Eco-Detectives: Habitat Heroes

Name:

Date:

🔎 Part 1: Detective Identification

1. This nocturnal marsupial is Tasmania’s iconic scavenger, known for strong jaws and loud vocalisations. Which is it?

Eastern quoll

Tasmanian devil

Common brushtail possum

Short-beaked echidna

2. Which bird nests in tree hollows in Tasmanian forests and travels to the mainland in some seasons?

Lyrebird

Tasmanian native hen

Swift parrot

Superb fairywren

3. This small wallaby-like mammal lives in dense forest understorey and is common in Tasmania. Which is it?

Pademelon

Koala

Bandicoot

Platypus

4. Which animal is a monotreme that forages in freshwater rivers and uses a bill to hunt small invertebrates?

Short-beaked echidna

Platypus

Water rat (rakali)

Wombat

5. Match each Tasmanian species (left) with its main role or habitat (right). Draw a line to match.

A. Tasmanian devil

B. Swift parrot

C. Common wombat

D. Platypus

1. Pollinates eucalyptus flowers and nests in tree hollows

2. Freshwater hunter of aquatic invertebrates

3. Scavenger and predator that helps remove carrion

4. Digging burrows that shape soil and create homes

✏️ Part 2: Conservation Solutions & Creative Work

6. In one sentence, explain how the Tasmanian devil helps keep ecosystems healthy.

7. List two simple actions you could do at school or home to help protect Tasmanian habitats. For each action, write one short sentence saying how it helps.

8. A local threat: "Clearing native vegetation for development reduces food and shelter." Suggest one practical way communities in Tasmania can reduce this threat.

9. Creative task: Give your conservation poster a short title, then draw a picture showing one action (e.g. planting natives, reducing litter, reporting injured wildlife).

Poster title: _____________

10. Reflection (one sentence): Why is it important to use local native plants when restoring a Tasmanian habitat?