In the wild there are many fallacies floating around about our native animals. These are often heard
by our wildlife volunteers on the WILVOS 5441 6200 Hotline.
We all know that koalas aren’t bears but they are still often referred to as ‘’koala bears’’, even in
Australia media. These animals are a reminder of what truly unique animals we have.
A common fallacy is that if we touch baby birds, the parents won’t accept them back. Most parents
do welcome their chicks home. Some species may be a little more nonchalant. We always try to
reunite chicks with their families, if uninjured. They are installed in a ‘’man-made’’ nest, and
observed to ensure they are fed.
Another issue is with identification of snake species without consulting an expert in the field. Colour
is not the predominant identifying trait, as this can vary greatly in the same species. Even more
disturbing is thinking that young snakes are safe to handle. A tiny snake can still inflict a fatal bite.
Echidnas are incredible intelligent, as they have shown by their mere existence. They can’t bite, and
have no poisonous spines or spurs. Their defence is being able to roll up into a ball and be ‘spikey’!
Their fellow egg-laying monotreme, the platypus, can inflict some pain. The males have spurs, so to
avoid this venom, rescuers handle with care!
In Australia our scorpions don’t inflict lethal stings but can cause considerable pain. If you think
you’ve seen a scorpion dancing, you are not hallucinating. It is part of the mating ritual. The male
deposits sperm on the ground and then holds the female pincers as he leads her to the spot, where
she collects the sperm. This leads to 20-30 young scorpions.
All fascinating creatures!
Donna Brennan Wildlife Volunteers Assoc Inc (WILVOS) PO Box 4805 SCMC Q 4560 PH 5441 6200
www.wilvos.org.au
Fallacies in the wildlife world….
