Download Skulls - How We Survive

SKULLS: HOW WE SURVIVE
ECHIDNA (Tachyglossus aculeatus)
Echidnas are mammals. Their brain case is small and rounded and their skulls
seem more bird-like than mammal-like. Adult echidnas have no teeth. Instead
they crush their prey between the hard pads in the roof of the mouth and on
the back of the tongue.
The long snout is sensitive and can detect worms, ants, termites, and insect
larvae. Logs and termite mounds are broken up with its stiffened snout.
Echidnas live in a wide range of habitats as their food source is widespread
and they are well-adapted to collecting it.
FLYING FOX or FRUIT BAT (Pteropus sp.)
Flying foxes have large eyes in the front of their skull. This helps them navigate
and find food at night. The canines are long and recurved which is surprising
for a herbivore. These help to pierce the skin of fruit and carry it away.
Unlike other bats, their molars have a unique pattern. There is an outer and an
inner ridge separated by a shallow, rounded groove. The ridge fits closely into
the opposing groove and very efficiently crushes plant material.
EASTERN GREY KANGAROO (Macropus giganteus)
The Eastern Grey Kangaroo has a long and slender skull. It has a pair of lower
incisors (front teeth) and three pairs of upper incisors to help break off grass.
Their teeth are suited to their herbivorous diet and grassland existence.
There is a diastema (large gap) between the incisors and the molars (back
teeth). This gap allows the tongue to move grass around in the mouth. The
molars have ridges adapted for shearing and grinding plants. New teeth
replace these when they wear down.
The lower jawbone of the Grey Kangaroo was once an ideal tool for Aboriginal
People. It was used as an engraver, awl, fine chisel, and digging tool for yams.
Kangaroo tooth drills made holes in spear throwers and shells for necklaces.
COMMON RINGTAIL POSSUM (Pseudocheirus peregrinus)
Ringtail possums have a delicate skull and pointed snout. Their teeth are
adapted to their plant-eating diet and living in trees.
Ringtails have three pairs of upper incisors. The lower incisors are almost
horizontal, compressed and blade-like. The incisors tear off leaves and bark
from trees. Ringtails also feed on berries, flowers and sap. Their molars have
sharp, triangular ridges in a straight row to finely grind tough leaves.
Queensland Museum Loans – Skulls kits
SKULLS: HOW WE SURVIVE
KOOKABURRA (Dacelo novaeguineae)
Kookaburras are the largest birds in the kingfisher family. They have large,
square heads and long, strong, dagger-like beaks.
These birds use their beaks as ‘digging sticks’ for making tunnels in termite
nests. Their excellent eyesight allows them to spot movement from long
distances.
Kookaburras eat large insects, frogs, snakes and worms. They hold these in
their strong beaks and bash them against tree trunks to soften before
swallowing.
LORIKEET
Lorikeets are small to medium parrots. They feed mainly on nectar and soft
fruits. They have harder beaks than other parrots and brush-tipped tongues.
The tip of the tongue has tufts of papillae (extremely fine hairs). These are
adapted to collect nectar and pollen. For harder fruits or seeds, they grate the
fruit inside their beak or roll the fruit with their tongue against the inside of their
beak. The strong bill also gives an effective grip for climbing trees.
Lorikeets feed mainly on the flowers of Eucalypts and other natives. Therefore
their habitat range includes forests that have suitable trees.
SHEARWATER (Puffinus sp.)
Shearwaters are sea birds. Their long tube nose expels excess salt from their
body. Their long slender beak with hooked tip helps them catch small fish.
Shearwaters plunge into the water from in flight and partially submerge. The
shape of the open beak creates a negative pressure that sucks prey into the
mouth.
A Shearwater’s eyes are on the sides of the head so the visible fields of the
eyes overlap. This gives an area of binocular vision in front of the birds. With
the beak placed at its centre, this helps guide the bird in search of food.
CARPET PYTHON (Morelia spilota)
In Carpet Pythons the bones of the lower jaw are not fused. Instead a ligament
joins these bones together. Snakes also have loosely hinged upper and lower
jaws. This allows them to open their mouths wide to swallow large prey whole.
Carpet pythons have large, solid, backwardly curved teeth, but no hollow
fangs. They use heat-sensory pits along the lower jaw to locate warm-blooded
prey such as possums, rats, bats and birds.
Queensland Museum Loans – Skulls kits