Photographs
There are more photographs and a more extensive coverage of Victorian plant and animal species in these packages than in any other publication. For many of the plant species there are no other published photographs.
The Flora and Fauna databases have colour photographs of about 95% of animal
(mammal, bird, reptile and frog) species and 70% of the (vascular) plants.
There are usually several photographs for a species showing, for animals, males, females, juveniles and different colour forms or, for plants, flowers, fruit, leaves, bark and so on.
In total there are over 12,000 photographs of about 4100 species.
Descriptions
For each species a simple and concise description has been prepared. As much as possible non-technical language has been used in these descriptions but when this is not practical an on-line glossary is included which can be accessed by simply
highlighting the word then clicking the right mouse-button.
For each plant species the descriptions contain information on the general appearance, flowers (or spores if a fern), fruit, leaves and (often) its preferred environment. Other pieces of information include flowering time, place of origin (if the species is not native), Koorie use (if any) and a variety of other characteristics.
For each animal species the descriptions contain information on general appearance, colours, differences (if any) between males, females and juveniles, size (and weight for mammals), breeding data and habitat.
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| Thelymitra
epipactoides - Metallic Sun-orchid
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General Appearance: An
erect orchid, to 50 cm tall, with 5-20 dull bronze, pink, green or
blue-grey flowers clustered in the upper part of stem.
Leaves: Narrowly lanceolate to linear, to 25 cm x 25 mm,
hairless, fleshy, a single leaf arising from the base of flower
stem.
Flowers: Variable in colour, to 40 mm across. Sepals and
petals (including labellum) similar, ovate, pointed. Column
hood-like, to 8 mm long, with two tufts of cream or white hair on
short arms at the tip. (Sep Oct Nov Dec)
Aboriginal Use: The starchy tubers were eaten.
Conservation: [f] Listed under the Victorian Flora and
Fauna Guarantee. [E] Endangered in Australia. [e] Endangered
in Victoria.
Other States: NSW SA
Annual Rainfall: 551 to 817 mm
Warmest Temperatures: 24 to 28 °C
Coolest Temperatures: 4 to 6 °C
Altitude: 0 to 237 m ASL
Other Common Names: Stout Sun-orchid |
| Giant
Bullfrog - Limnodynastes interioris 
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General Appearance: A
large, thick-set brown, burrowing frog. Predominantly brown to
yellow-brown with a few darker spots on the back, a broad, dark
brown to black band from behind the eye to the flanks, and a raised,
pale brown to red-brown stripe from beneath the eye to the shoulder.
Eardrum indistinct. Under parts orange-yellow. Groin and flanks
often with bright black and orange mottling. Pupil horizontal. Skin
on back and flanks more or less smooth; skin on belly smooth. Front
feet unwebbed, hind feet partially webbed, toes without pads. Hind
legs with glandular swelling on outer thigh and a large, fleshy lump
on inside of foot.
Head-body Length: to 90 mm.
Breeding: Aug-Mar, eggs laid in still water or sometimes
flooded burrows.
Diet: A range of arthropods.
Environment: Floodplains of the Murray River where it
spends much of its time underground. It is active after rains.
Call: A deep 'bonk'.
Notes: The species is similar to Limnodynastes dumerilli
but differs in its plain, orange yellow belly and deeper call.
Conservation: [f] Listed under the Victorian Flora and
Fauna Guarantee. [c] Critically Endangered in Victoria.
Other States: NSW
Other Common Names: Great Bullfrog |
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