Australia's Dangerous Creatures For Dummies

by Lofts, Graeme; Gill, Peg

• ISBN13: 9780731407224
• ISBN10: 0731407229
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-07-08
• Publisher: For Dummies

Summary

Includes first aid tips and what to do in an emergency!Get to know Australia's fiercest, most dangerous and most amazing wildlife.Australia's Dangerous Creatures For Dummies provides a fascinating portrait of unique and deadly animals down-under - including crocodiles, snakes, sharks, spiders and jelly fish. With a detailed description of each creature, its habitat and its typical behaviour, the authors also give you tips on observing them safely - and what to do if you can't!Discover how to: Survive in crocodile country. Avoid a snake bite. Identify deadly sea creatures. Spot spiders around the home. Treat bits, stings and other injuries. Observe creatures safely in the wild.The Dummies Way.Explanations in plain English.'Get in, get out' information.Icons and other navigational aids.Tear-out cheat sheet.Top ten lists.A dash of humour and fun.Get Smart! @ www.dummies.com Find listings of all our books Choose from many different subject categories. Sign up for eTips at etips.dummies.com

Author Biography

Graeme Lofts is a professional writer with a host of successful science textbooks under his belt.

Peg Gill is a biology lecturer and tutor who loves native plants and animals.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 1
About This Book	p. 1
Conventions Used in This Book	p. 2
What You're Not to Read	p. 2
Foolish Assumptions	p. 2
How This Book Is Organised	p. 3
Icons Used in This Book	p. 5
Where to Go from Here	p. 5
Getting Acquainted with Australia's Creatures	p. 7
Revealing the Dangers of Australian Wildlife	p. 9
The Nature of the Danger	p. 10
Where the danger lies	p. 10
Allergies to venom	p. 11
Getting Your Bearings	p. 11
Danger Zones	p. 13
On the ground	p. 13
Hiding under a rock	p. 13
Among the trees	p. 13
Watch the water	p. 14
Around the home	p. 14
A Case of Mutual Respect	p. 14
Keeping Your Safety in Mind	p. 15
Housekeeping	p. 16
First aid	p. 16
Venturing Out	p. 17
Bushwalking Paradise	p. 18
Dealing with wild encounters	p. 18
Organising a bushwalk	p. 19
On the Road	p. 22
Encountering wildlife on the road	p. 23
Crossing rivers and creeks safely	p. 24
On Your Bike	p. 26
Push bikes	p. 26
Motorbikes	p. 27
Enjoying the ride without hitting the wildlife	p. 27
Before you hop on that bike	p. 28
Setting Up Camp	p. 30
Camping options	p. 30
Camping safely	p. 31
Dealing with pesky animals	p. 32
Preparing for What Nature Serves Up	p. 33
Planning Your Trip	p. 34
Letting others know where you're going	p. 34
Watching the weather	p. 35
Watching the time	p. 37
Getting good maps	p. 37
Organising Your Gear	p. 38
Clothing	p. 38
The whole kit and caboodle	p. 39
Packing it all in	p. 40
Your First Aid Kit	p. 40
The basic first aid kit	p. 40
Storage suggestions	p. 42
Exploring the Great Southern Land	p. 43
Crocodile Country	p. 45
Profiling the 'Saltie'	p. 47
A diet with variety	p. 47
The crocodile roll	p. 48
The Freshwater Crocodile	p. 48
Heed the Warnings	p. 48
Surprise attack	p. 49
Defending their territory	p. 49
Minimising the risk of crocodile attacks	p. 51
Protecting Crocodiles from People	p. 52
Snakes: Legless and Lethal	p. 55
Snakes Alive and Deadly	p. 56
Frightening fangs	p. 58
Home s-s-s-sweet home	p. 58
