www.northsydney.nsw.gov.au/bushcare | Winter 2010 First AidNewsletter for Jumping Ants Prevention is better than cure. If you know there are biting ants in the area, wear long trousers, thick socks, sturdy shoes, long sleeves and Bull Ant gloves. Although it is still Jumping Ants likely that ants will bite through clothing, the Most Australian native stinging ants are from the genus Myrmecia. intensity will be lessened. Most Jumper Ant nests on Bushcare Sites This group is broadly subdivided into Bull Ants, also known as are marked with blue-sprayed bamboo stakes so the location is Bulldog or Soldier Ants (Myrmecia pyriformis) and Jack Jumper Ants, easily identifiable and they are easy to avoid. If you come across also known as Jumper Ants (Myrmecia pilosula). Bull Ants are large, an ants’ nest without a stake marking it please let your Bushcare around 15mm to 25mm long, whereas Jumper Ants are generally supervisor know. 10mm to 15mm long and often display jerky, jumping movements. If you have previously had a serious allergic or anaphylactic reaction to There are different types of allergic reactions to stinging insects. The an ant sting you should consult your doctor about the need for you to stings of Jumper Ants, like those of bees and wasps, are very painful. carry adrenaline while working on a Bushcare site. Please ensure that Local swelling is very common, lasting a few days at a time. The you let your Bushcare Supervisor know if you have been diagnosed more serious reactions are generalised allergic reactions, of which with allergies or if you are carrying medication. the most severe is anaphylaxis. If you have previously had a serious allergic or anaphylactic reaction to Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening allergic reaction in which the an ant sting and you are stung by an ant, ring 000 for an ambulance, person often gets a rash, feels their throat tighten, has swelling administer your adrenaline if you have been instructed to use it in of the lips and face and difficulty breathing. Immediate medical this situation, avoid movement as much as possible and wait for the treatment is needed. ambulance. When suffering anaphylaxis, venom is spread via the lymph system, If you have not previously had a serious reaction to an ant sting and so applying a bandage (as tightly as you would strap a sprained you are stung by an ant, wash the affected area with soap and water ankle) slows the movement of venom from the bite site into the and apply a cold pack and or Stingose to the area to relieve pain and lymphatic system. This gives the bitten person more time to reach swelling. If there is persistent or severe swelling and/or itching, take hospital and medical care, although obviously the situation is still a antihistamine tablets for up to three days. Antihistamines are available grave emergency. from pharmacies without a prescription. The pharmacist will be able to recommend one suitable for you. Tristram Thomas – Bush Regenerator broad community support for wildlife conservation initiatives, as well as a shift in local attitudes toward responsible pet ownership – especially Coordinator's Update in the vicinity of remnant urban bushland. There is nothing quite like these beautiful mild autumn days! It’s a really And while we are on the subject of wildlife, Ramin recently completed a lovely time to get out into our bushland reserves and look past the condition audit of all 58 nest boxes that are installed throughout North weedy edges to the species rich and structurally complex core areas. Sydney’s bushland and urban parklands. As a result, we’re replacing This is what urban bushland management is about – conserving good a third of the old dilapidated boxes that had broken lids or missing areas by consolidating their condition and working towards the more floors. We have also partnered with a small group of environmental impacted edges. management students from the Australian Catholic University to The Bushland Team has been getting stuck into lots of projects, undertake a survey on nest box usage. The students will use a web-cam including new and continuing ones Megan has recently completed attached to an extendable pole to see what wildlife species are using a thorough revamp of our Bushcare Policy, entitled the Guide to the our nest boxes over several months of this year. Stay tuned for the Bushcare Volunteer Program – Policy & Procedures 2010. The document is interesting results! on public exhibition through Council’s website and I strongly encourage An exciting collaboration between the Stanton Library and Bushcare everyone involved in Bushcare to have a look and provide comment for has resulted in an exhibition on A Natural History of North Sydney: the