Grassy
Woodland
Food Web
Activity
A food web exercise in a
seasonally flooded
grassy woodland on the
Yarra River
(pre European
Settlement)
Tussock Grass
Poa Labillardierei
Buath (Woiwurrong)
Photo Lydia Fehring
A large perennial grass dominant on wetter sites it has a fluffy
seed which is easily dispersed by the wind.
Used by mammals such as the Eastern Barred Bandicoot
to nest in or underneath. Also home to a large range of
insects and reptiles including bugs, ants, grasshoppers and
striped legless lizards.
This grass is usually only eaten by kangaroos and wallabies
after a fire when the new green shoots are forming.
Aboriginal people used the fibre from this tough
grass to make string for nets, bags, baskets and
mats.
Wallaby Grass
Austrodanthonia carphoides
A small perennial grass with a fluffy seed which helps with wind
dispersal.
The roots of wallaby grass are eaten by the endangered
golden sun moth. Wallabies and Kangaroos also eat new
growth, the foliage and the fluffy seed heads. Smaller
birds and insects will also feed on the seed of this grass.
Used by the Golden sun Moth to lay eggs, the striped
legless lizard as a place to live, the Eastern Barred
Bandicoot and the swamp rat as a place to hide. Frogs and
lizards also use this grass as shade and a place to hide
from predators.
Kangaroo Grass
Themeda triandra
Wuulot (Gunditjmara)
Widespread perennial grass, once dominant in many regions. It has
an awn seed which screws itself into the ground.
The foliage and seed is eaten by kangaroos, wallabies,
smaller birds and insects.
It is used by the striped legless lizard as a place to live,
the Eastern Barred Bandicoot and the swamp rat as a
place to hide. Frogs and lizards also use this grass as
shade and a place to hide from predators.
Aboriginal people used Kangaroo grass to manufacture
fishing nets – both the leaves and stem have fibre for
string.
Red gum
Eucalyptus camaldulensis
Bial (Woiwurrong)
Photo Lydia Fehring
Australia’s most widespread eucalypt, common along watercourses
and on the plains.
Red gums only form hollows after around 100 years. These
hollows are very important to a range of native fauna.
Red Tailed black cockatoos, possums and gliders depend
heavily on hollowed out trees for their homes. Wedge
tailed eagles will nest in them as they are one of the
taller Eucalypts and bats will roost in them.
Gliders rely on the sap from Eucalypts to survive.
A range of insects feed off and live in the majestic red
gums.
A study done on a single red gum on the Murray River found that
nearly 8500 invertebrates living in the canopy and bark!
Manna gum
Eucalyptus viminalis
Wurrun (Woiwurrong)
A spreading tree in open sites a Manna gum sometimes grows so
large that it has to support itself by leaning on its lower branches.
Gliders rely on the sap from Eucalypts to survive.
Manna gums are the main source of food for Koalas
especially in southwest Victoria.
A range of birds, insects, possums and gliders all use this
tree as a source of food, shelter or just as a travel
stopover.
Open water
Buluk (Woiwurrong) – swamp
Gunung (Woiwurrong) River or creek
Photo Lydia Fehring
Open water is very important to a wide range of species in most
ecosystems.
Different water levels are vital for different species to feed, hide
and swim.
Water provides a refuge from predators, a
range of food sources and a home for aquatic
invertebrates, fish, platypus, birds, swamp
rat, tadpoles and frogs. It also provides a water
source for other mammals such as Kangaroos, Wallabies, snakes,
lizards and possums.
Water plants
Sedges (Carex & Juncus), Water ribbons
(Triglochin), and Rushes (Eleocharis).
Photo Lydia Fehring
Water plants are a very important part of the
ecosystem. Apart from providing food and shelter for
fish, aquatic invertebrates and other mammals they
supply oxygen to the water which improves water quality.
There are many different water plants – the ones listed above are
some of the main groups of plants growing in wet areas.
Water plants are important as they keep the water clean, and they
provide food and fibre for a range of animals.
The swamp rat relies on the stems of these plants for
food and shelter.
Aboriginal people used a lot of water plants for food
– some of the underground rhizomes are very nutritious and
fibre – to make baskets, string even spears.
