Everything about The Fauna Of The Australian Capital Territory totally explained
The
Fauna of the Australian Capital Territory includes representatives from most majorgroups of
Australian Fauna such as
kangaroos,
possums,
wombats,
platypus,
echidnas. Birds include the
sulphur crested cockatoo,
blue wren and
Kookaburra.
There are
feral animals such as
cats,
rabbits,
foxes,
mice,
rats,
horses and
pigs. Invertebrates including
spiders,
insect,
crustaceans,
snails,
peripatus,
flatworms, and
nematodes are
found throughout the territory.
Crustacea
The
crustacea includes land
slaters and five species of
crayfish from the rivers
as well as tiny freshwater forms.
The
Murray River crayfish Euastacus armatus has an ornate spiny abdomen with four rows of
spines, and two large white claws. Males have larger claws than females, and females have a
fatter abdomen. The thorax has two rows of small spines. The animal can grow its carapace
to 150mm long. It is found in the Murrumbidgee, Cotter and Paddys Rivers, but has been
killed off by overfishing and heavy metal poisoning in the
Molonglo River. This crayfish
comes from family
Parastacidae (freshwater crayfish).
A red crayfish
Euastacus nobilis crassus is found in the swamps on Mount Franklin and
Mount Gingera.
Engaenus parvulus produces a mound of dirt around the entrance of its
burrow, which has a subterranean chamber more than 30 cm in diameter, and has it own
pool of water at the base. This animal is only 5 cm long.
Also frequent in the ACT in small pools of water are the
Dafnia,
Copepods and
Ostracods. These are all very tiny.
Slaters (Oniscoids) are terrestrial crustaceans.
Armadillidium vulgare is frequent in
gardens, coloured metallic gray, and rolls up into perfect balls.
Porcellio scaber and
Porcellio laevis have also been introduced, and can be found in Canberra gardens.
Peripatus is found in the alpine areas and under logs in
sclerophyll forest.
Insects
The most famous ACT insect is the
bogong moth Agrotis infusa, which
aestivates in the
Brindabella mountains above 1300 m. It migrates through the territory in October and
March. The bogong moth is attracted by bright lights in the city and creates a major
nuisance during in its migration times. Aborigines used to eat the moths in the summer time,
as they're rich in fat.
Out of the insects the flightless Perunga Grasshopper
Perunga ochracea, keys matchstick grasshopper
Keyacris scurra and
Golden Sun Moth Synemon plana (which is mouthless) are vulnerable or endangered.
There are more than 200 species
of insects, but they've been poorly studied.
Sixteen species of
termite inhabit the ACT.
Nasutitermes exitiosus builds mounds and
inhabits Eucalyptus woodland.
Coptotermes lacteus builds clay walled mounds.
Coptotermes frenchi infests living trees. All of these wood eating termites can eat
wooden human constructions. A grass eating termite
Amitermes neogermanus builds colonies
undergound.
There are 47 species of
Acridoid grasshoppers in the ACT.
Bermius brachycerus is
found in
reed beds alongside streams and rivers.
Urnisa guttulosa is found on dry
sand banks next to the Murrumbidgee and its tributaries.
Heterojapyx evansi is a primitive insect that lives in leaf litter in mountain forests.
Introduced insects have become pests. The green vegetable bug shaped like a shield,
dark green and 12
mm long, attacks
tomatoes and
beans.
Cabbage White butterflies, with
their green caterpillars eat
brassicas. Citrus butterflies have colourful wings - brown
black, white, grey, orange, red and blue and eats citrus and
choisia when a
caterpillar. The
codling moth caterpillar eats
apples and
pears. European
earwigs eat leaves and petals.
Fermentation flies eat rotting fruit. The Queensland
fruit fly can be active in Canberra in
late summer, eating apples, stone fruit, tomatoes and capsicums. Mandatory controls apply to
infestations.
Mealybugs have white hairs covered with a mealy coating. They are up to
8 mm across and suck sap from many plants, especially indoor plants. The
pear slug or
cherry slug is a
sawfly larva. The larvae cover themselves with dark glossy slime to make
themselves unpalatable. They skeletonize the leaves of
cherry, pear,
plum or
hawthorn
trees.
Scale insects suck sap from plants, are stationary and covered by a flattened disk. The
black scale is the most common nuisance. It secretes a white manna, that frequently grows a
black mould, and attracts ants. The San Jose scale is a tiny grey dot that attacks trees.
Plague thrips feed in flowers causing petals to brown. The greenhouse
whitefly is a small
aphid with white wings that attacks weeds, and broadleaf vegetables.
The European wasp
Vespula germanica has made an appearance in the 21st century in the
ACT.
Other introduced insects include some useful ones such as
bees
Apis mellifera, [[dung
beetle]]s, and parasitic wasps. Bees however can become a nuisance, and there are feral
swarms.
The
CSIRO has its Entimolgy division in Canberra and houses a large insect collection.
Arachnids
Introduced arachnids include Red spider which is actually a green mite with 8 legs. They
have two spots on the sides. They suck sap from plants. There is another mite used as a
countermeasure that eats this mite.
The red back spider and white tailed spider are feared by human inhabitants of the ACT.
