Mark,
Sounds to me like a jungle hammock would be more the go out there. At
least you can put rat-guards on your anchor lines. Another plus with
hammocks is, sleeping at around 1m above ground, it is a bit warmer.
Cheers,
Carl Clifford
On 09/08/2011, at 12:23 PM, Mark Carter wrote:
Hi Michael,
I have recently returned form Old Andado & Mac Clarke Reserve (on the
other side of the Simpson Desert form where you plan to go) where the
native rodent boom is in full swing. I camped for two nights and had
no issues, although anyone who is a light sleeper might find the
squeaking, sniffing and scrabbling noises a bit annoying. The odd one
bounces over your swag and while the Long-haired Rats are mostly shy
they are surprisingly heavy and give you a thump when they jump on
your belly in the night! I resorted to getting into a bug dome at 2am
after the second rat bounced on me. Present at the site were Long
Haired Rats, Plains Mouse, Sandy Inland Mouse in huge numbers, and a
few cheeky feral House Mice. These days I 'tick' all Aussie
terrestrial vertebrates- not just birds- so I was as much there to see
the Plains Mouse as the Letterwing Kites. Some people are a bit
squeamish about rodents but these beasts are a key component of arid-
zone ecological
systems and the chance to see a major irruption event like this only
comes along every decade or less so I'd say go for it! The rodents are
the sole reason the Letterwing Kites and all the other predators out
there are booming so its just all part of the experience.
I have a few pictures of the animals I saw (all wild spotlighting
shots- no captive) over at Wildiaries: http://aussiebirding.wildiaries.com/trips/10682
Cheers
Mark Carter
0447358045
http:www.desertlife.com.au
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