Australian Wildlife by Teacher Superstore

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Acknowledgements

Ready-Ed

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r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S ii.

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Acknowledgements for front cover iii. Wikimedia Commons

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Any copying of this book by an educational institution or its staff outside of this blackline master licence may fall within the educational statutory licence under the Act. The Act allows a maximum of one chapter or 10% of the pages of this book, whichever is the greater, to be reproduced and/or communicated by any educational institution for its educational purposes provided that that

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Reproduction and Communication by others Except as otherwise permitted by this blackline master licence or under the Act (for example, any fair dealing for the purposes of study, research, criticism or review) no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, communicated or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission. All inquiries should be made to the publisher at the address below.

o c . che e r o t r s super Published by: Ready-Ed Publications PO Box 276 Greenwood WA 6024 www.readyed.com.au info@readyed.com.au

ISBN: 978 1 86397 785 2 2

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Publications

Teachers’ Notes Curriculum Links

Contents r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S 4 5

Looking at The Emu The Emu Activity 1 The Emu Activity 2 The Emu Activity 3

10 11 12 13

The Koala Activity 2 The Koala Activity 3

16 17

Looking at The Echidna The Echidna Activity 1 The Echidna Activity 2 The Echidna Activity 3

18 19 20 21

Looking at The Platypus The Platypus Activity 1 The Platypus Activity 2 The Platypus Activity 3

22 23 24 25

Looking at The Possum The Possum Activity 1 The Possum Activity 2 The Possum Activity 3

26 27 28 29

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6 7 8 9

Looking at The Wombat The Wombat Activity 1 The Wombat Activity 2 The Wombat Activity 3

34 35 36 37

Looking at The Bilby The Bilby Activity 1 The Bilby Activity 2 The Bilby Activity 3

38 39 40 41

42 43 44 45

Looking at The Frilled Neck Lizard The Frilled Neck Lizard Activity 1 The Frilled Neck Lizard Activity 2 The Frilled Neck Lizard Activity 3

46 47 48 49

Looking at The Saltwater Crocodile The Saltwater Crocodile Activity 1 The Saltwater Crocodile Activity 2 The Saltwater Crocodile Activity 3

50 51 52 53

Answers

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30 31 32 33

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Looking at The Red Kangaroo The Red Kangaroo Activity 1 The Red Kangaroo Activity 2 The Red Kangaroo Activity 3

Looking at The Kookaburra The Kookaburra Activity 1 The Kookaburra Activity 2 The Kookaburra Activity 3

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Teachers’ Notes

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This book is designed for children who are in lower primary school. It is linked to the Science learning area and has been written to heighten children’s appreciation of living things. It encourages students to put twelve Australian animals under the microscope and examine in detail the animals’ habitats, diets, appearances, features, lifecycles and predators. The book contains practical activities which require students to find samples of the animals’ food and record the sounds of animals in their local environment. It also asks students to record their understandings, observations and experimental results using flow charts, concept maps, world maps, tables, diagrams, illustrations, point form, labelling and cutting and pasting.

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All of the activities are fun, visually stimulating, clear, can be completed at a number of levels and are curriculum linked. To make life easy for the teacher, the answers to the questions are at the back of the book.

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Curriculum Links WA (Science) (8) Life and Living – students understand their own biology and that of other living things, and recognise the interdependence in life. (Middle Childhood - Years 3-7)

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NSW (Science and Technology) Living Things – identifies and describes the structure and function of living things and the ways in which living things interact with other living things and their environment. (Stage 2 - Years 3-4) TAS (Science) Science as a Body of Knowledge – Living Things. (Years 3-4 - Stages 4-8 – Standards 2-3) ACT (Science) Essential Learning Achievement 19 - The student understands and applies scientific knowledge. (19.LC.9, 19.LC.10, 19.LC.11, 19.LC.12)

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QLD (Science) Life and Living – needs, features and functions of living things are related and change over time. (End of Year 3) Life and Living - living things have features that determine their interactions with the environment. (End of Year 5)

o c . Life Systems. (Standard c2)he e r o t r s super VIC (Science) Science Knowledge and Understanding. (Level 3) Science at Work. (Level 3)

AUSTRALIAN WILDLIFE Identify Yourself

LOOKING AT

Name:

The Red Kangaroo Date:

Red kangaroos rest in the shade during the heat of the day. They graze on a variety of grasses from the evening into the early morning. Usually they live in small groups but where food and water is good, the groups or mobs can be bigger.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Life Cycle

The Kangaroo Family Kangaroos are marsupial mammals and members of the macropod or ‘big foot’ family. Red kangaroos are the biggest type of kangaroo.

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Diet

Female kangaroos give birth to small, hairless pink joeys which are the size of jellybeans. Joeys grow in their mothers’ pouches for about seven months drinking their mothers’ milk. Gradually they hop in and out of their mothers’ pouches until they are too big for their mothers to carry them. Then they learn to run and hop and eat grass like their mothers.

dry centre of Australia. Features and Appearance

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Most male red kangaroos have reddish coloured fur and female red kangaroos have bluish grey fur and are sometimes called blue fliers. Red kangaroos have good eyesight, hearing and sense of smell. Using their powerful hind legs and long feet they can cover great distances in long bounds. They use their small front legs and their long, solid tails to balance when they are grazing or moving slowly. Male kangaroos can grow up to 1.8 metres tall and weigh up to 90 kilograms. Female kangaroos are shorter and lighter.

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Threats

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© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons Habitat •f or vhot i ew pur posesonl y• Red kangaroos liver ine the When threatened by predators, adult kangaroos can often outrun their attackers. When cornered they will stand tall, balancing on their tails and will kick with their powerful legs. Eagles, dingoes, foxes and feral dogs prey on joeys that stray away from their mobs.

o c . che e r o t r s super Did You Know? The red kangaroo and emu are on the Australian coat of arms. The red kangaroo is also the mascot of Australian tourism.

The Red Kangaroo

Activity 1

Read about the red kangaroo on page six and answer the questions. 1. Which family does the kangaroo belong to? _______________________________________________________________

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2. Describe the type of area that the red kangaroo inhabits.

_______________________________________________________________

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3. Why do you think that the red kangaroo doesn’t eat or move around during the day? _______________________________________________________________

4. What is the main purpose of a kangaroo’s long, thick tail?

_______________________________________________________________

5. Explain these words:

Label three main features marsupial _______________________ ofc the red kangaroo. © ReadyEdPubl i at i o ns ________________________________

•f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

mammal ________________________

macropod _______________________

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. te o c mascot _________________________ . c e her r ________________________________ o t s super mob____________________________ ________________________________

Extra!

