parts of trees. When the Manna is available, nectar is then gathered from the eucalyptus flowers. It also eats insects and spiders which provides it with essential proteins in it's diet.
The birds is quite small being about a total of 20cm in length. The upper parts of the body are an olive and grey colour, the outer wings and tail feathers are a green and yellow colour and the underparts being yellow and green with dark streaks. The side of the head is black with golden ears and a bright yellow throat. It has soft, plush fur with every bird being slightly different, depending on their helmet.
The Helmeted Honeyeater gathers most of its food from leaves, twigs and bark from eucalyptus trees. Manna is a special food that is a key for the bird, being created from broken and damaged parts of trees. When the Manna is available, nectar is then gathered from the eucalyptus flowers. It also eats insects and spiders which provides it with essential proteins in it's diet.
The Weedy Sea Dragon
The Weedy Sea Dragon is the Victorian Marine State Emblem. It is quite a large Sea Dragon with a possibility of reaching to about 45 cm in length. The Weedy Sea Dragon lives deep in coastal waters at, at least 50 metres deep. It lives in rocky reefs, seaweed beds and structures such as meadows of seagrass The sea dragon is near to being threatened and it’d not far off. Adult Weedy Sea Dragons are a red colour with purple and yellow markings that cover it’s body. The leaf-like appearance provides them with the ability to camouflage themselves when around predators. You can slightly tell which gender a Weedy Sea Dragon is by looking at their figure and colour, males have narrower bodies and they are darker than females.
The Platypus
The platypus is a semi aquatic mammal that is found in Eastern Australia. It inhabits locations beside freshwater rivers and lakes and creates burrows for shelter protection. The animal uses their large webbed feet for swimming and gliding through the water. They can swim underwater for around about two minutes, before they require oxygen and need to surface. Platypuses are usually active during the night. The interesting thing about platypuses is that they swim with their eyes shut.
The Platypus is covered with a wooly fur coat to keep them warm. The fur coat is made up of three different layers, all with a different purposes. The first layer is to keep the animal warm by trapping in heat, the second layer is used as a coat and the third layer is consists of flat hairs that are used to detect objects that come within a close range of the platypus. The average size that they grow to is about 30-40cm in length 15-20cm of that being their tail.
A platypus will live for about 12 years and weigh up to 2.4 kilograms. The lifespan of a platypus determines on where the animal is located and if there are many predators around. Their main threats are snakes, rats, foxes and goannas. though the population may also be at risk if humans continue to pollute the waterways or clear land.
The Platypus is covered with a wooly fur coat to keep them warm. The fur coat is made up of three different layers, all with a different purposes. The first layer is to keep the animal warm by trapping in heat, the second layer is used as a coat and the third layer is consists of flat hairs that are used to detect objects that come within a close range of the platypus. The average size that they grow to is about 30-40cm in length 15-20cm of that being their tail.
A platypus will live for about 12 years and weigh up to 2.4 kilograms. The lifespan of a platypus determines on where the animal is located and if there are many predators around. Their main threats are snakes, rats, foxes and goannas. though the population may also be at risk if humans continue to pollute the waterways or clear land.
The Cane Toad
The Cane Toad was originally introduced to Australia, especially the most Northern Parts. Since then they have moved down to the lower parts, such as Victoria and Sydney. They are an average of 50-20 cm long, with the females the longer of the two. Their body colours can vary from light brown, to dark khaki. They are coloured with ‘warts’ which are usually darker or lighter than the toads original skin tone. Cane toads are usually regarded as pests, and many Cane toad eradication schemes have been put forwards, although none have been entirely successful.
Giant Gippsland Earthworm
The Giant Gippsland Earthworm is an enormous invertebrate. It can weigh up to 200g, be almost 1 meter long, and is a pale pinky-brown colour. It is almost always found underground, (about 1-1 and a half meters deep) especially in Gippsland. It is endangered, mainly because of its slow breeding and egg hatching rate. The number of Giant Gippsland Earthworms have decreased since European settlement in those areas. They are a vital part in the food Web of Victoria.
The Delicate Skink
The delicate skink is a small lizard, usually chocolate brown with a bronze tail and smooth scales. It can grow up to 10 cm long. It is found in many parts of Australia, including Victoria. It can also be found in Hawaii, and is mainly found in quite dry, open forests. Like most lizards and skinks, it is easily frightened and is prey to many animals and birds. It is very agile and fast, and it is an omnivore, ideally feeding on 60% plant, and 40% animal matter. It plays a very important role in the food chain, as it is a scavenger.