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Tania Gardoll |
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Brown Antechinus Well, it was a busy day on the hotline and I had already picked up a Teal duckling and a Bluetongued Lizard, when Sandra Byrne rang to ask was I interested in rising a family of Antechinus. I shouted “Yes, please”, on with a massive grin from ear to ear and I organised to pick them up. The caller was rather upset that her dog had brought the deceased mother in, complete with seven babies. She was eager for them to be picked up a.s.a.p. to ensure their survival. Another lovely, caring member of our community and I say thanks. Upon arriving home I found one baby had already died and six were hanging on super tight. Each one lightly covered in velvet fur, eyes closed, ears stuck to a head the size of a jellybean. I removed the six tiny balls of skin from the mothers teats and attempted to give them their first feed from a humans. A task easier said than done. At just 3gms they are extremely tiny, yet very wriggly. After the first night, I lost two more babies, leaving four. Two males and two females. Oddly enough all three deceased young were male, thus proving yet again that us females are tougher, regardless of the species. The females appear stronger at present and I am starting to recognize the ever so slight difference in the squeaks between the sexes. Nothing is truly cuter than the size of the pouch, that is visible in the females, even at this age. Absolutely amazing! By day two, all four had the hang og feeding from a pipette, and were licking the inside of the tube. Toileting was easy as when they are full, they get sleepy and want to return to bed. I am very honoured and extremely thankful that I have the opportunity to raise one of Australia’s smallest mammals. I’m sure as they develop they will continue to be a source of learning and enjoyment, witnessing the behaviour and antics of this interesting creature. |
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Blue-tongued Lizards These 12 baby Blue Tongue Lizard where born after their mother was attacked by a dog. All lizards are doing extremely well, being fed a diet of crickets, mashed vegetables & soft dog food. Within a few weeks they will be released into the "wild' to fend for themselves. As you can see from the photos they are not very big. Born in the wild only 2 or 3 of them would survive to adult stage. |
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