AUSTRALASIAN Temperate Freshwater
Animals


Class Insecta

Order Diptera

Family Culicidae: Mosquitoes

There are some 3,600 species of mosquito. The females take blood from other animals to provide for their young. Several species can take human blood, and during piercing and feeding, they may pass pathogens to their host, with the result that mosquitoes can transmit deadly diseases to humans. As they can not function below about 10 degrees, it is only in the warmer times of the years when they increase in numbers around the freshwater wetlands of southern Australia.

mosquito-lake-muir(Lake Muir, W.A)

Order Anura: Frogs

frog-motorbike-on-road-lake-muir

 Ranoidea moorei, 'Motorbike Frog'. Endemic to south-west Australia.

Class Aves: Birds

Family Anatidae: Ducks and Swans

(Herdsman Lake, Western Australia)

Cygnus atratus, 'Black Swan'. Found on freshwater and saline waters, mostly in southern Australia (rare in tropical north and central arid areas)

Anas superciliosa, 'Pacific Black Duck'.

(Herdsman Lake, Western Australia)

Anas gracilis, 'Grey Teal'.

(Herdsman Lake, Western Australia)

Spatula rhynchotis, 'Australasian Shoveller'.

Family Podicipedidae: Grebes

(Herdsman Lake, Western Australia)

Podiceps cristatus, 'Great Crested Grebe'.

Family Rallidae: Rails, Gallinules, Coots

(Herdsman Lake, Western Australia)

Fulica atra, 'Eurasian Coot'.

(Herdsman Lake, Western Australia)

Porphyrio melanotus, 'Australasian Purple Swamphen'.

Family Recurvirostridae: Stilts & Avocets

(Herdsman Lake, Western Australia)

Himantopus himantopus, 'Black-winged Stilt'.

Family Charadriidae: Plovers, Dotterels

(Herdsman Lake, Western Australia)

Erythrogonys cinctus, 'Red-kneed Dotterel'.

Family Phalacrocoracidae: Cormorants

(Herdsman Lake, Western Australia)

Phalacrocorax carbo, 'Great Cormorant'.

Family Threskiornithidae: Ibis and Spoonbill

(Herdsman Lake, Western Australia)

Threskiornis molucca, 'Australian White Ibis'.

Family Pelecanidae

(Lloyd Jones Weir)

Pelecanus conspicillatus, 'Australian Pelican'.

Family Ardeidae: Herons, including Egrets

(Herdsman Lake, Western Australia)

Ardea alba, 'Great Egret'.

Family Cacatuidae: Cockatoos

(Herdsman Lake, Western Australia)

Cacatua sanguinea, 'Little Corella'.

Family Monarchidae

(Herdsman Lake, Western Australia)

Grallina cyanoleuca, 'Magpie Lark', 'Pee-wee'. This species is found in a range of open habitats, but is common on the edge of freshwater bodies.

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