Striped Legless
Lizard
Delma impar
Photo Peter Robertson
I might look a lot like a snake but I am a lizard. You have to
look hard but you can see that I have tiny back legs that look
like small flaps half way down my body. The easiest way to
tell that I am a lizard is by looking for the tiny ear holes on the side
of my head which snakes don’t have
I am a small reptile and I live in the native grasslands of south
eastern Australia. Less than 1% of Victoria’s original native
grasslands are left. The biggest Striped Legless Lizard population
can be found in the Western Plains of Victoria.
I mainly eat insects that I find in the Tussock grasses.
I need a great deal of cover - like tussocks and other
grasses, as I make a tasty meal for birds of prey – like
the Wedge Tailed Eagle.
I am listed as vulnerable in Victoria under the Flora and Fauna
Guarantee Act.
Eastern Barred
Bandicoot
Perameles gunnii
Bung (Woiwurrong)
Photo Joan Dixon
I am a small mammal and marsupial found mainly in the western
plains of Victoria.
I build my nest at the base of grass tussocks – to hide
from predators.
I use my well-developed sense of smell to locate food
such as invertebrates from the soil including grubs, worms
and beetles and use my strong claws and long slender nose
to dig small holes in the ground to reach them. I will also
eat some plant roots and berries
I am listed as vulnerable in Victoria under the Flora and
Fauna Guarantee Act.
Platypus
Ornithorhynchus anatinus
Dulaiwurrong (Woiwurrong)
Photo Ian McCann
I am a monotreme – which is a special kind of mammal who lays
eggs (an echidna is also a monotreme).
My Aboriginal name refers to my “big lips”
I am shy and elusive, live in the water and nest on the edge of
rivers and freshwater lakes where the mud is soft enough for
burrows to be dug.
I find food using electrical impulses which detect
movement in the water. I eat aquatic invertebrates such
as insect larvae, shrimps and worms.
The male has a poisonous spur inside each hind leg which is attached
to a pouch of venom. The venom is enough to make a human
uncomfortable.
Wedge Tailed Eagle
Aquila audax
Bundjil (Woiwurrong)
I am Australia’s largest bird of prey and am one of the world’s
largest eagles. I have a wingspan of up to 2.5 metres and the
female of the species is usually bigger than the male.
I usually try to nest in the tallest tree around – usually a red
gum or manna gum, and I prefer open woodlands and plains as it
is easier to find food.
I eat a range of prey including frogs, snakes and lizards, other
birds and mammals over 500g such as small kangaroos,
wallabies, eastern barred bandicoot, possums and gliders.
Aboriginal people believed that I am the symbol of
the creator of man who lived in the sky. I was never
hunted for food or killed. My feathers were used as
decoration in headbands on special occasions.
Shingleback Lizard
Tiliqua rugosa
Photo Peter Robertson
I am a reptile and one of the larger members of the skink
family. I have stumpy legs and a blunt tail which looks a lot
like my head. This helps me confuse potential predators. I
can go without food for many months if necessary.
I have a striking purple tongue which makes me look fierce. I can
grow up to 34cm long.
My main diet is invertebrates including snails, insects and
sometimes spiders.
I prefer to live in the drier areas of the grasslands where
the tussocks give me cover.
Tiger Snake
Notechis scutatus
Gurnmil (Woiwurrong)
Photo Peter Robertson
I am a reptile and bites from me used to be the most common
snakebite in south eastern Australia. This is because I live in the
same area as the highest human population in Australia (Victoria,
NSW, some of SA and Tasmania) so encounters with me are
common.
I like to live in swampy and marshy ares where there is
tussock grass cover and water. This means plenty of
food.
I will eat lizards, frogs, smaller birds, fish and small
mammals such as swamp rats.
An interesting fact about me is that I hold my eggs in my
abdomen until they hatch – so I give birth to live young.
Red Tailed Black
Cockatoo
Calyptorhynchus banksii
Darnum (Woiwurrong)
I was the first parrot from Australia to be illustrated by
Joseph Bank’s artist in 1770.
There are scattered populations of me throughout Australia and a
special threatened subspecies in western Victoria. Over 60% of my
habitat has been destroyed in Victoria.
I am easily recognised as the male of the species has a bright red
stripe underneath the tail.
