Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
back to Europe, skeptical scientists insisted it was a fake—a concoction of sev-
eral different animals sewn together. You will probably never see this shy, noc-
turnal creature in the wild, although there are a few at Sydney's Taronga Zoo.
Another strange one is the
koala.
This fluffy marsupial eats virtually indi-
gestible gum leaves and sleeps about 20 hours a day. There's just one koala
species, although those found in Victoria are substantially larger than their
brethren in more northern climes. Australia is also famous for
kangaroos.
There
are 45 different kinds of kangaroos and wallabies, ranging in scale from small
rat-size kangaroos to the man-size red kangaroos.
The animal you're most likely to come across in your trip is the
possum,
named by Capt. James Cook after the North American “opossum,” which he
thought they resembled. (In fact they are from an entirely different family of the
animal kingdom.) The brush-tailed possum is commonly found in suburban
gardens, including those in Sydney. Then there's the
wombat.
There are four
species of this bulky burrower in Australia, but the common wombat is most fre-
quently found. You might come across the smaller hairy-nosed wombat in South
Australia and Western Australia.
The
dingo,
thought by many to be a native of Australia, was in fact
introduced—probably by Aborigines. They vary in color from yellow to a russet
red, and are heavily persecuted by farmers. Commonly seen
birds
include the fairy
penguin along the coast, black swans, parrots and cockatoos, and honeyeaters.
Tasmanian devils
can be found in (you guessed it) the island/state of Tasmania.
DANGEROUS NATIVES Snakes
are common throughout Australia, but
you will rarely see one. The most dangerous land snake is the taipan, which
hides in the grasslands in northern Australia—one bite contains enough venom
to kill up to 200 sheep. If by the remotest chance you are bitten, you must
immediately demobilize the limb, wrapping it quite tightly (but not tight
enough to restrict the blood flow) with a cloth or bandage, and head to the near-
est hospital where antivenin should be available.
There are two types of
crocodile
in Australia: the harmless freshwater croc,
which grows to 3m (10 ft.); and the dangerous estuarine (or saltwater) crocodile,
which reaches 5m to 7m (16 ft.-23 ft.). Freshwater crocs eat fish; estuarine crocs
aren't so picky.
Never
swim in, or stand on the bank of, any river, swamp, or pool
in northern Australia unless you know
for certain
it's croc-free.
Spiders
are common all over Australia, with the funnel web spider and the red-
back spider being the most aggressive. Funnel webs live in holes in the ground
(they spin their webs around a hole's entrance) and stand on their back legs when
they're about to attack. Red-backs have a habit of resting under toilet seats and in
car trunks, generally outside the main cities. Caution is a good policy.
If you go bushwalking, check your body carefully.
Ticks
are common, especially
in eastern Australia, and can cause severe itching and fever. If you find one on you,
dab it with methylated spirits or another noxious chemical. Wait a while and pull
it out gently with tweezers, taking care not to leave the head behind.
Fish
to avoid are stingrays, porcupine fish, stonefish, lionfish, and puffer fish.
Never touch an
octopus
if it has blue rings on it, or a cone shell, and be wary
of the painful and sometimes deadly tentacles of the box
jellyfish
along the
northern Queensland coast in summer. If you happen to brush past one of these
creatures, pour vinegar over the affected site immediately—local authorities
leave bottles of vinegar on the beach for this purpose. Vinegar deactivates the
stinging cells that haven't already affected you, but doesn't affect the ones that
already have.
