Download Skulls - How We Eat

SKULLS: HOW WE EAT
KOALA (Phascolarctos cinereus)
Koalas have broad, flat skulls and strong jaws. They nip leaves off trees with
sharp, incisor (front) teeth. They have one pair of lower incisors and three pairs
of upper incisors. These teeth do not grow all the time.
Koalas are herbivores (plant-eaters). They only eat leaves from some gum
trees and related trees. Eucalypt leaves are tough and fibrous. Koalas grind
leaves with their ridged, back molar teeth. This gets the most nutrients from the
leaves.
COMMON RINGTAIL POSSUM (Pseudocheirus peregrinus)
Ringtail possums have a delicate skull and pointed snout. Their teeth are
suited to eating plants and living in trees.
Ringtails have three pairs of upper incisors. The lower incisors are almost
horizontal and blade-like. These teeth tear off leaves and bark from trees.
Ringtails also feed on berries, flowers and sap. Their back teeth have sharp
ridges in a straight row. This helps to finely grind tough leaves before they are
swallowed.
RED-NECKED WALLABY (Macropus rufogriseus)
The red-necked wallaby has a long, slender skull. It bites off grass with its
sharp front teeth. It has a pair of lower incisors or front teeth, and three pairs of
upper incisors.
The wallaby has ridged back molar teeth. This helps to shear and grind up
plants. New teeth grow when the molars wear down and fall out.
There is a large gap between the front and back teeth. They use their tongue
to move grass around in this gap, called the diastema.
FRUIT BAT (FLYING FOX) (Pteropus sp.)
Flying foxes are really large bats. They have large eyes in the front of their
skull. This helps them find food at night.
The canine teeth are long and recurved. This is surprising for a herbivore
(plant-eater). These teeth help to pierce the skin of fruit and carry it away.
Unlike other bats, their back teeth have an outer and an inner ridge. This is
separated by a rounded groove. The ridge fits closely into the opposing
groove. This helps to crush plant material.
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SKULLS: HOW WE EAT
FIGBIRD (Sphecotheres viridis)
The Figbird has a greyish-black bill or beak. It is slightly curved and hooked. It
can open wide to grab fruits and crush seeds.
Figbirds eat fruits, especially figs. They also eat small insects, nectar, and
small seeds.
A Figbird’s eyes can detect colour. This helps them tell which fruit is ripe,
unripe, or over-ripe. This helps as they eat red fruits of palms, figs, and native
berries.
PARROT
This broad skull is of a parrot. The bill or beak has a large hooked, downcurved upper jaw. The lower jaw is smaller and curved upwards. The upper
jaw is attached to the skull by a flexible joint.
Parrots have a strong, curved beak which gives a vice-like grip. This helps to
peel and crack seeds.
The thick bill also gives a strong grip when climbing trees. Inside the bill is a
large, muscular tongue which helps as birds do not have any teeth.
SHEARWATER (Puffinus sp.)
Shearwaters are types of sea birds. Their slender beaks help to catch small
fish.
Shearwaters plunge under the water to catch fish. The shape of their open
beak helps to suck prey into the mouth.
A Shearwater’s eyes are on the sides of the head. Their field of view overlaps
and this gives them binocular vision. This helps guide the bird in search of
food.
TAWNY FROGMOUTH (Podargus strigoides)
Frogmouths have large eyes. This helps them hunt at night. Frogmouths are
not owls. They are closely related to kingfishers and kookaburras.
They have sensory bristles or ‘whiskers’ between the eyes and the base of the
beak. This helps to detect flying insects.
Frogmouths also eat reptiles, frogs, mice, and birds. They hold their prey in
their strong beaks. They then kill them by bashing them against a tree branch.
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