1000 Natural Wonders

#19 Australia's Flesh Eating Sundew

2013-02-24T14:07:00.000+11:00

Ok so, they don't really eat 'flesh' per say, their main prey is insects but they have been known to trap small animals sometimes. I'm talking about carnivorous plants. Especially native Australian ones. Did you know that 187 species of carnivourous plants are endemic (only found in) to Australia? I didn't!

I have just recently gone back to my local library to borrow some books when I spotted a book about Australian carnivorous plants. It had amazing photographs and great information. It reminded me of the Sundew (genus: Drosera) I spotted last year on my ecology field trip. They were the most amazing little things I had ever seen! I have always wanted to see other carnivorous plants other than the Venus fly trap but I had no idea they grew in Australia. As you could imagine, I was half in shock, half completely excited. My first native carnivorous plant. Gosh, I love Australia.

Spoon-leaved Sundew (Drosera spatulata) - Photo taken by Jennifer Vu (me)

Here are my photos of the very first species of Carnivorous plants I found. This is a species of Sundew, commonly known as the Spoon-leaved Sundew (Drosera spatulata).

Closeup of the Spoon-leaved Sundew (Drosera spatulata) - Photo taken b Jennifer Vu (me)

Species from the genus Drosera, commonly known as sundews, come in many different forms and sizes but one thing they all have in common is that the upper surface of their leaves have glands that secrete a sticky substance. There are two types of glands, stalked glands that capture the insects and sessile glands that secretes enzymes and absorbed the nutrients from the trapped insects. All Drosera produce flowers which range in different colours and shapes.

This particular species of Drosera I found close to Smith's Lake, in the north east of New South Wales, Australia. There are two trains of Drosera spatulata, each growing in different conditions. Drosera spatulata can be commonly found growing in a habitat subject to inundation and the leaves can grow to double their length when submerged.

Since there is is so many different species of carnivorous plants, I'm not sure which one is my favourtie. Do you have a favourite?

To read more about the Drosera genus, visit these websites:
~ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drosera
~ www.carnivorousplants.org/cp/Genera/Drosera.php

Most of the information used in this blog post was found in the book: Australian Carnivorous Plants written by Greg Bourke and Richard Nunn.

I hope you enjoyed this post and learned something new :)

Spiders Can Be Beautiful - Interview with Mariella Herberstein

2013-02-01T09:28:00.001+11:00

In my first year at Macquarie University, first semester, I had this really awesome and interesting Austrian lecturer who would play a random animal noise at the beginning of the lecture and let us guess what it was. Each time, it would sound like something we knew, but it always ended up being an animal no one could guess. Because of this, Mariella Herberstein became one of the most engaging and memorable lecturers of the year. The other thing that I took away from the lectures was that she loved spiders and found them really fascinating.

Later that semester, in another subject, we were watching an episode of ‘Life in the Undergrowth’ by David Attenborough. It got to the end of the episode and the credits started rolling and someone spotted this lecturer’s name, ‘Mariella Herberstein’. Everyone who had done first year biology was stunned to know someone who had worked with and helped David Attenborough (he’s like an idol to most biology students). This is where my interest to interview Mariella stemmed from.

At Macquarie University, Mariella is an Associate Professor and the head of the Biological Sciences department. In her scientific research on the behavioural ecology of invertebrates, she looks at how spiders are significant models in behavioural and evolutionary research, the deceptiveness of spiders and orchids, and the mating behaviour and sexual selection of spiders and other insects. She is a well known academic who is constantly sought out by masters and PHD students who want to specialise in behavioural ecology of insects. I’m actually volunteering for one such student at the moment.

In this interview, you will learn more about how she became a science academic, what helping with a BBC documentary was like, the huge range of different scientific research papers she has helped with and that she doesn’t only love spiders.

My Interview with Mariella Herberstein.

How did you get into spiders?

What is it about them that you find so interesting?

Mariella: I got into spiders in my third year at University, where we had to do a small research project. There was a choice between looking at orb-web spiders or slaters. The spiders won!

Once I started working with spiders, I developed all these questions and the more information I discovered about spiders the more detailed my questions became. It is really an exciting but never ending story.

An Orb web Spider. The large bottom one is a female and the small one at the top is a male. Photo taken by me.

That does sound very interesting. It sounds like spiders weren’t what you originally wanted to study.
What kind of career did you originally want before you wanted to be a science academic?

Mariella: I think I just did not have a firm idea about what organisms interested me. Early on in my degree I also had a very fuzzy idea of what I wanted to do with my degree. Working for national parks as a ranger was one of them. But once I started doing research, I realised that asking and answering questions was really what got me going. I then went on to do Honours (more questions) and a PhD (even more questions) and today I am still asking questions…hopefully not the same ones I started off with.

Female St Andrew's Cross Spider (Argiope keyserlini). Photo taken by James Niland. Source: wikipedia

Were you always interested in animals?

Mariella: Yes, I'd say I was always interested in animals, but I have more recently developed a much broader appreciation of plants and fungi.

What other species have you studied?

Mariella: Together with my post-grads and post-docs we work on a range of organisms, including various insects (praying mantids, bugs) and plants (e.g. sexually deceptive orchids).

An Australian tongue orchids (Cryptostylis), which mimics the scents and appearance of female wasps (Lissopimpla excelsa), tricks male wasps into spreading their pollen. Photo taken by Katy Dika. Source: www.australiangeographic.com.au

I saw the poster about David Attenborough's visit to Macquarie University. What was it like meeting him? What parts in the 'Life in the Undergrowth' series did you help with?

Mariella: The BBC contacted me when they were sourcing stories for the 'Life in the underground' series, and we had a few spider stories for them, that they were interested in. The crew arrived months before David Attenborough and camped in my lab to do all the detailed filming. David Attenborough arrived later for 2-3 very intensive days of filming. My students were helping out and literately beside themselves that they could work with him. He was extremely nice and very knowledgeable. He also came to the department to have drinks with staff and students, which was hugely popular.

We helped with the spider stories: crab spiders luring prey with UV, sexual cannibalism in orb-web spiders and prey capture in red back spider.

The Red back spider - David Attenborough: Life in the Undergrowth

Out of all the studies you have done, which one was your favourite?

Mariella: Oh, that is a tough one…I suppose the one where we stuck tiny lead pieces on the back of spiders to simulate weight gain (using aluminium foil as a control) would be one fun one. More recently, I have looked at ageing in spiders, which was also fun. I suppose our trips to Malaysia to find the elusive orchid mantis was also pretty excellent.

