Platypus - world's strangest animal

The girls are really learning a lot about the animals of Australia. It's wonderful to be able to see the animals in real life after viewing a video or reading books. This is the story of a young German woman who goes to Tasmania to study the Platypus. She names a female Shy and follows her as she gives birth to her young. Platypus and Echidna's are the only mammals to lay eggs. Has an extra segment on the Banded Stilts which are also called the flamingoes of Australia.

Terrors of Tasmania

Great dvd that we're enjoying. We love watching any dvd on the animals of Australia. The devil is similar to the kangaroo in that it also has a pouch. The babies are born into a stream of mucous and they are about the size of a grain of rice. The mother can give birth to up to 40 babies and it's a race to see who gets the coveted 4 nipples. In the case of Manganini only 3 males make it to the nipples and after 3 months the pouch gets quite crowded.

Kangaroos & Wallabies of Australia

A nice little pocket book that tells you everything you need to know about Kangaroos and Wallaby's. I find them to be so fascinating. There are 45 different species. I'm fascinated with their pregnancies and their birth process. It's so amazing to think they can suspend their pregnancies until they can provide for it. At first the fertilised egg divides and multiplies the normal way but when it gets to a clump of no more than 100 cells, the baby stops growing if she is carrying another joey or if there is a drought and lack of food. The baby is born from a yolk sac, "swims" up through momma's fur and attaches to a nipple, which then swells up so the baby doesn't fall off. They often nurse an out-of-pouch joey and newborn at the same time. They have 4 nipples and each baby picks a nipple and the milk composition changes according to needs. A joey can't fall out of the pouch unless the mom wants it to. So if she thinks the baby is ready she loosens the muscles of her pouch and the baby falls out. Another thing I find fascinating about roos is that their farts are methane free, therefore, they don't contribute to global warming! Cows can burp up to 250L of methane each and sheep 25L. When a cow or sheep eat the food is broken down by bacteria in its stomach. Methane is a waste product of the process. Roos have special bacteria that break down the nutrients without producing methane. Cool! :-)