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The Beaver-rat (Hydromys chrysogaster) is a Tasmanian rodent quadruped, inhabiting the banks both of salt and fresh waters. They are admirable swimmers and divers, and exceedingly shy.
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Dasyure or Dasyurus are the brush-tailed opossums, a genus of plantigrade marsupials found in Australia and Tasmania. They are so named in contrast to the opossums of the New World (Didelphys), which have naked tails somewhat like rats. The ursine dasyure (Dasyurus ursinus) of Tasmania is about the size of a badger, but of a sturdier form, of a dull black colour, carnivorous, and of so savage a temper as to have gained for itself the alternative name of Diabolus ursinus, or Tasmanian Devil. Formerly it was most destructive to flocks and poultry-yards, but by the start of the 20th century it was nearly extirpated in inhabited districts. The various species of the genus have much the same nature and habits as the European polecat.
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The Elliottdale is a carpet-wool breed of sheep which was developed at the Elliott Research Station in Tasmania. Development of the breed commenced in 1963 when the CSIRO made available a ram which was the progeny of a New Zealand Drysdale ram and a Merino/Border Leicester cross ewe. It was later discovered that this ram did not possess the gene for carpet-wool characteristics and work continued based on locating sheep with the carpet- wool gene in the Tasmanian Romney flocks. This was achieved in 1968. Development of the breed continued using a base flock of pure Romney ewes, many showing some carpet-wool characteristics. By 1972 it was considered that top selected rams were breed true and that the breed had become fixed in type. The Elliottdale is similar to the Romney, with cleaner points and a carpet-wool fleece of 38-40 micron diameter. Rams may be horned or polled but ewes are always polled. The breed also has many prime lamb features, producing quick growing lambs of excellent quality.
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Microcachrys is a genus of evergreen shrubs belonging to the family Coniferae. The only species is the Tasmanian strawberry-fruited cypress (Microcachrys tetragona).
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The more-pork (Podargus Cuvieri) is a Tasmanian bird of the nightjar family, so called the more-pork from its peculiar cry.
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The Tasmanian devil (Dasyurus ursinus, Diabolus ursinus or Sarcophilus ursinus) is a strongly built nocturnal mammal of the Dasyure (bush-tailed opposums) family, closely related to the thylacine and like it confined to the island of Tasmania. The head is disproportionately large, and the plantigrade feet and general build give the animal a resemblance to a small bear. Carnivorous in habit and very strong, the Tasmanian devil will attack any kind of animal and can easily overpower a sheep. The Tasmanian devil lives in a burrow and is fierce and untameable. Between three and five young are produced at time. The name Tasmanian devil was originally given to the animal by British settlers at Hobart following persistent raids upon their poultry by the animals.
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Tasmannia is a genus of one Tasmanian and two Australian shrubs of the family Magnoliaceae.
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The Thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus) or Tasmanian Wolf, is a carnivorous marsupial resembling a dog in appearance, greyish-brown with conspicuous black markings on the hinder half of the back.
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The wattle-bird (Anthochoera carunculata) is one of the honey-eaters. It is confined to Australia, but another species is Tasmanian. The distinguishing feature is the elongation of the wattles, hence the name.
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The aboriginal inhabitants of Tasmania were a unique longish-headed, broad-nosed people of medium stature with black, ringlety hair. They rapidly dwindled in numbers after Tasmania was settled by Europeans in 1832 the few remaining Tasmanians were removed for their own protection to mainland reservations on Australia, where the last of them, a lady called Truganini died in 1876. The last Tasmanian man, Billy Lannee, died in 1865.
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The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
©1993 - 2009 The Probert Encyclopaedia
Southampton, United Kingdom
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