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Our region supports a tremendous variety of animals including many endemic mammals.

Here are just a few you may come across.

Thought a hoax in 1799 when it was introduced to the British Public, this egg laying mammal is a very unusual character indeed. With a furry body up to 50cm long, including a rubbery duck-like bill, webbed feet and broad rudder shaped tail it spends half the day feeding on the bottom of a creek or dam. The other part is spent on land or in a burrow just above water level. In spring the female may lay up to 3 eggs, and when the young hatch they suck milk which oozes from pores on the mothers belly. The platypus can stay underwater for up to 10 minutes at a time. You may catch a glimpse of them when they pop up, or when they are feeding in the reeds at the waters edge, or when they are swimming swiftly down the river. They are not yet endangered, but their habitat is on the decline.

Places you may see the platypus: Peterson Creek in Yungaburra, the rainforest walk along the river at Malanda Falls and at Tarzalli Lakes Fishing Park.

Endemic to the wet tropics and listed as rare, this nocturnal mammal can be found on the Tablelands. It lives in the canopy of Rainforests and adjacent wet sclerophyll forests. It is thought to have evolved from kangaroos, and returned to the trees just like its possum like ancestors.

It is the size of a small dog, with a long black tail, black face and paws and strong forelimbs. Though spending most of its time in the trees, it does move between rainforest patches, so please be careful when driving through the forest at night or early in the morning.

Places you may see the Tree kangaroo: The Malanda Falls Environmental Park and Peterson Creek in Yungaburra.

Musky Rat-kangaroo - Thought to be the most primitive of the kangaroo family this endemic mammal can be found by day, foraging for fruits and insects on the floor of the rainforest. With a body length of about 30cm long, it has dark rusty brown fur and a scaly tail. Though a member of the kangaroo family, the Musky Rat-kangaroo moves on all fours, in a slight bunny hop motion.

Walk quietly on the walking tracks. You may spot a family of red-legged Pademelons munching quietly before disappearing into the foliage, or you may spot a native rat or a melomy. Some nocturnal mammals are hard to see. Some to look for are the Northern Brown Bandicoots or the pale rainforest Long-nosed Bandicoot.

Possums - Nocturnal by nature, there are a wide diversity of possums in our region, including the endemic Lemuroid Ringtail Possum, Green Ringtail Possum and Striped Possum. The Common brushtail possums are found in many habitats across the region.

Gliders - They use membranes on either side of their body to glide up to between their favourite trees. The Mahogany Glider is an endemic glider that is critically endangered, it was thought to be extinct at one time. Sugar gliders are small and cute and live in family groups.

Look for possums and gliders at night at the National Parks such as Mt Hypipamee National Park.

Boyd's Forest Dragon - This reptile has a distinctly primeval look with a large scaled head and curved spikes down its back. It eats mainly insects and is active by day. At about 20cm long, it is well camouflaged, so you have to look hard to see it. It is commonly seen clinging to a tree trunk in rainforest areas, keeping very still so as not to be seen.

Lace Monitor - commonly encountered and growing to 1.5 metres in length, it is Australia's second largest lizard. It can be seen scavenging at campgrounds, but when startled will run up the nearest tree.

The rainforest and the open sclerophyll country support a good range of frog species. About 20 frog species are endemic to the rainforest of the wet tropics areas. Frogs are an important part of the ecosystem but unfortunately many of our frog species are endangered.

Some of the most impressive frogs are the White-lipped Tree frogs which can reach over 130 mm (5 ½ inches) in length, not including the legs. Some frogs you may see are the Common green Tree Frog, the Northern Barred Frog and the stony creek frog.

When it is raining, the frog chorus provides an excellent way to track down the callers. On a wet night a spotlighting walk along streams and track may be fruitful. During the day frogs can be found under rocks and logs, don't forget to replace their shelter after you have looked.

 

http://www.wettropics.gov.au - The wet tropics site has a wealth of information on wildlife in our region.