Wildlife Habitat

95 Wildlife Habitat

Wetlands and riparian vegetation, including grasses, support a variety of fauna and provide an important habitat for insects, fish and other wildlife. In many cases, insects drop down to the water from overhanging vegetation providing food for fish, turtles and invertebrates. This vegetation is also an important nesting site for waterbirds, and overall behaves as a productive breeding area and rich ecosystem.

Striated Pardalotes - birds that build nests in embankments

(Pardalotus substriatus)

A little bird that can only be found in Australia, is colourful and is known for its white eyebrow transitioning to yellow, olive-grey backs and a white stripe in the wing. A few different subspecies exist, some of them migrate and some remain locally, with a wide range of habitats. They burrow into embankments and even piles of dirt to build nest cavities; another favourite habitat is the white eucalyptus where it builds its nests in tree cavities. They eat a wide variety of insects, which are usually collected from the surfaces of leaves of small shrubs. Feeding takes place in small groups and birds maintain contact with soft trills. When breeding, they are found in groups of six birds, building the nests next to each other and all helping together to take care of the little ones.

Echidnas - mammals that burrow into the soil

(Tachyglossus aculeatus)

We usually think that Echidnas are just a simple mammal, spending its time hiding but actually, they are vital to the Australian ecosystem due to the fact that they dig, and therefore move a huge amount of soil. It helps with soil compaction, to improve soil mixing and water penetration and reduces run-off and erosion. It is a very unique mammal that reproduces by laying eggs and has a very low body temperature. They cannot walk very fast (max 2.3 km per hour), therefore they mainly protect themselves with their sharp spines. They love to eat ants and termites and can eat 40,000 ants per day; this is why they spend a lot of time looking for food. Echidnas have one of the widest distributions of any native Australian mammal.

Eastern Water Dragons - reptiles that live near water

(Intellagama lesueurii)

A semi-aquatic native Australian lizard that is seen a lot in the east coast from central New South Wales to northern Queensland. It lives for approximately 15 years and is the largest agamid lizard in Australia (a male can reach 1 meter in length) and has a dark stripe from ear to eye. Males have a red flush on its chest and darker bands. Dragons are omnivorous and eat insects, small animals but also plants, fruits and flowers. Fossil and biochemical data demonstrate that they probably existed for the past 20 million years in Australia.

Richmond Birdwing Butterfly - butterflies that feed on threatened species of vines

(Ornithoptera richmondia)

The Richmond birdwing is one of Australia's largest butterflies with a wingspan of up to 16 cm in females and 13 cm in males. Females have a less attractive appearance and is mostly dark brown or black with extensive white coloured wings, whereas the males have black spots with green and blue and yellow markings. The Richmond birdwing lays eggs singly or up to three, on native Pararistolochia vines. The specific vine, Pararistolochia praevenosa, is listed as Near Threatened under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 and this species is listed as Vulnerable in Queensland (Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992). It is ranked as a critical priority under the department's Back on Track species prioritisation framework, in the efforts to bring its numbers up, similarly to the numbers in the 70s, where their population was abundant. The main activities of the group are to conserve the Richmond Birdwing Butterfly by protecting, propagating and planting food vines in their native range, to remove the Dutchman's Pipe Vine and to map and encourage the better management of remaining habitats where wild vines are growing naturally.

We have these beautiful threatened butterflies in the village and we have planted Richmond Birdwing Butterfly Vines along Toc Toc Trail to support them. :)

References:

https://environment.des.qld.gov.au/wildlife/threatened-species/vulnerable/richmond_birdwing_butterfly.html

Tor Hundloe, Bridgette McDougall, and Craig Page (Eds.). (2015) Gold Coast Transformed: From Wilderness to Urban Ecosystem. Clayton South, VIC : CSIRO Publishing.

http://www.birdlife.org.au/bird-profile/striated-pardalote

https://ebird.org/species/strpar1

Competition and aggression for nest cavities between Striated Pardalotes and endangered Forty-spotted Pardalotes https://doi-org.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/10.1650/CONDOR-15-87.1

https://theconversation.com/the-secret-life-of-echidnas-reveals-a-world-class-digger-vital-to-our-ecosystems-67298

Eastern water dragons modify their social tactics with respect to the location within their home range https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.08.001

https://www.anbg.gov.au/gardens/visiting/exploring/fauna/reptiles/dragon-taxonomy.html

Conserving the Richmond Birdwing Butterfly over two decades: Where to next? https://doi-org.libraryporxy.griffith.edu.au/10.1111/j.1442-8903.2008.00382