The Problem of Identification	p. 59
Sizing snakes up	p. 59
Changing colour	p. 60
What's in a name?	p. 60
Avoiding Unexpected Encounters	p. 60
Surviving an Unexpected Encounter	p. 61
Introducing Australia's Most Dangerous Snakes	p. 62
Beware of the brown	p. 63
Tiger snakes - stripes are optional	p. 64
Toxic taipans	p. 65
It adders up to death	p. 67
Black is beautiful - but keep your distance	p. 69
Looks are so deceiving	p. 72
Copperheads are cool	p. 73
Don't Let Size Fool You	p. 75
Stinging Scorpions	p. 76
Legs By the Hundred - Well, Almost	p. 78
Centipedes	p. 78
Millipedes	p. 79
Bloodsucking Bandits	p. 81
Leeches	p. 81
Mosquitoes	p. 84
Tiny ticks	p. 87
Four-Legged Friend or Foe?	p. 91
Dingoes: Wild Dogs Down-Under	p. 92
Dingo country	p. 92
Dingoes on the attack	p. 93
The Mighty Water Buffalo	p. 94
At home in the wetlands	p. 95
Attacks on humans	p. 96
Farm Animals Gone Wild: Ferals on the Loose	p. 96
Pigging out: Feral pigs	p. 97
Feral goats: No kidding	p. 98
Feral cattle, horses and donkeys	p. 100
Ferocious ferals (feral cats and dogs)	p. 101
First aid, after an attack	p. 103
Face to Face With the Devil: The Tasmanian Devil	p. 104
The ultimate vacuum cleaner	p. 105
Food: The Devil's first priority	p. 105
Mammals with Wings	p. 106
Nature's little helpers	p. 107
Bat diseases	p. 108
Lizards: It's All a Bluff - Maybe	p. 109
Watch the Birdie	p. 111
Australia's Cackling Birds: Kookaburras	p. 112
The Laughing Kookaburra	p. 113
The Blue-winged Kookaburra	p. 114
Don't feed the birds	p. 114
On the Wings of a Wedge-tailed Eagle	p. 115
Prey: Dead or alive	p. 116
Family business	p. 117
Feathered but Grounded	p. 117
'Old man' Emu	p. 118
Colourful cassowaries	p. 120
First aid	p. 122
Australia's Living Icons	p. 123
One of a Kind: The Platypus	p. 124
A body like no other	p. 125
The shy type	p. 126
Beware the spur	p. 126
Spiky Surprise: Enter the Echidna	p. 127
A practical body	p. 128
Handle with care	p. 129
Australia's Ultimate Icons: Kangaroos and Koalas	p. 130
Kangaroos: The mob's all here	p. 131
'Hey, do not disturb me' - the sleepy Koala	p. 134
Party On, Possums	p. 136
Bays and Beaches	p. 139
A Day at the Beach	p. 141
Stingers in the Swim	p. 142
Deadly tentacles in the tropics: The Australian Box Jellyfish and Irukandji	p. 142
More assorted jellyfish to avoid	p. 147
Floating Bluebottles	p. 150
Sea Lizards	p. 152
The Lion of the Sea	p. 153
Shark Attack	p. 155
Keeping track of shark attacks	p. 155
Pointing the finger at the aggressors	p. 156
The nature of an attack	p. 160
Avoiding a shark attack	p. 161
Fish to Steer Clear Of	p. 162
They're electrifying (Numbfish)	p. 163
Poisonous puffers and porcupine fish	p. 164
Beware the Beach Birds	p. 166
Buzzing Around (Flies that Bite)	p. 168
Rock Pools, Reefs and Wrecks	p. 171
Lethal Creatures in Rock Pools	p. 172
The deadly blue-ringed octopus	p. 172
Cone shells: Beautiful but dangerous	p. 173
Less Deadly Creatures Inhabiting Rock Pools and Reefs	p. 175
Cranky crabs	p. 175
Searchin' for urchins: Sea urchins	p. 176
Starfish	p. 178
Bristle worms	p. 179
Reef Fish: Some Prickly Customers	p. 180
Scorpionfish: Spiky swimmers	p. 181
Frog or fish?	p. 187
Catfish: The fish with whiskers	p. 188
Old Wife or Zebrafish	p. 189
The nibblers: Rabbitfish	p. 190
Quick on the trigger (triggerfish and leatherjackets)	p. 191
Surgeonfish on the cutting edge	p. 193
Sea Snakes: Life's a Beach	p. 193