Out of all the PHD/Masters students you’ve supervised, which ones had the most interesting and engaging questions/experiments?

Mariella: That is tough as well. I had Anne Gaskett working on sexually deceptive orchids; Greg Holwell worked on how praying mantid penis morphology affected sperm transfer; James O'Hanlon is working on the elusive Malaysian orchid mantis, Kate Umbers worked on alpine grasshoppers that turn blue….the list keeps on going…

Malaysian Orchid Mantis (Hymenopus coronatus) female mimicking a pink flower. Photo taken by: THOMAS MARENT/MINDEN PICTURES/National Geographic Stock

How do you think your research will help the scientific world in the future?

Mariella: The research that I am involved with is really about understanding the national world around us. Australia is particularly lucky in having such a fascinating fauna and flora and we discover new biology every day. This is our natural advantage…in the UK, they all have to work on sparrows…. (Jenny: Oh burn.)

Australian crab spider (Thomisus spectabilis) eating a bee it has caught. Photo taken by Ron Oldfield. Source: www.australiangeographic.com.au

What would be your biggest tip to current biology students who hope to become academics and do studies of their own?

Mariella: My biggest tip for students is to pursue their interests. Get involved in research (start as a volunteer until you can generate your own research questions) and keep on doing what you enjoy!

Thanks Mariella for your interesting insight into the life of invertebrates. You are one of the most intimidating but approachable and friendly academics I have met so far. Thank you for you participation in this interview and I hope that you will continue to share your curiosity and amazement of insects with the world.

If you would like to learn more about what Mariella does then read some of her publications (however the language can be a bit heavy if you have not read scientific papers before but if you would like, you can contact me at anytime and I will explain them to you). Here is a list of my top favourites:

A E Wignall, M E Herberstein (2013) The influence of vibratory courtship on female mating behavior in orb web spiders PLoS ONE 8(1): e53057 8: 1. e53057

A L Llandres, F M Gawryszewski, A M Heiling, M E Herberstein (2011) Effect of predator visibility on the behaviour of pollinators: Australian crab spiders and native bees. Ecological Entomology 36: 72-81

A C Gaskett, M E Herberstein (2010) Colour mimicry and sexual deception by Cryptostylis orchids Naturwissenschaften 97: 97-102

A M Heiling, K Cheng, M E Herberstein (2006) Picking the right spot : crab spiders position themselves on flowers to maximize prey attraction BEHAVIOUR 143: 957-968

F J Hoese, E A J Law, D Rao, M E Herberstein (2006) Distinctive yellow bands on a sit-and-wait predator : prey attractant or camouflage? BEHAVIOUR 143: 763-781

M J Bruce, A M Heiling, M E Herberstein (2005) Spider signals : are web decorations visible to birds and bees? BIOLOGY LETTERS 1: 3. 299-302

To see a list of all her publications, please visit: http://publicationslist.org/m.herberstein

To learn more about the behavioural ecology department at Macquarie University please visit: https://sites.google.com/site/behaviouralecologymacquarie/

Thanks for reading, I hope you have a great day.

New Years Recycling Resolution

2013-01-21T10:46:00.000+11:00

Good morning everyone! I hope you are all well and enjoyed the festive season and the beginning of 2013. Sorry I haven't been posting lately, a lot of things happening. But! I am back and ready for the new year :) My resolution will be to post a new post every week, even if it's something as small as just one photo.

I will start off the year with something for all of you to consider and think about and maybe even take take up as a New Year resolution.

So as you know I am a great lover of nature and am always striving to find ways to convince everyone who reads my blog (if you haven't been already) that our planet including all the plants and animals are worth protecting and saving and it is our duty to do so. In saying that, here is a infographic about the impacts of plastic on our world and how we can reduce the impact. Simply by recycling!

Source: OnlineEducation.net

I hope you all have a great day :)

Rainbow Spider Webs

2012-10-17T19:34:00.002+11:00

About a two weeks ago, my family had just come back from a holiday (I wasn’t able to go) and with them came the Canon 600D my dad had bought just before they left. I was so excited to use it! One afternoon, I went outside into my backyard and scoured around for something cool to photograph. There was a spider web in the garden and it was perfectly angled on it so that it reflected the sunlight. It was a pretty cool experience as I couldn’t take photos like these with my digital camera. Here’s my best photo.

Source: Me

So a few days after I took the photo, I uploaded it onto facebook so all my friends and members of my uni’s photography society could give me some feedback. One particular guy in the photography society took interest telling me that he was studying the optics of spider webs for his PHD. He asked me whether he could use my photo for his research. I definitely agreed! Any chance I get to be a part of PHD or postgraduate studies is a definite yes. I get to help a fellow scientists, I’ll probably learn something new and I may get credit for it (which is a big plus). So a few days later we met up and transferred my photos to him.

Anyway! The point to this story? I’ve decided to dedicate this post to featuring photos of rainbow spider webs! Or spider webs that are reflecting the sun’s rays because they can be some brilliant photos with an amazing array of colours. Enjoy reading and have a good day! And maybe leave me a comment telling me what you think. P.s. I hope this makes up for my absence :)

Taken by me

Day 253 by: billyunderscorebwa

Hanging on rainbows by billyunderscorebwa

from: synergysci0809

Rainbow Arachnid by kstranger

Please remember that if you repost a photo somewhere or use it for your own purposes, please ask for the artists (photographers in this case) permission first and don't forget to source them! So that these amazing photographers get the credit :)

Facebook Page

2012-09-30T11:16:00.000+10:00

So I've finally decided to create a facebook page for my blog. To all your readers out there! Go ahead and like it!

https://www.facebook.com/1000NaturalWonders

Sascha Bokelmann Feature - Photo Manipulation

2012-09-14T14:12:00.000+10:00

A few days ago I had a look at the Daily Deviations on deviantart and came across this amazing photo manipulation. For those of you who aren't familiar with photo manipulation, on wikipedia it is defined as 'the application of image editing techniques to photographs in order to create an illusion or deception.' In other words, using several images (usually photos) and mash them together to create something that just doesn't even seem real and yet it could be.

The artist of this amazing work deserved the Daily deviation. His work is amazing! Especially the few works I'm about to showcase.

His first Daily Deviation: Dragonfly

Before we get to the rest of them, a little more about the artist.

His name is Sascha Bokelmann and he is a hobbyist digital artist. His deviantart account goes by the name B-O-K-E (which obviously comes from his last name). He first got into digital art when be bought a tablet to start drawing. However, he discovered he wasn't very good at drawing but he didn't give up. He decided to use photoshop the way he thought it was designed for. Photo manipulation.

