What is Australia's most underrated animal? Vote for your favourite this National Science Week

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2 days ago

In National Science Weeks of years gone by, you told us your favourite tree (the majestic river red gum) and the animal call Australia loves the most (the warbling magpie, for obvious reasons).
This year, ABC Science is shining a spotlight on Australia's underrated animals.
With the help of social media, experts and conservation organisations, we've found 10 incredible animals you may never have heard of, and probably don't know a whole lot about.
From the slimy to the bitey and the downright weird — each of these creatures has traditionally been overshadowed by more charismatic species such as koalas and kangaroos.
But we think it's time they had their day in the sun.
Will it be the sharpshooting velvet worm, the mysterious marsupial mole or the secretive short-finned eel?
Are you team rakali, dugong or the great desert skink?
Or maybe you think the turtle frog, ghost bat, giant cuttlefish or palm cockatoo should win.
Click on the cards below to find out more about each of these Australian faunal underdogs.
The ghost bat is one of 10 underrated native animals people can vote for this National Science Week. ( ABC )
As one of Australia's only carnivorous bats, it's probably a good idea to not make fun of this mammal's giant ears and nose.
The ghost bat ( Macroderma gigas ) hails from northern Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
Ghost bats live in colonies of up to 1,500 individuals, and roost in caves and old abandoned mine shafts. Ghost bats have a creche for looking after their young when the mothers go out hunting. ( Supplied: Bat Chat for Conservation )
According to Nicola Hanrahan, a bat ecologist from Charles Darwin University, ghost bats are both cute and ferocious.
"They're a very silent flyer," Dr Hanrahan said.
"People just wouldn't know they're out flying around, taking birds out of trees and landing on the ground to catch frogs."
Their most distinctive feature is their snoot — an extremely large "nose leaf," which they use to push out and direct high-pitched noises for echolocation.
They're Australia's largest microbat, but are they your underrated fave? If so, vote below! Alien: Giant cuttlefish The cuttlefish is one of 10 underrated native animals people can vote for this National Science Week. ( ABC )
While they can grow up to a metre long, the world's largest cuttlefish species can also disappear in a puff of ink and mucous.
The giant cuttlefish ( Ascarosepion apama) is an oddball, and you can catch a glimpse of it around the whole bottom half of Australia — all the way from Brisbane to Shark Bay.
But while most people might only know these spectacular creatures from the cuttlebones that regularly wash up on shore, Mark Norman, chief scientist at Parks Victoria, says there is a whole lot more to love about giant cuttlefish.
"They've got a beak like a parrot with a tongue like a chainsaw. They puree their food to get through their [doughnut-shaped] brain," he said.
"Their skin has evolved this amazing capacity to do black, white, colour and reflection — turning on and off sections of their skin." Cuttlefish's oesophagus goes through the middle of their brain, so they need to puree their food so it fits through. ( Getty Images: Nigel Marsh )
This ability to change colour, shape and even texture can be used to camouflage and fight, as well as create complex mating displays.
They've been called the "rock stars of the sea", as they will mate multiple times during just one season, and die after just a year or two, once the next generation is born.
Are these shape-shifters your favourite underrated animal? If so, vote below! Sharpshooter: Velvet worm The velvet worm may look cute, but it is a ferocious hunter. ( ABC )
They shoot glue, puree their enemies, and are about the size of a leaf.
With 140 species of southern velvet worms ( Peripatopsidae ), and most of those in Australia, these tiny creatures are our homegrown invertebrate.
They normally live in rainforests, under logs or leaf litter, and they like to keep it damp and dark. The starry night velvet worm is the only species of velvet worm that hunts and feeds in groups. ( Supplied: Latty lab )
Interestingly, velvet worms are not worms, caterpillars or even an insect — they're actually most closely related to the tardigrade.
According to Tanya Latty, an entomologist from the University of Sydney, these cute little critters are "voracious, stone-cold predators".
