"Teaching people about the world in which we live."

Shawn Steele, Tasmania, Australia (19:20, April 27):
Please note that the times displayed on this message board are Eastern Canadian Time, and not Australian Time. (This web site lives in Canada for the moment.)

Shawn Steele, Tasmania, Australia (19:53, April 27):
We're about to start our discussion with Rocky Quin of the East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park.

Shawn Steele, Tasmania, Australia (19:59, April 27):
anonymous, On the 'Net (20:55, April 27):
I hate to sound stupid where is Tasmania? what is Tasmania? island?

Shawn Steele, Tasmania, Australia (20:57, April 27):
Tasmania is just south of the mainland of Australia on the Eastern side.  Tell us about all of those marsupials in Australia.

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (20:02, April 27):
Where do you want me to start? All of the native land mammals are marsupials. There are some mammals that live in the sea such as dolphins, whales, and seals, that are not marsupials.

Shawn Steele, Tasmania, Australia (20:02, April 27):
What is the definition of a marsupial?

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (20:04, April 27):
Its got that little pocket in the front! Its a pouched animal. They come in forward and backward opening varieties. Kangaroos have forward opening pouches. (Towards their head). Tasmanian Devils have backward opeing pouches. (toward their tails) The backward pouches prevent damage from sticks when walking through the bush.

Leslie , On the 'Net (20:05, April 27):
With a backward opening pouch, what keeps the babies from falling out, particuarly when they are asleep or when mama runs or jumps?

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (20:17, April 27):
Leslie, the backward opening pouches are only on the ones that move on all four feet.

Leslie , On the 'Net (20:03, April 27):
Could we learn about the range of marsupials? What are the biggest and the smallest?

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (20:13, April 27):
The smallest marsupial is a marsupial mouse. The largest carnivor was the Tasmanian Tiger, which is now believed to be extinct. The largest would be the Red Kangaroo.

Merelee & LL, On the 'Net (20:16, April 27):
A marsupial mouse? Convergent evolution? Can I assume that it's not really a species related to the mammal mouse? or ferret, or pack rat, or cabin mouse?

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (20:37, April 27):
Marsupial mice are not related to other types of mouse. They just fill a similar ecological niche. House mice and rats are not native here. There is a native field mouse without a pouch. There are many diverse species here that are sort of similar and it can be very confusing.

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (20:15, April 27):
The Red Kangaroo is only native to the mainland. The largest in Tasmania would be the Forester Kangaroo. (ed. note: here's a picture of one.)

Steve in Colorado Springs, On the 'Net (20:03, April 27):
Is it true that Australia's marsupials (as well as placental mammals and birds) originated in Asia?

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (20:06, April 27):
Steve, there's no proven fact that they may have come from asia. There's no other marsupials in New Zealand or Asia or any other surrounding area. If they originated there, they should still be there. There is still very little known about the origins of marsupials.

Shawn Steele, Tasmania, Australia (20:08, April 27):
Are the marsupials here because Australia is an Island?

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (20:09, April 27):
No, The marsupials were supposedly here before the land masses separated. (This is only in theory).

Leslie , On the 'Net (20:10, April 27):
Do we know whether there were first marsupilas, then Australia separated, then mammals evolved on other continents--but the marsupials on Australia were safe?

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (20:19, April 27):
Leslie, we don't know the order of the seperation of the continents and then the development of mammals. We think that the dingos were brought over by the aborigonies 20,000 years ago. (ed note: the dingo is an australia dog, occupying an ecological niche similar to the wolf)

Merelee & LL, On the 'Net (20:12, April 27):
How many different marsupials are there?

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (20:21, April 27):
Merelee & LL, there are about 6 families in Tasmania, but those have many different types, so there are probably many hundreds of them, especially if you count the mainland.

Rachel, On the 'Net (20:06, April 27):
How big are tas devil's and what size are they at birth??

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (20:10, April 27):
Rachel, at birth the Tasmanian Devil is the size of a jelly bean. Maximum known size is 90 cm long by 30 cm at the shoulder. (including the tail.)

Rastagirl, On the 'Net (20:14, April 27):
WHat are tasmanian devil's primary source of defense and what predators do they face??

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (20:23, April 27):
Rastagirl, devils don't usually defend themselves, usually only from eachother. They usually cower into a corner. A dog can easily kill a devil, but normally a dog will keep away from them. The only natural preditor was the tasmanian tiger, but it is now extinct. Now only man is a real threat.

