Home arrow Tours arrow Trip Reports arrow May 2004 - Educational Tours Australia - CSU, Columbus University
May 2004 - Educational Tours Australia - CSU, Columbus University Print E-mail

Australian Biology course, North Queensland.

Flying Fox atHighlights included snorkelling off Fitzroy Island, where we swam so close to several green turtles that we could touch him. Not that we did, of course. The Daintree: playing with flying fox (pictured) with Hugh Spencer at the Bat House, the Brown Tree Snake, the Northern Brown Bandicoot with the not very long nose, the Daintree River with the Mangrove Man and the elusive Mangrove Robin.




Kangaroos
Kangaroos
The Atherton Tablelands: Although Kingfisher Lodge was disappointing for expected mammals and owls, the beautiful region around Yungaburra was, as usual, wildlife rich, and we spotlighted all the endemic possums, as well as great platypus viewings of mother and young in the morning. Undara: mobs of Eastern Grey Kangaroos (pictured), Common Wallaroos, Agile Wallabies, and glimpses of Mareeba Rock Wallabies. Magnetic Island: the long journey paid off with excellent viewing of Koalas, Allied Rock Wallabies, Bush Stone Curlews and Brushtail possums. 

 
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Study Tours

  • This tour combines marine biology, botany, zoology and ecology into a full 10 day tour programme of tropical ecosystems. It is designed to take in as wide range of ecosystems as possible, going from the deeper water reefs, along the coastal beaches and mangroves, into the lowland rainforest, up into the mountain forests, and finally into the savanna woodlands and wetlands of the outback.

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Plants

Lichen
Lichen is actually a life-form that is the result of an inter-dependent relationship between two very different organisms; usually a fungus and an algae, (or a cyanobacteria, a common occurrence in the lichens lower down in the rainforest strata).
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Birds

Cormorants and Shags
Cormorant
Cormorant
Cormorants and Shags are large birds, usually black with some white or grey. They have a long body shape with short legs and big, webbed feet set back on the body so as they stand upright when on land, much like penguins. Unlike most waterbirds, the feathers of cormorants, shags and darters are not waterproof. This reduces buoyancy, which allows them to submerge without effort and splashing and with an absence of bubbles; this means they do not disturb or alert potential prey. However, this also means they have to ‘hang their wings out to dry’ and are often seen standing with their wings outstretched. These birds often dive underwater to catch their prey. They swim by kicking with their big webbed feet. The wings are tucked by their side and they do not use them to ‘fly’ underwater like penguins.
 

Mammals

Insectivorous Bats
‘Microbats’ are a much more diverse group than the 'megabats'. Even though they are generally called the ‘insectivorous bats’, there are species that have evolved to feed on insects, fish, fruit, nectar, blood and even other bats.
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