In this series of works, he manipulates water into the shape of various animals. I asked him why he choose water and he replied " It's the strongest element on earth. It can be very destructive and on the other hand, it supports life and is so beautiful". I also asked him why he choose to photo manipulate the water into the shapes of animals and he told me it's because he really loves animals. He has many terrariums and aquariums, home to various creatures like a bearded dragon, an anolis lizard, an axolotl (which he loves because they look like they're smiling all day long) and black and deep blue tiger shrimps. So without further ado, I hope you enjoy Sascha's work.

Thanks again to B-O-K-E for allowing me to feature his amazing work on my blog.
To check out his other works, check out his deviantart page here: b-o-k-e.deviantart.com

Creatures I've Discovered Recently

2012-08-19T11:06:00.001+10:00

I've been lucky enough to spot some really cool creatures in the past week. I have posted all these photos onto a website called Project Noah. A website that hopes to document all the world's organisms with the help of everyone on earth who are willing to share their captures. They hope that by making it easy for people to upload and share their encounters with nature, they can build a ecological data collection which will serve as an important educational tool for wildlife awareness and preservation. If you enjoy finding little creatures in your backyard or out in the 'wild', I greatly encourage you to join in and help us discover the great diversity of organisms that live on this Earth.

And here are the little guys I've discovered.

This little guy is Kongobatha diademata or a Snake Mantid. He seems to be a juvenile or a young one as it's arms are slightly transparent and not solid in colour and doesn't have wings. He was about only 3cm long.

We first found this little guy on my friend's shoulder until he jumped onto the grass. I picked him up and he seemed to be quite content on my hand, cleaning his little arms. So, I was able to snap a few shots and they turned out really well!

Check out the other photos here.

My second discovery was an orange bracket fungi (Pycnoporus coccineus). This guy was growing around the twig coming out of the trunk.

Check out the other photos here.

There is also a family of Wood ducks at uni! These cute 8 little ducklings are just walking around with their parents learning the ways of being a duck. I wasn't able to get too close because the male duck was fending off anyone who tried to get near them. Other ducks and people alike.

See more photos here.

The next 'specimen' is a little Warratah Anemone (Actinia tenebrosa). We had a look at this guy in Animal structure and Function underneath a dissecting microscope (just a microscope that helps magnify 3D objects). I asked my tutor where they gathered these anemones and she said at Long Reef Platform. So everyone go there if you wanna poke these guys!

Well that's it for now. I hope you've enjoyed reading this. If you have any questions please post a comment.

For more information about Project Noah, please visit this link: http://www.projectnoah.org/about

To look at my other spottings on Project Noah, visit this link: http://www.projectnoah.org/users/JennytheTurtle

Have a good day!

"Chris the Phototog" - Interview with Chris Hansen

2012-08-09T22:08:00.001+10:00

I was on Google + when a photo caught my eye. It was a photo of a crawling spider silhouette in front of the sun. It was absolutely amazing! I HAD to look at the blog and find out who took the photo. I discovered that the blog belonged to an American man who blogs about his daily photography adventures. The writer of the blog is Chris Hansen and this is what I learnt about him and about photography.


Itsy Bitsy Spider

Tell us a little bit about your childhood.

How did you get into wildlife photography?

Chris: My childhood years were spent in the front range of the Rocky Mountains in Loveland, Colorado. I'm from an outdoor oriented family so we did a lot of camping, fishing and hunting. When I was sixteen we moved to Santa Rosa in Northern California. My father gave me an old Argus C3 35 mm camera to keep me occupied while adjusting to a new place. I started taking photography classes at the local high school and continued taking them through college even though that wasn't my major. Photography became my passion and a way of showing other people nature and the outdoors.

Light in the Forest

Where do you live?

You have such a great selection of 'models'.

Chris: I live in a great spot for photography. I live on a ridge top about four miles west of the town of Willits in the middle of the forest in Mendocino County in Northern California. We have Redwood trees and an abundance of birds and wildlife in the area.

Oak Titmouse

How did you learn all these photography skills?

Chris: The majority of my basic photography skills came from taking photography classes.In my twenties I discovered a book on nature photography by Leonard Lee LaRue II. His book introduced me to many techniques of wildlife and bird photography and the use of photography blinds. From there it has a lot of self education.

Anna's Hummingbird

How did you get to writing blogs?

What inspired you to write one?

Chris: My major inspiration for writing blogs started with my desire to help other photographers with simple ideas. In June of 2008 I ran across Blogspot one day and thought I'd like to do that! I had just photographed a lizard and I wanted to share my technique for photographing it. I wanted to share my idea with other photographers. That was my first blog. Later I realized it would be a great vehicle for sharing my photography and in March of 2010 "Chris the Photog" was born with my first blog entry "On the Run" with some images of my dog.

The blog that Chris first mentions here is diyphotocheapodepot.blogspot.com. It is written by Chris to help amateur/beginning nature photographers. He has written step by step tutorials on different photography techniques and ways to set up mini-studio settings.

Mad for Mushrooms

What exactly is your Photo blog about?

Chris: My photoblog "Chris the Photog" is about sharing the God given gift of my photography. It covers almost on a daily basis what I photograph. It gives readers a glimpse of my photography and some of my life. It is primarily focused on nature and wildlife photos but there are always a few stock style photographs thrown in.

Western Pond Turtle

Who do you think your audience is?

Chris: I'm hoping my audience is made up of people who really enjoy photography and appreciate the outdoors. The majority of my photography is of that genre so I would like my images to be pleasing for them to view.

California Valley Quail

I love how you write a small story each time you post photos.

What inspired you to share the background story of the photos rather than just posting simple location information?

Chris: I got the inspiration from a fellow photography friend of mine Jon Klein. He found that he was selling more images when he included a little background story with the images he was selling in galleries. I decided to try doing it with my photoblog. I really think it does add interest for some people. It gives them a better idea of who I am and shows them a little slice nature that they get to share and be a small part of when they read and view my photoblog.

Full Eclipse of the Moon

Can you give us an example of one of your favorite photography moments that you've written about on your photo blog?

Chris: One of my favorite blog entries was photographing Harbor Seals in the Noyo River (June 13, 2011) here on the north coast of California. I had one Harbor Seal that was hunting fish all around my kayak. It was an incredibly intimate moment to be so close to a seal watching it hunt fish right beside me in my kayak. It would swim on its back with its head facing downward in the water to better see the fish in the shallow water. I also got to photograph a California Sea Lion sleeping on the bank of the river. I paddled a long way that day and I came home pretty beat with some excellent images.