They shoot a sticky glue-like substance at their prey — normally insects and other invertebrates — and when their target is all tied up, velvet worms produce a substance that can digest the prey.
"It turns into a kind of squishy milkshake on the inside," Dr Latty said.
"Then they slurp out all that goodness."
Eek!
If this adorable little predator is your favourite underrated animal, don't forget to vote below. Mysterious: Marsupial mole The marsupial mole is one of 10 underrated native animals people can vote for this National Science Week. ( ABC )
What has no eyes, no external ears, and is barely ever seen? It's no riddle — it's the marsupial mole!
These tiny, golden creatures like to burrow through the sands in central Australia, and it's not easy to catch them.
OK, maybe even that is an understatement. According to Natalie Warburton, a zoologist at Murdoch University, the two species of marsupial mole ( Notoryctes ) are almost impossible to find.
"They're the most cryptic and enigmatic of any of the living species of marsupial," she said.
"Nobody ever sees them." The marsupial mole is functionally blind, and has no pupils. ( Supplied: Ian Harris )
They are extremely well adapted to a life lived burrowing through the sand. They have a kangaroo-like tail, a pouch that faces backwards and ginormous claws.
But they're also functionally blind, and only have pin holes for ears, as these are no longer required for them to find a mate or a meal — which is mostly insects.
If the mysterious marsupial mole has your heart for the best underrated animal, don't forget to vote below! Musician: Palm cockatoo The palm cockatoo is one of 10 underrated native animals people can vote for this National Science Week. ( ABC )
It's a bold claim, but the palm cockatoo might be the most punk-rock bird of all.
The black and scarlet parrot lives in the rainforests and woodlands of Far North Queensland, as well as the Aru Islands and New Guinea. Palm cockatoos breed in old-growth tree hollows, and they only lay eggs every second year. ( Supplied: Christina Zdenek )
With a wingspan of 1.5 metres, the palm cockatoo (Probosciger aterrimus) is an impressive bird, with a black mohawk and a powerful beak, according to Christina Zdenek, an ecologist for People for Wildlife.
"When you're face-to-face with a palm cockatoo and you see the size of that bill and that lower bill, it's like a shovel," she said.
"And you can see them snip through sticks as big as my thumb."
The palm cockatoo also has a completely unique ability to drum, which the males do with a large stick held in their feet.
If drummers are your thing, vote for the palm cockatoo as the most underrated animal below. Kinship: Great desert skink The desert skink is one of 10 underrated native animals people can vote for this National Science Week. ( ABC )
This little orange lizard lives with its mum and poos outside. What's not to love?
The great desert skink ( Liopholis kintorei) can be found in the deserts of the Northern Territory, South Australia, and Western Australia.
It lives in large burrows with its family, which is extremely unusual for reptiles. The great desert skink is known by many different Indigenous names, including tjakura, mulyamiji and warrarna. ( Supplied: Kerenza Sunfly )
Christine Ellis Michaels, a Warlpiri ranger and master tracker, says she can tell who is living in the burrow from their outdoor toilet.
"When we see the scat outside, we know who is living in the burrow — mum, dad and the little ones," she said.
The great desert skink is a species of cultural significance for many Aboriginal groups.
The lizards thrive in areas where Indigenous rangers conduct traditional burning or cat management.
If this magnificent skink is your underrated animal of choice, don't forget to vote below. Secretive: Short-finned eel The eel is one of 10 underrated native animals people can vote for this National Science Week. ( ABC )
A true underdog, the short-finned eel might not be your favourite animal.
But we're here to show you why Anguilla australis is actually a strong contender for your vote.
First, they have a surprisingly long life, according to Wayne Koster from the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research.
"Some of these eels live for 10, 20, even 30 years," he said. The short-finned eel dives almost a kilometre below the surface of the ocean each day on its mating migration. ( Supplied: Kim Birnie-Gauvin )
You can find them throughout the waterways of South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales, as well as some places in New Zealand and the South Pacific.
