Find the perfect companion for you and your family
Jamieson the Trick Horse Horse trainer Steve Jefferys wrote to Burke’s Backyard to tell us about his black stallion, Jamieson. Jamieson, aka ‘Spud’, is a 7 year old Australian Stock Horse. He has a huge repertoire of tricks including: counting...
Fostering Cubs Fiona Fearon and Rob Zammit are hand-rearing two tiger cubs. When only a few days old, the tiny Bengal tiger cubs were rejected by their mother. It is thought that a period of very heavy rain caused the mother to abandon her cubs to concentrate on her...
This week, by popular demand, we showed Misty the Rainbow Lorikeet doing more amazing tricks. (See last week’s road test for more information on lorikeets – click here.) If you have a pet as clever as Misty, why not write in and tell us about it? Send your...
Don investigated some mysterious, funnel-shaped holes in a lawn. That night he returned to the same backyard with a torch, and discovered that bandicoots were coming in from the adjoining bushland and digging in the lawn for grubs, worms and other juicy morsels....
One of the issues that many people face when they are thinking about buying a pet is, ‘what do they cost?’. The question really only begins with the purchase price. Often there are hidden costs everywhere when you buy any pet, and new owners often have no idea of what...
Breed: Rattus norvegicus Temperament: inquisitive, bold and intelligent Cost: $10-$15 Lifespan: up to 3 years Maintenance: medium Recommended for: teenagers, small homes History Rat. The mere mention of the word would send shudders down most (but not all)...
Axolotls Pet Road Test: Axolotl Breed: Axolotl Temperament: placid but anti-social Cost: $20-$35 Lifespan: 12-15 years Maintenance: low-medium Recommended for: teenagers, those who want something different History Also known as the Mexican walking fish, the word...
Breed: Cavy (Guinea Pig) Temperament: quiet and manageable Cost: $5-$45 Lifespan: up to 11 years, average 4-5 years Maintenance: medium Recommended for: families, small residences History Very little is known about the domestic origins of the Guinea Pig, otherwise...
Pet Yabbies Breed: Yabby and Marron Temperament: territorial Cost: $9.95 – $21.95 Lifespan: up to 3 years Maintenance: low Recommended for: aquatic critter fanciers Crayfish Australia has over 100 species of crayfish. Crayfish are lobster-like freshwater...
Breed: Bearded Dragons Temperament: docile Cost: $60 – $400 Lifespan: 10 -15 years Maintenance: low Recommended for: Home units. Those wanting something different. Distribution There are three types of bearded dragons commonly kept by enthusiasts in Australia;...