ANIMALS 3 - Millgrove Environs

Lace Monitor (Family Varanidae, Varanus varius)
The Lace Monitor or Tree Goanna moves proudly through the forest with an unhurried waddle, its powerful wedge-shaped head moving slowly from side to side. It grows to almost 2 metres in length. As it fearlessly pushes through the ferns, it looks like some survivor from the age of the Dinosaurs. It is the top predator of the bush.

 

Common Wombat (Family Vombatidae, Vombatus ursinus)
The Common Wombat is a large, shy marsupial. It makes its home in deep burrows and comes out at night to feed on the foliage of the bush. You don’t see it often in daytime.

 

 

Short – Beaked Echidna (Family Tachyglossidae, Tachyglossus aculeatus)
The Short - Beaked Echidna is a link with the past as it has changed little since ancient times. It has quills for protection and can also burrow into the soft soil very quickly if danger is near. It literally disappears before your eyes.

 

Swamp Wallaby (Family Macropodidae, Wallabia bicolor)
The Swamp Wallaby hides in daytime and comes out to feed at night. It stands about 1.20 metres tall and is the tallest of all wallaby species. You often hear its call at night. To see a Swamp Wallaby you have to be lucky.

 

Frog (Family Hylidae, Litoria paraewingii)
Such frogs are only found in Victoria but are common in the low-lying areas of the College property. They belong to the family Hylidae and are broadly known as Tree Frogs.

 

Common Ringtail Possum (Family Petauridae, Pseudocheirus peregrinus)
This colourful ringtail possum lives in great numbers in the forest. Being nocturnal it sleeps the day away in hollow trees and comes out at night for feeding.

 

Dusky Antechinus (Family Dasyuridae, Antechinus swainsoni)
The Dusky Antechinus is a small, ground-dwelling marsupial, found only in Tasmania and on the east coast of mainland Australia. It forages as much by day as by night. All males die within 3 weeks of mating. The one you see lies dead on the forest floor.

 

Yabbie (The burrowing 'Land Crayfish' Engaeus).
Yabbies live near the creeks of the forest. They build extensive burrows for shelter, with up to three entrances. Yabbies mainly eat roots and earthworms.

 

Fox (Family Canidae, Vulpes vulpes)
The European Red Fox was deliberately introduced into Australia in the 1860s and has become a nuisance in north-eastern Victoria. The fox is the largest terrestrial predator in the forest. It is surprising that ground birds like the Scaley Thrush and animals like the Dusky Antechinus have survived.

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