They can travel over land, climb walls and take down large prey. And that's all before they make it out into the ocean for their epic migration to mate.
The location is so remote, scientists still don't know what happens while they're there.
But then, as new baby eels, they need to swim thousands of kilometres back to the Australian mainland — and only one in every 10,000 hatchings make it.
While they might look a bit fishy, the short-finned eel may be your favourite underrated animal. If so, don't forget to vote below. Burrower: Turtle frog The turtle frog is one of 10 underrated native animals people can vote for this National Science Week. ( ABC )
This tiny frog is pasty white, with big arms, a teeny head, and is — somehow — still absolutely adorable.
The turtle frog ( Myobatrachus gouldii ) can be found in a small southern part of Western Australia near Geraldton.
It mostly lives underground, and is one of only a few species of frog that burrows forwards instead of backwards. Turtle frogs lay eggs, but their young skip the tadpole stage, and hatch directly into tiny frogs. ( Supplied: Ross McGibbon Photography )
As a result, the frog has particularly large arms, and the appearance — according to Paul Doughty, the curator of herpetology at the Western Australian Museum — of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
"They have these giant, super-buff arms," he said.
"The Latin name for the genus Myobatrachus literally translated means 'muscle frog.'"
Turtle frogs can also skip the tadpole stage, and spend months with their significant other underground.
If you think the muscle frog is the most underrated animal, let us know by voting below! Familial: Dugong The dugong is one of 10 underrated native animals people can vote for this National Science Week. ( ABC )
They live off seagrass, and sound like a teeny bird, but can weigh in at more than 400 kilograms and will cut you with their tusks.
The dugong ( Dugong dugon ) is no animal to mess with.
But while they were once confused for mermaids, dugongs do have many similarities to humans, according to Rachel Groom, a marine researcher at Charles Darwin University.
"They can live up to 70 years of age, and they don't have calves every year. They don't mature till they're 13 to 15 years of age," she said. Dugongs use fine hairs on their nose to detect sea grass and dig it up. ( Getty Images: Andrea Izzotti )
There's also a real familial connection, which groups like the li-Anthawirriyarra Sea Ranger Unit from the south-western Gulf of Carpentaria are well aware of.
"What we've learned from working with Yanyuwa people is that they have identified 16 different types of dugong," Dr Groom said.
"They have the old female dugong, the young female dugong, they've got names for calves, they've got names for the lead dugong. They've got the name for the lead whistling dugong, and the one that should never be touched."
Are these giant sea cows your favourite underrated animal? If so, give them a vote below. Adorable: Rakali The rakali is one of 10 underrated native animals people can vote for this National Science Week. ( ABC )
Sure, it's a rat, but it's Australia's own cheeky little water rat!
The rakali ( Hydromys chrysogaster ) is Australia's largest rodent, and can be found in the waterways all around Australia.
According to Emmalie Sanders, an ecologist at Charles Sturt University, rakali are extremely resilient to water quality changes, so they can be found almost anywhere. The rakali is one of only a few animals that has learnt to flip cane toads onto their back so they can eat them safely. ( Flickr: Rakali, audiodam, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 )
"If you have a local billabong or lagoon, a wetland area, they're most likely there. Even in coastal areas or estuaries," she said.
"A lot of people liken them to an otter. So they fill that niche here."
They're also quite wily, and are able to slip out of the collars scientists use to study them, and have been been caught eating underwater microphones just to get some privacy.
If the clever rakali is your favourite underrated animal, make sure you give it a vote below!
Can't decide? Keep an eye out for videos highlighting each creature's best features rolling out over the next two weeks on Facebook and Instagram, and special mini episodes of What the Duck?! with Dr Ann Jones on the ABC Listen App.
Voting closes at 11.30AM AEST on Friday, August 15 and then we'll unveil the winner!