The EGG 

Australian Native Flora and Fauna

Native to Australia are some very unique flora and fauna. They play a big part in the ecosystem of Australia and make our country very beautiful. A lot of Australian animals and plants are endangered. Some are more commonly known than others so we have ch osen the Numbat, a lesser known native Australian animal to write about and also include an article on the tree gum which has become an Australian icon.

Numbats are one of the world's most endangered mammals. These small, striped marsupials were found in South Western Australia 200 years ago but since then, due to development, introduced species, such as foxes and cats, and bush fires, have been driven fr om their native habitats.

Numbats find it hard to survive in captivity because of the low supply of termites. Therefore in South Australia, Doctor John Wamsley has formed a sanctuary for the numbats. The sanctuary is enclosed by fox and cat proof fences. It has grown from three th ousand acres to nine thousand acres. The numbat population began with fifteen, which had been released in 1993 and has now grown to hundreds.

Here in Australia we have successfully rebuilt the population of numbats in our South West. They are now well on their way to recovery from their endangered status.

Gum trees are a very important species of tree to Australia. We have many species and they are native to our country. Some examples of species are: Scribbly Gum, Dwarf Angophora, Plunkett Mallee, Water Gum and Argyle Apple, to name just a few.

Gum trees are home to many native Australian animals, they provide food and shelter for Koalas and other mammals, insects and birds. Due to the demand for timber and woodchips, natural old growth forests are being logged to supply major growing timber ind ustries. In place of the old growth forests companies plant fast growing trees such as gum trees.

Gum trees can range from very small to very tall. Some have flowers and others do not. Two that are very different in appearance are the Dwarf Angophora and Lemon-scented gum. The Dwarf Angophora is 5 meters high, has red new leaves, pink to orange-red ba rk and has multiple trunks. It is a hybrid tree never known to flower. The lemon-scented gum is 20-30 meters high, has creamy white flowers and a straight white trunk. It is the classic Gum Tree. Most gum trees can be found in coastal areas.

Our wide diversity of flora and fauna provides us with a unique landscape and it can be used as an excellent focal point for field trips. We look forward to taking members of the summit to view our great southern land.