Activity Sheet

Ringtail Possum
Squirrel Glider
Scientific Name
Type
About Me
Pseudocheirus peregrinus
Mammal—Marsupial
Mainly active during the night.
Have a tail used for holding (prehensile)
Scientific Name
Type
About Me
Petaurus norfolcensis
Mammal—Marsupial
Member of the possum family
Glides between trees at night time
Habitat
Live in treetops in nests made of leaves, grass and
shredded bark
Leaves of gum trees (Eucalypts)
Fruit and buds of native trees and shrubs
Wedge tailed Eagles, cats, dogs and foxes
Habitat
Hollows of trees or dead trees including Yellow box
and River Red Gum
Eucalypt nectar, insects and sap from wattles
We Eat
Eaten By
We Eat
Eaten By
Lace monitors, Wedge Tailed Eagles, foxes and
cats
Eastern Grey Kangaroo
Short Beaked Echidna
Scientific Name
Type
About Me
Macropus giganteus
Mammal—Marsupial
Have a pouch for carrying young.
Female usually permanently pregnant
Scientific Name
Type
About Me
Tachyglossus aculeatus
Mammal—Monotreme
Egg laying mammal
Baby echidna is called a ‘puggle’
Habitat
Rest under gum trees
Habitat
Seek shelter in caves, crevices and hollow logs.
We Eat
Grasses including wallaby and Kangaroo grass
We Eat
Eaten By
Wedge Tailed Eagles and dingos
Eaten By
Ants and termites.
Can eat earthworms and larvae.
Foxes and dingos.
Young echidnas eaten by lace monitors.
Wedge Tailed Eagle
Scientific Name
Type
About Me
Aquila audax
Bird
Wing span of about 2 metres
Photographer – Geoffrey Dabb
Superb Parrot
Scientific Name
Type
About Me
Polytelis swainsonii
Bird
Threatened in the Murray Catchment
Photographer – Geoffrey Dabb
Habitat
Make nests using sticks in tall dead or live trees.
Habitat
Nest in large River Red Gums with hollows.
We Eat
Rabbits, hares, lizards, birds (including ducks),
lace monitors and mammals (including dead
kangaroos).
We Eat
Flowers, fruits and seeds of Gold dust wattle,
Yellow Box, River Red Gums, Butterbush and
Kangaroo grass.
Wedge tailed eagles, hawks and cats.
Eaten By
Eaten By
Bush Stone Curlew
Galah
Scientific Name
Type
About Me
Burhinus grallarius
Bird (ground dwelling)
Endangered in the Murray Catchment
Also called ‘bush thick-knee’
Scientific Name
Type
About Me
Cacatua roseicapilla
Bird
Part of the parrot family
Found in large flocks
Habitat
Fallen logs, branches and leaf litter.
Rely on camouflage to hide during the day.
Habitat
We Eat
Variety of insects, spiders, caterpillars, snails,
frogs, small fruits and seeds
We Eat
Eaten By
Wedge tailed eagles, foxes, dogs and cats
Eaten By
Shelter from heat of day in leaves of trees.
Roost in trees at night. Nest in hollows of large
trees.
Seeds from crops and grasses (including
kangaroo grass)
Cats and wedge tailed eagles
Brolga
Black Duck
Scientific Name
Type
About Me
Grus rubicunda
Bird
Threatened in the Murray Catchment
Large wetland bird
Scientific Name
Type
About Me
Anas superciliosa
Bird
Usually in pairs or small flocks
Plunge head and neck underwater for food
Habitat
Wetlands (spike-rush and canegrass)
Habitat
Vegetated swamps and waterside vegetation
We Eat
Wetland plant roots, insects, spiders and frogs.
We Eat
Eaten By
Chicks eaten by foxes and wedge tailed eagles
Eaten By
Shallow aquatic shoots, seeds, tubers and roots,
freshwater insects
Wedge tailed eagles
Long-necked Turtle
Scientific Name
Type
About Me
Chelodina longicollis
Reptile
Diurnal (active during the day)
Long neck is used to rapidly strike at prey
Goanna
Scientific Name
Type
About Me
Varanus varius
Reptile
Second largest lizard in Australia
Arboreal (in trees) and terrestrial (on land)
Lives in large trees (including Yellow Box and Red
Gum)
Birds, insects, eggs, other reptiles, dead animals
and small mammals including Squirrel gliders
Wedge tailed eagles
© MDBA; Photographer Gunther Schmida
Habitat
River red gum, black box and wetlands
Habitat
We Eat
Fish, tadpoles and frogs
We Eat
Eaten By
Eggs are eaten by the red fox
Eaten By
Insects
(ants, grasshoppers, butterflies)
Spiders
Type
About Me
Arthropoda—Insecta
Have 6 legs and antennae
Type
About Me
Arthropod—Arachnida
Have 8 legs and no antennae
Spin silk webs
Habitat
Grasses, shrubs and trees.
Habitat
We Eat
Leaves, roots, stems, sap and fruit of plants
including trees, shrubs and grasses. Butterflies
drink nectar from flowers. Ants also eat dead
insects.
