« 2006, Not That Dry Here in Australia | Main | The Discipline of Science: Comment from Thomas Huxley »
January 03, 2007
Melomies in the Daintree: A Note from Neil Hewett
Posted by jennifer, at 09:55 AM
Hi Jennifer,
Temperatures in 2006 in the midst of the Daintree rainforest were uncharacteristically moderate.
It was, however, exceptionally wet with a total of 6242.5 mm over 237 rainy days; 14 of which exceeded 100 mm.
Last year was the first year Cooper Creek Wilderness had broadband satellite and rainfall, despite its quantity, never once interfered with the network.
On New Year's day a two-week old cassowary chick was savaged to death by marauding pig-dogs.
On the same day I captured this photograph of fawn-footed melomies:
All the best for 2007.
Posted by jennifer at January 3, 2007 09:55 AM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.nationalforum.com.au/blogs/mt-tb.cgi/1419
Comments
Great Photo. Yep, survival is all about hanging in there. Three of four bubs Neil? Is that one hanging onto mum's belly?
Posted by: Helen Mahar at January 3, 2007 11:22 AM
Thanks Neil! Wonderful picture!
Posted by: Libby at January 3, 2007 11:36 AM
Hi Neil,
Thanks for the image....unfortunately I have no clue what a melony is? Maybe some Aussie can give me a short description???
Posted by: Ann Novek at January 3, 2007 04:31 PM
Ooops...melomy
Posted by: Ann Novek at January 3, 2007 04:33 PM
Placental rodents, mostly arboreal, with mosaic tail-scales that do not overlap (5 species in Australia, 10 in PNG). Maximum litter of 4 (3 in this case).
Posted by: Neil Hewett at January 3, 2007 04:46 PM
Thanks Neil,
Very interesting ....thought first it was some kind of a squirrel!
Posted by: Ann Novek at January 3, 2007 04:54 PM
You know Neil, this species could go extinct and no one would probably notice. What a strange thing humans are.
Posted by: Libby at January 5, 2007 07:20 PM
Hi Libby,
Douglas Shire Council, the first municipality in the world to achieve Green Globe 21 benchmarking, has provided free Talon-G to landholders within the Shire, including north of the Daintree River, to manage this kind of vermin.
Just the other night, after a much appreciated downpour, I re-activated our hydro-plant and, under torchlight, observed a long-tailed pygmy possum running before me through the saturated grass. In thirteeen years of nightly scrutiny, it was my fourth sighting and no bigger than a melomy.
I have a very poor photo if you're interested; just send me an e-mail.
All the best, Neil
Posted by: Neil Hewett at January 5, 2007 07:52 PM