Hello Mark.
I guess that's one of the reasons I did ask. I am a very light sleeper and I
can imagine it would be a horrid night/s having to deal with all the rodent
foot traffic. The expectation alone is probably enough to keep me wired and
awake. In saying that, it doesn't sound as though it is as bad as I imagined.
It's great this rodent boom "is" taking place, and I assume has been for quite
some time now. Nothing terribly much tends to phase me when I am out, but
rats......? Well, we'll be finding out soon enough.
Last year I stayed at Montecollina Bore for the night and the most wonderful
spectacle kept me entertained for hours. A group of about ten Spinifex Hopping
Mouse, maybe even Sandy Inland Mouse (I'm not sure now which one -probably the
latter), were feeding on the seeds that had collected in the mud beneath my
wheel arches as I readied myself for sleep right next to the vehicle. I had my
head torch on them and they didn't seem to mind a bit, continuing on with their
acrobatics. I was concerned they might actually find their way up into the
engine and not find a way out. At other times, just as I was about to get to
sleep, one would run headlong over my swag. It was fantastic. I could hear
their footsteps. It was a great night, though! It still warms the heart to
think of those "little guys".
As for ants, Denise, I don't know about you but I seem to have a very special
talent for finding ant nests and standing amongst them unawares whilst they
crawl up my legs. At least I think they sleep during the night?
Regards,Michael
Date: Tue, 9 Aug 2011 03:23:25 +0100
From:
Subject: re:Rats in the corner country
To:
CC:
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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