Animals in the Arid Zone Conference

With the drought crippling Australia, a conference hosted by the University of New South Wales this weekend will examine how animals cope in environmental extremes.

Animal Function in Arid Environments, is being held in cooperation with the Australian Mammal Society at the University’s Fowlers Gap Research Station, north of Broken Hill.

Professor Terry Dawson, from the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences said more than 50 scientists will be presenting research on the environmental physiology of mammals, birds and frogs.

“There’s a series of papers comparing emus and kangaroos in these sort of drought circumstances. People automatically think kangaroos are the kings of the outback, but I think if it went down to the wire emus would be better off,” he said.

Experts from South Africa and Namibia are among the keynote speakers. Time will be set aside to investigate the wildlife of Fowlers Gap, which is in the arid zone.

Professor Dawson said the conference provides a timely window for ecologists to learn more about the characteristics and adaptability of animals in extreme conditions.

“A frog will die if it’s out on the surface at Fowlers Gap at the present time, yet we have many species of frogs that just burrow underground and go into hibernation in a cocoon and they’ll last three to four years through a drought.”