Echidna, Bush Stone Curlew, frogs, Brolga, ducks
and Lace monitor
We Eat
Trees, shrubs, fallen timber, leaf litter and holes in
the ground
Insects
Eaten By
Frogs, Bush Stone Curlew and Brolgas
Eaten By
Eastern Brown Snake
Scientific
Name
Type
About Me
Perons Tree Frog
Pseudonaja textilis
Scientific Name
Litoria peronii
Reptile
Venomous snake active during the day
Young snakes have a black head
Type
About Me
Reptile
Have a cross shape in the pupil (eye)
Males call September to January
© MDBA; Photographer Gunther Schmida
© Gunther Schmida
Habitat
Shelters in fallen timber and cracks in the ground
Habitat
We Eat
Frogs, lizards, snakes, small birds and mice
We Eat
Eaten By
Small snakes eaten by lace monitors
Eaten By
Live in trees and among plants. Can be
along way from water.
Small insects, spiders, beetles, flies and
moths.
Foxes, Brolgas and turtles
Red Fox
Feral Cat
Scientific Name
Type
About Me
Vulpes vulpes
Mammal—carnivore
Pest animal
Introduced to Australia for hunting
Scientific Name
Type
About Me
Felis catus
Mammal—carnivore
Pest animal, introduced to Australia and released
to control rabbits, rats and mice.
Solitary and nocturnal.
Habitat
Sleeps in dens, logs and other shelter during the
day
Small animals including Ringtail possum, Squirrel
glider and Bush Stone Curlew. Also eat turtle eggs,
insects and fruit from boxthorn and blackberry’s .
Habitat
We Eat
Shelters in burrows, logs or rock piles.
Found in all habitats
Mainly small mammals including Ringtail possums,
Squirrel gliders and rabbits. Also eats birds,
reptiles, amphibians, fish and insects.
Doesn’t need drinking water, gets water from prey
Dingos. Fox cubs eaten by Wedge Tailed Eagles.
Also killed by shooting trapping and poisoning.
Eaten By
Foxes, Wedge Tailed Eagles and Dingos.
We Eat
Eaten By
Butterbush
River Red Gum
Scientific Name
Type
About Me
Pittosporum phylliraeoides
Tree
Drooping branches with sticky seeds
Scientific Name
Type
About Me
Eucalyptus camaldulensis
Tree
Grow along watercourses
Provide
Habitat for
Insects and spiders
Provide
Habitat for
Squirrel glider, turtles, Superb Parrot, galah,
Wedge tailed eagle, possums, lace monitor.
Shelter for kangaroos. Fallen timber for Bush
Stone Curlew, snakes, echidna, fox
Eaten By
Fruit eaten by birds including parrots.
Leaves, flowers and fruit eaten by insects.
Eaten By
Squirrel gliders, Superb parrots and possums.
Yellow Box
Sticky Everlasting Daisy
Scientific Name
Type
About Me
Eucalyptus melliodora
Tree
Grows on sandy soils
Scientific Name
Type
About Me
Bracteantha viscose
Wildflower
Flowers feel dry like paper
Provide
Habitat for
Lace monitor, wedge tailed eagle, Ringtail possum,
Squirrel glider, galah and superb parrot. Shelter for
Kangaroos
Provide
Habitat for
Spiders and insects
Eaten By
Nectar and gumnut seeds eaten by Superb
parrots. Leaves eaten by Ringtail possum and
nectar eaten by squirrel glider and insects
Eaten By
Insects including butterflies and ants
Kangaroo Grass
Gold Dust Wattle
Scientific Name
Type
About Me
Themeda australis
Grass
Is spread by seed
Scientific Name
Type
About Me
Acacia ecinacea
Shrub
Flowers attract birds
Provide
Habitat for
Frogs, insects, spiders and lizards
Provide
Habitat for
Woodland birds (wrens, thornbills), insects and
spiders.
Eaten By
Kangaroos, wallabies, galahs and insects
Eaten By
Superb parrot and insects
Common White Sunray
Horehound
Scientific Name
Type
About Me
Rodanthe floribunds
Wildflower
An everlasting daisy
Scientific Name
Type
About Me
Marrubium vulgare
Herb
Pest plant, introduced to Australia as a garden
herb. Spread by sticky burrs.
Provide
Habitat for
Insects and spiders
Provide
Habitat for
Insects and spiders
Eaten By
Insects
Eaten By
Not readily eaten because it is bitter and not tasty.
Blackberry
Boxthorn
Scientific Name
Type
About Me
Rubus fruticosus
Scrambling shrub
Pest plant, introduced to Australia as a hedge plant
and for its berries.
One of the worst weeds in Australia.
Scientific Name
Type
About Me
Lycium ferocissimum
Shrub
Pest plant, introduced to Australia as a hedge
plant.
Aggressive, spiny plant.
Provide
Habitat for
Foxes, rabbits and small birds including wrens.
Provide
Habitat for
Foxes, feral cats, rabbits, insects and small birds
including wrens.
Eaten By
Foxes and possums.
Eaten By
Fruit eaten by foxes and birds including parrots.