Hear a
juvenile's
hatching
call |
Saltwater Crocodile
- Saltwater crocodiles are the largest of all the crocodilian species. Although
reported to exceed 27 feet in the wild, individuals over 17 feet are rare.
Several crocodilian species can use their tail to propel almost their entire
body out of the water! |
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Jabiru - one of the largest birds in the New World, the Jabiru
stands 5 feet tall and has a wingspan of 8 feet. Its heavy bill is about 12
inches long and is perfectly designed to catch fish, frogs and snakes. This
stork is endangered in all of its habitat areas. |
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Water Buffalo- the water buffalo is the largest buffalo,
growing to a weight of about 2½ tons, and has the greatest horn spread
of any living bovid. Buffalo are similar in appearance and habits to
oxen. |
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Listen to
a
Flock of
Flamingos |
Flamingo - Adult flamingos' legs are long and spindled. The
legs are longer than the flamingo's body! A newly hatched chick’s bill is
straight, then develops the characteristic curve as it matures! |
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Sea Snake
- Sea snakes are similar in appearance to land snakes, however have up to 10
times more venom than the the king cobra! Very well adapted to a marine
existence, sea snakes have a flattened paddle-like tail which aids
swimming. |
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Listen to a Flying Fox |
Flying Fox - fruit bats are beneficial to the trees because
they act as pollinators and dispersers of their seeds. Camps are places where
the large flying-foxes gather during the day, sometimes by the thousands. The
same campsites tend to be used year after year, although not necessarily every
year, or all year round. |
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Fiddler Crab - it
is only the male Fiddler crab that has one claw significantly larger than the
other. The male uses it to court females. If for some reason the larger claw is
lost, the remaining smaller claw will grow larger and the lost claw re-grows as
the smaller one! Fiddler crabs can't swim! |
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Listen to a Great Egret |
Great Egret - considering their large size, these birds can
maneuver with surprising ease through the branches of trees and shrubs. Egrets
stand motionless for long periods, then quickly skewer their prey with its
long, sharp beak! |
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Mangrove
Monitor - Monitor lizards are semiaquatic and spend much of their time in
or near water. Most adult Mangrove monitors average between 2 1/2 and 4 feet in
length (including tail). |
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Mudskipper - Mudskippers are gobies that have become adapted
to an amphibious lifestyle. Mudskippers range in size from 6 to 10 inches.
Beneath the surface of the water, the Mudskipper digs mudflat burrows that are
used for refuge and spawning. |
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Swamp Wallaby -
Wallabies are browsers. They will eat leaves and plants, including some that
are poisonous to humans, such as hemlock. Swamp Wallabies are nocturnal, and
hop heavily with their body well bent over and the head held low"The newborn
wallaby, like all members of the kangaroo family, is about the size of a
jellybean and is little more than a fetus. |
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Buzz of a Honey
Bee |
Bees- some
bees live in colonies (honey bee abd bumblebee), while others are solitary
(carpenter bee and squash bee). Bees play an important role as pollinators for
the many plants in nature. |
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Roseate Spoonbill - when feeding, the Spoonbill sweeps this
bill rapidly from side to side, picking up small crustaceans from the water.
The bill is not used as a scoop, but as a super-sensitive forceps. A network of
nerves in the bill allows the bird to feed in clouded water or probe in mud,
where invisible prey must be felt to be caught! |