Worms
Rob Blakemore has identified the following exotic
earthworms in the ACT:
Molluscs
Fish
Introduced fish species have pushed out the native species from most of the ACT rivers. The
introduced fish are carp, brown trout
Salmo trutta and
rainbow trout Salmo
gairdnerii. Angling is a popular sport in the ACT. However there are no fish farms.
Oriental Weather loach Misgurnus anguillicaudatus has taken up residence in Lake Burley Griffin and the Cotter River, thanks to its use as a live bait.
Well known native fish include the Murray cod Maccullochella macquariensis, redfin perch
Perca fluviatilis and Golden perch. Lesser known fish are the two spined blackfish
Gadopsis bispinosus found in the Cotter catchment; trout cod Maccullochella macquariensis which is probably extinct, Silver Perch Bidyanus bidyanus which has
probably been exterminated by carp; Macquarie perch Macquaria australasica which is still
found in the Murrumbidgee, Cotter and Paddy's Rivers; Mountain Galaxias Galaxias olidus a small fish.
Amphibians
In the dry woodland and sclerophyll forest the most frequent frogs are Lymnodynastes dumerilli and
Crinia signifera. At higher altitudes in wet sclerophyll forest Pseudophryne bibronii predominates. Hyla ewingi can also be found.
The northern corroboree frog Pseudophryne pengilleyi has a dramatic yellow and black
stiped appearance, but is very rare. A special breeding program is underway to save this
frog from from extinction. This frog lives in high boggy country in the ACT and also in the
Fiery Range in New South Wales.
Reptiles
The most common snake in the ACT is the brown snake Demansia textilis. The Red-bellied Black Snake Pseudechis porphyriacus is found near rivers and can swim well. Those in the Gudgenby River don't have a red belly. Three other species of snakes are occasionly found in the ACT: the copperhead Denisonia superba, tiger snake Notechis scutatus and death
adder Acanthophis antarcticus.
Lizards in the ACT include the bearded dragon Amphibolorus barbatus, Tympanocryptis lineata, and the blue-tongued lizard Tiliqua scincoides scincoides. There are skinks such
as Lygosoma quoyi. The water dragon Physignathus lesueurii can be up to a meter
long. The carpet gecko Diplodactylus vittatus is found under rocks in the highlands.
Other kinds of geckos and goannas Varanus sp are rare.
Rare animals found in the ACT are the striped legless lizard Delma impar in tussocky
grassland, the pink-tailed Worm-lizard Aprasia parapulchella, and the grassland earless dragon Tympanocryptis pinguicolla found in grassland.
Birds
At least 290 specis of birds have been recorded by the Canberra Ornithologists Group. The
gang gang cockatoo Callocephalon fimbriatum is the mascot of the ACT. Some birds migrate
through the ACT, whereas others breed as residents.
Some birds have become pests. The common myna Acridotheres tristis is firmly established
in the urban areas.
Mammals
The mammal fauna is a subset of the southern coastal Australian Fauna. The echidna
Tachyglossus aculeatus is found throughout the territory. The platypus Ornithorhynchus
anatinus occurs in pools in the rivers.
Most mammal species are marsupials. The native cat Dasyurus quoll is very rare.
The eastern grey kangaroo Macrocarpus giganteus reaches the highest population densities
anywhere in ACT grasslands. This kangaroo is the most popular roadkill. The black tailed
wallaby Macrocarpus bicolor is common in the ranges. There is also a small wallaby
with a long dark brushy tail called brush tailed rock wallaby Petrogale penicillata which
inhabits rocky areas. . Wallaroos Macropus robustus are the secondmost common
roadkill in the ACT. The brush tailed possum Trichosurus vulpeculais common and also
lives in the city. The ring tail possum Pseudicheirus laniginosus is rare. The
sugar glider Petaurus breviceps is found in sclerophyll forest and dry woodland. The
greater glider Schoinobates volans lives in higher altitude wet sclerophyl forest. The
wombat Vombatus hirsutus is common in the high country and along river banks. It emerges
from its burrows at dusk. Koalas don't live naturally in the ACT but may have done so
in the past.
The water rat Hydromys chrysogaster occurs in streams. The smoky mouse Pseudomys
fumeus is a rare rodent. The dingo Canis lupus dingo was extensively attacked
during early European settlement but still survives in the ACT. Dingos and their hybrids
howl rather than bark, and hunt in large packs. Bats also occur in the ACT.
Introduced mammals have become a pest. There are feral animals such as cats,
mice, and rats. Rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus were formerly a major pest, but
are at fairly low numbers. Rabbit warrens have been ripped or blasted. Also Rabbit
Haemorrhagic Disease is reducing their numbers. Foxes Vulpes Vulpes have been baited
to reduce their population in rural areas. Horses Equus caballus occur in the
Namadgi National Park and adjacent Kosciuszko National Park where they're called brumbies.
ACT residents have opposed killing them. Pigs Sus scrofalive in the mountains and
damage plants. They are hunted by dogs and humans, and are also poisoned. Fallow Deer
Dama dama occur in the wild in fairly low amounts. Goats Capra hircus occur in the
wild in low numbers. They are hunted by wild dogs. Dogs Canis lupus familiaris also
live in the wild and interbreed with dingos. Wild dogs are trapped and baited on the edge of
rural properties to protect sheep.
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