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...
Talking Budgie Recently Bill Marks wrote to Burke’s Backyard to tell us about his talking budgerigar, Frederick. Freddie is a 4-year-old male budgie with an amazing vocabulary. In fact, attached to Bill’s letter was a three page list of all the things...
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...
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...
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...
Timmy the Sheep Timmy the Merino sheep was born a runt and his mother abandoned him. Carol and Graham Blaser took pity on the poor little lamb. They bottle-fed him around the clock, and wrapped him in sheepskin. Things took a turn for the worse when Timmy developed...
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...
Dog Mat Rita Hill created a soft, fleecy mat for her dog. Sparky needed a medium-sized mat, but it’s easy to change the dimensions to suit the size of your own pooch. Dog Bed Sizes (includes 3cm seam allowance) Small 76cm x 56cm Medium 76cm x 106cm Large 96cm x...
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...
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...