Harbor Seal in the Noyo River

To finish off, from your experience as a photographer

what is the best tip you can give to an amateur hoping to become a professional?

Chris: This is probably the most difficult question for me because I'm still working at it myself. I don't believe there is any magic formula or singular tip that will help an amateur to become a professional. Mostly it is the fact that it takes a lot of hard work to succeed. For starters you should know your cameras and equipment and be able to use them in a professional manner. My experience so far has shown me that taking images is just a small part of photography.You need to know how to use imaging software and process your images in an acceptable, useable format. After that there is a lot of work editing and cataloging your images. Following that you have to get your work out there to be seen by prospective buyers and viewers. In conclusion you need to have passion, a definite goal in mind and be able to work hard to succeed at it.

Girl of the Sunset

I would like to thank Chris for letting me interview him and learn that little bit more about wildlife photography. These tips will definitely help me on my way to becoming a professional. Check out his other photos on his blog: christhephotog.blogspot.com
I hope you enjoyed reading this :)

In the News - July 2012

2012-08-04T21:17:00.001+10:00

So I just started uni this week and have been fully booked out with uni everyday. My posting will be quite delayed and not very often. I apologize for my inability to post heaps of exciting things for you guys to read! But, I'm glad that you have been reading my blog and continuously checking back for new things to read :) I hope you enjoy this post! I have some interesting news for you in the month of July.

Source: thestarphoenix.com

Now this is dedication. Above is a photo taken of zoo manager of the La Boissiere-du-Doree zoo in West France, Senastien Laurent feeding Major some cake for his 50th Birthday. Major is known as the world's oldest captive orangutan. Zoo keepers helped him celebrate the milestone with a strawberry cake with his own candles. Happy Birthday!

Source: emirates247.com

Princess, the white Lioness gave birth to six beautiful cubs at the Circus Krone, one of Europe's largest circuses. This birth has been greatly celebrated around the world as it is estimated to be only 30 to 300 white lions left in the world.

Source: animaltracks.today.msnbc.msn.com

A very cute and rare albino South American fur seal was born in Dortmund, western Germany. He is currently eight weeks old and is adorable but due to his condition, he suffers from multiple health problems including having sensitive eyes. Unfortunately, his mother also suddenly died leaving the zoo keepers to hand rear the pup. Though, I'm sure the young seal will be greatly taken care of and won't miss out on any normal seal adventures. Read more and see more photos of him here.

Well, that's all I have for this news edition. I hope you've enjoyed reading.

My Trip to the Zoo - 17th of July

2012-07-19T11:57:00.001+10:00

On Tuesday (17th of July), I had a trip to Taronga zoo in Sydney with a uni friend of mine. We were luckily enough to have gone on tuesday because the weather was absolutely perfect. It wasn't too hot and because the weather is much cooler (since it's winter in Australia) a lot of the animals which are used to cold temperatures were up and running about. All my photos were taken with a 60D.

The first animals we visited were the koalas. Luckily enough, not all of them were sleeping. One of them was happily munching away on some eucalyptus leaves. It would place one leaf in it's mouth, and without using it's hands, munch continuously until the whole leaf was gone. It kinda looked like an old grandpa chewing without teeth.

As we continued to walk down the road, we passed by the enclosures of some native Australian birds. As we stood there to watch the birds, I noticed a Red-tailed Black Cockatoo preening (or grooming) another one.

They looked so sweet until they noticed how many humans were starring at them and they quickly changed poses.

Like a small gang, posting a threat that if any of us came closer, they would attack. However, black cockatoos are generally more shy and passive then their cousins, the sulphur-crested cockatoos.

After attempting to take some more photos, we walked around 'Reptile World'. The Komodo Dragon was up and about, flicking it's tongue. Tim said we should throw me into the dragon's enclosure and see how I go. It was ironic since I couldn't even see above the glass of the enclosure without standing on my tip toes.

So we walked around looking at the different frogs, turtles, lizards and snakes. From all the reptiles and amphibians, there were two that stood out for me that day. Firstly, the Veiled Chameleon which had changed its colours to resemble the rock placed behind it. As you can see in the photo below, the white patches on the Chameleon are supposed to resemble the patches of lichen on the rock.

Secondly, there was the Giant Cave Gecko. As most geckos do, they enjoy hanging in some awkward position on the ceiling of their enclosure or directly on the glass just like this one was.

There it was just 'chilling'.

We were able to enjoy the Gorilla Keeper talk and the QBE Bird show which really was spectacular.

But the next most exciting thing was seeing the male Snow Leopard, Khumbu. He has recently moved in as the zoo is hoping that he will mate with their female snow Leopard. He was calling like crazy and jumping around so energetically. Is was quite a sight.

Even the Fennec Foxes had a little action. This little guy was walking around in circles trying to find a comfortable space to sleep on. I've usually only seen them sleeping but it was nice to see this one moving around a bit.

As Tim and I waited for the Ausgrid seal show to begin, we wandered around the Wetland Aviary and had a look at the Red Pandas. The Mandarin Ducks in the aviary were resting and so became easy targets for photos.

For the Red Pandas, it was near feeding time so they were quite energetic, running from one end of their enclosure to the next.

After the Seal show, we spent the last few hours looking at the Australian animals and walking through the Australian Rainforest aviary. One of the interesting things which happened was that these two Peaceful Doves (below) were bowing to each other. It seemed like a courtship dance.

And in the Rainforest Avairy, there were so many colourful parrots and doves though they were still hard to spot since they were mostly sitting high up in the tree tops.There was however one White Breasted Ground Dove sat on a branch just above the pathway and calling very loudly. It would puff up it's chest, making a deep pigeon sounding noise.

This day at the zoo was amazing and a lot of fun. I saw many things I wasn't able to see the last time I went. The great things about zoos is that the animals are never doing the same thing. Birds will always sit on another branch. The Lizards are always sleeping somewhere else in their enclosures. And some animals you just can't find on some days and on other days, they are sitting right in front of the glass. Another great thing about zoos is that they are supporting the wildlife of the world. They are helping to protect and prolong the life of all these magnificent animals. So if you get the chance, go to your local zoo, wildlife park or aquarium and have a look around. Go with family or friends. No matter who you go with, you are guaranteed a good day. Help support the work these zoos are doing for nature.

Although I wasn't able to share all my photos and stories from the day, I hope you've enjoyed this post.

To read more information about Taronga zoo and the conservation work they are doing, please visit their website: taronga.org.au

Please remember that all these photos were taken by me and I would appreciate it that if you are wanting to use these photos (in other blog posts, wallpapers, etc) please ask for my permission first.

