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Tennis Ball Dog Monica Wilson wrote to Burke’s Backyard to tell us about Georgia, her black Labrador Retriever. Monica claimed that the dog can hold three tennis balls in its mouth at once! Don visited the Wilson family to see this amazing dog in action. Sure...
Maurie Don introduced a new member of the Burke’s Backyard team Maurie, the Pug puppy. He spent his first night in a box beside Don’s bed, so whenever he felt lonely Don was right there to comfort him. Like all puppies, Maurie is a bundle of mischief. He...
Problem Dog Roger the Red Setter is a fun-loving dog, who is also headstrong, easily excited and frantic around guests. Roger rampages through the garden, breaks plants, digs holes, barks incessantly at parrots that visit his backyard, and will not respond to normal...
There are six species of blue tongue lizards (Tiliqua sp.) in Australia. They live in a wide variety of habitats ranging from desert, to tropical and subtropical forests and mountainous areas. These large members of the skink family are hardy, adaptable and...
Don went into an aviary housing exhibition budgerigars. He demonstrated how important it is to move in a way that does not frighten the birds. When working with birds or animals remember these tips: Do everything in slow motion and avoid moving in a rapid, jerky...
Red-back Without Red Back Red-backs (Latrodectus hasseltii) are usually glossy black, with a distinctive red/orange stripe on the abdomen. However, it is not uncommon to find variations on this pattern. Don came across a red-back without any red on its back at all....
Have you ever wondered why cats rub up against people and why they flick their tails? In our segment those questions were answered by Dr Judith Blackshaw, a leading expert in animal behaviour. Judith also explained the reasons behind other common cat antics. Marking...
Snails, Slugs and Slime Snails and slugs are very successful members of the mollusc family. They have brown or grey, soft, unsegmented bodies and two pairs of retractable tentacles on their heads. Slugs have an obvious ‘saddle’ or mantle, while snails have...
A pet cat is an environmental hazard which can have a devastating effect on local wildlife populations. The average cat brings home 32 small animals each year (16 mammals, 8 birds and 8 reptiles) or more than 300 animals during its average life span. Cats also create...
Even though there are some concerns about feeding native birds, there is no scientific evidence that it causes any harm. In fact, home owners assist in the survival of native birds by offering them food, water and shelter, protecting their nesting sites and growing...