Welcome to My Zoo Trivia Quiz

Answer: Leadbeater's possum

Here is Thelma's explanation of her selection:

Leadbeater's possum is an endangered species, meaning it faces a high risk of extinction in the future if current population trends continue. None of the other possums in the question are endangered as of 2010, although that may change. Leadbeater's possums (named after the taxidermist at the Museum of Victoria who first identified the species) build their nests in hollows high in mountain ash trees, found in a small area of the highlands of Victoria. The last of five specimens was collected in 1909, and over time it became accepted that they were almost certainly extinct, until a colony was discovered near Marysville in 1961. Logging in the area put environmental pressure on the species, which was exacerbated by the destruction of most of the trees in the region in February, 2009. Victoria's state fauna emblem once again finds itself in danger of extinction. The virtual zoo is an excellent spot for them.

Answer: Bandicoot

This is why Thelma selected bandicoots for the virtual zoo:

Bandicoots live on the ground, and feed on insects, berries, and similar small food items such as earthworms, spiders, and seeds. They can be found in suburban gardens, where the domestic cat becomes a significant predator. Protecting these endangered animals, among others, is one of the reasons why Australians are encouraged to confine their pet cats, especially at night when they are most active. Since bandicoots nest on the ground, they are vulnerable even when sleeping during the day.

There are currently (2012) about twenty different kinds of bandicoot surviving and documented. Once widely spread, the Western Barred bandicoot is only found on a few islands off the coast of Western Australia, while the Eastern Barred bandicoot is found in a few places in Tasmania and Victoria. As the name suggests, the Northern Brown bandicoot is found along coastal areas in the northern part of the country, between Sydney and Broome. The Southern Brown bandicoot is found in Tasmania and a few isolated spots along the south coast, in Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. With their range shrinking steadily, these fellows need protection!

Answer: Dugong

This is why Thelma was happy to invite dugongs to join her zoo:

Dugongs are the only member of the order Sirenia (often called sea cows) to be found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, where they are widespread, with the majority living off the northern coasts of Australia. The Steller's sea cow, its former closest relative, was hunted (for its meat and for oil) until it became extinct in the 18th century; currently the dugong's closest relatives are the other three species of Sirenia (Amazonian manatee, West Indian manatee and West African manatee), whose locations are indicated by their names. Dugong populations have become isolated and reduced in number both because they continue to be hunted intentionally and due to accidentally becoming trapped in fishing nets. Water pollution which destroys their preferred sea grasses is also an environmental pressure. While Australian populations are currently robust, their range is shrinking, and the species is considered vulnerable (which means they are not in immediate danger of extinction, but need to be monitored to make sure things don't get worse). They will be most welcome as part of the virtual zoo's aquatic section.

By the way, the Afrikaans word for hippopotamus translates into English as sea cow; they are otherwise unrelated to the Sirenia.

Answer: Greater bilby

Why did Thelma select the greater bilby to be part of the virtual museum? Here's why:

Unlike it extinct (since the 1960s) cousin the lesser bilby (also called a yallara and a white-tailed rabbit-eared bandicoot) the greater bilby is still with us, but the animal that once inhabited most of Australia's arid inland is now only found in the northwest part of the country. It is roughly the same size as a rabbit, and its cute long ears have made it a popular figurehead for conservation groups - a portion of the money made from the sale of Easter bilbies is often donated for research into conservation of bilbies and other Australian natives. Like some other animals adapted for desert life, the bilby does not need to have water available - it extracts the water it needs during digestion of the food it consumes. Wild rabbits compete with bilbies for food, and feral cats predate them eagerly, which has led to a shrinking range for the remaining population. No cats or rabbits will be there to bother it in the virtual zoo!

Answer: Tiger quoll

Here's Thelma's explanation of her invitation:

Quolls are also called native cats, although they are not related to the animals usually referred to as cats, being carnivorous marsupials who prefer to live in isolation, only meeting quolls of the opposite gender along the overlapping boundaries of adjacent territories during breeding seasons. The tiger quoll is one of the larger members of the family, and has brown fur with white spots. (Don't ask me why it's a tiger quoll rather than a leopard quoll, I didn't come up with the name. As a Tasmanian tiger, at least I have proper stripes.) Being the largest carnivorous marsupial on the mainland, they eat anything they can find, ranging in size from insects up to kangaroos. The virtual zoo will happily supply it with specimens of the invasive rabbit to satisfy its hunger!