#18 Manatee or Dugong?

2012-07-12T14:34:00.000+10:00

I often get confused between Manatees and Dugongs. I have seen them at various zoos and aquariums and wonder why a creature is being called two different names when they look exactly the same? Well, today I'm going to fix up this mix up because, manatees and dugongs are different.

Dugong or Manatee? Find out by clicking the source link --> Source: wikipedia

So I've read that Manatees and dugongs are quite closely related, like cousins. So to be able to compare what's different and to be able to identify one from the other, I am going to write a list of 10 facts about each animal.

So Let's start with the Manatee. First a picture.

Source: wikipedia

Part of the family: Trichechidae, from the order: Sirenia
There are only three living species in the family Trichechidae
They have Paddle like flippers.
They have a large, flexible upper lip that can be used to grasp or hold objects. They use the lip to gather food and eat, as well as using it for social interactions and communications.
The three species of manatees are distributed in the Amazon, the West Indies and West Africa. (coloured areas in map below).

Source: wikipedia

     6. It's tail is paddled shaped like a ping-pong bat.
     7. They are herbivores.
     8. They can measure up to 4m (13 feet) long and weigh up to 590kg (1,300 pounds).
     9. They have small, widely spaced eyes and their eyelids close in a circular manner.
   10. The adults have no incisor or canine teeth but have a set of cheek teeth that are similar to molars or premolars and these teeth are continuously replace throughout life. This is unique to the species of the order Sirenia.

Now the Dugong.

Source: littlefootjourney.blogspot.com

The Dugong is the last living species of the family Dugongidae of the order Sirenia.
They also have paddle like flippers
They have a muscular, horseshoe shaped upper lip, which aids with foraging for food.
Dugongs live in tropical and subtropical waters around the world (areas coloured blue on the map below).
It's tail is fluked shaped like a dolphin's tail.

Source: wikipedia

   6. They are herbivores.
     7. Adults are not expected to grow more than 3 metres long (9.8ft) and weigh 420kg (926lb).
         Females are usually bigger than males
     8. They have a mixture of incisors, canines and molars on their upper and lower jaws.
         Dugong's have two incisors (tusks) that emerge when males reach puberty.
     9. They have a uniquely shaped skull.
   10. The Dugong's conservation status is vulnerable.

So how can we easily distinguish between manatees and dugongs when we see them? By their tail! As you can see in the photos, manatees have a paddled shaped tail (like a ping-pong bat) and dugongs have a fluked tail (like a dolphin). But, if you didn't know this, then how could you tell?

Please comment and tell me what you've learnt from this post.

If you want to read more about manatees and dugongs, click on the following links.

Dugongs

Manatees

John De Bord Photography Feature - Spectacular Skyscapes

2012-07-06T11:07:00.001+10:00

John De Bord is a professional photographer and his deviantart is filled with the most striking photographs of sunsets and sunrises. His gallery is full of evidence of his amazing photography skills however, he actually started off in illustration but always had a deep love for photography. Enjoy this feature as you learn more about this amazing photography.

One of his 4 Daily Deviations: The End of the Day

Are you a professional Photographer?

John: Yes I am a professional photographer. I didn't begin that way however and actually started off in illustration. I always had a deep love for photography though and while I was attending art college, photography was required. It was a B&W darkroom film class and I was hooked. I decided to switch careers after I graduated and had been on my own as an illustrator.

A Sunrise in the Wilderness

I still draw and paint however my real love is in photography. This is the difference between illustration & photography for me; the experience. The things which as a photographer you see when out shooting. That is what really did it for me.

In the Evening

How did you get into photography?

John: I actually started off doing street and retro photography, covering the rockabilly scene in Denver and car shows...also shooting as much vintage architecture and signs I could possibly find. I would shoot some of the rockabilly gals I was friends with and do pinup style photography. All of this was done using film. I did get out of it for awhile after getting married and moving to Germany, however once I came back to the States, I rekindled my love affair with the medium. In about 2005 I decided to really go after my career. I did it rather differently than most though in that I wanted to learn as much as I could from other photographers and I had a deep desire to photograph nature, something I really never did seriously before. I went ahead and immersed myself in it. Learning as much as I possibly could with what my brain would allow. I did also almost entirely online. I would read forums like fredmiranda.com and naturephotographers.net, 2 great resources where professionals go and take it all in. I would then apply what I had learned to my images, or at least try the best that I could.

August Sunflower Skies

I firmly believe that the only to get better at photography is to keep doing it and doing it as often as you can. Learn about the medium and about your camera, not to mention technique. It seems so many these days go and buy a fancy-dancy camera thinking that it will make awesome photos for them, when in reality there is a huge steep learning curve which is involved. The best advice I can give anyone who is just starting out is to go buy an old manual film slr, like a Minolta x370 and use it. They can be had for under $15 on ebay including the lens. This will help you improve drastically because you will learn about exposure, depth of field, aperture, shutter speed; things which are absolutely vital when it comes to photography.

Painting the Sunrise

I also read on your website that Colorado presents a lot of photographic opportunities,

which photo in your gallery would you choose to best prove this?

Colorado presents a massive amount of photographic opportunities and I thankful each and every day I live here. I have moved away 3 times and have moved back after each time. It is, a photographers paradise here. As far as which image in my gallery represents the beauty of my state? That is a very hard question and there really isn't just one. The terrain here is very varied, from the plains in the east to the deserts in the west, to the high mountain peaks, to the waterfalls in the valleys and then there is the wildlife....

God's Painted Sky

Thanks again to John for allowing me to feature his work and for his advice and insights into his photographic journey. If you want to see his other works, please visit his Deviantart page: kkart or his website: jdebordphoto.com

Even More Peacock Spiders

2012-06-27T12:27:00.001+10:00

Back in February I interviewed the Peacock Spiderman: Jurgen Otto (can be read here). Today I'm going to revisit Peacock Spiders (Maratus sp.)and show you the photos of the many other species discovered in Australia. The majority of these spiders have only been recently discovered and photographed. Some species still don't have names.

Maratus volans

Source: Jurgen's Flickr

This was the first peacock spider which Jurgen captured it's courtship dance on video.

This species is found in Sydney.

Maratus harrisi

Source: Jurgen's Flickr

This species was first photographer by an ametuer photographer, Stuart Harris (known as beeater on flickr). At first he didn't know what the spider was and that it was new to science. With Jurgen's help, they were able to find a specimen in Namadgi National Park, Canberra and was scientifically described. For all his work, this species was therefore named after Harris.