Why do you think that the red kangaroo was chosen to be Australia’s tourism mascot? _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ 7

The Red Kangaroo

Activity 2

Read about the red kangaroo on page six and answer the questions. 1. How does the red kangaroo camouflage itself? _______________________________________________________________

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2. Which birds or animals might prey on a small joey who is just out of its mother’s pouch and has strayed away from its mother?

3. Circle the footprint that is most likely to belong to the kangaroo.

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_______________________________________________________________ 4. List three ways that the red kangaroo protects itself.

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EATS

o c . che e r o t r s sdrawing r pe Complete the food chain below by u in the boxes.

The Red Kangaroo

Activity 3

Read the points and then write them in the correct order in the circles provided, to show the life cycle of a kangaroo. Use the information on page six to help you if you get stuck. POINTS

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• The pink, hairless joey is born and crawls into its mother’s pouch.

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• When the joey is too big for its

• The joey leans out of the pouch to eat grass like its mother.

Life cycle of a kangaroo

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• The joey drinks milk from its mother and grows in the pouch.

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• The joey hops in and out of its mother’s pouch as it gets bigger.

mother’s pouch, it stays near its mother on the land.

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AUSTRALIAN WILDLIFE Identify Yourself

LOOKING AT

Name:

The Emu

Date:

Diet

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The Emu Family

In the breeding season in late autumn, emus build nests made of grass on the ground. Female emus lay between five and 20 large dark green eggs a season. The males sit on the eggs for about eight weeks after they have been laid, rarely leaving the nests to find food. The chicks are covered with striped brown and white down and have spotted heads. They stay with their fathers for up to two years.

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Emus eat grasses, leaves, fruit, seeds and also insects such as grasshoppers.

Habitat

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Emus are able to survive in most parts of Australia. They prefer open areas to thick rainforest areas.

Features and Appearance

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Their bodies are covered in long, flowing feathers that are dark brown to grey. They have shorter, softer feathers on their heads and bright inquisitive eyes and strong beaks. The skin on their necks is sometimes a bluish colour. Adults can be up to two metres tall and weigh up to 45 kilograms. Females are usually larger than males. Both male and female emus are able to make low drumming sounds in their throats. 10

Threats When a predator attacks, emus use their powerful legs to outrun their attacker. They can also kick with their strong legs using their sharp toes to injure their attacker. Emu eggs and chicks are at most risk of predators. Lizards eat the eggs and the young chicks are preyed on by dingoes, eagles, foxes and feral cats and dogs.

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Emus are Australia’s largest birds and belong to the group of birds that cannot fly called ratites.

o c . che e r o t r s super Did You Know? The emu, together with the red kangaroo, is found on Australia’s coat of arms.

The Emu

Activity 1

Read the information report about the emu on page 10 and answer the questions. 1. Which group of birds does the emu belong to? ________________________

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2. An emu can survive in most parts of Australia. Give two reasons why you think it can do this: _______________________________________________________________

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_______________________________________________________________

3. What is an emu’s main diet? ________________________________________ 4. What is the advantage of an emu chick’s striped feathers?

_______________________________________________________________

5. Explain three ways that an emu uses its beak.

An emu likes to eat:

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Extra!

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Can you find a sample of food that an emu likes to eat in the school yard? Paste it above.

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Which two animals are on Australia’s coat of arms? • _____________________ • ____________________ Why do you think these two animals were chosen to be on Australia’s coat of arms? ____________________________________________ 11

The Emu

Activity 2

Answer the questions and complete the tasks below. Use the information on page 10 to help you.

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1. Explain three ways that an emu can protect itself from predators.

_______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________

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_______________________________________________________________

2. List three reasons why you think that an emu doesn’t need to fly.

_______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________

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________________________ ________________________ ________________________

The Emu

Activity 3

Use the information below to illustate a flow chart which shows the life cycle of an emu.

THE LIFE CYCLE OF AN EMU

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5. Male cares for them

Life Cycle of an Emu

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4. Baby emu chicks hatch

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1. Emu builds a nest 2. Female lays eggs in the nest 3. Male sits on the eggs in the nest

o c . che e r o t r s super David Lliff

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AUSTRALIAN WILDLIFE Identify Yourself

LOOKING AT

Name:

The Koala

Date:

Koalas eat about half a kilogram of gum leaves each day. The leaves don’t contain much energy so koalas sleep and rest during the daytime, sitting in the forks of trees. They eat and are active in the evenings. Koalas get most of their moisture from eating gum leaves.

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The Koala Family Koalas are marsupial mammals that live in trees and eat leaves. Their closest relative is the wombat. The name koala means ‘no drink’ and comes from an Aboriginal language.

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Diet

Female koalas give birth to pink, hairless babies which are the size of jellybeans. They stay in their mothers’ pouches drinking milk for about six months. When they are big enough they ride on their mothers’ backs and start to nibble gum leaves.

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Features and Appearance Koalas are usually ash grey with a white chest. Their rounded fluffy ears and flat black noses make them look very cuddly. They are very well suited to life in the gum trees. They have a very good sense of balance and are very muscly animals. They have strong forelegs and back legs for climbing. The rough pads on their feet and hands and their strong, sharp claws help them to grip the tree branches. Koalas are usually very quiet animals but they are able to make grunting sounds when upset.

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The tall gum trees protect koalas from predators. Koalas are put at risk when trees are chopped down and they have to cross roads. Car accidents and dog attacks are the main risks that they face. Sometimes koalas get sick when new houses are built and there is not enough habitat left for them.

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Koalas live in coastal areas between Queensland and South Australia.

o c . che e r o Did You Know? t r s sup r eused There to be millions of koalas but

hundreds of thousands have been killed for their fur. Now there are only around 100,000 of them left. A lot of their habitat has gone because new houses have been built. It is very important to save the habitat that is left and to protect the koalas.

The Koala

Activity 1

Read the information report about the koala on page 14 and answer the questions. 1. Which group of animals does the koala belong to? _____________________

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2. What does the word koala mean? ___________________________________ 3. Why do you think that a koala sleeps most of the day?

_______________________________________________________________

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4. Where does a koala get most of its moisture? _________________________

5. What happens to a koala when gum trees in their area are cut down?

_______________________________________________________________

Find a eucalyptus leaf andl glue itt here. © ReadyEdPub i ca i ons

6. List two threats to the koala that are near houses:

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Extra!

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•f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

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What does it smell like?

Why do you think that the koala is very popular with tourists?

The Koala

Activity 2

Use the information report on page 14 to help you complete the profile of a koala below.

PROFILE OF A KOALA

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Description Diet Life cycle Threats

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Where it lives

Classification (the group it belongs to):

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The Koala

Activity 3

SAVE OUR KOALAS A hundred years ago there used to be millions of koalas in Australia. Now it is estimated that there are less than 100,000 koalas living in the wild.

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1. Explain why the number of koalas has decreased so much in the past 100 years.

