An Introduction to Tasmania's Fauna
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INDEX Click to go to the following
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My own love and knowledge of Tasmania fauna started as a small child growing up on the sea front surrounded by native bush teeming with wildlife. An interest in nature, camping and hiking in latter life further developed this. I ended up working at Tasmania's largest Wild Life Park for nearly a year - set in a huge natural bush setting. I developed much first-hand knowledge of these wonderful and often timid animals. Having since owned a large wilderness block of rainforest in Tasmania's highlands, I had many of these creatures as neighbors and fellow citizens of my own domain. I have really learnt to understand their beauty and place in the environment that I live in. Tasmania has been very fortunate that it has managed to escape the ravages of the fox, dingo, and feral cat that have at various stages decimated many species and brought about their extinction on the Australian continent. This could not be more the truth than at my own property at Cradle Mtn. Over the 10 years I have had the place I have tried in vane to plant and grow a few endemic trees, Invariably these, no matter how well protected have been grazed of by either roaming wombats (bush bulldozers - some weighting over 150 lbs and solid ploughing through anything inconveniently put in their path!). All Tasmanian mammals are nocturnal..... they only come out at night. On dark a cool days sometimes you will catch the odd wombat roaming or wallaby grazing - other than bird sounds often the bush seems quite dead during the day. Strangely this is an adaptation , many Australian Marsupials have poor defences against heat and thus emerge in the cool of night. It is in the realm of night that all becomes alive. Many a night I have sat around the camp fire under the starrs and heard the blood curdling growl and shriek of the Tasmanian Devil, the hiss of the wombat, the growl and ticking of a Brushtail Possum or the thud of a wallaby bounding away or gnoring on the cabin timbers of a marsupial rat! . Many of these creatures are extremely timid and difficult to see despite being locally plentiful.
Iti s not till the morning when one can examine the droppings that you really know which creatures have been out in the night. Many areas of grass in alpine areas such as mine, look as if they have been manicured with nail scissors - this is what we call a "marsupial lawn". My parents whom live some 12 miles out of the city but next to a large eucalypt forest are completely overrun with wildlife in the garden. Between the flocks of brightly coloured parrots and lorikeets, the bandicoots, wallabies and possums it is a struggle to grow anything that is not stripped bare especially at fruiting and flowering times. Possums think that Mum's roses are the most tasty things around! Many of the grazing marsupials - kangaroos, possums and wallabies in some areas have done extremely well from whiteman. We have provided them with a great deal more food! Others not so well with predation from domestic pets and white man himself! Due to the isolation and different evolution of much of Tasmania's wildlife it is however highly susceptible to the introduction of disease and competition from introduced species. This has happened at times and wild fluctuations in populations have been noted. The famous Tasmania Devil now has a population estimated in the range of 400,000 to 1 1/2 million though this has been low as 100,000 due to disease.
THE FUTURE Luckily in recent years with a strong and active conservation movement amongst the general public and also amongst the government funded Parks and Wildlife the future looks bright for Tasmania's unique flora. The older attitudes are slowly dying a none-to-soon death of disrespect for our native wildlife. For so long they have been considered vermin to be exterminated at any cost. This was particularly the case with our sealife. During the 1800's Tasmania, especially Hobart was one of the biggest whaling and sealing towns of the world. Both whales and the fur seal where hunted to near extinction in Tasmanian waters. In the early 1800's it was reported that it was dangerous to cross the Derwent River at Hobart due to the number of whales. These wonderful numbers have been very slow to return. Even still outside Australian territorial waters these majestic sea creatures are still at risk of Japanese whalers doing "research'! The Tasmanian Tiger is believe by some to still lurk in the wildest corners of the state. Out populations of Raptors - Birds of Prey are constantly at risk due to their small numbers. They are highly vulnerable to fluctuations in food supply and the barrel of mans gun - widely unloved still be farmers. Being at the end of the food chain also they are susceptible to long-term poising by pollution of poison,and pesticides (used in forestry areas to cull Wallaby/possum numbers and other pollution.) With nearly 20% of the state now in National Parks and many species protected largely the future looks brighter for our wildlife than in most parts of the world. I hope that you enjoy the following pages on Tasmanian Wildlife ........
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