Triboniophorus sp. nov. 'Kaputar' | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Gastropoda |
Subclass: | Heterobranchia |
Order: | Stylommatophora |
Infraorder: | Succineoidei |
Superfamily: | Athoracophoroidea |
Family: | Athoracophoridae |
Subfamily: | Aneitinae |
Genus: | Triboniophorus |
Species: | Triboniophorus sp. nov. 'Kaputar' |
Binomial name | |
Triboniophorus sp. nov. 'Kaputar' | |
Synonyms | |
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Triboniophorus sp. nov. 'Kaputar', also known as Triboniophorus aff. graeffei, or the Mount Kaputar pink slug, is a species of giant air-breathing land slug with a distinctive hot pink hue. These slugs are found on Mount Kaputar in Australia. Taxonomists have confirmed that these slugs are not conspecific with the better-known "red triangle slug", Triboniophorus graeffei .
The slugs have only been found at the top of Mount Kaputar, an inland mountain near Narrabri in northern New South Wales within Mount Kaputar National Park, at an altitude around 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) surrounded by snow gum trees. [2] They have been observed to stay within this area, [2] which is estimated to be 100 square kilometres (40 sq mi). [3] Most of the top of the mountain is designated wilderness. [2] Although the mountain is surrounded by dry plains, it receives rainfall and snow, and its temperature is 10 °C (18 °F) cooler than the plains. [2] Thus it forms an isolated ecozone, or sky island; such sky islands are known for unique indigenous fauna and flora.
Around 90% of the total population of the species are thought to have perished in the 2019 Australian wildfires. [4]
The slugs can be seen by the hundreds on cool, wet, misty mornings. [2] During the day, they hide in the plant litter at the base of the trees. [2] At night, they come out and climb the tree to eat algae and mosses growing on the tree trunk. [2] The slugs climb down the tree trunk in the early morning to hide and repeat the cycle. [2]
In the ecosystem, the slugs break down the plant litter into nutrient-rich soil to promote plant growth. [2] They also serve as food for birds and other animals. [2]
The slugs are fluorescent pink in color and up to about 20 centimetres (8 in) in length. [2] In an Australian Broadcasting Corporation interview, New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service Ranger Michael Murphy described the color: "as bright pink as you can imagine, that's how pink they are". [2]
Triboniophorus sp. nov. 'Kaputar' is related but not identical to Triboniophorus graeffei , the red triangle slug. Taxonomists have confirmed the fluorescent pink species' distinction from the red triangle slug. [3] The slug has relatives in New Guinea, New Caledonia, New Zealand, and eastern Africa. [2] These land masses once connected with Australia as the Gondwanaland supercontinent. [2]
A volcanic eruption at Mount Kaputar 17 million years ago created a high-altitude area where these slugs and other invertebrates and plants have lived isolated for millions of years after the surrounding rainforests of eastern Australia vanished due to climate change. [3]
Eucalyptus is a genus of over seven hundred species of flowering trees, shrubs or mallees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalypteae, including Corymbia, they are commonly known as eucalypts. Plants in the genus Eucalyptus have bark that is either smooth, fibrous, hard or stringy, leaves with oil glands, and sepals and petals that are fused to form a "cap" or operculum over the stamens. The fruit is a woody capsule commonly referred to as a "gumnut".
The Mount Kaputar National Park is a national park located in New South Wales, Australia, surrounding the proximities of Mount Kaputar, a volcano active between 17 and 21 million years ago. It is located 50 km (31 mi) east of Narrabri and 570 km (354 mi) northwest of Sydney. Millions of years of erosion have since carved the volcanic region into the lava terraces, volcanic plugs, and dykes of Nandewar Range. The central feature of the region is Mount Kaputar, the park's namesake, which rises to an altitude of 1,510 m (4,954 ft). The 360 degree view from the summit of the mountain encompasses one-tenth of New South Wales' area or 80,000 square kilometres (31,000 sq mi).
The pink-tongued skink is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. C. gerrardii is endemic to Australia, where it is also called commonly the pink-tongued lizard. As suggested by these common names, its distinguishing characteristic is a pink tongue as opposed to the blue tongue of lizards of the closely related genus Tiliqua.
The Illawarra escarpment, or officially the Illawarra Range, is the fold-created cliffs and plateau-eroded outcrop mountain range west of the Illawarra coastal plain south of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The range encloses the Illawarra region which stretches from Stanwell Park in the north to Kiama, Gerringong and the Shoalhaven River in the south.
Mount Kaputar, a mountain with an elevation of 1,489 metres (4,885 ft) above sea level, is located near Narrabri in northern New South Wales. It is part of the Nandewar Range and has been preserved within the Mount Kaputar National Park. The mountain is a prominent landmark for travellers on the Newell Highway as it rises abruptly from the plains. In the cold of winter the mountain may receive a light dusting of snow.