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_______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________

2. Design a poster about the importance of protecting and saving the koala.

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AUSTRALIAN WILDLIFE Identify Yourself

The Echidna

LOOKING AT

Name:

Date:

Diet

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The Echidna Family Echidnas, like platypuses, lay eggs and are members of the monotreme family. They are also mammals and feed their babies milk. Echidnas are sometimes called anteaters.

Adult female echidnas lay soft leathery eggs into their shallow pouches. The eggs take ten days to hatch. Baby echidnas are called puggles. They are jellybean size, pink, hairless and unable to see. They attach themselves to their mothers’ milk glands and drink milk for approximately two months after they have been born. When they start to grow prickly spines, their mothers dig burrows. Baby echidnas stay in these burrows while their mothers go searching for food.

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Echidnas have no teeth but use their long sticky tongues to catch ants and termites.

Echidnas are found all over Australia from hot, dry areas to snowy areas.

Threats

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Features and Appearance Echidnas vary in colour from light brown in hot areas to nearly black in Tasmania. Echidnas’ rounded bodies are covered in short, coarse hair and long sharp spines. They use their pointy seven centimetre snouts to break up termite mounds. Their mouths are on the underside of their snouts. They also use their short, strong legs and sharp claws for digging in the soil. Adults grow up to 45 centimetres and can weigh up to seven kilograms.

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When threatened by predators like eagles, goannas, dingoes, and feral cats and dogs, puggles roll themselves into balls. They become sharp, spiky balls that protect their soft undersides. They can also very quickly burrow themselves into the soil. Hundreds of echidnas are killed every year on the road by cars and trucks.

o c . che e r o t r s super Did You Know? The echidna is featured on the five cent coin. The five cent coin could soon be phased out.

The Echidna

Activity 1

Read the information report on the echidna on page 18 and answer the questions. 1. Which family does the echidna belong to?

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_______________________________________________________________ 2. Circle the correct meaning of these words:

lays eggs

eats ants

mammal:

feeds its baby fish

lays eggs

feeds its baby milk

puggle:

a game

a baby echidna

water on the ground

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has live young

3. What is an echidna’s main diet?

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monotreme:

_______________________________ and ___________________________

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons _______________________________________________________________ •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• 5. Which part of an echidna’s body does it protect from attack? 4. How does an echidna eat its food?

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6. How does an echidna protect itself?

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7. Explain how humans are a threat to the echidna.

Extra! There is an echidna on the five cent coin. Do a rubbing of it here.

The Echidna

Activity 2

Read the information on page 18 to help you answer the questions and complete the tasks.

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1. List four predators that threaten the echidna.

2. Draw two diagrams to show how an echidna protects itself from attack.

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EATS

o c . che e r o t r sboxes. su r pe Complete the food chain below by drawing in the

The Echidna

Activity 3

Read the information about the life cycle of the echidna below.

THE LIFE CYCLE OF THE ECHIDNA

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The puggle eats ants and termites.

The puggle grows prickly spines.

The mother leaves her baby in a burrow while she looks for food.

The puggle hatches.

The puggle drinks milk from its mother.

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An adult female lays an egg into her shallow pouch.

Cut out the information boxes above and paste them in the boxes below in the correct order to create a flow chart explaining the life cycle of an echidna.

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fir0002/flagstaffotos

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AUSTRALIAN WILDLIFE Identify Yourself

LOOKING AT

Name:

The Platypus Date:

Platypuses usually feed during the early morning or after dusk. When they dive underwater, they close their eyes and ears, detecting food with their bills. They eat insects and small shellfish like yabbies. They store food in their cheeks until they surface. Then they grind the food up between the hard plates in their mouths, as they have no teeth.

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The Platypus Family Shy platypuses, along with echidnas, are monotremes.

Life Cycle

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Diet

During the breeding season in spring, platypuses build nesting burrows up to 20 metres long. The females close off part of the burrows and lay up to three leathery eggs each. They keeps their eggs warm by curling their tails around them until they hatch. Then they feed their little puggles with milk. After about four months the females take their babies out of the dark burrows to rivers.

freshwater lakes with banks suitable for their burrows.

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Features and Appearance Platypuses can grow up to 50 centimetres long and weigh up to 1.7 kilograms. Their bodies are covered in dark, soft, waterproof fur. Their long bills are covered in soft, but tough skin that has sensitive nerves on it to detect food. Their webbed feet and long flattened tails help them to swim underwater. The claws on their feet help them to dig burrows. The males are usually bigger than the females.

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Threats

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Platypuses will usually dive underwater and swim away if threatened. If they are unable to escape, male platypuses use their short, sharp poisonous spurs on the inside of both of their back legs to wound the attacker. The poison is strong enough to kill a dog. Platypuses have natural enemies like goannas, water rats and foxes. Their main threat comes from humans who pollute the rivers and clear their habitat.

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The Platypus

Activity 1

Read the information report about the platypus on page 22, then answer the questions. 1. Which group of animals does the platypus belong to?

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_______________________________________________________________ 2. What does monotreme mean?

_______________________________________________________________

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3. What does mammal mean?

_______________________________________________________________

4. Not many people have seen a platypus. Give two reasons for this.

_______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________

5. What would happen to a platypus if chemicals spilled into a river where it lived?

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Illustrate the habitat of a platypus.

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6. List two ways that a platypus can protect itself?

o c . che e r o t r s super 7. Name two threats to the platypus caused by humans.

The Platypus

Activity 2

Use the information on page 22 to help you answer the questions and complete the tasks.

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1. List six interesting features of a platypus.

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Include: bill / furred body / webbed feet / claws / tail / poisonous spur / nostrils / eyes

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Extra! There is a platypus on the twenty cent coin, do a rubbing of it here. 24

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The Platypus

Activity 3

Read the information below about the life cycle of a platypus. Using the information on page 22, put the stages in the correct order by numbering them from one to six.

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She takes the puggles to the river.

She feeds her babies on milk.

The eggs hatch.

She keeps the eggs warm.

The female builds a nesting burrow.

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Female lays her eggs.

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Illustrate each stage of the cycle.

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AUSTRALIAN WILDLIFE Identify Yourself

LOOKING AT

Name:

The Possum

Date:

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The Possum Family Brushtail possums are the most well known possums. They belong to the marsupial family and are mammals.

Brushtails usually live alone, except in breeding season. They have one joey usually in autumn. Their tiny jellybean sized joeys are pink and hairless and cannot see. Their babies stay in their mothers’ pouches for five months, drinking milk and growing. When they have grown fur, they gradually spend time out of their mothers’ pouches riding on their mothers’ backs, until they can move around on their own.

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them to see well at night. They spend the night hours searching for food, feeding mainly on gum leaves, flowers, plants and fruit. They are always back in their sleeping dens before daylight.

