Video Blog. Watch to the end where one of the Tasmania’s most dangerous creatures comes to visit me. Yes that’s right Tasmania’s, no one of the world’s, most dangerous creatures. One of the greatest pleasures in painting on location is getting up close and personal with the wild life. In this blog I start with the Wattle birds which feed on the cider gums. Chat about other critters that visit me. There are the Bennet’s Wallaby, and the Pink Robin. All the time I am working on my painting, painting boring leaves so I love the chat. Thanks for keeping me company.
But this inevitably talking about critters leads to the question of dangerous creatures in Australia and do I meet them also. We get side tracked via Tasmanian Devils into discussing road kill. Get some inside scoop on the myths and legions of Australian dangerous creatures from someone who has lived right across Australia with over 50 years in the bush. Of course I deal with Tasmanian snakes. Then I introduce you to our most dangerous creature and our biggest killer.
Click for more on my Cider Gum project.
Some updated information – correcting an error in my dialogue.
Our Dangerous Snakes
Tiger Snake – deadly 3rd ranked Australian
Southern Copperhead – deadly 7th ranked Australian
White Lipped Snake – not so deadly some survive but get very sick.
We Australians like to brag about our dangerous creatures.
Our Most Dangerous Creature- Jack Jumpers
But I was right about the Jack Jumper – which although you could not see was walking along the top edge of my canvas. Below is from the ABC – our national broadcaster. That said a lot more people get bitten by jack jumpers than sharks. I’ve been bitten by a jack jumper but not a shark.
This tiny creature is considered one of the most dangerous ants in the world – and, indeed, the most dangerous animal in Australia! In Tasmania, the death toll from the jack jumper’s sting is about one person every four years – greater than the toll inflicted by sharks or by the most poisonous of snakes or spiders.12 Feb 2013
The jack jumper – Tasmania’s killer ant: 2012 – ABC
And the camel? Well he, with four other camels and Tim the Camel Man – (google him – he is walking around Australia) came to visit my Liffey camping site one day. But that’s another story.