The recent storm activity seems to have stimulated some amphibian action within the Forest Gallery’s frog enclosures. Spawning has occurred in both enclosures, and egg-masses from two different species will be transported into our back-of-house facilities. This is to ensure that we safely manage the young tadpoles when they emerge.

One egg-mass belongs to Pobblebonk frogs (Limnodynastes dumerilii). They create a distinctive foamy mass which floats on the water with the eggs protected within it. The tadpoles wriggle down into the water when they emerge. The other spawning occurred in the enclosure housing Rocky River Tree Frogs (Litoria lesueuri), and Blue Mountains Tree Frogs (Litoria citropa). Since none of our staff observed the spawning, and the eggs and tadpoles of both species look very similar, we won’t be able to determine which species they are until the froglets emerge.

The distinctive floating egg-mass of the Pobblebonk. The black eggs are suspended within the protective foam. Photo: Alan Henderson, Source: Museum Victoria

It’s census time for Live Exhibits which means going through our entire animal collection and counting the numbers we have, and in most cases a breakdown of the sexes of each species. This information is a valuable part of our collection management, aiding us to plan our breeding requirements, acquisitions and disposals for the year ahead. The figures are also submitted to the zoological organisation ARAZPA, to be included in their Regional Census and Plan alongside data from zoos and other professional animal keeping facilities throughout Australasia. This enables cooperative breeding and animal exchange to take place between member institutions.

Quick stats for Live Exhibits (2008/9)

Total number of animal species held: 193

Total number of individual animals: 2738

Reptile species: 19

Amphibian species: 6

Invertebrate species: 148

Fish species: 15

Bird species: 5

Some animals aren’t counted during the census, and are happily put into the too hard basket! Ants for example are counted as 1 colony, not as individuals. We currently maintain 8 colonies of ants, comprising 7 different species.

These grasshoppers represent 1 species, 68 individuals (4 males 2 females and 62 juveniles) Photo Alan Henderson, Source Museum Victoria

After 2 years of living ‘behind the scenes’ at the Melbourne Museum, our impressive Rainforest Centipede (Ethmostigmus rubripes) has made its new home in Bugs Alive! With its many legs, elongated body and rapid movement it already impresses our visitors as much as it does us.

It is a massive 10 cm long and is one of the largest species in Australia. In the wild they come out at night, wandering the forest floor in search of other invertebrates, they have even been recorded to feed on small vertebrates including frogs and reptiles. It has only tiny eyes and instead uses its antennae to sense its way through the environment. Once prey is detected the centipede will quickly grab the prey with its many legs and inject venom into its victim.

If you are lucky you may get to see our centipede feeding on crickets or cockroaches. When hungry it can catch up multiple insects at a time and holds them along the length of its body – so it may have entrée, mains and dessert all at once!

Our Rainforest Centipede resting upon a log. Photo: Alan Henderson Source: Minibeast Wildlife

Several Giant Katydids were captured by Live Exhibits staff last December during the annual field collection trip to tropical north Queensland.  The adults mated, laid eggs and died, as they do.  Now almost a year later, the eggs have begun hatching and we currently have seventeen nymphs with more emerging every day.  This nymph is the first hatched and has just shed its skin to reveal the typical body form of the adult.  No larger than your fingernail, this nymph will eventually grow to about 5cm with antennae even longer.  They are currently feeding on live guava tree leaves which seems to work well for the babies.  These will go on display in the Museum's Bugs Alive exhibition with a mixture of other cricket and katydid species in a couple of months.

3rd instar Giant Katydid nymph. Photo: Luke Simpkin Source: Museum Victoria

3rd instar Giant Katydid nymph side on. Photo: Luke Simpkin Source : Museum Victoria

It might sound strange that many snakes have to be ‘trained’ to eat mice, but that is exactly what needs to happen with many species in captivity. This is because many young snakes are born (or hatch) with strong instincts for particular foods – their natural prey in the wild. Snakes rely heavily on their sense of smell to detect their food. Most would eat small skinks, frogs, or even fish as their first wild meals, and are usually not tempted by the smell of a baby mouse.

Teaching baby snakes to consume mice may involve several steps, and while some individuals will take to plump pink mice readily, others can be reluctant for quite some time. Sometimes scenting the mice with a hint of ‘skink essence’ is enough to entice the snake to eat, but with some individuals there is no alternative but to manually assist them to ensure their survival. After a while they begin to associate the smell of mouse with food, and will happily feed all by themselves.

All the mice used as snake food by Live Exhibits are dead, and are purchased frozen. There are several advantages to this; they do not carry parasites, they do not present physical a risk to the snakes (live mice bite), and it is a more humane method.

‘Assist feeding’ a baby Alpine Copperhead: The mouse is presented to snake so that it bites down upon it.

