p YOU DON'T Up Fro GET ANY 1� SEP 1996 CLOSER I' (\l�, THAN THIS 'I If. N ith a propensity for lying around and not doing too much of W.g, you could be forgiven for thinking that Shin�lebacks (Tiliqua anythin as they are also known, are fairly unremarkable , rugosa), or Sleepy Lizards Even scientists have described them as re tiles in the scheme of things. by Professor Michael et�ologically boring. But a recent discovery Associate NATURAL KIND on the map! Bull has changed all that and put these large Australian skinks all because, year after year, they remain faithful And their new found fame is most lto one partner. Just how they manage to find each other after spending of the year apart is unknown, but one study pair has been getting together every year for the last 14 years! It's a world first and you can read all about it on page 34. Have you ever wondered why kangaroos hop? No other large mammal in the world has adopted this form of locomotion, so why have our macropods? Is it because they have Sleepy Lizard. found it to be a more efficient and energy-saving way of getting about? Professor Uwe Proske has investigated the mechanics of hopping and Freycinet Lodge is Tasmania's award winning presents us with his findings on page 56. This story is also special because it is Eco Tourism Lodge, situated on illustrated with a number of images by Jan Aldenhoven and Glen Carruthers. Tasmania's beautiful East Coast inside Freycinet National Park. They are the multi award-winning Australian team that brought us the highly Freycinet is truly Nature's playground, and acclaimed and spectacular documentary "Faces in the Mob". Their amazing we invite you to take part in our highly photos also grace our cover and poster. acclaimed Eco Encounters, Mountain Pygmy-p fit into the Close Encounters of the Natural Kind - ossums are furry little creatures that would a program of exciting activities including: palm of your hand. They certainly don't look big or tough enough to travel gr;_ Whale watching incredibly long distances for food, or to snow-covered granite live in 6 Photographic workshops boulderfields where surface temperatures ° C. can be as low as -20 But they � Diving do, and Dr Linda Broome has survived ct) Tasmanian devil watching many freezing nights (although more � Bush food encounters than once she wondered why!) to bring � Ornithological encounters us their story on page 40. For Dr Br � Orchid encounters ?ome it may have been no pain, no 1 gain, but for Dr Tim Heard who studies Make Freycinet Lodge part of your native Tasmanian holiday itinerary. There's so much stingless bees, that was definitely to see and do, we can promise you - not the case. As their name suggests one day just won't be enough. these For bookings phone (002) 57 0 IOI. bees d on 't use a stmg· to defend themselves For more information and a free colour and, as a result, their honey brochure, send your name and address to: c an b _ Mountain Pygmy-possum. e elljoyed without fear. Freycinet Lodge PO Box 225 d Kings Meadows 7249 TASMANIA. a· An that's just the beginning. You can also read about the newly ove �: �ed Sunset Frog, view a spectacular bunch of Western Australian wild fl ers m Photoart, and discover that you may be living closer to a Platypus th You t �� �ought possible. One thing is for sure, after reading this issue you Wi e rem . Freycinet Lodge mded how spec1 FREYCINET NATIONAL PARK • COLES are. · a1 ht e· · animals, msects and plants of Australia really BAY A "WORLD OF -Jennifer Saunders ATURAL ACTIVITIES NATURE AUSTRALIA SPR ING 1996 1 , Articles NatureSPRING 1996 VOLUME 25 NUMBER 6 Published by The Australian Museum Trust 6 College Street, Sydney, NSW 2000. Phone: (02) 320 6000 Fax: (02) 320 6073 Trust President: Malcolm Long Museum Director: Desmond Griffin EDITOR Jennifer Saunders, B.Sc. SCIENTIFIC EDITOR Georgina Hickey, B.Sc. PHOTO RESEARCHER Kate Lowe DESIGN AND PRODUCTION Watch This!,Design METROPOLITAN MONOTREMES PRINTING Much to many people's surprise, Excel Printing Company a recent survey has shown that MARKETING AND SALES Platypuses inhabit the rivers Howard Dimond and creeks of big cities. It seems Phone: (02) 320 6331 they're not adverse to having us as neighbours as long as we ADVERTISING clean up after ourselves. Phone: (02) 320 6331 BY MELODY SERENA SUBSCRIPTIONS STINGLESS BEES Michelle Atzemis 28 Of Australia's 1,600 or so Phone: (02) 320 6119 species of native bees, only a Toll-free (1800) 028 558 few don't use their sting as a Fax: (02) 320 6073 weapon, live a highlysoc ial Annual subscription (4 issues) life and can provide a wealth Within Australia $A33 Other countries $A45 ofpollen