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (20:28, April 27):
Devils are all bluff, then make a lot of noise and open their mouths, to display their teeth. They don't bite people usually, except in self defense, but then they can exert 400 pounds of pressure per square inch in a single bite, using a vise like action.

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (20:32, April 27):
Contrary to popular belief, devils tend to be solitary and do not move in packs to kill sheep, but being scavangers, they have a keen sense of smell and many can congregate around dead animals. That lead the the mistaken assumption that the animal had been killed by the devils. There is also a lot of squabbling and noise as they aren't about to share it!

timtam, On the 'Net (20:19, April 27):
Are you aware of the cartoon tasmanian devil (Taz)?? If so, where did the t.d. get it's reputaion for moving about like a tornado??

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (20:38, April 27):
timtam, ask Walt Disney about the spinning devil. They make a lot of noise when they fight, but they aren't really very fast.

Leslie , On the 'Net (20:24, April 27):
Why is he called a devil?

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (20:40, April 27):
Its debatable why they are called a devil. Its mainly probably their dark appearance and the noise they make. One story is that the convicts were told there were 6 foot high monster that were out in the bush that would eat them. The convicts would rather try to escape by swimming across shark infested waters than facing the devils. That's just a story though, its probably mostly their dark appearance.

Steve in Colorado Springs, On the 'Net (20:14, April 27):
Are there other monotreme mammals like the platypus in Australia/NZ?

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (20:33, April 27):
The platypus and echidna are the only two monotremes in Australia. Monotreme meaning a mammals that lay an egg and also suckle there young.

Rachel, On the 'Net (20:34, April 27):
What is an echnida??

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (20:46, April 27):
An echidna is very similar to a porcupine or hedgehog, except that does strange things such as lays eggs and suckles its young.

Leslie , On the 'Net (20:33, April 27):
Are there non-marsupials, like snakes, toads, and fish on Tasmania which are unique?

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (20:42, April 27):
There are some birds that are unique, such as the Cape Baron Goose and the Native Hen. This picture is the native hen.

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (20:44, April 27):
Black Swans and Galah are native Australian birds, but not specific to Australia.

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (20:50, April 27):
Oops Black Swans and Galahs are native to Australia, but not to Tasmania.

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (20:45, April 27):
This is a picture of the galah. (Several of them actually)

Steve in Colorado Springs, On the 'Net (20:46, April 27):
Australia and New Guinea share relatively few species of birds(apx. 200 of 600 species, I think). What is the thinking on why this is so?

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (20:58, April 27):
Steve, there are probably few birds shared between Australia and Papau New Guinea because of the food supply and climatic conditions. Its much hotter there.

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (20:59, April 27):
Here we have proper seasons. It seems to be that the warmer the climate, the more diversity of birds.

Steve in Colorado Springs, On the 'Net (20:35, April 27):
Are snake-bite poisonings much of a problem in Australia? I understand that the cobras are the only poisonous family but also the largest family of snakes there.

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (20:49, April 27):
Steve, there are no cobras here. There is a type of tiger snake called chapel island tiger snakes which are 6 times more venemous than the tasmanian or australian tiger snake, even though they are the same species. There are also the black snake and the brown snake. Snakes are only ever a problem if people interfere with them though, so they are not much of a problem.

Editor's Note
There is no one snake with the common name 'Cobra', that I was able to find in the list of snakes that are posion and native to Australia. However I did find that all venomous snakes in Australia are close relatives of the Cobra. They all have small fangs that are fixed in bone. They belong to the elapid family.

Dragon, On the 'Net (20:43, April 27):
Are any of the furs of these animals worth a lot and do you have problems with poachers?? What are the laws??

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (20:52, April 27):
Dragon, poaching is not a problem. There is a problem with possums now because there isn't a market for their fur. There overbreeding now because no one is hunting them for their fur.

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (20:56, April 27):
There are laws controlling hunting seasons, where only certain species are allowed to be taken within a designated time. Many are also highly protected. Generally those seasons are obeyed, but some people always shoot out of season.

Shawn Steele, Tasmania, Australia (21:21, April 27):
Whats the difference between Kangaroos, Wallabys and Pademellons?

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (21:22, April 27):
Pademellons are wallabys. Kangaroos are different. There is a rat kangaroo, but its really a Wallaby.

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (21:25, April 27):
The difference between a Kangaroo and Wallaby is size. Wallabys are usually 3 foot and under when full grown. Kangaroos and Wallabys are all from similar families.

