Sunday Selections #541

 

Sunday Selections was originally brought to us by Kim, of Frogpondsrock, as an ongoing meme where participants could post previously unused photos languishing in their files.

 

Huge thanks to Cie who gave me this wonderful Sunday Selections image.

 

The meme was then continued by River at Drifting through life.  Sadly she has now stepped aside (though she will join us some weeks), and I have accepted the mantle. 

 

The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent.  Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to me. Clicking on any of the photos will make them embiggen.

 

I usually run with a theme. I am returning to MegaFauna this week.  I am also going to be more descriptive than usual.  Laurie reminded me (again) that a photo is not always visible to everyone.  She has significant sight challenges and while a program will read the text to her there are none (yet) that will describe a photo.  I hope you think of that in your comments too - to make the post much more accessible to her.

These first two photos are of Wombat Phascolonus gigus.  It was two to three times the size of a modern womat, with huge curved front teeth.  Like our current wombats it had a sturdy build and strong legs.  I thought it looked like a wombat crossed with a dog, perhaps of the bull dog family.

This is Obdurodon - or Giant platypus.  It grew to four times the size of the platypus that we know and love (and rarely see) today.  It retains the duck bill and fur which made the first English scientists sent a stuffed platypus to believe it was a prank, bringing together two separate animals.  There was no mention about whether the giants also had a poison spur - but I expect they did.

Then to Meiolania or Giant Horned Turtle.  And giant it was.  They could grow up to five metres in size (16.5 feet) and weighed between 150 and 1300kg (330-2800 lbs).  The horns pointed backward and there was no mention about how they were used - or if they were a decorative feature.

While it was definitely on the cool side, it was also bright and clear.  I loved seeing the towering grey green eucalypts set off by blue skies and a few fluffy clouds.

This impressive beast is Megalania or ancient giant roamer.  It was a carnivore and ate large marsupials and other reptiles and birds.  Aboriginal cave paintings show it - and I expect they had to treat it with considerable respect - though one of them would feed a tribe for a long time.

This more more benign looking animal (a bear on all fours without the armament of tooth and claw) was Hulitherium or Mountain Diprotodon.  It was found in Australia and in Papua New Guinea (named after the Huli people in New Guinea).  It was a vegetarian.  A BIG vegetarian coming in at between 75-200 kilos or 165 -400 lbs.  I expect it was a much anticipated treat for the carnivores.

 

The Diprotodon was another herbivore, consuming up to 150kg of vegetation each day.  NOT something you want to find your garden.  It weighed up to 2700kg (more than 1500 pounds).  I struggle to describe what it looks like.  In this sculpture at least it has a cheeky smile, and looks not unlike a hippo - except that its nose and face are much more dog like.

We are in the Botanic Gardens after all, and I really liked seeing these purple berries on the Calytrix tetrago.

These two photos are of the very aptly named Thorny Devil or Moloch Horridus.  Despite its fearsome appearance with lumps/ bumps/horns on almost every vertebrae it apparently ate only ants.  It could weigh as much (or more) than a man today so there must have been a LOT of ants about.  Given that many ants bring me up in spectacular welts if they bite me, I would welcome this critter in my garden.

Some more paper (or everlasting daisies).  They seem to thrive in the Botanical Gardens.  I can grow them, but they don't reappear the next year.

This beauty is the Podocarpus elatus or plum pine.  Its fruit does look plum like but I have never seen a pine with leaves like that.  I bow to the experts.

Finishing up with a Banskia - though I am not sure which one.  They are native to Australia and come in some spectacular colours.

I hope you enjoyed wandering through the MegaFauna exhibition and the gardens with me, and that you have a healthy, happy week.