By Alex

The Harbour Cruise and The Rocks

In the morning, on the 11^th of June, years 3 and 4 went to the Rocks on a bus.

3/2O and 3A went on a harbour cruise while 3/4C and 4S went on a waking tour around the Rocks.  On the Matilda boat a lady called Ilana read us a story about James Cook.  The she told us about an Aborigine called Bennelong.  After that we learnt about Pinchgut.  That’s where naughty people went.  We also saw the enormous Harbour Bridge and a lot of boats gracefully floating around.

After we went on the boat we had lunch.

Then we went on a walking tour.  Our guide was Lesley.  We saw really small houses and thet were not nearly as big as my bedroom!  We also saw Cadman’s Cottage and gun powder rooms.  After that we played on cannons under the Harbour Bridge.  We also learnt about how the Rocks have changed.

At the end of the day we came back to school and I thought it was fantastic.

The Koala

By Alex

Classification

The scientific name of the koala is Phascolarctos Cinereus.  The koala is a mammal known as a marsupial.

Appearance

The koala has a grey, furry body.  It has long sharp claws and big bushy ears.  Koalas have small beady eyes and also flat black noses.  They have very strong tailbones and a furry rump to make the fork of a tree a comfortable seat.  They also have split hands to help climb trees.  Male koalas are twice as heavy as females.

Habitat

You can find koalas in a fork of a tree in the Australian bush.  Male koalas leave a strong smell on their trees.  The koala only lives for twenty years.  Koalas are solitary animals.

Diet

Koalas eat gum leaves and eucalypt leaves.  Koalas only eat at night but they don’t drink water.  They keep leaves in their cheek pouches so when they get hungry later on they can just start munching.  Koalas eat one kilogram of leaves a day.

Where Found

They only live in the eastern parts of N.S.W. and Victoria.

Young

When koalas have new babies they stay in the mother’s pouch.  The baby koala leaves its mother’s pouch after six months.  Then it rides on her back for another six months.  Baby koalas are one centimetre long at birth.  After eighteen months the koala leaves its mother.  When the koala is born it crawls into its mother’s pouch and at the bottom it has a small opening.  Koalas eat leaves and drink milk after sunset.

Enemies

The koala’s enemies are dingoes, foxes, owls, tree-goannas and bushfires and also people because they clear the forests.

Protection

Koalas are protected from their enemies with their very sharp claws.

Habits

Koalas sleep in the day and that’s what makes them nocturnal.  The koala sleeps for about 19 hours.

The Koala

By Nicole

Classification

The scientific name of the koala is Phascolarctos Cinereus.  The koala is a marsupial which is a mammal with a pouch.

Appearance

The koala has a grey furry body, small brown beady eyes, flat back nose, big bushy eras and sharp claws.  Their strong tailbone and furry rump help them get comfortable n the fork of a tree.  The koala has two thumbs on one hand and three fingers on the other hand.  This helps them to climb trees.  The koala has cheek pouches so when it doesn’t want gum leaves it saves them for later.

Habitat

The koala lives in the Australian bush and sleeps in a fork of a tree.  

Diet

The koala eats about one kilogram of tasty eucalypt leaves a day.  They drink no water and eat at night.

Where Found

Koalas only live in the Eastern part of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.

Young

The young baby stays in the mother’s pouch for six months and rides on the mother’s back for six months.  At birth the baby is hairless, pink and about one centimetre long.  At eighteen months the koala is ready to find a new home.

Enemies

The koala’s enemies are dingoes, foxes, owls, tree goannas and humans. They are also in danger in huge bushfires.

Habits

The koala is nocturnal.  They sleep for about 19 hours a day.  The koala feeds after sunset.

The Platypus

by Althea

Classification

The platypus is a monotreme.  The Scientific name for the platypus is ornithorhynchus anatinus.  It means (bird-nose) and (duck-like).

Appearance

The platypus has well-designed feet and webbed feet.  They have furry bodies and even thicker furrier tails.  When they are in the water they close their eyes and ears.  It has a soft leathery bill.  They also have small, black, beady eyes.

Habitat

The platypus lives in the Eastern coast of Australia and Tasmania.  They only live in freshwater rivers and streams.

Diet

The platypus eats worms, yabbies, shrimps and sometimes tadpoles.  They spend two hours in the water.  They have no teeth.  It hunts at dusk and dawn.  It has cheek pouches and they snap up food.  It also eats frogs and crayfish.

