lithiumkat 0 Posted November 19, 2009 But instead of an exotic croc or another headline-grabbing beast, the name of the late Australian naturalist is being lent to a humble snail. The tree snail, Crikey steveirwini, lives in the mountainous regions of north Queensland near Cairns. Queensland Museum scientist Dr John Stanisic, who discovered the snail, said it shared some unique qualities with its namesake. "In contrast with its more drab coloured ground-dwelling relatives, Crikey steveirwini is a colourful snail, with swirling bands of creamy yellow, orange-brown and chocolate giving the shell an overall khaki appearance," he said. "It was the khaki colour that immediately drew the connection to the late Crocodile Hunter." The 44-year-old, known for exclaiming "Crikey" when confronted with a particularly deadly animal, habitually wore a khaki shirt and shorts during his on-camera encounters with the natural world. The extremely rare snail has only been found in three places, on the summits of high mountains in far north Queensland and at altitudes above 1,000 metres. "These mountainous habitats will be among the first to feel the effects of climate change and Steve Irwin's tree snail could become a focal species for monitoring this change," Dr Stanisic added. Irwin's widow Terri said the naturalist would have been delighted to have a new species bear his name and signature cry. She said: "Steve also had a long history of collaborating with staff at the Queensland Museum and I'm sure he would be pleased to know his name is continuing to highlight a rare and endangered Queensland species." Dr Stanisic will present a commemorative certificate to the Irwin family on Sunday as part of Steve Irwin Day celebrations at Australia Zoo, which he co-owned with his wife. Irwin's daredevil antics, which saw him go face-to-face with deadly creatures such as crocodiles and poisonous snakes, won him a global following. He was killed in September 2006 in a freak accident involving a stingray as he filmed an underwater documentary off Australia's northeast coast Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
myladyyawo 0 Posted November 19, 2009 Wow, I remember when he passed away that was so sad and shocking! Thank you for posting this it was a very interesting read Who know they would name a sail after him! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sanakan 0 Posted November 19, 2009 Good on ya, mate!! XD Lol, that's what I learn after being in Australia for half a year...interesting read btw~ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