Angophora costata, commonly known as Sydney red gum, rusty gum or smooth-barked apple, is a species of tree that is endemic to eastern Australia. Reaching 30 m (100 ft) in height, the species has distinctive smooth bark that is pinkish or orange-brown when new and fades to grey with age. Its lance-shaped leaves are arranged in opposite pairs along the stems, with white or creamy white flowers appearing from October to December. The flower buds are usually arranged in groups of three, followed by ribbed, oval or bell-shaped fruit.
Prostanthera lasianthos, commonly known as the Victorian Christmas bush or coranderrk , is a large shrub or small tree of the mint family, Lamiaceae, which is native to Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania in Australia. It grows up to 10 m (35 ft) high but is usually much less and is found in wet sclerophyll forests, often beside creeks. Its flowers, which appear in profuse sprays, are about 2 cm long and white or pale lilac, with purple and orange blotches in the throat. They appear in late spring and summer, and specifically around Christmas time in Victoria. The fragrant, toothed leaves are 4 to 12 cm long and about 1.5 cm wide.
Syncarpia glomulifera, commonly known as the turpentine tree, or yanderra, is a tree of the family Myrtaceae native to New South Wales and Queensland in Australia, which can reach 60 metres in height. It generally grows on heavier soils. The cream flowers appear in spring and are fused into compound flowerheads.
Picea glehnii, the Sakhalin spruce or Glehn's spruce, is a species of conifer in the family Pinaceae. It was named after a Russian botanist, taxonomist, Sakhalin and Amur river regions explorer, geographer and hydrographer Peter von Glehn (1835—1876), the person who was the first to describe this conifer. In Japan people call this tree アカエゾマツ, which means “red spruce”.
Selenochlamys ysbryda, the ghost slug, is a species of predatory air-breathing land slug. It is a shell-less pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Trigonochlamydidae.
The red triangle slug is a species of large air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Athoracophoridae, the leaf-veined slugs.
Triboniophorus is a genus of air-breathing land slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the family Athoracophoridae, the leaf-veined slugs.
Karrabina benthamiana is a species of rainforest trees, growing naturally in north–eastern New South Wales and south–eastern Queensland, Australia. They have common names including red carabeen, leather jacket, brush mahogany, red bean, pink marara and brush mararie. This species used to be placed in the genus Geissois as Geissois benthamiana.
The Boorganna Nature Reserve is a protected nature reserve located northwest of Taree on the Comboyne Plateau in New South Wales, Australia. The 396-hectare (980-acre) reserve, managed by the NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service, was gazetted in 1904 and is the second oldest nature reserve in the state. The reserve features various forest types, including stands of sub tropical rainforest of which the large rosewood, yellow carabeen and small leaf fig are particularly noteworthy. The reserve is a remnant of the former extensive rainforest on the Comboyne Plateau. The plateau was cleared between 1900 and 1925. Australian red cedar was logged in the area in the nineteenth century. Originally proposed to be part of the world heritage rainforest group. The exploration, knowledge, uses and history of this area by Indigenous Australians is not well known in the present day. Boorganna Nature Reserve was proposed, but rejected for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage, due to being geographically isolated from other rainforests in the group.
Hicksbeachia pinnatifolia is a small tree in the family Proteaceae. This rare species is native to subtropical rainforest in New South Wales and Queensland in Australia. Common names include red bopple nut, monkey nut, red nut, beef nut, rose nut and ivory silky oak. The tree produces fleshy, red fruits during spring and summer. These contain edible seeds.
Telopea oreades, commonly known as the Gippsland-, mountain- or Victorian waratah, is a large shrub or small tree in the family Proteaceae. Native to southeastern Australia, it is found in wet sclerophyll forest and rainforest on rich acidic soils high in organic matter. No subspecies are recognised, though a northern isolated population hybridises extensively with the Braidwood waratah (T. mongaensis). Reaching a height of up to 19 metres, T. oreades grows with a single trunk and erect habit. It has dark green leaves with prominent veins that are 11–28 centimetres (4.3–11 in) long and 1.5–6 cm (0.6–2.4 in) wide. The red flower heads, known as inflorescences, appear in late spring. Each is composed of up to 60 individual flowers.
The Mount Hyland Nature Reserve is a protected nature reserve that is located in the New England region of New South Wales, in eastern Australia. The 2,519-hectare (6,220-acre) reserve is situated approximately 35 kilometres (22 mi) west of Dorrigo.
Thaxterogaster cinereoroseolus is a species of truffle-like fungus in the family Cortinariaceae. Found in New South Wales, Australia, the species was described as new to science in 2010.