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Features and Appearance Brushtail possums can weigh up to four kilograms. They have soft fur ranging in colour from very dark to light grey with pale chests. Their rounded ears, big eyes and pink noses and whiskers give them a very inquisitive look. Their paws have sharp claws. Their strong back legs are built for climbing and jumping from branch to branch. Their front paws are used for holding food and climbing. They wrap their strong bushy tails around branches to help them balance.

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leave their trees and spend time on the ground. Dingoes are the only type of dogs that eat possums. Other dogs injure and kill them. Possums defend themselves by biting and using their sharp claws. They are also victims of cars when they cross roads at night. Brushtails are wild animals but they have adapted to living in suburbia. If they cannot find tree hollows for dens in areas where trees have been cut down, they will squeeze into any dark space in a roof or garage to sleep during the daytime. Many people make possum boxes and put them in trees to accommodate possums.

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Australia. They are usually found in areas with tall old trees that contain hollows in which the possums sleep during the day.

o c . che e r o t r s super Did You Know?

Diet Possums are nocturnal; coming out just after dark. Their big eyes help 26

Possum Magic by Mem Fox is Australia’s most famous children’s story.

The Possum

Activity 1

Read the information report on the possum on page 26 and answer the questions. 1. Which family does the possum belong to?

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_______________________________________________________________ 2. Why do you think this possum is called a brushtail possum?

3. Explain what nocturnal means.

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_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________

4. Where does a brushtail possum live? _________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

5. What do you think is the purpose of the possum’s brush tail?

_______________________________________________________________

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What is the main diet of a brushtail possum?

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6. How does a brushtail possum see in the dark?

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Can you find a sample of food that a possum likes to eat in the school yard? Paste it above.

The Possum

Activity 2

Use the information on page 26 to help you answer the questions. 1. Describe in point form what a brushtail possum looks like.

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_______________________________________________________________

•

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2. Circle the nose that belongs to a possum.

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4. Explain how a brushtail possum will adapt to living in suburban areas.

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3. List three ways that a possum can protect itself.

o c . che _______________________________ e r o t r s sup er _______________________________ _______________________________

_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________

The Possum

Activity 3

Use the information on page 26 to help you answer the questions.

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2. List three ways that people have contributed to the decrease in numbers of possums.

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1. Colour the animal below that is a threat to the possum.

Illustrate the habitat of a possum.

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EATS

o c . che e r o t r s super Complete the food chain below by drawing in the boxes.

AUSTRALIAN WILDLIFE Identify Yourself

LOOKING AT

Name:

The Kookaburra Date:

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Kookaburras eat worms, insects, frogs, mice, lizards and snakes. When kookaburras catch lizards or snakes, they will hit them against tree branches to kill them.

The Kookaburra Family Kookaburras are members of the kingfisher family. They are often called laughing kookaburras because their calls sound like they are laughing.

Life Cycle

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still on branches for a long time just watching and listening. When they see their prey, they fly down very quickly and grab it in their beaks.

A group of kookaburras consists of a breeding pair and other younger kookaburras. Female kookaburras lay two to four white eggs in tree hollows. The younger birds bring food to their mothers and the chicks and help to defend their nests against predators. The fledglings are ready to fly a month after being born. Eagles, foxes and feral cats are a threat to young fledglings when they are learning to fly and learning to feed on the ground.

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the east coast of Australia. They have also been introduced to the southern part of Western Australia. They are territorial, which means that they stay in known areas and defend these areas against any other kookaburras.

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Features and Appearance

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Kookaburras are the largest of the kingfisher family, growing up to about 47 centimetres in length from their beaks to their tails. Their feathers are brown and white and they have blue patches through their wings. The colour of kookaburras’ feathers makes it easy for them to camouflage in the trees. Kookaburras use their powerful beaks to catch their prey. Their eyesight is very good and they will sit very

Threats

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Kookaburras are threatened by people when they cut down trees that the birds need for nesting and food. When people use unnecessary poisons in their gardens to kill insects, kookaburras can become sick and die if they eat the poisoned insects.

Did You Know? When kookaburras call at dawn or dusk, they sound like they have just heard a good joke. They are actually advertising their territory and warning other kookaburras to stay away.

The Kookaburra

Activity 1

Read the information report about the kookaburra on page 30 and answer the questions.

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1. Which family does the kookaburra belong to?

_______________________________________________________________ 2. How does a kookaburra spot its prey?

3. How does it catch its prey?

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4. Do you think that the kookaburra is a seed eater, a fruit eater or a meat eater? _______________________________________________________________

5. What does it eat?

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons 6. Explain how people can be a threat to the kookaburra. •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________

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Laugh Kookaburra Laugh

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o c . che e r o t r Location Type of bird Bird noise s super

Have you heard kookaburras or other birds in your neighbourhood or at school? Record bird noises, location and type of bird in a table like the one below. Compare your results with the class.

The Kookaburra

Activity 2

Use the information on page 30 to help you answer the questions below. 1. What feature of the kookaburra helps it to camouflage itself, when it is looking for food?

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_______________________________________________________________ 2. Explain how the kookaburra uses its very strong beak.

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3. List four facts about the kookaburra’s life cycle.

4. Circle the beak that belongs to a kookaburra.

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Explain why you think that a kookaburra is territorial.

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The Kookaburra

Activity 3

Complete the task below. If you get stuck, you could use the information on page 30 to help you.

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Draw the same tree cut down and lying on the ground. Show what happens to the kookaburras.

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Draw a tree with a nesting hollow and a group of kookaburras, including chicks, in the nest.

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AUSTRALIAN WILDLIFE Identify Yourself

LOOKING AT

Name:

The Wombat Date:

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The Wombat Family Common or bare-nosed wombats are nocturnal marsupial mammals. They are the most common of the three types of wombats. Southern hairy-nosed wombats are rarer and northern hairynosed wombats are endangered. There are only 115 of them left in the wild.

Wombats are related to koalas but do not eat leaves. They are herbivorous and graze mainly at night time in their territory. They eat native grasses such as wallaby grass and kangaroo grass and the roots of small bushes. Because of their poor eyesight, they rely on their sense of smell to find food, especially in areas where the grass is covered with snow.

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long. They have broad, strong heads and small ears and eyes and have poor eyesight. They use their powerful short legs and sharp claws for digging burrows. When threatened they can run quite quickly on their short legs.

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Common wombats live in the eastern states of New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania and in south eastern South Australia. They live in forested areas often where the land is hilly. The soil needs to be well drained and good for digging burrows. Their burrows can be up to 30 metres in length and contain a number of chambers. Sometimes they line their sleeping area with leaves, twigs and bark. They rest in their burrows during the day and come out at night to feed.

