The Brush-Tailed Rock-Wallaby Is Now So Rare and Elusive in South-Eastern Australia That It Has Been Nicknamed 'The Shadow'
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Trading Company Pty Ltd Fax (03) 9481 5368 http:/twww.macson.com.au p Front t,DEC 1999 Nf\'T' ,.J • It's late. You turn out the the problem of extracting that sand from light and begin to drift into a blissful themselves and their belongings. But why sleep ... but you can't. Something is do we have such beautiful sand and where there, and it has found you, and now has it come from? Keith Sircombe decided it's time for it to feed. That rotten to search for the origins of the sand on #$%@*$# mosquito is driving you Australia's east-coast beaches ...and found completely insane and if you could the answer in Antarctica. S only just catch it you'd splatter its Birds are also big in this issue. Over two � buzzing little body all over the metres high and 300 kilograms big! Meet � bedroom wall. It's a scene repeated the thunder birds that ruled northern � again and again across Australia as Australia around 15 million years ago.Steve these insects hunt us down in order to extract a blood meal. Wroe asks, just what did these giant flightless birds eat? In And so we fight back. We spray them with chemicals, we Views From the Fourth Dimension, Mike Archer ponders spray our elves with chemicals, cover our beds with nets, about the owner of the perfectly preserved petrified bird burn pyrethrin candles, grow plants that repel them, place brain found at Riversleigh in Queensland. And Tamra screens over our windows-we've tried it all and still they bite Chapman puts the Glossy Black-Cockatoos of Kangaroo us. Why? Why do they need our blood and why do they prefer Island under the spotlight. This population is all that remains to feed on some people rather than others? Where are they of the South Australian Glossy Black and it is now under coming from and what diseases might they be infecting us threat. with when they bite us? Turn to page 38 and find out. Other stories in this issue include a warts-and-all expose of Once upon a time in the mountainous areas of south the Cane Toad, the rediscovery of Australia's only wingless eastern Australia, Brush-tailed Rock-wallabies were dung beetle, an alternative idea for keeping our river systems everywhere. Today they are so rare and elusive they have healthy, and why it's often impossible to tell whether been nicknamed The Shadow' and, if something is not done something's native or not. about it now, they will be lost forever. With this in mind, a Finally, we are proud to announce that Nature Australia group of scientists joined forces and began an innovative has been awarded the NSW Royal Zoological Society's 1999 cross-fostering program that involves putting baby brush-tails Whitley Award for Best Zoological Periodical. We would like into the pouches of other wallabies. to thank the Society for their recognition-we couldn't think Australia is known for its sandy beaches and just about of a better way to round off the millennium. every Australian at some time in their life has experienced -Jennifer Saunders THAN SHARING OUR wi __ Shanng Freyonet is an experience you'll You will need more than Just one night to immerse yourself 1n Name ___________ never forgetSituated inside Freyc1net the beauty oITasmania's most stunning coastal wilderness area Address __________ Nafonal Park.Just a waJk away from famous More time to share our range of highly acclaimed natural Wineglass Bay. Freyc1net Lodge 1s a relaxing, activities. More time to share the Lodge's quiet comforts _______ Ph _____ multi-award winning haven within an area . at the end of a fulfilling day. Your travel agent knows Freyc1net Lodge . ge. Ask abu o t tus d o ay. Send this coupon to: Freycinet Lodge of spectacular natural scenery. n:tcvc,Nn NATIONAl ""'u,-coLcs 11Av all about Freyonet Lod PO Box 225 Kings Meadows 7249 TASMANIA. 349 A WOR LD OF NATU RAL AC TIVITIE S Phone (03) 6257 0/01 Fox (03) 6257 0278 "1¾' NATURE AUSTRALIA SUMMER 1999-2000 1 Articles Nature26 NUMBER 7 SUMMER 1999-2000 VOLUME Published by the Australian Museum Trust 6 College Street, Sydney, NSW 2000. Phone: (02) 9320 6000 Fax: (02) 9320 6073 Web: http://www.austmus.gov.au President: Malcolm Long Trust r Museum Director: Michael A cher MANAGING EDITOR Jennifer Saunders, B.Sc. email: [email protected] SCIE TIFIC EDITOR Georgina Hickey, B.Sc. FUSSY BLACK email: [email protected] COCKATOOS PHOTO & EDITORIAL RESEARCHER Whenit comes to food Cl Kate Lowe CHILLYORIGINS FOR Black-Cockatoos are fuss/ssy email: [email protected] TROPICAL BEACHES They're fussy about what ihey at, how they DESIGN AND PRODUCTION Where does the sand on � eat it and where it omes Watch This! Design Australia's east-coast beaches � from. So how has all this fussiness PRINTING affectedthe come from? Antarctica may be struggling Excel Printing closer than you think. population on Kangaroo Island? ADVER TISING BY KEITH SIR COMBE Robbie Muller BY TAMRA CHAPMAN Phone: (02) 9320 6119 26 48 email: [email protected] SUBSCRIPTIONS Robbie Muller Phone: (02) 9320 6119 Toll-free (1800) 028 558 Fax: (02) 9320 6073 email: [email protected] Annual subscription (4 issues) Within Australia $A33 Other countries $A45 Two-year subscription (8 issues) Within Australia $A63 Other countries $A83 Three-year subscription (12 issues) Within Australia $A89 Other countries $A116 New subscriptionscan be made by credit card on the NATURE AUSTRALIA toll-free hotline (1800) 028 558 or use the form in this magazine. If it has been removed. send cheque, money order or credit card authorisation to the address above, made CHASING SHADOWS payable to the 'Australian Museum' in Australian currency. Brush-tailed Rock-wallabies are All material appearing i11 NATURE AUSTRALIA is copyright. bouncing back fromthe brink of Reproduction in part or whole is not Permitted without wn"tten authorisationfrom the Editor. NATURE AUSTRALIA welcomes extinction in the pouches of articles on the natural and cultural heritage of the Australian their foster mums. Region. Opinions expressed by the authors are their own and do BY DAVID TAGGART, JAMES not necessarily represent the policies or views of the Australian RESIDE & RAZ MARTIN Museum. All articlesin NATURE AUSTRALIA are peer-reviewed.