and honey that is Two-year subscription (8 issues) painless to harvest. Within Australia $A63 Other countries $A83 Three-year subscription (12 issues) BYTIM HEARD Within Australia $A89 Other countries $A116 so New subscriptions can be made by credit card on the NATURE AUSTRALIAtoll-free hotline (1800) 028 558 or use the form in this magazine. U it has been removed, send cheque, money order or credit card authorisation to the address above, made payable to the 'Australian Museum' in Australian currency. All material appearing in NATUREAUSTRALIA is copyright. Reproduction in part or whole is not permitted without written authorisation fromthe Editor. Opinions expressed by the authors are their own and do not necessarily represent the policies or SLEEPY LIZARDS: views of the Australian Museum. NATUREAUSTRALIA is printed on archival quality paper suitablefor library PAIRED FOR LIFE collections. It happened by accident. What Published 1996 was meant to be an innocent IS SN-1324-2598 foray into the lives oflizard ticks turned into a world-first discovery � for reptiles and meant that no-one would ever look at � Sleepy Lizards the same again. NATUREAUSTRALIA (as ANH) is proud BY MICHAEL BULL winner of the 1987, '88, '89, '90, '91, '92 & '93 Whitley Awards for Best Periodical, and the 1988 34 & '90 AustralianHeritage Awards. HOPPING MAD LIFE AMONG Whena kangaroo wantsto Front Cover THE BOULDERS really move, it gets up on its, After weaning, young I'm the only Australian back legs and hops. While its female Eastern Grey mammal specialised on the move, it's using less Kangaroos to survive (Macropus the alpine environment; I'm energy than a four-le�ed giganteus) often go weight through a stage where c�pable of travelling long animal of similar they play with natural distances over difficult terrain; running at the same speed. objects. This female's and I love gorging on moths. How does it manage to be so favourite 'toy' was a Whatam I? efficient? lump of dry cow dung. Photo by Jan BY LINDA BROOME BY UWE PROSKE Aldenhoven. 40 56 2 ING J996 NATURE AUSTRALIA SPR THE LAS T WORD Sizing up Ant-eaters;Quick ular FeatureB Quiz; Roly-poly Salamander; Reg RATS, REVENUE & Brontosaurus: Doubly Dead. RECONCILIATION IS T What's in a name? 6 YARD N ATURAL Well, if THE BACK you're a native Australian rodent, everything! REVIEWS Natural Hazards; BY RJCHARD BRAITHWAITE Photographing Australia's Birds; Aliya: Stories of the 80 Elephants of Sri Lanka; Australian Frogs;Other New Columns Titles. 72 RATBAGS OF 1 THE RAFTERS I Black Rats have lived and travelledwith humans for ce11t1tries,from South-East Asia to Europe and then onto T Australia. And in return for P H O T O A R all thisfree travel they have . give11tts sleepless nights, broken WILD FLOWERS electrical wiring, salmonella, Gifted photographer Jiri leptospirosis and the 'Black Lockman presents us with Death'! a breathtaking bouquet of BY STEVEVAN DYCK Western Australian wild flowers. 22 BY JIRJ LOCHMAN RAR E & ENDAN GERED 64 LETTERS SOCIETY PAGE The Name of the Dingo; Wee Interested in nature but not Jasper Caves; Attracting Men; sure what to do or where to go? Raptor ID. Nature Australia's Society 4 Page is a great place to start. 74 THE GUIDE Nature Australia's market place. 76 DI ME NSION ' THE SUNSETFROG VIEWS FROM THEFO URTH In January 1994 a bizarre new frogwas discovered in Western Australia. With a preference for Peat swamps, it represents an ancient lineage that is up to 30 million years old. t.I BYGRANTWARDELI.,. JOHNSON, NATURE STRIPS DALE ROBERTS Telephoto Eye; & PIERRE HOR Chameleon's WITZ Supreme Sacrifice;Hatch or Be 24 Snatched;Teaching Beaching; AFTER DEATH Fish Drink Sperm; Pterosaur W I EVOLUTION L D F O O D S Around 40,000 years ago a Flight; Life in a Slit without giant bird roamed the Silk; Predators to the Rescue?; II BITI DC ER BARKS Australian continent, and so Sneaky Guppies; AC- AND BER is it safe for The Humpbacks of They RIES did humans. But Spiders; _ taste disgusting, but at 40,000-year­ Harbour; Spiders leaS scientists to trust Hong Kong Q&A t they have medicinal accounts Defence; Mitey FlyingFrenzy; Strange Bird qual_ old stories as reliable Velcro ities ... or do they? ivors; Copulation Calls; Behaviour; Pie Teaser. B of these creatures? Surv t YT!MLOW Whales Carry the Dead; Deser MICHAEL ARCHER 78 26 BY Frogs Have it in the Bag; 70 3 NATURE AUSTRALIASPRI NG 1996 S;- 1111 a a given species that come \n Australia etc." Since I live Sydney along each time a new parent­ !n , have a cultural LETTERS hood is discovered. This habit impact (at least on my neigh­ difficult o�rhood) and The forum for readers to makes bibliography � .