Australian Adaptations Have you ever wanted to travel to Australia? Australia has many native and introduced species. A few animals that have amazingly adapted are the cane toad, koalas, and platypus. The cane toad is one species seen in Australia. According to “New to Australia”, cane toads were introduced to Australia in 1935 to combat cane beetles. However, it did not work and instead only served to introduce a toxic toad to Australia. Now the toads have caused many animals harm since all are not immune to the toxin. Only cane beetles have escaped the grasp of cane toads (Semmler). As stated the cane toad has a toxic touch which it has gained to protect itself from predators. Another animal found in Australia are Koalas. Koalas are tree
Foreign plants which turn into weeds are continuously being introduced to Australia both accidentally and intentionally. They can cause extreme damage to Australia’s environment, as they threaten the survival of many native plants. They are successful in growing as they - usually grow faster than native plants competing for nutrients, water, space etc, they survive better as they do not have the pests and diseases that would normally control them in their natural habitats, they take over the native plants that the native animals use for shelter, food and nesting. The Cobblers peg (Bidens pilosa) also known as farmers friend, Spanish needle and beggars tick was introduced from South America and has become a weed in Australia. Individual flowers are yellow with white petals and do not last for very long, eventually turning into seeds.
Get ready to learn about the deadliest and smallest poisonous animal in the world. The Strawberry Poison-Dart Frog (Oophaga pumilio) is the most poisonous animal in the world. It’s as big as a finger very colorful. These frogs are native from Central America. In this essay, you will learn what its adaptations are, what process has it used to become what it is now, how it impacts society, how it relates to everyday life and what are the short-term and long-term impacts.
Koalas have pear shaped bodies that help in balancing and positioning themselves in tree forks. They also have reduced tails and long limbs that help in ...
The government needs to intervene now and stop this practice before the wildlife in South Florida is driven into extinction. The soil of south Florida is not ideal for sugar production therefore this production should be relocated to other parts of the countries with soils that favour...
The brumby is a small stocky horse, standing at roughly 14.1 hands high, and is designed to cope with the harsh Australian environment. Each herd has different characteristics based on their individual locations, but overall, are recognisable as the wild horses of Australia.
Coqui frogs are harming Hawaii's environment as they begin to reproduce faster than ever. Female coquis can deposit up to 28 eggs every eight weeks (Singer et al). The environment is not able to work efficiently when these little creatures are constantly reproducing. Coqui frogs are a serious threat to native insect population because they are consuming and removing insects from forest floor to treetops (Van Valkenburg). Insects have always been the major food source for birds and with coquis around, they have to compete and search for food. When Coqui frogs feed off of mites, ant...
Australian desert animals are exposed to such conditions as scarcity of food, increased body temperature, and dehydration. However, through behavioral, physiological, and anatomical adaptations, they can survive in the harsh outback. What specific functions allow desert animals to conserve water and reduce heat gain while maintaining homeostasis? How is metabolism affected? For many Australian animals, enzymes or cells are altered and hormones adjusted. Australian Western chestnut mice exhibit a specific physiological adaptation of recent discovery. These mice are able to regain glycogen through endogenous carbon sources after periods of exercise, thereby making up for scarce food resources. Behaviorally, poikilotherms adapt to harsh desert conditions through quiescence, or inactivity during the day, and panting or licking for evaporative cooling. What other seemingly ordinary ways have Australian animals allowed for their survival? Research explains how Australian animals have adapted, such that their physiology and lifestyles prevent susceptibility to harsh desert conditions.
Three subspecies of koala have actually been classified due to the difference in size and fur color. P. cinereus victor is found in southern Australia and is characterized by thick cinnamon-colored fur and is the largest of the koalas. P. cinereus cinereus is found throughout the koala range and has mixed gray fur.
Order Monotremata is split into two families and three species. Ornithorhynchus anatinus, commonly called the platypus, can be found in eastern Australian rivers and creeks from Queensland all the way down the coast and across the Bass Strait into Tasmania (Moyal 18). The platypus is not a large animal. Males, which can weigh 2.35 kg and reach .56 m in length, are larger than the females (Dawson 9-10). The platypus swims with its mouth, ears, and eyes shut (Dawson 10). O. anatinus sifts the bottom for food, which is mainly non-insect invertebrates, crustaceans, worms, some vertebrates, and benthic larvae of various insects (Dawson 10).
Cane Toads are native to Central and South America but was introduced to Northern Australia. The Cane Toad was brought to Northern Australia to get rid of pests, but instead it became a pest itself. Cane Toads are harming the environment by growing rapidly and wiping out other species. As their population grows they take up more space and resources which also harms other species. The Cane Toads are able to grow rapidly because there aren’t many natural predators, and they poison whatever eats them. Because of those two factors Cane Toads can easily survive.
As the wood frogs are ectothermic, one of the major adaptations to their envionment is the adaptation to climate change.
All discussions regarding the phenomenon of invasive species will inherently result in the consensus that they are an unwanted or an even evil entity. Ever since the age of exploration humans have been primary dispersers of these so called “exotic” species (Mooney and Cleland 2001). Famous examples include the release of cane toads in Australia (Urban et al., 2008); the rainbow trout (Fausch 2008) and the Japanese Kudzu vine in the southern U.S. (Blaustein 2001) and zebra mussels in the great lakes of Canada (Nalepa and Schloesser 1992). However, documented marine invasions compared with
In 1996, the Asian Longhorn Beetle made its way into the New York and New Jersey creating the decimation of the forests. The Asian Longhorn Beetle has so far caused the cutting of over 10,000 trees in New Jersey, and quarantine of 109 miles in New York today . The spread of this foreign beetle has created great impacts on the environment. The Asian Longhorn Beetle is an invasive specie, a harmful specie from another locations, mainly other countries, that has ended up in a foreign habitat. As time has progressed, invasive species have continued to come into our environment more frequently creating many unforeseen consequences. The relationship of invasive species within the United States’ environment and ecosystem has been changing ever since the arrival of the Europeans in the 1700s to present day. Due to these encounters with other species whether harmful or neutral, the majority, if not all, of the United States has been affected with the threatening encroachment of native species due to the industrialization of waterways and transportation.
The platypus is highly specialised and dependent on water bodies to acquire food. With increasing incidence of drought across Australia survival of platypus populations is uncertain. Those of the population inhabiting marginal pools are more susceptible to drought, likely suffering considerable mortality, Also, decrease in water level increases the likelihood of death by terrestrial predators, such as foxes, due to the animals inability to move quickly from one pool to another (Hall, 1999).
Australia is home to the great barrier reef which is the world's largest coral reef system, and home to the kangaroo. Australia is the driest continent in the world. The outback is the part of Australia that few live in because it’s a vast desert (“Australia”). The great dividing range is a long chain of mountains that runs along the Pacific Coast of Australia (“Australia”). Australia is the driest inhabitable country in the world (“Australia”). The great barrier reef of Australia is the largest in the world (“Australia”). Australia is already a dry country and if the temperature rises anymore due to climate change than Australia could suffer from more severe forest fires and be doomed.