I went for a run yesterday with this German girl from the hostel. We ended up running across the "Yarra river into the Royal Botanical gardens. I always marvel at how even in such cold weather (it's not quite 60 degrees) the rainforest section is still keeping up pretty well. These plants aren't used to the cold yet they seem to be doing just fine. MAybe they do lose a couple here and there.
But Melbourne also has a water shortage. This is evident in how the artificial lakes appear to be dried up and actually look like several smaller lakes instead of one big one. Certain animals have adapted to these conditions and can sometimes live in mud (as opposed to water). One such animal is the catfish...and there have been many a gigantic catfish living in swampy lands due to their ability to outlive most other fish and their low standards in eating garbage.
But here the water level is just depressingly low. Even though it's drizzled everyday here, part of the tourist in me wants it to stop, while the water conservationist agrees that more water would be better.
Then there are possums. These are mostly nocturnal marsupials that look a great deal cuter here in Australia as opposed to the states. They come right up to visitors to beg for food (despite the signs that tell visitors to not to feed them).
Question: Remember the movie "Over the Hedge"? When an ecosystem is invaded by humans, how do some animals adapt to human presence?
