Questions:

Across
1. The dramatic spread of Cane _ _ _ _ _ is resulting in the poisoning deaths of many quolls after they eat them for food.

5. School students can make a difference! By entering this crossword competition, you are learning about and helping to _ _ _ _ endangered species.

7. For thousands of years before the 1900s, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ people burned small patches of spinifex country. The regrowth produced new succulent leaves important for the survival of many native species.

8. Save the Bilby Fund has had success in reintroducing bilbies to the wild inside a predator-proof _ _ _ _ _.

9. The introduced feral Red Fox is one of the main predators of Australian animals. Its scientific name is Vulpes _ _ _ _ _ _.

12. The bite of a Woma Python is not _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ because it is not venomous. It kills its prey by squeezing it in the coils of its body.

13. Cyclone Yasi seriously damaged rainforest areas in Mission Beach and surrounding areas on 3rd February 2011. Volunteers are providing feeding stations for the endangered Cassowary population until the rainforest recovers and grows _ _ _ _, which may take years.

14. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Pygmy-possums are only found in Australia and are this country's only hibernating alpine marsupial. Previously thought to be extinct, small wild populations still survive, however climate change is causing the snow they need to rapidly receed.

16. The Spotted-tailed _ _ _ _ _ is the largest marsupial predator on mainland Australia. It hunts birds, mammals, reptiles, insects and frogs.

18. Northern Giant-Petrels live predominantly on the ocean, mainly coming to land for breeding purposes. They are built to live on the water and have amazingly large _ _ _ _ _ _ feet to help them swim.

19. Many of Australia's creatures are not found anywhere else in the world. In the last 200 years since settlement, hundreds of these _ _ _ _ _ _ species have become extinct.

20. The Orange-bellied Parrot is a very rare migratory bird. Birds live on the south-eastern coast of mainland Australia in winter, _ _ _ _ _ _ south to Tasmania in summer to breed.

21. The Northern Hairy-nosed _ _ _ _ _ _ is a heavily built animal with a broad head, short legs and strong claws to dig burrows.

Down
1. The introduced Crown of _ _ _ _ _ _ starfish is one of a few animals that feed on living coral tissue. When the starfish are in large numbers they can eat corals faster than corals can grow causing long term damage to the reef.

2. Margaret River Burrowing Crayfish _ _ _ complex burrows that can be several metres deep. The burrows are indicated by a chimney of soil pellets on the top of the ground in the wetlands they inhabit.

3. The _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ is only found in Australia. It lives in fresh water, has a duck-like bill, broad flat tail, thick brown fur and four legs.

4. A young seal is called a pup, whereas a young whale is called a _ _ _ _. Both seals and whales are marine mammals.

6. The endangered Kroombit Tinker Frog is an _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, which means it changes from a water-breathing animal into an adult air-breathing animal as it grows.

9. Male platypus protect themselves by using spurs on their hind legs which inject _ _ _ _ _.

10. Water pollution seriously affects the health of sea creatures. They may become _ _ _ _ from chemicals or poisons and are then at greater risk of attack by predators.

11. The Leadbeater's Possum is a small tree-dwelling marsupial. It is _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, meaning that it sleeps during the day and wakes at night.

13. Save the _ _ _ _ _ Fund works to research and conserve the Bilby from extinction and also to educate Australians about their responsibility to protect all endangered species.

15. The Boodie, or Burrowing Bettong, was _ _ _ _ a very common marsupial on mainland Australia.

17. The Tasmanian Wedge-tailed Eagle population is estimated to be less than 1,000. Eagles build a _ _ _ _ from sticks in which they lay their eggs.

18. Hawksbill Turtles bury their eggs in sand on the beach and the temperature of the nest affects the sex of the hatchlings. Cool nests produce more males, while _ _ _ _ nests produce more females.