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o c . che e r o t r Threats s sup er Wombats are sometimes called the

Features and Appearance Common wombats have strong, sturdy bodies covered in grey and brown fur. They can weigh up to 30 kilograms and grow up to a metre 34

They stay in their mothers’ pouches for several months until they are big enough to come out for short periods of time. Female wombats have pouches that open backwards. This prevents any dirt or sticks getting into the pouches when they are digging. By ten months they are fully out of their mothers’ pouches. They go out at night with their mothers and learn to eat grass and dig.

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Habitat

‘bulldozers of the bush’ because they are so strong. However, although they are strong, they are still at risk from dogs. They are also at risk when crossing roads at night. When farmers clear land, wombats lose their habitat. They also die from poisons used by farmers to kill rabbits.

The Wombat

Activity 1

Read the information report on wombats on page 34 and answer the questions. 1. Which group of animals does the wombat belong to?

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_______________________________________________________________ 2. Explain the word herbivorous.

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3. Which other Australian native animal is a relative of the wombat?

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4. When are you most likely to see a wombat? Why?

_______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________

5. What kind of habitat does a wombat live in?

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6. Why do you think a wombat digs burrows?

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7. Why do you think that the northern hairy-nosed wombat is endangered, with only 115 of them left in the wild?

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o c . _______________________________________________________________ che e r o t r s super _______________________________________________________________

Extra! Orphaned Wombat... Imagine that you are meeting with a wildlife carer tomorrow afternoon. The carer is looking after an orphaned wombat whose mother has been killed crossing a road. On the back of this sheet write down some questions that you will ask the carer. 35

The Wombat

Activity 2

Use the information on page 34 to help you complete the questions and tasks.

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1. A wombat lives in hot areas as well as snowy areas. Illustrate and label both habitats.

_______________________ eyes and ears. It has ________________ legs and

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body. It has a good sense of _________________________ but _______________________ eyesight.

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_________________________ claws. It has a strong, _______________________

. te in winter. o _______________________ c . che e r o t r s su r pe 3. List three facts about a baby wombat.

A wombat can still find grass even when it is covered with

The Wombat

Activity 2

Use the information report on page 34 to complete the profile of a wombat.

PROFILE OF A WOMBAT

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Description Diet

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Where it lives

Classification (the group it belongs to):

AUSTRALIAN WILDLIFE Identify Yourself

LOOKING AT

Name:

The Bilby

Date:

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The Bilby Family Greater bilbies, commonly referred to as bilbies, are members of the ground dwelling marsupials known as bandicoots. Bilbies are now an endangered species. Their closest relative, lesser bilbies, are now extinct.

Bilbies eat seeds, plants and bulbs and also insects, such as beetles and grasshoppers. They use their long, sticky tongues to gather up seeds. Like koalas, bilbies get most of their water from the leaves of plants.

Life Cycle

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up to two and a half kilograms and weigh twice that of females. Bilbies are nocturnal. Their good sense of smell helps them to find food.

Bilbies usually live alone or in pairs. Female bilbies usually have one or two young each, that are the size of beans at birth. They carry their young in backward facing pouches for about 80 days. Like wombats, the pouches stay free of dirt when the bilbies dig. By about three months, the young are usually independent.

Habitat

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Bilbies live in hot, dry areas in the Northern Territory, Western Australia and Queensland. A hundred years ago, bilbies were seen in many parts of Australia. Now, they are seen much less.

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© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• Bilby numbers are reducing because of habitat loss due to farming. Bilbies are also forced to compete with rabbits, sheep and cattle for food. While their big ears are useful for hearing approaching predators, the bilbies are no match for predators such as goannas, foxes and feral cats.

. te o c Bilbies are about the same size as . chare e rabbits and their footprints very r er o similar. Bilbies have long snouts with t s super pink noses and large pink ears. They Features and Appearance

are covered in silky, grey fur and have white stomachs. Their tails are black with white patches at the end of them. They use their strong front legs and sharp claws to dig burrows in which they can shelter from the daytime heat and search for food. Males weigh 38

Did You Know? Greater bilbies are now on the list of endangered animals. Successful ‘Save the Bilby’ programs aim to breed bilbies and release them back into safe areas in the wild.

The Bilby

Activity 1

Read the information report on the bilby on page 38 and answer the questions.

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1. Which group of animals does the bilby belong to?

_______________________________________________________________ 2. What environment does the bilby live in?

3. Where would you find a bilby living in Australia?

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4. What do a bilby and a koala have in common?

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5. What do a bilby and a wombat have in common?

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7. At what special time of the year would you see a chocolate bilby?

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o c . 8. Circle the nose that belongs to a bilby. ch e r er o t s super

The Bilby

Activity 2

Complete the tasks and the questions below using the information on page 38 to help you.

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2. List four features of the bilby that help it to find food.

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1. Draw a bilby in its natural habitat.

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What is the purpose of the bilby’s pouch facing backwards? ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________

The Bilby

Activity 3

Complete the tasks below, using the information on page 38 to help you. 1. Illustrate and describe the bilby’s life cycle in each information box.

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Extra! Design and colour a SAVE THE BILBY sticker in the circle below.

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What is the main diet of a bilby?

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Can you find a sample of food that a bilby likes to eat in the school yard? Paste it above.

AUSTRALIAN WILDLIFE Identify Yourself

LOOKING AT

Name:

The Dugong

Date:

Diet

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The Dugong Family Dugongs are large herbivorous mammals that spend all of their lives in the sea. They are sometimes called seacows.

Female dugongs give birth to calves in shallow water so that the calves can easily swim to the surface for their first breaths. Babies weigh 20 to 30 kilograms and are about a metre long. Calves start eating seagrass when they are young and swim close to their mothers, drinking milk for about 18 months.

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Dugongs’ rounded snouts and wide mouths are adapted for grazing on sea grasses. These plants grow on sandy sea floors in shallow, warm water. They pull out the grass, eating large amounts.

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Dugongs are large grey creatures. They have solid, rounded bodies and can weigh up to 500 kilograms and grow up to three metres long. They can close their nostrils on the front of their heads when they dive under water. With the help of their small front flippers and their flat tails, which are like whales’ tails, dugongs are slow, steady swimmers. In the past, they have been seen in herds of several hundreds. This is less common now as their numbers are decreasing. Dugongs breathe air through their lungs so they need to surface every few minutes.

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have little defence against predators. Large sharks, saltwater crocodiles and killer whales are a danger to them. They were once hunted in large numbers for their meat and oil. Dugongs are now a protected species as their numbers are decreasing. They have no defence against illegal hunting, pollution, destruction of the seagrass and being caught and drowned in large fishing nets.

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waters across northern Australia.

o c . che e r o t r s super Did You Know?