The snake is gently released with the mouse still in its mouth.

Instinct takes over and the snake swallows the mouse. The snake will become more accepting of smell and taste of the mouse each time it feeds like this. Photos: Claire Steel/Alan Henderson Source: Museum Victoria

Southern Sassafras typically grows in the bottom of deep forest gullies beneath towering Mountain Ash in Victoria's mountain forests.  In the Forest Gallery, several small Sassafras trees were planted in the protected southern end in 2000 and recently the largest of these have grown up to balcony level.   Today the horticulture staff noticed that they have flowered for the very first time.  The small cream flowers have a very strong and lovely sweet scent not unlike daphne.  The chemistry of Sassafras is fascinating and has been used as a medicinal plant by Aboriginal people and investigated by chemists in more recent times.  Aboriginal people are thought to have used Sassafras to treat venereal disease - a practice later taken up be European settlers.  The tree's bark was once marketed in England as “Victorian Sassafras” and used to make a tonic drink. This caused a great debate with pharmacist J. Bosisto and doctors in Melbourne who believed Sassafras oil to be poisonous, when British doctors insisted it was safe to take even in large quantities.  Sassafras was the first Australian plant from which an alkaloid was isolated. The leaves are the sole food plant for for caterpillars of the beautiful and rarely seen MacLeay’s Swallowtail Butterfly.  Visitors to the Forest Gallery in the next few weeks will be able to see the flowers in the tree canopy up close from the balcony level.

Scented blooms of the Sassafras in Melbourne Museum's Forest Gallery Photo: Andrew Kuhlmann Source: Museum Victoria

Click here to see the life stages of Macleay's Swallowtail Butterfly

Specialist arborists visited the Forest Gallery again last Tuesday 11th August to prune and shape the trees before spring growth and bird nesting starts in earnest.  This ensures they fit within the shape of the fully enclosed gallery, and maintains the designed views as the trees and shrubs grow.  Importantly it also thins the canopy foliage so the trees less likely to fall or snap in strong winds.  While they were in there, one of the crew cleaned the wind sensor on the top of one of the 20m high poles.  It was all just in the nick of time- Melbourne had gale forces winds over the weekend- at 11:20am on 16th August it went literally off the scale- which only reads up to 90.72 km/h.  To put this in perspective, a blue flashing light goes off when wind in the Gallery reaches 45km/h and we close the space to the public for safety.  As far as we are aware, no other Museum in the world has to close a gallery during strong winds.  Happily not one branch was lost in the windstorm- testament to the work of the arborists.

An arborist scales the burnt timber pole to clean the wind sensor. Photo: Andrew Kuhlmann Source: Museum Victoria

Tree climbing without spikes. Photo: Andrew Kuhlmann Source: Museum Victoria

Pruning keeps the trees from pressing up against the mesh. Photo: Andrew Kuhlmann Source: Museum Victoria

In less that four months, one of the baby Giant Water Bugs that hatched in April is now mature. This species moults (sheds its exoskeleton) five times in order to develop into the adult form. The adults are equipped with wings which enable them to fly if need be to find fertile hunting and breeding grounds. This won't be required here in Live Exhibits as both food and mates are in plentiful supply!

The brand new adult Giant Water Bug floating beside the empty exoskeleton which it recently vacated. Photo: Alan Henderson Source: Museum Victoria

This mass of spiders is the newest addition the Bugs Alive! Exhibition. They are Social Huntsmen (Delena cancerides), and are one of only a handful of spider species that live communally and will at times even share their food. They are relatively common spiders throughout Victoria, and can be found sheltering together under the bark of Acacia and Eucalyptus trees. Colonies may number in the hundreds during the breeding season when many younger spiderlings are present.

Due to their mass scare value but placid nature, they were the species chosen to star in the spider horror flick ‘Arachnophobia’.

Social Huntsman spiders, now showing in Bugs Alive! Photo: Alan Henderson Source: Museum Victoria

The Forest Gallery's Silver Wattles have started flowering- an indicator of the start of seasonal activity in plants and animals in the tall forests.  The indigenous Kulin people recognised the period around August, marked by wattle and orchid blooms, as a distinct season.  'Jack' the mature male Satin Bower Bird in the Forest Gallery has plucked choice wattle blooms from the tree canopy and used them to decorate his bower in preparation for the mating season.  Many people know Satin Bower Birds collect blue objects, but closer observation will show they also collect yellowing grass stems and yellow flowers from Silver Wattles, Mountain Correa and Purple Appleberry.  The Forest Gallery's committed horticultural staff are developing strategies to protect tender plants from the predations of the bower birds.

Silver Wattle features in Jack's neatly constructed bower. Photo: Andrew Kuhlmann Source: Museum Victoria