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Southern greater glider
A flap of skin stretches from elbow to ankle on each side of this possum. It folds its forelimbs toward its chin and opens the membranes into a triangular outline. Look for the large ears and long tail when you see it perched in a tree.
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Sugar glider
A membrane stretching from the outer finger to the ankle lets this small marsupial glide between trees without coming down to the ground. The long tail helps it steer. In the current species classification, the sugar glider is found east of the Great Dividing Range.
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Southern Marsupial Mole
Broad digging claws push this small marsupial through loose sand. Its eyes are reduced and hidden beneath the skin. The historical illustration shows the stubby limbs and broad front claws that make it so well suited to life below the surface.
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Frilled lizard
You may see little more than a narrow collar when the lizard is calm. When threatened, it can open a broad frill and gape to look larger. It often retreats on its hind legs.
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Shingleback Lizard
This heavy skink has a blunt tail that resembles a second head. It stores fat in the tail, too. Look for the real head to see the blue tongue it can flash when disturbed.
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Mary River turtle
An individual with algae on its shell or head can look as if it has green hair. The more unusual feature is hidden. It can absorb oxygen through structures in its cloaca while underwater.
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Banded archerfish
Look just above the surface to see what this fish is aiming at. It spits a jet of water to dislodge insects from branches and other overhangs, then takes the prey after it falls.
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Synanceia verrucosa
The reef stonefish can resemble a lump of coral or an encrusted rock. Look for the uneven skin and outline that make the disguise work. Its dorsal fin spines are venomous.
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Australian lungfish
This fish has gills and a single lung. It can rise to the surface and gulp air, especially when the water is low in oxygen. Its wide, fleshy fins give it an outline unlike many river fish.
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Barramundi
Many barramundi mature as males and become females as they grow. The switch is a feature of the species’ life cycle. Size matters because the larger females can produce more eggs.
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Tasmanian giant freshwater crayfish
Tasmania’s northern rivers are home to the world’s largest freshwater invertebrate. Its heavy claws and bulky body make more sense when you see the shelter it uses under logs and rocks in cool streams.
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Green Tree Ant
Workers pull living leaves together and use silk from their larvae to fasten the edges. The finished nest stays in the tree canopy, so what looks like a bundle of leaves may be a tightly woven ant home.
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Laughing kookaburra
The rolling laugh is a territorial call. Neighboring groups can answer, and family members often join in. Listen around dawn or dusk to hear how the calls carry through the trees.
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Malleefowl
The bird incubates its eggs in a mound heated by decaying plant matter and the sun. A male adjusts the covering to keep the temperature suitable. Look for the mound, which may be easier to spot than the bird maintaining it.
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Mistletoebird
A mistletoebird’s digestive tract moves sticky mistletoe seeds through quickly. It can wipe the seed against a branch after passing it. That places a future plant directly on a potential host.
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Mountain pygmy possum
A mountain pygmy-possum spends winter hibernating in rocky alpine habitat under insulating snow. It is a reminder that Australian mammals include specialists for cold, high-elevation conditions, as well as warm forests and deserts.
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Blue-lined octopus
Bright blue lines flash across the body when this small octopus is disturbed. The warning may be hard to see when the animal is resting in camouflage. The display signals venomous danger.
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Dryococelus
This stocky insect is the Lord Howe Island stick insect, also called the tree lobster. People thought it had died out after it disappeared from Lord Howe Island. A surviving population turned up on Ball’s Pyramid, a steep outcrop nearby.
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Giant burrowing cockroach
This large, wingless Australian cockroach digs a burrow and feeds on fallen leaves. It recycles plant matter, so the hefty insect you see on a forest floor has a role more like a small composter.
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Emu
The dark green eggs are easy to recognize. The male incubates them and stays with the striped chicks after they hatch. For a bird that can cover ground quickly, a long spell on the nest is a striking change of pace.
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Inland Taipan
The same inland taipan can look darker in winter and paler in summer. The change is especially obvious around its head, so color alone misses an important part of identifying it. It lives in the dry interior, often near cracks in the soil.
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