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You see some unusual things on islands, things you might be much less likely to experience on the mainland. For example, in the island state of Tasmania, some brushtail possums are golden, or blonde, as Martin Fingland calls them.

Why? There’s no clearcut answer, but you can read Martin’s thoughts and speculations in ‘Island blondes’. Our golden cover possum, beautifully photographed by Michael Snedic, is part of Martin’s wildlife presentation team, as are the mother and baby, also photographed by Michael, but it is a naturally occurring phenomenon, as a Tasmanian wildlife carer discovered.

By Ian Hutton

On remote Lord Howe Island, even the phasmids and cockroaches are rare and endemic. WHen rats left a sinking ship in 1918, disaster struck.

The volcanic archipelago of Lord Howe Island lies 550km off the coast of New South Wales - far from the mainland's introduced predators, but many have reached the cluster's main island. now it's the islands offshore from the main offshore island that provide the safety margin for endemic species.

By Michael B Hogan

How many visitors cheering America's Cup yachts knew they sailed past a 'singing island' where long-lost bird calls return as New Zealand bushland regenerates.

Here in the Gulf of Hauraki, the winds that drove the big racing yachts also buffet this island sanctuary - a haven for some vary special native New Zealanders created by an army of volunteers.

By Tim Moore

The Tyto Wetlands project demonstrates some astute community decisions - and the endangered grass owls as well as other birds love it.

The entrance to Tyto Wetlands lies just 500m from the Ingham's CBD and less than a kilometre off the Bruce Highway, making it one of the most accessible wetland areas in Queensland.

By Martin Fingland

For Tasmanian brushtail possums, being blond is no joke, it's a natural though rare occurance. There's something glamerous about blondes. Is it because they're naturally rare, or do they just have more fun?

Despite their many unique and unusual features, Australian Marsupials are sometimes denigrated as 'a rather drab-coloured lot'. But virtually everyone who has seen a golden brushtail possum in the flesh (or fur) is in awe of the stunning colour.

By Michael Legge Wilkinson and Sallyann Gudge

Famous as a holiday getaway and a refuge for the small marsupial which gave it the name Rottnest, Wadjemup is much more.

Wadjemup, the traditional Aboriginal name for the island has many meanings, 'land over the sea' and 'place of spirits'. The offical name, Rottnest, came from Dutch explorer Willem de Vlamingh, who in 1696 gave the island this name after mistaking the marsupial quokka for a large rat.

By Alex Stone

Your friends may love you, but do they know what you need? Fortunately, in the case of the endangered western swamp tortoise, they're finding out.

Their habitat is limited and Perth is expanding into their territory. Can the western swamp turtle survive in this island surrounded by suburbia? The SWT Recovery Team is working to shorten the odds.

• CDF
• Charles Darwin Foundation
• Galapagos Conservation Trust
• Sundown Island Santuary
• Channel Island Marine Sanctuary

Editorial, Comment, City Animal, NatureWatch, Books Reviews, Summer Skies, Young and Wild, Wildside, Scratchings and Rustlings, WPSQ in Action, Swamp Cartoon and our regular environmental crossword.

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