I depend on large hollowed out trees for
nesting (such as old red gums) and I feed on
the seed of Brown Stringybark or Bulokes. I
only produce one young at a time.
Swamp Rat
Rattus lutreolus
Contrary to my name I don’t live in the water but I will swim if it is
necessary.
I am a mammal who lives in the dense tussocks and water
plants such as reeds around swamps and grasslands. I have
to hide from snakes and wedge tailed eagles who like to
eat me if they see me.
I have an extensive runway system through the tussocks which is
kind of like a road system that I run along.
I feed on grasses and some water plants as well as fungi
and any unlucky insects passing by.
Red necked Wallaby
Macropus rugogriseus
Winbirr (Woiwurrong)
Photo Gary Lewis
I am mammal and marsupial who grazes on grasses and herbs. I
usually prefer open eucalypt woodlands to roam around in. We get
the name “red-necked” from the colour of our fur which is reddish
on the neck and shoulders.
Most wallabies are solitary but we will come together in
small groups to feed. I feed on grasses such as wallaby and
kangaroo grass as well as the new shoots of tussock grass.
We are found along the Australian east coast from the
Queensland/NSW border to the South Australian border
including Tasmania. We rest in the shade of the gum
trees during the hottest part of the day.
Aboriginal people ate our meat & thought of us as a prized
catch.
Eastern Grey Kangaroo
Macropus giganteus
Marram (Woiwurrong)
Photo Lina Frigo
I am a mammal and a marsupial and I am the second biggest
kangaroo in Australia. We are members of the Macropod family
which means “Big Foot”
We rest in the shade of gum trees during the day.
We tend to feed in open grasslands when it gets
cooler. We eat grasses such as wallaby, kangaroo
grass and the new shoots of tussock grass as well as herbs,
shrubs and leaves.
Studies have shown that we don’t eat the same grasses as
sheep and cattle except in drought. We are one of 6 main
species of kangaroo and we have been known to jump up to 9
metres in a single bound.
To Aboriginal people we were a prized catch, they ate
our meat and used other parts like the sinews in our tail
as a special headband called a liik.
Gould’s Wattled Bat
Chalinolobus gouldii
Buliyong (Woiwurrong)
Photo Andrew Bennett
I am a relatively common bat in Victoria. Did you know that
bats are the only true flying mammals and that bats make up
nearly a quarter of all mammal species.
We rely mostly on sound for navigation – humans can actually only
hear a couple of Australian bats – most of the sounds that they
make are too high pitched for the human ear.
We play a really important role in ecosystems as we are the
only major predators of night flying insects. It has been
proven that we can consume up to 25% of our body weight
in insects in a night. Some species even catch and eat up to 600
mozzies in a night.
Insectivorous bats emerge after dark and eat what is
available such as mozzies, flies and flying ants. We usually
roost in red gums along creeks.
Brush tailed Possum
Trichosurus vulpecula
Walert (Woiwurrong)
Photo Gary Lewis
We are a relatively common site in most areas of Victoria. Though
we are rare in the drier central areas of Australia.
We used to prefer to live in hollow tree limbs like gum
trees, but increasingly we are using build up urban areas
such as roof spaces as a substitute.
Our main diet is leaves, plant fruits and flowers from
some of the gum trees. We have to be careful of the
wedge tailed eagle as they will eat us.
We have a scent gland on our chest which exudes a smelly
substances which is used to mark territory on the bark of
trees.
Possum skin rugs were a valuable item of clothing for
Aboriginal people, as they were warm and waterproof.
Up to 30 possum skins were needed for a full size rug.
They were called walert-walert.
Yellow Bellied Glider
Petaurus australis
Yurran (Woiwurrong)
We are mammals and marsupials and sometimes we are
called a flying possum, we glide horizontally from tree to
tree with our built in parachute attached to our wrists.
We are one of the largest gliders. We use our tail as a rudder to
guide us.
We sleep in a leaf-lined tree hollow (such as a red gum or
manna gum) with a small opening for safety from predators
such as the wedge tailed eagle. We move in social groups
consisting of one male, several females and babies.