Jim Oliver, On the 'Net (20:49, April 27):
What is the climate like in Tasmania? Do the marsupials have any special adaptations that help them survive here?

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (21:00, April 27):
Marsupials breed here during the winter, which necessitates the pouch. Technically they aren't born until they come out of their pouch.

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (21:04, April 27):
Kangaroos can stop the development of the fetus at any given time, say in times of drought, to insure survival. For example, the growth of the fetus in a mother can be suspended for any length of time. The longest known time is 12 years before the fetus was allowed to continue to grow. Usually its stopped right before the fetus is about to be born so that it can be born when the time is right.

Leslie , On the 'Net (21:06, April 27):
12 years in suspended animation. That is amazing!

Joey in cyberspace, On the 'Net (21:06, April 27):
Now that is amazing! A lot of good developmental biology to be learned there.

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (21:07, April 27):
Kangaroos can have a joey on the outside of the pouch being weened and another developing in the pouch, and another fetus being developed, waiting to be born. And because both joeys require different formulas of milk, shes able to produce the two different types of milk from either one of her two teats.

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (21:10, April 27):
Kangaroos are also thought to be able to determine the sex of their young.

Jim Oliver, On the 'Net (21:11, April 27):
What do the kangaroos do with this information (sex of young)?

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (21:17, April 27):
James, they can CHOOSE the sex of their young, sorry about the confusion. That is to keep a balance to the population. There are usually more females than males. There is usually one male that mates with all of the females in that group (mob) of kangaroos.

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (21:18, April 27):
Kangaroos often travel in mobs, often times many hundreds, but occasionally a male may be forced out of the group by the most dominant male.

Lara Steele, Tasmania, Australia (21:19, April 27):
Here's a picture of a wallaby on a beach. Maybe that is why he was traveling alone.

Leslie , On the 'Net (21:22, April 27):
I have never seen a picutre of a wallaby or a kangaroo on a beach before. In fact, I don't remember ever seeing one near water.

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (21:20, April 27):
That's a Bennetts Wallaby.

Jim Oliver, On the 'Net (21:06, April 27):
Are there any endangered species in Tasmania? What does the park do to help them?

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (21:12, April 27):
One of the major endangered species is the orange bellied parrot, which breeds in the southwest of tasmania only, during the summer, and winters on the Australian mainland.

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (21:14, April 27):
Many of the endangered animals are not allowed to be kept in captivity. We get our animals here from orphaned road kill. Often times the young survive in the pouch, even if the mother is killed.

Wendy , On the 'Net (21:07, April 27):
The "native hen" picture looks quite similar to a Guinea Hen. Any relation?

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (21:08, April 27):
Wendy, there is no relation.

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (21:08, April 27):
Native hens are water hens and live in swamps.

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (21:09, April 27):
The native hens don't fly either. They run, but don't fly.

Rachel, On the 'Net (20:55, April 27):
Rocky, do you have a favorite animal??

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (20:57, April 27):
The devils are probably my favorite animal.

Steve in cyberspace, On the 'Net (21:10, April 27):
Is it true that tasmania has no turtles, crocs, or geckos?

Rocky Quin (typed by Shawn Steele), East Coast Bird Life & Animal Park (21:15, April 27):
Steve, Tasmania does not have any Crocodiles and only introduced Turtles, but it does have Geckos, a type of lizard. We call them lizards.

Jim Oliver, On the 'Net (21:27, April 27):
Thanks Rocky, Shawn & Lara.

Leslie , On the 'Net (21:27, April 27):
Good night from the east coast (US). Thanks for all the info.

Rachel, On the 'Net (20:46, April 27):
Wow!!! Beautiful pictures!!!

anonymous, On the 'Net (21:01, April 27):
cool website guys

Merelee & LL, On the 'Net (20:52, April 27):

Yes, great pictures.

Rachel, On the 'Net (21:11, April 27):
Thanks TerraX.org and Rocky!!!Excellent chat!!!!

Steve in cyberspace, On the 'Net (21:15, April 27):
Many thanks to Rocky and TerraX.org for the super chat !!

Leslie , On the 'Net (21:11, April 27):
Rocky, thanks for the information. I am anxious to get to see your park's critters up close. TerraX.org, thanks for the web site. It was great. Good pcituers!!

Leslie , On the 'Net (21:15, April 27):
Rocky, the little, off-hand things you toss out to us are fantastic. The orphans surviving in the pouch and able tobe human reared. Very impressive on both the part of the orphan and the humans.