Some people believe that when sailors saw dugongs they thought they were mermaids. When dugongs rise to the ocean’s surface to breathe, the seaweed on them looks like hair and their tails are like mermaids’ tails.

The Dugong

Activity 1

Read the information report about the dugong on page 42 and answer the questions. 1. A dugong is also known as a _______________________________________

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2. Which group of animals does the dugong belong to?

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3. Give two reasons why the dugong lives in areas with shallow water.

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_______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________

4. Does a dugong breathe with lungs? _________________________________ 5. What would happen to the dugong if the seagrass areas were destroyed?

Draw the main diet of a dugong.

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o c . che e r o t r s sup r e Explain why you think that sailors might have mistaken a dugong for a mermaid. __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ 43

The Dugong

Activity 2

Use the information on page 42 to help you to answer the questions below. 1. Describe in point form what a dugong looks like.

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calf swims to the ______________________________. It then takes its first ____

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___________________________. The baby is about a metre long and weighs up

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to _________kilograms. The calf drinks ____________ from its mother. It starts eating _____________________________ while it is still young. Young dugongs

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have little defence against ____________________.

o c . che e r o t r s sup er _____________________________ Extra!

Describe what you think the Dugong is doing in the picture.

_____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ 44

The Dugong

Activity 3

Use the information on page 42 to help you with the questions and the tasks. 1. How do you think a dugong protects itself?

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3. Complete the food chain below by drawing in the boxes.

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2. Colour the animals below that are a threat to the dugong.

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4. List four ways that people have contributed to the decrease in numbers of dugongs.

EATS

Illustrate the habitat of a dugong.

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AUSTRALIAN WILDLIFE Identify Yourself

LOOKING AT

The Frilled Neck Lizard

Name:

Date:

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The Dragon Family Frilled lizards are reptiles and members of the dragon family of lizards. They are famous for their amazing frill that circles their necks. The fold of skin at the side of their bodies is like the wings of mythological dragons.

Frilled neck lizards breed early in the wet season. The females lay four to 23 eggs each season in shallow burrows dug into soft soil. When the young hatch after ten weeks they are able to look after themselves.

Threats

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for f food such as insects and cicadas during the day. They have excellent eyesight and are able to move quickly. Although lizards spend much of their t time in trees, they do spend some time on the ground searching for food, such as ants, termites and other insects.

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Frilled lizards are found in the hotter areas of northern Australia. They live in the dry woodland areas with grass understorey.

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Features and Appearance

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The lizards are brown to grey in colour. Their frill is usually lighter in colour, often with an orange or reddish brown colour around the lower edges. Their frill is usually folded neatly around their necks and shoulders. Frilled lizards can grow up to 90 centimetres. Males are usually bigger than females. Their tails make up nearly two thirds of their length.

Diet They are mainly arboreal and hunt

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Habitat

When danger threatens, they are able to activate their frill (like someone opening an umbrella) so that they look much bigger than they are. To look more menacing and threatening, they also open their yellow mouths wide and hiss. They also lash their strong, rough tails from side to side and can stand upright and run away quickly on their long hind legs. When lizards are in trees they are camouflaged well. With their frill folded back, the lizards look like tree branches and are difficult to spot. When on the ground they are at risk of being preyed on by eagles, owls, dingoes, snakes, goannas and feral cats. Another serious threat to frilled lizards comes from land clearing which reduces their habitat and chances of survival.

Did You Know? The frilled lizard is the reptile emblem of Australia.

The Frilled Neck Lizard

Activity 1

Read the information report about the frilled lizard on page 46 and answer the questions. 1. Which family of lizards does the frilled lizard belong to?

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_______________________________________________________________ 2. What feature of the lizard helps it to camouflage itself?

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_______________________________________________________________ 3. What does arboreal mean? _________________________________________

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4. Describe how the lizard’s frill works. _________________________________

_______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________

5. When does the lizard breed? _______________________________________

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7. List two features that are useful to the lizard when hunting.

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Illustrate the habitat of a frilled neck lizard.

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The Frilled Neck Lizard

Activity 2

Use the information on page 46 to complete the tasks.

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1. Colour the animals below that are a threat to the frilled neck lizard.

2. Circle the footprint most likely to belong to the frilled neck lizard.

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Draw the diet of a frilled neck lizard.

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Look at the picture below.

The frilled neck lizard is trying to c_______________e itself in the tree.

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The Frilled Neck Lizard

Activity 3

Use the information report on page 46 to complete this profile.

PROFILE OF A FRILLED NECK LIZARD

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Description Diet

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Classification (the group it belongs to):

AUSTRALIAN WILDLIFE Identify Yourself

LOOKING AT

Name:

The Saltwater Crocodile Date:

Crocodiles are very fierce predators. They attack with speed, pushing themselves upwards with their strong tails. They catch prey such as fish, turtles, water birds, dingoes and wallabies in their powerful jaws, holding them with their sharp teeth. They drown their catch before eating it. Crocodiles look just like logs to their prey. Their bodies are covered in grey-brown thick skin that looks like armour plating.

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The Reptile Family Saltwater crocodiles are the world’s largest reptiles. Crocodiles were on the Earth at the same time as dinosaurs and they have changed very little over the last 200 million years.

Life Cycle

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Diet

Saltwater crocodiles breed in the wet season from November to March. The females build nests up to 80 centimetres high out of leaves, twigs and mud. Each female lays about 60 eggs and guards the nest for three months. The temperature of the eggs determines whether the babies will be male or female. The baby crocodiles hatch using one of their sharp egg teeth on the top of their snouts to break out of their leathery egg shells. When the hatchlings start to ‘chirp’, their mothers uncover them and then carry them to the water in their mouths. They are able to swim straight away. Their mothers watch over their young for several weeks. Only a small number of the babies survive to grow to adults.

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Australia’s northern coast. They are also found up to 100 kilometres inland. They live in estuaries where rivers meet the ocean. They are also found inland in creeks and swamps.

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Features and Appearance

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Saltwater crocodiles are also known as salties. They usually grow to about five metres and weigh around 500 kilograms. The females are smaller. Crocodiles are amphibious and have very good sight, hearing and sense of smell. Their clear eyelids allow them to see when they are underwater. Their raised nostrils allow them to float in the water. They have rows of bony scales on their backs and on their necks. Their webbed back feet and strong tails help them to swim strongly. 50

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Did You Know? Until 1971, saltwater crocodiles were hunted and killed in large numbers for their skins. This has greatly reduced their numbers. They are now a protected species.

The Saltwater Crocodile

Activity 1

Read the information report about the saltwater crocodile on page 50 and answer the questions and complete the tasks below. 1. Which family does the crocodile belong to? ___________________________

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2. A saltwater crocodile is also called ___________________________________ 3. How does a crocodile camouflage itself? ______________________________

5. Explain these words:

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4. Colour the animals below that are prey for the saltwater crocodile.

