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Wildlife with Altitude

The original thought for this issue was an exploration
of how many wildlife species live not just in a location,
but at an elevation in that location – on the ground,
on tree trunks, mountain tops or, in aquatic cases, at various depths.

Chameleon grasshoppers have both altitude and attitude – in warm conditions, the males turn bright turquoise and battle each other ferociously, and the entire range of the species is confined to altitudes above 1500m, which raises another concern. In fragmented landscapes on a fairly flat continent, how will specialist species at higher elevations adapt to or move from changing climatic conditions?

By Chris Field

What does it take to see one of Australia’s most elusive and unusual birds of prey? A combination of luck and obsession helps – with a dash of good rainfall.

Inland Australia’s boom-and-bust weather cycle dictates the numbers of letter-winged kites (Elanus scriptus). If rats plague following high rainfall, the letter-wings breed up in large numbers, and with remarkable speed.

By Martin Cohen

If you’ve seen one rainforest – you haven’t seen them all, but you might have a better idea of where to look for a multi-level wildlife experience.

The world’s third largest island, Borneo, lies on the equator, not very far north of Australia. It is, however, on the other side of Lombok Strait, where the ecozones of Asia and Australia separate.

By Cait Newport

Light does not behave the same way in water as it does in air. Objects that appear black in the deep sea can be a vibrant red when brought to the surface.

In the deep sea, red wavelengths are absorbed rapidly and are invisible to most deep sea animals. Animals that are red or brown appear black to observers and become indistinguishable from the surrounding environment.

By Kate Umbers

In general, grasshoppers are pacifists. Males may size one another up, or engage in aggressive displays, but rarely do they ever come to blows. I was astonished when I realised chameleon grasshoppers (Kosciuscola tristis) fight dirty and even roar (silently) at each other.

For these unusual grasshoppers, black is cool, but when they’re fired up and fighting, they turn bright turquoise. An investigation into colour change and the chameleon grasshopper, an Australian alpine specialist.

By Michael Snedic

This unusual, elusive, intriguing marsupial could be an icon for the north Queensland Wet Tropics. It’s true – it does have a distinctive scent.

It also bears a superficial resemblance to an unpopular rodent. One must, however, wonder why, amongst its myriad fascinating qualities, those two features were chosen to be highlighted in its name: the musky rat-kangaroo (Hypsiprymnodon moschatus).

By Ilka Blue Nelson

The antonym of ‘altitude’ is ‘depth’. When a glistening night sky draws me up, the dense entanglement of life on Earth is replaced momentarily with a feeling of expanse and possibility.

The layers of the Earth’s atmosphere ascend through five altitude regions. The first and second layers are called the troposphere and stratosphere respectively. Bacterial life and some bird species can survive in the stratosphere, with an upper limit of 50kms above the Earth’s surface. Two layers further out, we meet the thermosphere. Here, at approximately 350km, is where the International Space Station (ISS) orbits.

• Mongabay.com Borneo
• Australian Alps National Parks
• Deep-Reef Explorer

Editorial, CityAnimal, Considering, Trekabout Photography, Six Species - Spiders, NatureWatch, Books Reviews, Spring Skies, Scratchings and Rustlings, WPSQ in Action, Swamp Cartoon and our regular environmental crossword.

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