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 NOCTURNAL
ANIMALS OF THE DAINTREE RAINFOREST
One
of the most memorable experiences is to take a night walk and appreciate
the rainforest from a different point of view. The rainforest becomes
alive at night - with an experienced guide who knows what signs to look
for, you have the opportunity to meet some of the animals living in the
forest.
Prue
and Neil Hewett from Cooper
Creek Wilderness, a World Heritage nature refuge in the Daintree Rainforest
provide a list of the animals and photos that have been observed on their
night walks:
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Seldom seen
The Platypus
(Ornithorynchus anatinus) and Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus)
are inhabitants of Cooper Creek Wilderness.
So is the carnivorous marsupial, the Spotted-tailed Quoll (Dasyurus
maculatus). Bennett's Tree Kangaroo (Dendrolagus bennettianus)
inhabits rainforest at both high and low altitudes north of
the Daintree River, in an area of only about 50 by 70 kilometres.
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STRIPED POSSUM
Copyright 2002 Neil Hewett
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More frequent
sightings
The
Northern Brown Bandicoot (Isoodon macrourus) and the Long-nosed
Bandicoot (Parameles nasuta) are seen much more frequently.
The Red-legged Pademelon (Thylogale stigmatica) is an inhabitant,
which has suffered substantial population decline from the impact
of Tropical Cyclone Rona in 1999.
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The Striped
Possum
The
Striped Possum (Dactylopsila trivirgata) is extremely agile
and performs spectacular leaps from the branches of rainforest giants
to the safety of the numerous fan palms in the secondary story,
announcing their presence with an unmistakable crashing sound. They
have acute hearing and detect beetle larvae in rainforest timbers
by tapping likely haunts with the 'palms' of their front feet. At
the faintest sound of agitation, the possum will ferociously tear
into the timber with its sharp and powerful incisors. It has an
elongated fourth 'finger' on each of its front feet for the purpose
of extracting its preferred food supply.
Lizards
Distinctive lizards inhabiting Cooper Creek Wilderness
include the Boyd's Forest Dragon (Gonocephalus boydii), Eastern
Water Dragon (Physignathus lesueurii), Chameleon Gecko (Carphodactylus
laevis) and the Northern Leaf-tailed Gecko (Phyllurus cornutus).
NORTHERN LEAF-TAILED
GECKO
Copyright 2002 Neil Hewett
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BOYD'S FOREST DRAGON
Copyright 2002 Neil Hewett
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Snakes
Australia's longest snake; the Amethyst Python (Liasis amethystinus)
has reached 8.5 metres and dominates the nocturnal landscape of
the Daintree. It moves through the upper canopy as easily as it
does along the forest floor and finds prey with the evolutionary
advantages of facial heat sensing pits that house infrared receptors.
AMETHYST PYTHON
Copyright 2002 Neil Hewett
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Another frequently
seen nocturnal tree-climbing snake is the Eastern Brown Tree Snake
(Boiga irregularis). Also known as the Night Tiger Snake, this masterful
and venomous climber is equipped with rear fangs.
 EASTERN
BROWN TREE SNAKE
Copyright 2002 Neil Hewett
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