Fairy Aprons

On the recent FoDT Buttongrass Walk in Bunyip State Forest, we were fortunate to find some colonies of Fairy Aprons, Utricularia dichotoma (utriculus  = small leather bag, dichotoma  = two flowerheads which many of the plants have).

Utricularia dichotoma is a perennial herb with numerous underground trailing stems with bladders 1.5–2 mm diameter. It is a widespread species found in Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. All bladderworts are highly specialized plants.

Bladderworts such as Fairy Aprons capture small organisms by means of bladder-like traps. Terrestrial species tend to have tiny traps that feed on minute prey such as protozoa and rotifers swimming in water-saturated soil.

Despite their small size, the traps are extremely sophisticated. Prey brush against trigger hairs connected to the trapdoor. The bladder, when "set", is under negative pressure in relation to its environment so that when the trapdoor is mechanically triggered, the prey, along with the water surrounding it, is sucked into the bladder. Once the bladder is full of water, the door closes again, the whole process taking only ten to fifteen milliseconds.

Diagram credit: Wikipedia

Once inside, the prey is dissolved by digestive secretions. This generally occurs within a few hours but the bladder can be ready for its next capture within 15-30 minutes.

Now you can’t tell me that Nature ain’t grand!

Biophilia – the desire to connect with nature

Biophilia is the term used to describe the tendency for humans to seek connections with nature and other living forms (bio = life, philia = love). The term was first used by the psychoanalyst Eric Fromm in 1973 when he used it to describe a psychological tendency to being attracted to all living forms. Later, in1984, Edward O Wilson a biologist used the term biophilia to propose that the tendency for humans to be attracted to nature was partly genetic. 

Nangara Reserve Jindivick

In Japan in 1980, ‘karoshi’, Japanese for ‘worked to death’, was a widespread phenomenon causing ill health often resulting in heart attacks, strokes and even death. Some government-sponsored research determined that time spent in nature would benefit overworked people and a form of therapy called Shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, was developed. Today there are nature therapy associations with millions of followers around the world. Nature therapy is about slowing down, feeling the breeze, smelling the bush, hearing the birds, etc. - immersing yourself in the natural environment. 

Alex Goudie Park

As a race, we humans have diverged somewhat from nature with our advances in technology in the last 100 years or so. We have become isolated from nature. We now spend most of our time at work, in our homes, our cars, etc. surrounded by technology to a degree sometimes that some of us even fear nature – biophobia. Various studies around the world now suggest that the decline in our interactions with the natural world is resulting in environmental degradation. 

Arachnophobia is very common but very few people die from a spider bite

Our urban lifestyle has resulted in less frequent contacts with nature. We are at risk of losing our connection with nature and of developing negative perceptions about our natural environment. 

Given that the physiological and cognitive benefits derived from connecting with nature are widely recognized, it is increasingly important that we create urban environments that will stimulate our connections with nature as much as possible. Our future depends on it.

It's snake time!

The season is noticeably warming and anecdotally, copperheads and tigers are emerging from their winter quiescence. Both species are mostly diurnal and usually found near a water body. They both eat insects, frogs, lizards, other snakes and sometimes birds – Tiger Snakes in particular will readily climb trees.

Tiger Snake - Drouin

Australia is home to the most number of species of venomous snakes in the world and yet we rank very low on the number of deaths due to snake bite per capita. In Australia, about 0.13 people per million per year die from snake bite. In South America the figure is about 10 deaths per million people per year, In India about 13 people per million die from snake bite each year and in Sri Lanka, the figure is around 50 people per million population per year.

By and large, Australian snakes have an undeserved reputation for being deadly. None of Australia’s snakes are normally aggressive unless they are cornered or being attacked. Our snakes would find a human too large as a food item and usually, if you just stand still or quietly retire from its presence, a snake will just continue on its way or eventually seek cover and simply disappear from sight.

Along with the Brown Snake and the Taipan, the Tiger Snake is one of the top 3 most venomous snakes in Australia. Both the Tiger Snake and the Copperhead are largely diurnal but it is not unusual to encounter either on a warm night.

Copperhead - Longwarry

Copperheads are venomous too and a bite could be fatal without medical assistance. Copperheads appear to be adjusting to urbanization and are generally happy to be living amongst us. Butcherbirds, Kookaburras, Kites and Goshawks are known predators of both Tiger Snakes and Copperheads.

PS:

Everyone has a snake anecdote. Here’s two I found particularly interesting recently:

A high proportion of Tiger Snakes on Carnac Island off the West Australian coast near Perth, were found to be blind in one or both eyes from attacks by nesting gulls.

A ‘micro-chipped’ tiger in the Botanic Gardens at Cranbourne is periodically relocated several kilometres away and invariably reappears back at its original location within a few days