Our favourite habitat is eucalypts and acacias (gum trees and
wattle trees) which provide us with homes and food all year
round. We feed on the pollen and sap of mature eucalypt
trees – especially the Manna Gum and Messmate. We do
this by cutting a V shape out of the bark and drinking the
sap. We also feed on a range of invertebrates.
Golden sun moth
Synemon plana
We are a medium sized moth with a wingspan of 34mm. Usually our
colouring is bronzy brown and grey.
We were once widespread in the grasslands of Victoria but our
habitat has been significantly reduced over time to less than 1% of
the original range.
We lay our eggs at the base of Wallaby
grass and the larvae feed on the
underground tussock parts for 2 years
before emerging as adults. As adults we do
not feed or drink and live for between 1 and 2 days.
I have to be careful of other animals such as frogs, gliders, bats
and lizards who like to eat me.
We are considered endangered in Victoria under the Flora and
Fauna Guarantee Act
Growling Grass Frog
Litoria raniformus
Nagarrert (Woiwurrong)
Photo Peter Robertson
I am an amphibian and I used to occur all over Victoria, but habitat
destruction including the draining of wetlands and swamps means
that I am becoming increasingly rare.
We grow to between 55-100mm and range in colour from an emerald
green to an olive green. I have brown and gold splotches on my
warty back.
We are opportunistic feeders and prey on almost anything
smaller than us including invertebrates like moths, insects
and other frogs.
We have to be careful as snakes and wedge tailed eagles like to eat
us.
The male call sounds like “Crawark-crawark-crok-crok” and
calls while floating in open water. We usually live close to
water or wet areas and needs permanent still water to lay eggs
in October.
We are listed as Vulnerable under the Flora & Fauna Guarantee
Act.
Koala
Phascolarctos cinereus
Gurrborra (Woiwurrong)
Photo Alan Henderson
We are one of the most recognisable marsupials of Australia. A
recent study estimated that we contribute $1.1 billion from tourists
annually to the Australian economy.
We spend an estimated 80% of the day asleep in gum trees.
We eat an average of 500g-1kg of eucalypt leaves a day and
feed on less than 12 of the estimated 700 eucalypt species.
In south west of Victoria we particularly like the Manna Gum.
We are one of the few mammals who can eat the toxic eucalypt
leaves as we are able to neutralise the toxins and we try to only eat
young leaves.
Did you know that we feed our babies poo to ready their
digestive system for the toxins of eucalypt leaves.
The word Koala comes from another Aboriginal word
meaning no water, as we rarely drink water because we get
enough moisture from leaves. Our skin was never used for
clothing and when eaten, we were always cooked with our skin on.
Our closest relative is the wombat.
Insects
Bugs, grubs, ants, worms, grasshoppers
Photo Lydia Fehring
Insects make up a large group of animals called invertebrates.
Invertebrate means no backbone. Invertebrates make up the largest
group of animals in Australia.
Invertebrates are eaten by a whole range of other animals such
as Platypus, Eastern Barred Bandicoots, Striped legless
lizards, lizards, bi
rds, snakes, gliders, possums, frogs and swamp rats all eat insects as
one part or the whole part of their diet.
Insects hide in small places like tussocks and other grasses, in the leaves,
bark and branches of trees, in the open water and in and
around water plants. Invertebrates may be small but they
are an essential part of the food web.
In 2000 a group of scientists did a study on two Red gum
trees and found a total of nearly 8500 invertebrates in the
canopy and bark!
Did you know that over 80% of the animals in the world have 6 or more
legs!
Emu
Dromaius novaehollandiae
Barraimal (Woiwurrong)
The emu is Australia’s largest native bird and is the second largest
flightless bird in the world. The emu grows to 2 metres and has a
long neck, long powerful legs and each foot has 3 toes and can reach
speeds of up to 48 kilometres per hour.
The emu eats leaves, grasses, fruits and flowers of native plants
such as tussock, kangaroo and wallaby grasses and also insects.
The female emu is called a hen and she lays between 5 and 20
dark green eggs in a nest of trampled grasses such as tussock,
kangaroo and wallaby grasses. The male then incubates them
and raises them for 18 months.
Emus are common in a wide range of habitats including deserts,
coastal areas and woodlands.
The emu was a favourite food of the Aboriginal people who
used imitate its call to attract them.