Tasmania – Other Leaf-Litter Creatures (Bat included!)
So, to wrap up the things that were in and around the blueberry patch: First, here’s another cockroach. This time I’ve got the full length antennae in the picture.
Given that it was nowhere near the house, I think it is safe to say that this is one of the species that prefers the outdoors.
There were also tiny little snails
And very typical-looking slugs
And then, while I was rummaging around the base of this stringybark eucalyptus[1],
I found what looked like a little scrap of fur, lying with the dead leaves.
It took a minute to sort out what this actually was. It was a bat!
One of the little insectivorous ones. It seems that all eight of the bat species in Tasmania are the small ones. The bigger fruit bats only live on the more-tropical mainland.
This one appeared to be hibernating, and so aside from taking its picture I left it alone. It was a bit surprising to find it just huddled down in the leaves like that, normally I expect them to be sheltered in the bark of trees or other protected spots. Hopefully, it got through the winter OK.
———-
[1] “Stringybark Eucalyptus” turns out to be the common name for a bunch of different ecualyptus species. This one looks to be Eucalyptus obliqua, which is a common species in Tasmania. While it can be used as lumber, the wood is very hard. On one of my previous visits, Dad showed me how it was so hard that it was practically impossible to drive a nail into it. You need to drill a pilot hole first to keep the nail from bending.
Comments are closed.
Off topic: Dude! We just caught a lizard in our house with the insect net you recommended way back when. The thing works great! Thanks for the tip.
Great! This just goes to show that a net is just one of those things that everyone needs around the house, but that most people don’t have[1]
“So, as fast as I could, I went after my net. And I said, “With my net I can get them I bet. I bet, with my net, I can get those Things yet!” – Dr. Seuss
[1] Other things that everyone needs even if they don’t know it: a leatherman-style multitool; a multimeter; and lots of rope.