Docile but toxic	p. 194
Two family types	p. 195
Coral, Glorious Coral	p. 196
Shipwrecks and Artificial Reefs	p. 198
Shipwrecks - habitats and preserved history	p. 198
Artificial reefs	p. 199
The dangers within	p. 200
Dangerous Creatures of the Deep	p. 201
Sharks in the Deep	p. 202
Watch out for the White Tip	p. 202
The speed king of sharks	p. 203
Dealing with an attack at sea	p. 204
True Giants of the Sea	p. 204
A whale of a shark	p. 204
Whales: Just cruising by	p. 206
Stingrays: The Graceful Movers	p. 207
On the defence	p. 208
Watch your step	p. 209
The deadliest attacks	p. 210
Rays with a z-z-zap	p. 210
Smaller Fry in Deep Water	p. 211
It's a killer: The Bighead Gurnard Perch	p. 212
Spiky bottom dwellers: The Eastern Fortesque	p. 213
Urban Living	p. 215
Along Came a Spider	p. 217
Seeing Red	p. 218
Look before you touch	p. 219
About the bite	p. 219
The Infamous Sydney Funnel-web	p. 220
The wanderers	p. 222
A deadly bite	p. 222
All in the family: Other dangerous funnel-web spiders	p. 223
Spiders with Attitude	p. 224
Trapdoor spiders	p. 224
Just call me 'Fang': The Mouse Spider	p. 226
The huge and hairy Australian tarantula	p. 227
Don't be afraid of the big bad Wolf Spider	p. 228
Creepy, But Not So Nasty	p. 230
The White-tailed Spider - an undeserved reputation	p. 231
House guests or pests?	p. 232
Out and About	p. 235
Suburban Stingers	p. 236
Busy bees	p. 236
Ant antics	p. 238
Native wasps to watch out for	p. 240
Assassins in the garden: Assassin bugs	p. 243
Jeepers Creepers	p. 244
Dangerous Dogs	p. 245
Dive-bombers	p. 246
Magpie mayhem	p. 247
A Magpie impostor: The Magpie-lark	p. 249
Treating beak injuries	p. 249
Unwelcome Gatecrashers	p. 251
Snakes in the Garden	p. 251
Favourite haunts	p. 252
Dealing with an intruder	p. 252
Ravenous Rodents	p. 253
Rats, rats, rats	p. 253
Seed eaters	p. 254
Discouraging rats and mice	p. 255
Recent Irritating Immigrants	p. 255
Cane Toads: Introducing the unwanted amphibian	p. 255
Fire Ants: Fiery and feisty	p. 259
Foreign wasps	p. 260
Tiny Bloodsuckers	p. 263
Lice aren't nice	p. 263
Don't let the bedbugs bite	p. 266
Ferocious fleas	p. 268
The Part of Tens	p. 271
Australia's Ten Deadliest Creatures	p. 273
Snakes	p. 274
Honey Bees	p. 274
Dogs	p. 275
Sharks	p. 275
Saltwater Crocodiles	p. 276
The Australian Box Jellyfish	p. 277
Wasps	p. 277
Spiders	p. 278
Ants	p. 278
Ticks	p. 279
Ten Ways to Stay Safe	p. 281
Arm Yourself with Knowledge	p. 281
Avoid Dangerous Areas	p. 282
Heed Warning Signs	p. 282
Be Prepared	p. 283
Don't Go Alone	p. 283
Keep Your Distance	p. 284
Wear Appropriate Clothing	p. 284
Watch Where You Put Your Hands and Feet	p. 284
Don't Feed the Animals	p. 285
Don't Panic	p. 285
Ten Safe Places to See Australian Wildlife	p. 287
Australia Zoo	p. 288
Australian Reptile Park	p. 288
Taronga Zoo	p. 288
Healesville Sanctuary	p. 289
The Aquarium of Western Australia (AQWA)	p. 289
ReefHQ	p. 290
Australian Museum	p. 290
Sea World	p. 290
Territory Wildlife Park	p. 291
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary	p. 291
The Appendixes	p. 293
First Aid Techniques	p. 295
Mouth-to-Mouth Resuscitation and External Heart Massage	p. 296
Anaphylaxis	p. 299
The Pressure Immobilisation Bandage	p. 300
The pressure immobilisation technique	p. 301
Exceptions	p. 302
First Aid Fast Finder	p. 303
Index	p. 315
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.