Illustrate the habitat of a saltwater crocodile.

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estuary _________________________ ________________________________

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Extra!

Do you think an adult crocodile has any predators? Explain your answer.

The Saltwater Crocodile

Activity 2

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•

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2. Label the following features of the crocodile: •

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1. Circle the footprint most likely to belong to the saltwater crococodile.

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The Saltwater Crocodile

Activity 3

Cut out the six boxes below which describe the breeding stages of the saltwater crocodile. Then paste them in the correct order on to the flow diagram below.

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She lays her eggs.

The baby crocodiles hatch.

The hatchlings swim.

The mother guards the nest.

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The mother carries the hatchlings to the water.

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The female builds a nest.

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Circle the foot most likely to belong to the salt water crocodile.

Answers The Red Kangaroo - Activity 1 - Page 7 1. Macropod or ‘big foot’ 2. It lives in the hot dry centre of Australia 3. Because it’s too hot 4. It helps it to balance 5. Marsupial: an animal with a pouch; Mammal: an animal that feeds its baby on milk; Macropod: big foot; Mob: a group of animals; Mascot: something supposed to bring good luck Extra! Because it is well known

Extra! Because it is unique to Australia and it looks cute and cuddly The Koala - Activity 2 - Page 16 Where it lives: in coastal areas between Queensland and South Australia Description: ash grey with a white chest, rounded fluffy ears and black nose, strong legs and claws for climbing, good sense of balance Diet: half a kilo of gum leaves a day Life cycle: the female gives birth to a pink, hairless baby the size of a jellybean; it stays in the pouch for about six months then rides on the mother’s back and begins to eat gum leaves Threats: car accidents, dogs and loss of habitat when trees are cut down

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The Red Kangaroo - Activity 2 - Page 8 1. It is the same colour as the red earth and blends in with the earth and the grey bushes 2. Eagles, dingoes, foxes, feral dogs

3. 4. a) It can hop away fast b) It can kick c) It can scratch Complete the food chain Eagles, dingoes, foxes and feral dogs eat joeys. Joeys eat grasses, shrubs and some fungi.

The Red Kangaroo - Activity 3 - Page 9 1. The pink, hairless joey is born and crawls into the mother’s pouch 2. The joey drinks milk from its mother and grows in the pouch 3. The joey leans out of the pouch to eat grass like its mother 4. The joey hops in and out of the pouch as it gets bigger 5. The joey is too big for the pouch and stays out near its mother

The Koala - Activity 3 - Page 17 1. Over the last 100 years, Koalas have been shot in large numbers for their fur

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4. From gum leaves 5. They lose their habitat and become sick 6. a) Cars b) Dogs

The Echidna - Activity 1 - Page 19 1. Monotreme 2. Monotreme: lays eggs; Mammal: feeds its baby milk; Puggle: a baby echidna 3. Ants and termites 4. It uses its long sticky tongue to catch ants and termites 5. Its soft underside 6. It rolls itself into a ball or digs into the ground 7. An echidna can be killed by cars when it tries to cross roads

An emu likes to eat: Samples of grasses, leaves, fruit and /or seeds

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Extra! The red kangaroo and the emu. Students will have individual answers. The reason that the kangaroo and emu were chosen for the coat of arms was because they can both only go forwards (not backwards) just as Australia was going forward too

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Complete the food chain Eagles, goannas, dingoes, feral cats and dogs eat echidnas. Echidnas eat ants and termites.

The Echidna - Activity 3 - Page 21 1. An adult female lays an egg into her shallow pouch 2. The puggle hatches 3. The puggle drinks milk from the mother 4. The puggle grows prickly spines 5. The mother leaves it in the burrow while she looks for food 6. The puggle eats ants and termites The Platypus - Activity 1 - Page 23 1. Monotreme 2. Monotreme: an egg laying mammal 3. Mammal: feeds its babies on milk 4. a) They are shy b) They are often underwater or in their burrows 5. The water would be polluted and the platypus would get sick or die 6. a) It swims away b) The male platypus uses its poisonous spur on its back legs 7. a) Land clearing b) Water pollution

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The Emu - Activity 2 - Page 12 1. a) It can run very fast b) It can kick using its powerful legs and sharp toes c) It can peck with its strong beak 2. a) It can run away fast from predators b) It can protect itself well c) It can finds food easily on the ground 3. An emu chick is about 12 centimetres tall and weighs about 500 grams. It has a small head with bright eyes and a strong beak. It is covered in striped cream and brown soft downy feathers that change to pale brown feathers as it grows. The Emu - Activity 3 - Page 13 Teacher to check illustrations The Koala - Activity 1 - Page 15 1. Marsupial 2. The word koala means no drink 3. It sleeps most of the day because gum leaves don’t contain much energy. It’s cooler in the evenings so it is active then

The Echidna - Activity 2 - Page 20 1. Eagles, goannas, dingoes, feral cats and dogs and cars.

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The Emu - Activity 1 - Page 11 1. Flightless birds called ratites 2. a) Its food supply grows in most places b) It is able to survive in hot and cold temperatures 3. It eats grasses, leaves, fruit, seeds and insects 4. The stripes help to camouflage it in the grass 5. a) To eat b) To make a nest c) To protect itself

The Platypus - Activity 2 - Page 24 1. a) Body is covered in fur b) Bill is made of tough skin c) Has webbed feet d) Has a flattened tail e) Closes its eyes and ears under water f ) Detects food with its bill g) Has no teeth h) Stores food in its mouth until it surfaces i) Grinds its food between hard plates in its mouth j) Digs a burrow k) It is a monotreme l) Male has a poisonous spur

Answers The Platypus - Activity 3 - Page 25 1. The female builds a nesting burrow 2. She lays her eggs 3. She keeps the eggs warm 4. The eggs hatch 5. She feeds her babies on milk 6. She takes the puggles to the river The Possum - Activity 1 - Page 27 1. Marsupial 2. Because it has a long tail like a brush 3. Nocturnal means active at night time 4 It lives across Australia 5. It uses its tail for balance by winding it around branches 6. Its big eyes are designed for night vision

The Wombat – Activity 3 - Page 37 Classification: Marsupial mammal Location: lives in the eastern states of New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and south eastern South Australia Description: weigh up to 30 kilograms and grows up to one metre long. It has a sturdy body covered in grey and brown fur. It has small eyes and ears and a good sense of smell. They have short, strong legs for digging Diet: It eats native grasses and roots of small bushes Breeding cycle: The female has one young that stays in the pouch for several months. By ten months it is fully out of the pouch Threats: Loss of habitat from land clearing; dog attacks; car accidents; poisons used by farmers