Read more about this species here:
~ Canberra Times article: How amateurs discovered Namadgi's tiny dancer

~ Stuart Harris' original photos: Maratus (peacock spiders)

~ More photos by Jurgen

Maratus linnaei

Source: Jurgen's Flickr

This species lives in Two Peoples Bay Reserve in Western Australia. This species is different from the others since it does not have the abdomen flaps but it still raises and waves its legs.

Check out more photos of this species here.

Maratus mungaich

Source: Jurgen's Flickr

This species is found near Perth in Western Australia.

Check out more photos of this species here.

Maratus amabilis

Source: Jurgen's Flickr

This species is found in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park near Sydney.

Check out more photos of this species here.

"Darlington's Peacock Spider" Maratus sp.

Source: Jurgen's Flickr

This species is found in the Stirling ranges in Western Australia. They were first collected by Dr Phillip Jackson Darlington in 1931. Where he got his specimans, no one knows but, they have been found on two peaks in the Stirling Ranges. It is believed that since this species is found in a very specific habitat that does not occur anywhere else, this species might be endemic to those two mountain peaks. This could disastrous as the temperature rises and climate changes.

Check out more photos of this species here.
Watch a video about this species here.

Maratus pavonis

Source: Jurgen's Flickr

This is probably the most common and widespread species of the Genus Maratus in Australia. It occurs in Western and Eastern Australia. The specimens photographed by Jurgen were found in Tasmania and Western Australia.

Check out more photos of this species here.

Maratus splendens

Source: Jurgen's Flickr

This species is very cloesly related to Maratus pavonis (above) but does have some differences. This species can be found in areas of Sydney.

Check out more photos of this species here.

Maratus vespetillio

Source: Jurgen's Flickr

This species is widespread in Southern Australia. This species may not be as vibrant as the other but the males actually have contests with one another.

Learn more about this species courtship and male on male contests from this video: Peacock Spdier 3

Check out more photos of this species here.

Other Unidentified Maratus species

From Sydney

Source: Jurgen's Flickr

From Tasmania

Source: Jurgen's Flickr

I hope you have enjoyed this very lengthy post. As you can see, there can be so much diversity in one genus of spiders and many more peacock spiders probably still to be discovered or named. Thanks again to Jurgen for letting me use his photos. If you want to see more photos of all the spiders Jurgen has photographed, please visit his flickr page. Enjoy!

Alland Dharmawan Photography Feature

2012-06-25T13:23:00.002+10:00

Alland Dharmawan is an amateur photographer from Indonesia. He is currently still a student but takes joy in photography as a hobby. On Deviantart, he was able to capture the attention of a Daily Deviation with one of his amazing photos showing insights into the small world of ants and their daily dilemmas. Although he is an overall photographer, his macro photography it still intricate and shows the behaviors of a few insects. However, not all of his photography is showcased on his Deviantart page: allanddharmawan, most of his photography is stored on his online portfolio: www.allanddharmawanphotography.co.cc.

I hope you enjoy this feature.


Alland's Daily Deviation given this year: Trying Hard

#17 Transforming Owl

2012-06-24T12:21:00.003+10:00

There is an owl in Africa that the Japanese are fascinated with. It is the Northern White Faced Owl.

Source: commons.wikimedia.org

This owl is fairly small and so, to ward off enemies (larger owls) it 'transforms' itself. This amazing ability was showcased in a Japanese tv show.

As seen in the video, when the owl is faced with another owl that is slightly larger than itself, it puffs its wings up to appear as large as possible. But when the owl is faced with something much larger than itself, it pulls its feathers inwards, elongates its body and narrow its eyes to thin slits. It uses this ability to change its appearance as a means of camouflage. Many other types of owls and birds adopt this method of camouflage. It is said that these birds squeeze their bodies to look like a broken tree branch and some even narrow their eyes to slits and fold their wings over their chest (like Dracula) to hide their lighter-coloured feathers. (Information adapted from wikipedia and animal_oddities). I Hope you've enjoyed this post. :)

Source: commons.wikimedia.org

Tamyl91 Interview - Bugs Show a Playful Side

2012-06-06T10:58:00.002+10:00

With 3 Daily Deviations (DD), Tamyl91 is doing pretty well as a amateur hobbyist photographer on Devintart. Tamyl91's real name is Kamil. He lives in Poland where he apparently has "easy access" to the little creatures he captures with his camera. Take a look at his photos and interview!

Dressage - Given a DD in 2010

What camera and equipment do you use?

Kamil: I use Canon 350D + Tamron 90/2.8 lens and sometimes a regular, cheap tripod, nothing much.

Since you have such "easy access" to insects, do you have a special interest in them? if so, why do you find them interesting?

Well, I'm not really interested in insects, but since I started taking pictures of them I learned their names and I can easily distinguish them.

Back - His latest DD, given in 2011

Dew - For comparison to the image above. This is the dragonfly that the close up photo above is taken from. However, please take note that they are not the same photo, the photo above was taken separately from this one.

Do you only take photos of insects?

No, I also like to make portraits and landscapes, but I don't publish them on the internet yet.

Do you edit the photos?

I use Lightroom to adjust the white balance and exposure, and Photoshop to increase contrast and sometimes saturation + color balance (of course I also sharp my photos after resize and treat them with NeatImage to have a clean picture).

F16

In your current Deviantart gallery,
which is your favourite photo and why?

Well... It's really hard to choose choose one favorite, but I can say that I really like this one:

Tiger Beetle

that's because I spent about 2 hours lying on the sand to get the picture of this crazy guy, who can't stay in one place for a second! And when I've shot this I was satisfied with the sharpness, composition and the light very much.
I can also say, that I don't like my old photos from compact camera + diffused flash... I can't stand those unnatural colors that I loved a few years ago, now I love the nature as it is.

Colias alfacariensis - Common name is Berger's Clouded Yellow

And why don't you publish your portrait and landscape photos?

And the thing about landscapes - you have to live in an attractive region to make good landscapes, Poland isn't the most beautiful place in the world.

Dragonfly at the Morning

Why did you get into photography?
What do you think photography allows you to do?
Is there any type of special message you want to express with your photos?

I don't really know why, I just fell in love with photography. I was always fascinated by great photos, not only macro, but mainly. One day I bought a digital camera and that's how it started.

Special message? Not really.
I just want to share the beauty of macro-scale nature with people who often don't know how magic it is. A lot of people say something like "I didn't know it looks so amazing in close-up, this is gorgeous" when they see my pictures, I feel really good hearing such things

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks again to Kamil for letting me interview him and for sharing these amazing photos.
If you want to see his other work, please visit his deviantart page: tamyl91.deviantart.com

And sorry for the absence in posting. I hope my posts in the next few weeks will make up for that :)
Enjoy!

