Mammals are vertebrates that evolved from therapsid reptiles during the Jurassic Period, about 200 million years ago. The first mammals, known as morganucodontids, were nocturnal insect eaters that resembled modern-day shrews. For the better part of 130 million years, mammals remained small and lived in a world dominated by the dinosaurs. But around 65 million years ago, a drastic shift in climate caused the extinction of more than two-thirds of the animal species on the planet, including the dinosaurs.
Today, mammals are remarkably varied, with some 5,400 species occupying every continent on the globe.
The Strzelecki Ranges in South Gippsland, have a wide variety of mammals. Such as the Common Wombat, Swamp Wallaby, Koala, Brushtail and Ringtail Possums, Antichinus, Echidnas and Platypus. All of these have been seen and are either living or regular visitors to this bush block.
As the years have gone by the animals have become friendlier and we now see them on a much more regular basis. We cut tracks through the blackberries that linned the creek and the larger animals now use those tracks to enter and graze our place. I will be adding photos and details of our experiences with these animals over time.