The Possum - Activity 2 – Page 28 1. *soft fur, grey to dark colour *pale chest *big eyes *rounded ears *pink nose *sharp claws *strong legs *brush tail *females have a pouch 2. Students should circle the picture in the middle 3. a) It can bite b) It can scratch c) It can run and climb 4. It will live in a possum box in a tree or in a dark space in a roof or garage if it can’t find a hollow tree The Possum - Activity 3 – Page 29 1. Students should colour the dingo 2. a) Victims of road accidents b) cutting down trees c) dog attacks Food chain Dogs eat possums. Possums eat plants

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Main diet of a brushtail possum Gum leaves, flowers and fruit

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The Wombat - Activity 2 – Page 36 2. A common wombat has a broad head with small eyes and ears. It has short legs and sharp claws. It has a strong, sturdy body. It has a good sense of smell but poor eyesight. A wombat can still find grass even when it is covered with snow in winter 3. a) It is jellybean sized, pink and hairless at birth b) It stays in the pouch for several months c) When it gets too big for the pouch, it learns to eat grass

The Bilby - Activity 1 – Page 39 1. The bilby belongs to the bandicoot family 2. It lives in hot, dry areas 3. A bilby lives in small groups in the Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia. It is unlikely that you will ever see one 4. Like a koala, a bilby gets most of its water from the leaves of plants 5. Like the wombat, the bilby has a backward facing pouch 6. It helps them to hear predators 7. At Easter 8. Students should circle the third nose

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The Kookaburra - Activity 2 – Page 32 1. Its feathers blend in with the trunks of trees and its branches 2. It holds its prey firmly so it can’t escape 3. a) The female lays up to four eggs in a tree hollow each summer b) The younger birds help to feed the mother and chicks c) The fledglings are able to fly after a month of being born d) The fledglings are at risk when they are learning to fly and feeding on the ground 4. Students should circle the beak in the middle

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The Biliby - Activity 2 – Page 40 1. Teacher to check 2. a) Good sense of smell b) Long sticky tongue c) Strong legs d) Sharp claws for digging

Extra! The pouch stays free of dirt when the bilby is digging a burrow

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The Kookaburra - Activity 1 – Page 31 1. The kingfisher family 2. It sits on a branch watching and listening 3. It dives down and grabs the prey in its sharp beak 4. A meat eater because of the shape of its beak 5. It eats worms, insects, frogs, mice, lizards and snakes 6.a) When people cut down trees the kookaburra has nowhere to sit and hunt for prey b) A lack of trees means a kookaburra has nowhere to nest

The Bilby – Activity 3 - Page 41 1. The female gives birth to a bean sized baby 2. The baby drinks milk and grows in the pouch 3. The baby stays in the pouch for about 80 days. 4. At three months the young are independent

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Extra! Individual response, but may include points such as: they know what food is available; they have a nesting tree; there isn’t enough food for other kookaburras

The Wombat - Activity 1 – Page 35 1. Marsupial 2. Herbivorous: an animal that eats plants 3. The koala 4. At night because it is nocturnal. 5. It lives in forested areas often where the land is hilly. It needs well-drained soil for digging burrows 6. It digs a burrow for sleeping in during the day, to keep cool in summer and warm in winter and to have its young 7. Its habitat has been steadily cleared; the wombat has been hunted; it had to compete with rabbits, sheep and cattle for grass

Main diet of a bilby A bilby eats seeds, plants, bulbs and insects such as beetles and grasshoppers

The Dugong - Activity 1 - Page 43 1. A seacow 2. Herbivorous mammals 3. a) It eats seagrass which grows in shallow water b) A female will have its calf in shallow water so it can easily swim to the surface to breathe 4. Yes 5. It would starve or it would have to find new areas of seagrass Extra! Sometimes a dugong would surface in the shallow water covered in seaweed, which the sailors thought was hair. Also the pictures of mermaids show a tail like a dugong’s tail The Dugong - Activity 2 – Page 44 1. *it is large weighing up to 500kg * it is grey *it

Answers has a solid, rounded body *it can grow up to three metres *it has a rounded snout and wide mouth *it can close its nostrils on the front of its head when it dives *it has small front flippers and a flat tail 2. The female dugong gives birth to her calf in shallow water. The calf swims to the surface. It then takes its first breath. The baby is about a metre long and weighs up to 30 kilograms. The calf drinks milk from its mother. It starts eating seagrass while it is still young. Young dugongs have little defence against predators

other animals but they are hunted by humans The Saltwater Crocodile – Activity 2 - Page 52

1. strong tail

bony scales on back

Extra! Eating seagrasses from the ocean bed

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The Frilled Neck Lizard - Activity 1 – Page 47 1. A reptile and member of the dragon family of lizards 2. Its brown and grey colour 3. Living in trees 4. The frill usually lies flat around the lizard’s shoulders but when the lizard is threatened it activates the frill to make it stand up around its neck. When the frill is activated it makes the lizard look much bigger than it is so the attacker might be frightened away 5. In the wet season 6. When they are on the ground 7. a) Good eyesight b) Able to move quickly

raised nostrils

claws

wide jaws

The Saltwater Crocodile - Activity 3 – Page 53 1. a) The female builds a nest b) She lays her eggs c) She guards the nest d) The baby crocodiles hatch e) The mother carries the hatchlings to the water f ) The hatchlings swim.

The Frilled Neck Lizard - Activity 2 – Page 48 1 Students should colour the eagle, owl, dingo, snake and goanna.

clear eyelids

sharp teeth

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The Dugong - Activity 3 – Page 45 1. It has little defence except swimming away or forming a group 2. Students should colour the crocodile, the shark and the killer whale. 3. Large sharks, saltwater crocodiles and killer sharks eat dugongs. Dugongs eat seagrasses. 4. *illegal hunting *pollution *destruction of the seagrass beds *catching them in fishing nets where they drown

Main diet of a frilled neck lizard Students should draw cicadas, ants, termites and other insects

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The Frilled Neck Lizard – Activity 3 - Page 49 Classification: Member of the dragon family of lizards Location: Found in the hotter areas of northern Australia Description: Brown to grey in colour with a lighter colour frill, edged with an orange or reddish brown colour. They grow up to 90 centimetres; two thirds of the length is its tail Diet: Insects Threats: Eagles, owls, dingoes, snakes, goannas and feral cats. Land clearing is reducing their habitat

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The Saltwater Crocodile - Activity 1 – Page 51 1. Reptile 2. A salty 3. It floats silently in the water with just its nostrils showing above the water, making it look like a log 4. Students should colour all of the animals 5. Amphibious: an animal that can live in water or on land Armour: a protective covering Estuary: the mouth of a river that is affected by tides Swamp: an area of soft, wet ground Hatchling: just out of the egg Extra! No. They are bigger and stronger than the

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Extra! Camouflage