Burrows

Some burrows are up to twenty-seven metres long.  Some are shorter.  They are five to nine metres.  They are made of grass and leaves.

Young

The baby platypus has a soft leathery shell.  The mother platypus lays two or three eggs.  The baby platypus drinks milk from the mother which oozes out of the mother’s belly.  The precious eggs hatch in just two weeks.  The babies have teeth.  The mother keeps the eggs warm.

Enemies

The platypus’ enemies are goannas, foxes and eagles.  People are their worst enemies.

Protection

The poison spurs will kill a dog.  The spurs are very poisonous.

Habits

The platypus is a very good swimmer.

The Platypus

By Russell

Classification

The platypus is a monotreme and it is a mammal.  Unlike marsupials., the platypus lays eggs and that makes it the strangest animal.  The name for a platypus is ornithorhynchus anatinus, which means bird nose and duck like.

Description

The platypus has a flat tail, webbed feet and a bony bill.  It has very good feet like a duck.  When it comes to swimming, the feet are very handy.  Also the platypus has very sharp claws on each hind leg.  Its tail is very thick and it has a duck’s bill.  On its face it has the nostril o the bill and the eyes and ears are on the head.

Habitat

Platypus live in fresh water streams or ponds in Tasmania or in the eastern parts of Australia.  Most of the day they are making new burrows.  They live on land and so in the water in the river banks.

Diet

Platypus go into the river for their food.  They eat worms, yabbies, shrimps, tadpoles, frogs and shellfish.  They eat at dawn and dusk.  All the food for the platypus is in the water.  When it feels the pressure it snaps the food in the bill.  It stores up the food in cheek pouches and rises to the top of the water to chew and swallow.

Burrows

Platypuses makes very long burrows.  The longest burrows can be up to twenty-seven metres long with up to two escapes.

Young

The female lays up to two eggs and the eggs are very soft.  The young liv\ck the mother’s fur and milk oozes out.  The egg takes two weeks to hatch and the young drink until fully grown.  The babies have teeth and sleep in leaves and grass.

Enemies

Platypus have four enemies.  We’re one.  We make the waters murky.  Goannas, foxes and eagles eat the platypus.

Protection

Platypus have very good eyesight and hearing.  They have poisonous spurs on each hind leg.  They can kill a dog or small animal.

Habits

Platypus live for ten years.  They walk on their knuckles so they will not make a hole on the webbing.  They are very good swimmers and are in water for two hours.  They nest in grass and leaves.

An Information Report On The Platypus

By Lucy

Classification

The platypus is an unusual mammal called a monotreme.  All mammals feed their babies milk.  They have hair or fur.  It’s the same thing.  They are warm blooded.  The scientific name is Ornithorhynchus anatinus.  It means bird nose and duck like,

Appearance

The platypus has a flat tail, webbed feet, furry body, rubbery bill and small beady eyes.  Platypuses are very shy and that’s why you rarely see one.  They hide in the day and spend two hours in the water searching for food.  When they come out of the water they have to walk on their knuckles because otherwise their claws r\tear the web and then they won’t be able to swim very well.  When they are swimming their eyes, ears and nose are all closed.  Their feet are very well designed. Another strange think is that the platypuses’ nostrils are on their bills.  It has a sensitive bill which helps it feel for its food on the water.  It has pouches in its cheeks for storing food.

Habitat

The platypus only lives in Australia in Tasmania and eastern Australia.  It lives in banks of rivers and creeks.

Diet

Platypuses eat worms, yabbies, shrimp, shellfish and tadpoles.  When they’re a bit bigger they can eat frogs.  When its pouches, in its cheeks, are full it sticks its head above the water and then eats its food.  It only goes out to catch its food at dusk and dawn.

Burrows

Platypuses main activity is digging burrows.  It normally digs near banks.  Another interesting think is that the burrows are as long as 5 or 9 metres and sometimes 27 metres.  It overpasses and underpasses.

Young

The platypus female lays two soft shelled eggs.  The female platypus does not have teats.  Instead the milk slurps put and the baby licks it.  The baby platypus drinks milk until it’s fully grown.  The baby is tiny when it is born.  The mother platypus has to wait two weeks before it is born.  The nest is made of leaves and grass.

Enemies

The platypuses’ enemies are goannas, foxes, eagles and people.  People are worst of all.

Protection

The male platypus has a poisonous spur on its leg.  It can kill big fish with it.  It has great eyesight.

Habits

Platypuses live for ten years.  Platypuses are good swimmers.