by Rod_outbak » 23 Oct 2018, 6:46 am
[quote="SteamedHam"]
The biodiversity of Australia is the biggest thing I miss about moving to NZ. NZ has hardly any interesting native wildlife. Everyone owning cats probably doesn't help!
Hope your new mate sticks around :)
[/quote]
Over the past 15 years, we have always had at least 2 or 3 of these guys around the homestead. During summer, one of them does an inspection of the eaves and gutters about every second day.
I suspect; yet another beneficiary of the twice-yearly 1080 baiting campaigns.
A number of my neighbours have seen increased numbers of them out & about over the past 10 or so years as well.
Attached is another of my 'pretend' snakes; Broad-Banded Sand-Swimmer. Grows to around 18 inches long, and is one of the few truly nocturnal skinks in Australia. I see a number of these guys out under the porch lights most nights, and a few months back, discovered they like fruit. Dropped an overripe strawberry out in front of him, and he wolfed it down. For some reason, I'd assumed they would be insect-only. It just goes to show that most of the animals here will eat whatever is available.
They are very curious and unafraid, and if you stand still, will come right up to you.
Again; the numbers of these guys exploded when we got into the regular 1080 baiting, and our feral cat/fox population crashed.
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Sharing the extreme love with cats in Outback QLD