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ure/ the wonder of h nd feeding the wild dolph n 1 dn d e xperience a ins Spend a nig ht on Moreto Is a a n -- - ----�-- � ��7�-:--------:---� • ModernUnits and condominium style villas all with kitchenette facilities. • Explore Moreton Island National Park, swim, snorkel, tennis, squash and archery. • Daily cruise to Tangalooma. Courtesy Bus pick-ups in City. (No dolphins seen.) • Whale watch cruise. Seasonal only mid-June to end October. 2 DAY/1 NIGHT "INTERNATIONAL" 3 DAY/2 NlGHT "DOMES TIC" MA WILD DOLPHIN PACKAGE. DOLPHINS IN PARADISE PACKAGE. TANGALOO Beachfront unit, return ferry, Run of house unit, return ferry, wudD o� RP,£ort ! full breakfast, courtesy bus from city and full breakfast, courtesy bus and u · ies and For information, enqu· . you hand feed the wild dolphins. feed the wild dolphins. e rvations telephon from from rese 8 6333 $148 $195 (07) 326 512 per person twin share. Available all year per person twin share. Conditions apply Toll Free 1800 8l2 com www.tangalooma. u Front have on other species? Four years clown the track, the dust has now settled. The virus has remained within uslralian White Ibises the Rabbit population and there appear have become a common sight in most to be major benefits comingto light. In of our urban parklands. These large, fact, one such benefit occurred on au dacious and often grubby-looking Cabbage Tree island where, using a � birds are masters of opportunity and combination of traps, myxo, poison � , would think nothing of pinching a and RCD, land managers were able to i sandwich from your hand. But you've achieve what was once thought � aot to admire them. They are the only impossible-removal of all the Rabbits � large wading bird that has managed to from the island. David Priclclel and � p to city life and therefore survive, Nicholas Carlile tell how Australia's ffi ada t The Waldrapp (Geronticus eremita). perhaps even thrive, at a time when its rarest endemic seabircl, Gould's Petrel, normal habitat of forests and woodlands are being destroyed. was brought back from the brink of extinction. Unfortunately, the situation of ibises overseas is not as secure The Green and Golden Bell Frog is a spectacular frog. Its and many of these unusual and spectacular birds are fighting good looks, however, did not stop it from being collected by fors urvival. So sit back and read about these wonderful birds the bucket load and used for dissection by university that were once revered and worshipped by the Egyptians. students. Those clays may be over but the Green and Golden Why do we look so different from Chimpanzees when we Bell Frog is still doing it tough, being considered endangered share 99 per cent of their genes? Just how much do humans in New South Wales and vulnerable nationally. The Australian and the king of dinosaurs, Tyrannosaurus rex, have in Museum's Graham Pyke explains his part in attempting to common? Are we the Peter Pan of the ape world or do we turn the tide for this popular frog. display Godzilla-like features too? Ken McNamara answers In our regular features we have banclicoots with attitude, these questions and more as he takes us into the worlds of the saving of Mellblom's Spicier-orchid, rampant paperbarks, growth, development and evolution. exploding fossils out of rocks, a moth-infested Photoart and a In "Rabbit Arrest: Life After Death?", Brian Cooke larger-than-life poster of a Green and Golden Bell Frog. And describes the hair-raising discovery of the escape of Rabbit finally, we are pleased to announce that Michael Archer, who Calicivirus Disease (RCD) from Wardang Island, South you will be familiar with as the author of our regular column Australia. At the time it was big news and many people were Views From the Fourth Dimension, has become the new understandably concerned-could the virus jump species, Director of the Australian Museum. and what long-term effects would a sudden loss of Rabbits -Jennifer Saunders Sorry. We don't have any of the things you may be used to. But we do have clean air, fine food and enchanting scenery. Talk to your NO TRAFFIC JAMS, travel agent about a visit to Freycinet Lodge, and immerse yourself in the beauty of Tasmania's most stunning coastal wilderness area. POLITICIANS ' CROWDS, You can bring your stress if you like, but you can't take it home with you. Please send me a complimentary copy of your brochure. r, Name .... ............ .. Address .... Ph (.. ........ ) ........................... But we still call it home. �-,.....,-- Send this coupon to: PO Box 225 Kings Meadows TAS 7249 Ph (03) 6257 0 IOI Fax (03) 6257 0278 Freycinet Lodge ..f ' AC TTV lTl ES fR[YCIN[T NATION1\L l'AR"-•('OL(S U1\Y C A AL WOR L D OF NATU R NATURE AUSTRALIA AUTUMN 1999 Articles NUMBE 4 Nature1999 VOLUME 26 �, AUTUMN rust Published by the Australian Museum I 6 College Street, Sydney, vV 2000. Phone: (02) 9320 6000 Fax: (02) 9320 6073 us.gov.au Web: http://www.austm Malcolm Long Trust President: Archer Museum Director: Michael MANAGI G EDITOR Jennifer Saunders, B.Sc. email: [email protected] SCIE TIFIC EDITOR Georgina Hickey, B.Sc. email: [email protected] PHOTO & EDITORIAL RESEARCHER Kate Lowe PETER PAN email: [email protected] MEETS GODZILLA We humans share nothing in DESIG AND PRODUCTIO Watch This! Design common with dinosaurs-or do we? PR! TI G Excel Printing BY KEN McNAMARA ADVERTISI G 22 Robbie Muller Phone: (02) 9320 6119 email: [email protected] SUBSCRIPTIONS Robbie Muller Phone: (02) 9320 6119 Toll-free (1800) 028 558 Fax: (02) 9320 6073 POSSUMS IN THE email: [email protected] SPOTLIGHT Ask any superstar and they'll Annual subscription (4 issues) tell you it can be stressfulunder Within Australia $A33 Other countries $A45 the spotlight. So how do our Two-year subscription (8 issues) with it? Within Australia $A63 Other countries $A83 possums cope Three-year subscription (12 issues) BY ROBYN WILSON Within Australia $A89 Other countries $Al16 New subscriptions can be made by credit card on the NATURE 34 AUSTRALIA toll-free hotline (1800) 028 558 or use the form in lhis magazine. If il has been removed, send cheque. money THE DIRT ON IBIS RABBIT ARREST: order or credit card autholisation to the address above. made To many of us, they are just LIFE ARER DEATH? payable to the 'Australian Museum' in Australian currency. large, grubby white birds that In 1995 the scientific All material appearing ill NATURE AUSTRALIA is copyright. smell and snatch food from community gasped at the Reproduction in part or whole is not permitted without written unsuspecting hands. To the premature escape of Rabbit authorisation from the Edito, NATURE AUSTIW,JAwelcomes Egyptians they represented the Calicivirus Disease onto the articles on the natural and cultural heritage of the Australian Can we Region. Opinions expressed god of writing and wisdom. The Australian mainland. by the aulhors are lheir own and do breathe not necessarily represent the policies or views of the AusLra\ian truth is that ibises are quite now allow ourselves to fits Museum. NATURE AUSTRALIA is printed on archival quality remarkable birds and worth a sigh of relief? Are the bene paper suitable for library colleclions. getting to know. beginning to outweigh the costs? Published 1999 ISSN-1324--2598 BY KIM W. LOWE BY BRIAN COOKE � NATURE AUSTRALIA (as ANH) ' s pr ud inne 26 42 � : ? :,v r, of the 1987, '88, '89, 90, 91, 92 & 93 Wl11tley Awards for Best Periodical, and the 1988 & '90 Australian Heritage Awards. Front Cover A Green and Golden Bell Frog (Litoria aurea) surveys its territory. These are relatively large tree frogs that prefer to spend most of their time close to the ground or in water rather than up trees. Photo by Pavel German. 2 W I L D TH INGS NATURE STRIPS SUPERIOR CREATIONS? Easter lslan� Roch Gardens; jet Overseas, Australian Lag Only Stun Deep; ShifJfJY the /Ja/)erbarlis are cons Baby Din_osaur; Cool Parents; idered Embalming the highly invasive weeds-almost Very Ancient; unsto/J/Jable. Bach Hot Worms on Record; Cetacean home Battle Scars; they'.re the fastest-disa/)/>earing Neanderthals' Bone Flute?; A Sight/or habitat in south-eastern _ UV Eyes; Queensland. Muclskippers: BYO Air; A Storm in the Platypus Brain; Musical BYTIM LOW Sands; Baboons Fake ft; Quick 20 Quiz. 6 GREEN AND GOLDEN BELL FROG Au acclaimed swimmer and high-jumper that loves to basil iu the s1111, this green and ao/deu beauty also spends t11ne �11 the golf course and has a perso11al i11terest in the Sydney Olympics. Perhaps we should be taking more care of this true-blue Australian. BY GRAHAMH. PYKE 50 P H O T O A R T REVIEWS RECLAIMING A MOTHS Gem Minerals of Victoria; PETREL'S PARADISE A feast of mothy beauties to Reptiles & Frogs of the It's a dream come true-giving gladden any eye. Australian Capital Territory; au island paradise bacll to an This Tired Brown Land; A e11da11gered seabird. BY PAUL ZBOROWSKI Long Walk in the Australian 64 Bush; Dinosaurs of Australia BY DAVID PRJDDEL & and New Zealand and Other NICHOLAS CARLILE VIEWS FROMTHE FOURT DIH MENSION Animals of the Mesozoic Era. " 60 72 TIPPING AN AIR HEAD Regular Features OUT OF A STONE BED SOCIETY PAGE RARE & ENDANGERED With a roll of explosives, a Interested in nature but not slab of enthusiasm and a sure what to do or where to go? THE BACKYARD NATURALIST MELLBLOM'S smidgen of luck, Michael Nature Australia's Society Page SPIDER-ORCHID Archer and crew can pull a is a great place to start.