The Schmidt Sting Pain Index - What Sting Hurts the Most?

2012-05-23T18:43:00.000+10:00

Today when I was reading mX, I came across an interesting article about an entomologist from the University of Arizona. This man is Justin Schmidt. His area of expertise is Hymenoptera, the family of insects which includes wasps, bees and ants, so it's no surprised he's been stung over 100 times.

Throughout his career, he conducted personal research and "unintentionally" came up with the The Schmidt Sting Pain Index, a system developed to compare the relative intensity of Hymenoptera stings. This "research" involved provoking the insects to the point of rage, when they would attack/defend themselves. Each sting is on a rank between 1 to 4. Here is a sample from Wikipedia which includes their rank number and a description of the sting by Schmidt:

1.0 Sweat bee:

Source: public-domain-photos.com

"Light, ephemeral, almost fruity. A tiny spark has singed a single hair on your arm."

1.2 Fire ant:

Source: aatexlawn.blogspot.com.au

"Sharp, sudden, mildly alarming.
Like walking across a shag carpet & reaching for the light switch."

2.0 Yellowjacket:

Source: levahnbros.wordpress.com

"Hot and smoky, almost irreverent. Imagine W. C. Fields extinguishing a cigar on your tongue."

And this is what the sting looks like.

Source: photo.net

3.0 Paper wasp:

Source: wikipedia

"Caustic & burning. Distinctly bitter aftertaste.

Like spilling a beaker of hydrochloric acid on a paper cut."

4.0 Tarantula Hawk:

Schmidt holding a Tarantula Hawk - Source: scienceblogs.com/zooillogix

"Blinding, fierce, shockingly electric.

A running hair drier has been dropped into your bubble bath."

Source: arthurevans.files.wordpress.com

Yep, they hunt tarantulas.

4.0+ Bullet ant:

"Pure, intense, brilliant pain.

Like fire-walking over flaming charcoal with a 3-inch rusty nail in your heel."

If you want to read more about Justin Schmidt, here are some links:

Interview: Link

Article on Justin: Link

Enjoy you're day :)

#16 Sheriff Shrimp

2012-05-16T14:34:00.000+10:00

Pistol shrimps may look like beautiful small helpless crustaceans, but they have a deadly weapon.

Source: piratefx.hubpages.com

All Pistol shrimp have one oversized claw and with one snap of this oversized claw and a loud "pop", a supersonic bubble can be shot at the shrimp's enemy or prey. This bubble, can reach temperatures approaching that of the sun, about 4700 degrees Celsius. In the video below, the amazing skills of the pistol shrimp are displayed.

They are many species of pistol shrimps, all with different colours and patterns as you can see from the shrimp above which is blue and the shrimp below which is orange with purple legs.

Source: aquamarinediscovery.blogspot.com.au

They commonly build burrows in the sand and some of them share these homes with some unlikely housemates. Some pistol shrimps like the tiger pistol shrimp and Randall's pistol shrimp, form symbiotic relationships with some species of goby fish. A symbiotic relationship means that both parties benefit from the relationship.

Source: advancedaquarist.com

Pistol shrimps are practically blind and they rely on the goby to warn it when danger approaches. The shrimp does this by being in constant physical contact with the goby by resting its antennae on the Goby's body. The goby is always on the look out for danger and any sudden movements from the Goby will be translated as a sign of danger, telling the shrimp to return to its burrow. In return, the goby gets a safe burrow to live in.

If you want to learn more about pistol shrimps, visit these websites:
~ aquamarinediscovery.blogspot.com.au/2009/04/pistol-shrimp.html
~ piratefx.hubpages.com/hub/pistol-shrimp

Enjoy :)

Kuma-x Photography Feature

2012-05-10T08:44:00.000+10:00

So our next photographer lives in the a lovely small country in the middle of Europe - the Czech Republic. Her name is Kuma and she's into all types of photography but, I'm going to be featuring some of her landscapes. Enjoy :)

How did you get into photography?

Why are you interested in taking photos?

Kuma: I always loved to travel and I wanted to keep my travel memories in some visual form so photography was a clear choice for me. The most I love landscapes and travel photography and also everything nature related.

And the most important thing in photography? LIGHT! That's my philosophy!

Just Before Sunrise: Prague City


Fairy Land: The mossy forest on a hillside of the Berinchang - Cameron Highlands - Malaysia

Summer Dream: The lonely beach on Zakynthos island - Greece

Keri: The cliffs near Keri Lighthouse on Zakynthos island - Greece

Somewhere over the Tea: Tea plantations - Cameron Highlands - Malaysia.

If you've enjoyed Kuma's photos, please visit her Deviantart page: Kuma-x.
Thanks again to Kuma for letting me feature her work :)

In the News - April 2012

2012-05-01T09:34:00.001+10:00

Good News
Well I have some interesting stories for you today. :)
A few new and thought to be extinct species have been discovered. And some rare baby animals have come out to play.

The Bururi Long-fingered frog has been rediscovered in Africa after 62 years. Read more about their discovery here.

Source: news.nationalgeographic.com

In the Philippine island of Palawan, a species of purple crab has been discovered. This little guy, named Insulamon palawanense, is one of four new species in the Insulamon genus described in a recent study. Read more here.

Source: news.nationalgeographic.com

Seaworld Orlando has started taking care of an orphaned Sandhill Crane Chick.

Source: www.zooborns.com

However, at an estimated 3-4 days old at the time it was brought into SeaWorld’s care, it was simply too young to survive on its own. The chick was then paired with a rescued adult crane, in order to learn the specific crane behaviors essential for life in the wild.

Source: www.zooborns.com

Read more about the chick here.

Zoo Brno in the Czech Republic recently gave its 6 young Red Coati cubs a routine vet check.

Source: www.zooborns.com

The cubs received vaccinations and tiny microchips to identify them. The litter of young Coatis includes 4 males and 2 females. These South American members of the Raccoon family, known also as Brazilian Aardvarks, are active both day and night and prefer to sleep in elevated treetop nests.

Source: www.zooborns.com

Read more about these cubs here.

Enjoy :)

#15 A Tree with Dragon's blood

2012-04-25T14:44:00.003+10:00

Off the coast of Yemen, the island of Socotra has been isolated for about 10 million years after Arabia and Africa split apart. In this ruthless, prehistoric and scorched environment, a large amount of unique species can be found here and no where else. Even if the soil is thin, sandy and stony, the most remarkable trees can be found here.