final policy. Exploring our Biodiversity. This has been a lot of work for us here in I’d like to thank everyone who recently provided a submission on Bushcare and we’d love you to have a look at it! The Heritage Centre is Council’s proposal to list Gore Cove/Smoothey Park; Balls Head; Tunks on level 1 of Stanton Library, 234 Miller Street, North Sydney. Park; Primrose Park and Badangi Reserves as Wildlife Protection Areas. The exhibition will run from May through to October 2010. In total, 31 written submissions were received during the exhibition period, of which 28 were in support of the proposal. This result indicates Gareth Debney – Bushland Management Coordinator Fangs, fangs, fangs, fangs Fangs in North Sydney - isn’t this amazing? Over the past few this species releases a strong smelling odour from its vent (toileting months, the Bushland Team has been rejoicing with reports of scaly area). Another of its defence mechanisms is to inflate its body and species in our reserves and parks. All the reptiles featured in this neck threateningly, exposing blue skin between its scales. The article are not considered dangerous, but as with all native species, annual clutch is five to 14 eggs; again, we are hopeful there are no wild animal should be approached. young ones still out there. The first report that came in was of a beautiful Diamond Python (Morelia Two other scaly species were found during clean up duties and were spilota) in Tunks Park, perhaps the one that was photographed and left unharmed, however, now in a more denuded environment. featured in our Autumn newsletter. This non-venomous nocturnal These two species were the Golden Crowned Snake and the arboreal species often basks during the day in trees. It feeds mainly Burton’s Snake-Lizard, both found in Brightmore Reserve. on small mammals and other reptiles, but will also eat birds. All those The Golden Crowned Snake (Cacophis squamulosus) is dark brown people who complain about possums eating their magnolias or rats to blackish in colour with a yellowish (or light fawn to brown) stripe in the roof should think about encouraging pythons! enclosing the snout and continuing along the side of the head to Like all pythons, the Diamond Python kills its prey by wrapping extend well back on the nape but not meeting. Its underbelly can itself around its victim and be an orange colour and this suffocating it. It then eats its leads to it being misidentified prey whole. The python will not by some people as a Red Bellied try to strangle anything larger Black Snake or Brown Snake. than it can fit into its mouth. This terrestrial species is In Australia humans are safe normally not found unless because although this type of clearing debris from an python can grow up to 3m in area or dead as it is strictly length, its mouth is too small nocturnal, sheltering under to consider us tasty! The female well-embedded rocks and logs Diamond Python lays between during the day and emerging to nine and 54 eggs anytime feed at night. This small (0.5m) from December to January. animal feeds on lizards and Burton's Snake Lizard. Photograph: Valerie Gay She then coils around them to reptile eggs - it is venomous protect and keep them warm. but not regarded as dangerous. This maternal care, which is It searches for its prey by scent, uncommon in snakes, ceases taking them from their night- once the offspring hatch. So we time retreats. It adopts a fierce, are hoping there are juveniles raised striking posture when slithering around! Golden Crowned Snake alarmed, but rarely attempts to A harmless Common Tree- bite even when it strikes. It gives birth annually of up to 15 eggs, snake species (Dendrelaphis with an average clutch size of six. The eggs are laid in January and punctulata) of slender build hatch in March. with a whip-like tail and large The Burton’s Snake-Lizard (Lialis burtonis) are lizards which look eyes was mistaken for a venomous snake in Tunks Park. Varying in snake or worm like,. They have no trace of fore limbs and the hind colour depending on its environment, this species can range from limbs are represented by scaly flaps. This species is distinguished by grey and olive-green through to various shades of brown to almost the elongated head and sharply angular snout resulting in a wedge- black with a lighter belly usually lemon-yellow. This snake is active shaped head which is unique among Australian reptiles. In contrast during the day and we therefore get more reports of this snake from to snakes they have a broad fleshy tongue with a notch at the tip, the public. they vocalise and have external ear openings. These arboreal snakes spend most of their active lives in trees or The tail is long and easily cast off if needed.