In the past few weeks several residents of Maranoa have asked us about busy swarms of wasps patrolling their lawn. The most abundant of these is variously called the Orchid Dupe Wasp or the Dusky-winged Ichneumonid Lissopimpla excelsa. These are small, red wasps with iridescent, charcoal-blue wings. If one lands for a moment, you may see… Read more »
Recently we received a call from a member of our community who had found a snake skin in their spare bedroom. Concerned that they couldn’t find the snake’s whereabouts, we got them to bring in the skin so we could identify it before deciding on the next course of action. The easiest method of identify… Read more »
I was recently out in the field nearby to Roma Queensland, poking around for weeds when I spooked a large goanna beside the track I was following. It ran up a fence post and I was able to get a good look at it. This particular goanna is more formally known as a Lace Monitor… Read more »
One of the most exciting things about night-time spotlighting searches is that you never know what you might come across. I was recently spotlighting for gliders and koalas with a couple of colleagues when one of us spotted these two snakes on the forest floor. They are Small-eyed Snakes (Cryptophis nigrescens), a common species in… Read more »
The worldwide pandemic of the Covid19 saw the closure millions of tourist and recreational activities, with people needing to isolate and stay indoors a lot more! Now more than ever we really need to find ways to keep our spirits up and life as normal as it possibly can. Studies show that connecting with nature… Read more »
Australia has an incredible array of fantastic and iconic wildlife but few people have ever seen or even heard of our beautiful Greater Glider Petauroides volans. As voluntary wildlife carers this charming animal recently came into temporary care following its rescue from a nearby bush fire which burnt its home. This particular glider was lucky… Read more »
Our beautiful, big, majestic emperors of the sky are constantly putting themselves in danger. Why? An easy meal, fast food if you like. Unfortunately, large numbers of animal carcasses litter the roads, with more casualties being added each and every night. The dry conditions are making the green pick on roadsides a worthwhile option for kangaroos… Read more »
WOW, what a week. After reading this you’ll definitely want to come on the next BOOBOOK Eco-science Expedition…… From the 2nd to the 5th September BOOBOOK undertook its very first Eco-science Expedition with some very special guests in unexplored sections of the upper Dawson River, in Outback Queensland’s Carnarvon Ranges. While BOOBOOK’s talented staff have… Read more »
The elapid snake family includes the front-fanged venomous species. Everyone has heard of the more fearsome Eastern Brown Snake and the Mulga Snake, but what about some of our smaller species of elapid snakes? Introducing Australia’s own Coral Snake (Brachyurophis australis), a reddish –orange, slightly venomous species. What do they look like? The Coral Snake… Read more »
Outback Queensland is host to some of Australia’s best kept secrets. This unique country of ours is so vast that some areas are yet to be properly explored. With a keen interest in natural history and native animals and plants, BOOBOOK ecologists love to explore the unexplored to further understanding of this wonderful place we… Read more »
