This week's template photo for the LMAC Collage Contest (Round 202!) offered a dramatic, but rather sad picture. It seems to be of a zoo, one that is not very well run. There is trash on the ground. There seems to be very little green space and a lonely, forlorn wallaby in the foreground. Too sad for me, so I liberated the animal. The camel in the background, behind the wire fence, is free also. I placed these animals of Australia (yes, camels live there too, although they are not native to the continent).
As a matter of fact, animals in my collage share the city streets with people.
The Template for LMAC #202, credit to @shaka
Koala
Pixabay
We may call these adorable animals bears, but of course they are not. Some interesting facts from the Australian Koala Foundation
- Koalas are marsupials and carry their young in pouches
- The animal is threatened with habitat loss, mostly because of land clearing
- They are able to grip firmly because their front paws have five digits, and one of them moves a lot the way our thumbs do--independently.
- They are heavy sleepers (18-20 hours daily) and move around mostly at night.
Huntsman Spider
Pixabay
This is a very large, mildly venomous spider. Some facts from the Australian Museum
- They like to live under logs, in tree bark and in crevices
- Some types of Huntsman spiders are social, and hang out together in groups
- They have been known to enter houses and sneak into cars (imagine seeing on run across your dashboard)
- They are widely distributed across Australia
- They eat insects and other invertebrates
- The female Huntsman is a good mother and will watch over her egg sack, without eating, for three weeks.
- They can live for two or more years
Wallaby
Pixabay
Information derived from NSW Department of Planning and Environment
- The wallaby is a marsupial
- It is a macropod (large feet?)
- Only found naturally in Australia and Papua New Guinea
- Less active in daytime than night, dusk and dawn
**The following information is from the University of Melbourne Newsroom - A wallaby is pregnant throughout its life. It has two uteruses.
- A suckling wallaby suppresses the growth of an embryo in the second uterus. As soon as the suckling phase is over, the second embryo begins to develop. This period of dormancy can last 11 months.
Coastal Taipan
Pixabay
Information derived from Australian Museum
- This extremely venomous snake will strike readily if surprised, but is not aggressive. It would rather retreat if given a choice than attack
- The snake grows on the average to a length of two feet, but may exceed three feet in length. Males are longer than females.
- Distribution is mostly in coastal areas
- They feed on warm-blooded prey, such as mice and bandicoots (what are bandicoots?)
- They prefer to come out early to mid-morning, but in warm weather will come out at night
- This is the most dangerous snake in Australia. Highly venomous. Second and third strikes carry same amount as first. Get attention right away if struck (Good luck!!)
Camel
Pixabay
The following information is taken from NT.GOV.AU
- Camels were introduced to Australia in 1840
- They are considered feral camels
- There are at least a million of them and the population is growing every year
- They don't seem to be welcome in Australia because they eat and destroy vegetation
The following is taken from the Queensland Government site - The camel is a large herbivore
- It has two humps (😁)
- Wanders and may cover 70 km a day
- Sexually active for 30 years and may live up to 50 years
In addition to the animals listed already, other elements in my collage were
- City scene and trolley
And three images borrowed from Hive friends, images the contributed to the LIL library
-Sneakers
@muelli
https://www.lmac.gallery/lil-gallery-image/5972
Pottery
@muelli
https://www.lmac.gallery/lil-gallery-image/2538Kitten
@yaziris
https://www.lmac.gallery/lil-gallery-image/7654
I added the details as I went along, details you might not notice such as trash from the template on the sidewalk, and lights in the streetlamps. Sneakers hanging from overhead wires--one detail that amused me.
At one point I added a Lunapic filter. Gimp, Paint, and Paint 3D were employed to manipulate.
The last element added was the snake:
I thought the picture needed more balance, a little menace :)
LIL is not only a valuable image resource for the Hive community, but is also a way for community members to participate in LMAC. Anyone on Hive can contribute to the library and everyone can borrow from it. Learn about the procedure here.
Every week we offer prizes to fifteen finalists in the contest, but it's not only the prizes people create for. I, for example don't compete, but spend hours giving vent to my imagination. Others in the community have developed the habit of 'speaking' through collage.
This week's contest is still running. You have until this evening to join in the fun. Details, here.
As @shaka has said many times, everyone is an artist. I may not be an artist in the technical sense, but LMAC allows me to nurture my own unique artistic voice.
Thank you for reading. Peace and health to all.