Confusion over '80cm egg' dangling from Aussie tree: 'WTF'
With hundreds of thousands of different species of wildlife here in Australia, there's no shortage of puzzling discoveries.
Confusion has erupted over the origins of an 80cm "shopping bag-looking thing" that was spotted high up a tree on an Aussie mountain, with one amateur photographer questioning what on earth the humungous "egg" actually is.
The Brisbane-based wildlife enthusiast snapped the picture and uploaded it to social media earlier this week, but was confused over what they'd photographed. Joking that they thought it was a "drop bear egg", the user asked the public for help in correctly identifying it.
Nestled toward the tree's canopy, the strange-looking sac was spotted in Mount Coot-Tha, west of Brisbane's CBD. "Anyone know WTF this thing is? Spotted on Mt Coot-Tha about 30m up a tree," the confused Aussie wrote. "I estimate it must be nearly 80cm in height and initially I thought it was a shopping bag, but now think more likely a Drop Bear Egg."
Expert weighs in on Brisbane tree find
Dozens of people responded to the poster's query, each sharing their opinion on what they thought the formation was.
But speaking to Yahoo News Australia, entomologist with Sydney University, Dr Tom White, set the record straight. White confirmed the item in question is in fact a paper wasp nest — "and a very healthy-looking one at that".
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People amazed by paper wasp nest
Aussies wrote about their experiences with such wasp nests. "I always thought paper wasps made nests in little vertical strips next to each other," one person said. "I just Googled it and I had no idea their nests could be so amazingly different."
"Well spotted! Its getting close to spawning season too! Look up and live people," said another.
"Having had one that got too big and fall out of a tree and explode next to me, that looks like a paper wasp nest," wrote a third.
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