Answer: Southern corroboree frog

Thelma explains why she sent out this invitation:

As one of Australia's most endangered species (with fewer than 100 known to survive in 2005), the southern corroboree frog is an obvious selection for the virtual zoo! Not only is it in extreme danger of extinction, but it is also strikingly-colored. Its northern relatives, only slightly less endangered, and with greener markings, is also welcome. The corroboree frogs have an unusual reproductive cycle which is a partial contributor to their dwindling numbers. At the start of summer, the male builds a nest in sphagnum moss (a very absorbent moss that holds a lot of fluid) at the edge of a mountain pool. He then starts croaking seductively, and attracts a series of females whom he induces to lay eggs which he then fertilizes. A single male can entice up to a dozen females to make their independent contributions, and will even build a second nest if he gets lucky and fills the first one. The tadpoles hatch about four to six months later, and reach metamorphosis about a year after the initial eggs were laid. Unfortunately, since this is summer rather than spring as is the case for most species, the tadpoles are susceptible to the drying effect of drought, and recent years have seen few survive. Since they need to survive until they are about four years old before they start breeding, numbers have declined sharply. A fungus infection introduced in the 1970s also appears to be a significant factor in population decline. We really hope to preserve some virtual specimens for posterity.

Answer: Koala

Thelma explains extending an invitation to the animal which is Western Australia's state fauna emblem:

Although they are called banded anteaters, numbats actually eat termites - up to 20,000 a day! Walpurti is an indigenous name for this lovely reddish-brown marsupial with black stripes and a fluffy tail. Numbats have no close relatives among current marsupials, and their range has been reduced from most of the southern half of the country to two small regions in Western Australia, mostly due to predation from introduced European red foxes. Since numbats are active during the day, they are much easier to catch than many other marsupials of a similar size. Recently, colonies have been set up in secure reserves in New South Wales and South Australia, but the presence of wild foxes means release into the wild is not viable at this time. I am sure they will enjoy their home in the virtual zoo.

Answer: Quokka

Here's the reasoning behind Thelma's invitation to the quokka:

The large macropods (a name meaning large foot - they hop along on their hind feet) such as the other three options in the question are not seriously endangered, although like all native animals they have suffered range reduction due to European settlement. The quokka, however, is small enough (about the size of a domestic cat) to be readily attacked by feral cats and foxes, both imported with the early settlers, and now found over most of the country where there are people. Quokkas have been virtually eliminated on the mainland, although there is a large colony on Rottnest Island, which was named Rotte Nest, Dutch for Rat's Nest, because Willem de Vlamingh mistook them for a type of rat in 1696. Because the island has neither of the introduced predators which have so seriously affected the mainland colonies, they roam freely, and can be found in a range of habitats that includes suburban gardens. They live in family groups which usually consist of one male and a number of females and youngsters, and enjoy meeting up with other groups at watering holes during the night. We have room for several families here at the virtual museum.

Answer: Brush-tailed bettong

Why did Thelma welcome the woylie, also known as the brush-tailed bettong, to the virtual zoo? In her words:

Like many small marsupials, brush-tailed bettongs were threatened by foxes and feral cats. A poison program that used a poison to which bettongs are immune (it occurs in the native plants they eat) successfully reduced the fox population, allowing the reintroduction of animals that had been bred in captivity, and the bettongs were removed from the endangered species list in 1996. Then, in the first decade of the 21st century, the population decreased rapidly to about a tenth of its 2001 population. The reason for this is not clear, but a parasite found in the blood of many dead specimens is considered a very possible culprit. As of 2011, the population is estimated at about 5,000 individuals, and the species is considered critically endangered. The virtual museum offers a haven that is free from predators and disease, and we can provide their preferred food (underground fungi, very unusual for a marsupial) in large virtual amounts. We could find room for the animals who were also listed in the question, and who are also endangered species.

Answer: Western swamp turtle

Here's Thelma's explanation of her invitation:

Scientists were quite excited to rediscover the Western swamp turtle, and managed to find a handful of specimens with which they set up a breeding program in Perth zoo, a program which continues to release more specimens every year. At the start of the 21st century there were about 200 specimens in the breeding program, and 150 in the wild, making this one of Australia's most endangered reptiles. The most significant environmental pressure has come from draining swamps both for agriculture and for urban sprawl, a loss of habitat which is increased in times of drought and bushfire. And then there's the constant issue of feral cats and foxes. The virtual museum will provide a much more secure place for them!