The Socota Dragon tree or Dragon's-blood tree can stand up to 6m (20 feet) tall and is perfectly adapted to this brutal landscape. However, due to the harsh conditions of it's environment, the tree is slow growing and takes about 200 years to reach maturity. The tree gets its name due to the blood-red resin that oozes from it's bark.

Source: en.wikipedia.org

The canopy of this amazing tree is shaped in such a way that it acts like a funnel. Since the rains only come twice every year, it is important to collect as much water as possible in such an arid environment. It's spiky leaves are like gutters, pointing upwards and so packed together that any water that falls or condenses on them, get channeled directly to the centre of the tree's crown and eventually flows down to the roots. Also, it's canopy is so dense that when the rain recedes and the sun returns, the tree's roots are protected from the sun in the shade of it's canopy.

Source: news.nationalgeographic.com

In 2008, The island was added to UNESCO's World Heritage list.

The UNESCO World Heritage committee stated in a press statement that "The site is of universal importance because of its biodiversity with rich and distinct flora and fauna: 37 percent of Socotra's 825 plant species, 90 percent of its reptile species, and 95 percent of its land snail species do not occur anywhere else in the world".

I hope you've enjoyed learning about this unique tree. :)

Mark-flammable Photography Feature

2012-04-18T11:26:00.002+10:00

Mark Bridgwater is a professional photographer who owns a freelance graphic design and photography business, Marx. His Deviantart name, mark-flammable, is actually related to a clothing company he is setting up called Flammable.

When he was 11, his family moved from England to Christchurch, New Zealand where he grew up. He later became a member of the Alpine Ski Racing NZ National team for 5 years, allowing him to travel the world.

His photography began with landscapes, taken on his travels, mostly on overnight hikes. However, this is not all he photographs. Since he has a love for action sports, Mark also shoots a lot of skiing and mountain biking for various magazines and personal projects. See an example here. I Hope you enjoy these photos :)

Serenity

Drawn In

Infinite Flow: One of Mark's Mini planets

If you want to see more photos by Mark, please visit his deviantart account: mark-flammable.deviantart.com
Enjoy! :)

People's choice: Instructions to Vote

2012-04-17T10:46:00.002+10:00

So I heard there was some confusion with the voting so I will post a step-by-step guide to voting.

Step 1: Click on this picture. It will redirect you to Best Australian Blogs 2012 competition people's choice page.

Step 2: Click on "Vote Here". This will take you to another website.
Step 3: Click next and it will take you to a list of blogs listed in alphabetical order.
Step 4: Tick the box next to 1000 Natural wonders. This is the third blog.
Step 5: After ticking the box, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click next. Keep clicking next until you get to the contact detail page.
Step 6: Enter you contact details. Make sure these are Correct as any fake emails will not be considered as votes. Then click next.
Step 7: Click done! and you're finished.

I hope this all makes sense. If you get confused, please don't hesitate to comment below and ask me questions. :)
Enjoy!

#14 The Australian Easter Bunny

2012-04-17T10:28:00.003+10:00

Yesterday I went to the Sydney Royal Easter show and there was a tent for Featherdale Wildlife Park. There I learnt a horrible fact....that there was only about 400 Bilbies in the wild. This shocked me so much that it has inspired me to write about bilbies and how everyone can help with their conservation and protection from extinction.

Source: natureswonderland.com.au

The bilby is a native Australian animal which is endangered. There was once two species of bilbies but after the European colonisation of Australia, the lesser bilby became extinct by the 1950s. Now the greater bilby, the largest of the bandicoot family, is left but is still considered endangered. Of the six bandicoot species that once lived in Australia's arid lands, the blby is the only one left.

Bilbies are unique because of their large ears, which allows them to have excellent hearing, silky grey and white fur and a long, black and white crested tail. They also have a long pointed snout and a great sense of smell that helps them find food during the night as they are nocturnal. The bilby is also a marsupial, meaning the females have pouches where the young are carried until old enough to venture out for themselves.

Bilbies were once widespread in all states of Australia, however, due to habitat destruction and the introduction of rabbits, feral dogs and cats, the range of bilbies has decreased significantly. They can now only be found in parts of western Queensland and western and central Australia (as show in the picture below).

Source: www.savethebilbyfund.com

A lot of effort has gone into the conservation of bilbies however, it is still not enough. But you can help in a big way because every little effort counts.

In Australia, there has been campaigns to replace the easter bunny with the easter bilby as the bilby is a native Australian animal and by increasing public awareness and popularity of the bilby, efforts to save them would surely increase. There is also a national bilby day on the second sunday in september when fundraising for bilby conservation takes place.

To all my readers, Australian and international, you can all help with the conservation efforts to save the bilby from extinction. During easter time Darrell Lea, Australia's largest confectionery manufacturer and retailer, is the only place that sells chocolate bilbies anddonates funds to the 'Save the Bilby Fund'. A photo of these chocolates can be found below. Since they are still on sale now, I encourage you all to go and buy some in store or online at www.dlea.com.au. It's for a good cause!

Source: The Australian Bibly Appreciation Society

To find out other ways you can help and to learn more about bilbies, please visit these websites by clicking on the pictures:

Enjoy :)

Best Australian Blogs 2012 People's Choice

2012-04-14T13:57:00.002+10:00

About a month ago I heard about the "Best Australian Blogs 2012 Competition" and I thought, 'Wow! why not enter?'. And just last night they opened people's choice, allowing the public to vote for the blog/s which they thought deserved the honor.

By clicking on the image above, you will be taken to the People's choice page where you will be able to cast your vote on the blog you want to win or just vote for a blog that you like. Only Australian blogs were allowed to enter however, voting is open to everyone around the world!

So, if you have enjoyed reading my blog, if you believe that I write for a worthy cause, if you have found the photographers I've featured amazing or you just really like the photos of the animals and plants I've written about. Please vote for my blog 1000 natural wonders. :)

Voting will close Wednesday 9 May at 5.00 pm. All winners will be announced on Thursday 10 May at 10.00 am. The winner of the People's Choice Award will receive $1000 worth of courses (online or face-to-face) at the Sydney Writers' Centre in Milsons Point.

And just for fun, I'll add some of my own photos :) All of these photos and more can be found on my deviantart account: jennytheturtle. To learn more about my photos or to see a larger image, just click on the names of the photos.

Freedom isn't Free: Orange Lacewing Butterfly (Cethosia penthesilea)

Frozen Maple

Over the...traffic lights?

Sea the reflection

Happy reading!