Wildlife of the Bunya Mountains

Nestled in the most westerly region of southern Queensland is the Bunya Mountains. Home to 600 year-old pines and close to 400 documented species of marsupials, amphibians and reptiles, including birds, Bunya is an incredible place treasured by generations of Australians.   A few years ago, we were fortunate enough to visit the Bunya Mountains National Park. Traveling from Toowoomba up the A2 to the Bunya Mountains Road, the trip through the Great Dividing Range was simply beautiful. We were only just within the park boundaries when we met our first local, a gorgeous carpet python. Stretched across the bitumen …

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Devil Facial Tumor Disease

In honor of Australia Day I thought it would be fitting to write about one of their most beloved species, the Tasmanian devil.  Immortalized as the spinning, incoherent cartoon character, the survival of the real Tasmanian devil is in peril.  A communicative disease called Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD) is decimating the devil population of Tasmania.  As researchers race to understand the etiology behind DFTD the devils face an uncertain future. Devil Facial Tumor Disease was first documented in 1996 in northeastern Tasmanian.  The disease is characterized by large, fast-growing cancerous tumors that are found around the face and inside …

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