Endemic Animals of Queensland








Julia Creek Dunnart
The Julia Creek dunnart (Sminthopsis douglasi ) is a marsupial with a buffy brown upperside and white underside. This dunnart has a body length of 100–135 mm with a tail of 60–105 mm to make a total length of 160–240 mm. Its weight is between 40 and 70 g. The length of the hind foot is 22–24 mm. The species has a dark brown triangle colour from above and below the eye with the point at the nose, and another dark stripe on top of the skull. A healthy dunn ...
art has a carrot-shaped tail filled with fat stores.
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Julia Creek Dunnart
Mahogany Glider
The mahogany glider (Petaurus gracilis ) is an endangered gliding possum native to a small region of coastal Queensland in Australia.
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Mahogany Glider
Bridled Nail-Tail Wallaby
The bridled nail-tail wallaby (Onychogalea fraenata ), also known as the bridled nail-tailed wallaby, bridled nailtail wallaby, bridled wallaby, merrin, and flashjack, is a vulnerable species of macropod. It is a small wallaby found in three isolated areas in Queensland, Australia, and whose population is declining. In early 2019 the total population of the species was estimated to be fewer than 500 mature individuals in the wild and 2285 in ...
captivity.
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Bridled Nail-Tail Wallaby
Lumholtz's Tree-Kangaroo
Lumholtz's tree-kangaroo (Dendrolagus lumholtzi ) is a heavy-bodied tree-kangaroo found in rain forests of the Atherton Tableland Region of Queensland. Its status is classified as near threatened by the IUCN, and authorities consider it as rare. It is named after the Norwegian explorer Carl Sofus Lumholtz (1851–1922), who was the first European to record a specimen in 1883. The local indigenous Dyirbal and Yidiny language name may have been e ...
ither "mabi" or "mapi".
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Lumholtz's Tree-Kangaroo
Mary River Turtle
The Mary River turtle (Elusor macrurus ) is an endangered short-necked turtle that is endemic to the Mary River in south-east Queensland, Australia. While the Mary River Turtle was first formerly discovered in 1994, they eluded discovery in their natural environment for nearly 30 years. There has been a dramatic decrease in their population due to low reproduction rates and an increase of depredation on nests.
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Mary River Turtle
Rankin's dragon
Rankin's dragon (Pogona henrylawsoni ) is a species of Australian agamid lizard. It may also be called the pygmy bearded dragon (though the name is shared with other small Pogona species) and the black-soiled bearded dragon. The specific epithet, henrylawsoni, is in honor of the Australian author, poet, and philosopher Henry Lawson.
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Rankin's dragon
Morelia spilota cheynei
Morelia spilota cheynei, or the jungle carpet python, is a python subspecies found in the rainforests of Queensland, Australia.
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Morelia spilota cheynei
Kowari
The kowari (Dasyuroides byrnei ), also known by its Diyari name kariri, is a small carnivorous marsupial native to the gibber deserts of central Australia. It is monotypic; the sole member of genus Dasyuroides. Other names for the species include brush-tailed marsupial rat, bushy-tailed marsupial rat, kawiri, Kayer rat, and Byrne's crest-tailed marsupial rat.
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Kowari
Collett's snake
Collett's snake (Pseudechis colletti), also commonly known as Collett's black snake, Collett's cobra, or Down's tiger snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to Australia. Although Collett's snake is not as venomous as other Australian snakes, it is capable of delivering a fatal bite, ranking nineteenth in the world's most venomous snakes.
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Collett's snake
Menura tyawanoides
Menura tyawanoides is an extinct species of lyrebird from the Early Miocene of Australia. It was described by Walter Boles from fossil material (a complete left carpometacarpus) found in terrestrial limestone at the Upper Site of Riversleigh, in the Boodjamulla National Park of north-western Queensland. It was smaller than the two living species of lyrebirds. The specific epithet comes from tyawan (a Kumbainggiri term for the superb lyrebird) ...
and the Greek suffix –oides (“resembling”).
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Menura tyawanoides
Kurrartapu
Kurrartapu johnnguyeni is an extinct species of bird in the Australian magpie and butcherbird family. It was described from Early Miocene material (a proximal tarsometatarsus) found at Riversleigh in north-western Queensland, Australia. It is the first Tertiary record of a cracticid from Australia. The size of the fossil material indicates that it was similar in size to the living black butcherbird. The generic name is a Kalkatungu language term ...
for the Australian magpie. The specific epithet honours John Nguyen, the father of the senior describer.
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Kurrartapu
Ciconia louisebolesae
Ciconia louisebolesae is an extinct species of stork from the Early Miocene of Australia. It was described by Walter Boles from fossil material found in a cave deposit at the Bitesantennary Site of Riversleigh, in the Boodjamulla National Park of north-western Queensland. The specific epithet refers to Louise Boles, the describer's mother, to whom the description is dedicated.
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Ciconia louisebolesae
Opalton grasswren
The Opalton grasswren (Amytornis rowleyi ) is an insectivorous bird in the family Maluridae. It is found in the Forsyth Range, (Queensland, Australia). Formerly considered a sub-species of the Striated Grasswren (Amytornis striatus rowleyi ), then known as the Rusty Grasswren. It is found around the opal mining area of Opalton and Lark Quarry south of Winton, Western Queensland. It was named as a full species by the I.O.C. in July 2020.
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Opalton grasswren
Capricorn silvereye
The Capricorn silvereye (Zosterops lateralis chlorocephalus ), also known as the Capricorn white-eye or green-headed white-eye, is a small greenish bird in the Zosteropidae or white-eye family. It is a subspecies of the silvereye that occurs on islands off the coast of Queensland in north-eastern Australia, and which is sometimes considered to be a full species.
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Capricorn silvereye
Collocalia buday
Collocalia buday is an extinct species of large swiftlet from the Late Oligocene to Early Miocene of Australia. It was described in 2001 by Walter Boles from fossil material found at Riversleigh, in the Boodjamulla National Park of north-western Queensland.
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Collocalia buday
Orthonyx kaldowinyeri
Orthonyx kaldowinyeri is an extinct species of logrunner from the Late Oligocene to the Miocene of Australia. It was described by Walter Boles from fossil material (a complete left femur) found at the Last Minute Site of Riversleigh, in the Boodjamulla National Park of north-western Queensland. It was a relatively small logrunner. The specific epithet kaldowinyeri is an Aboriginal term for “old”, referring to the Miocene age of the species which is ...
earlier than that of other members of the genus.
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Orthonyx kaldowinyeri
Northern barred frog
The northern barred frog (Mixophyes schevilli ) is a large, ground dwelling frog native to tropical northern Queensland, Australia.
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Northern barred frog
Elseya albagula
Elseya albagula, commonly known as the white-throated snapping turtle, is one of the largest species of chelid turtles in the world, growing to about 45 cm (18 in) carapace length.The species is endemic to south-eastern Queensland, Australia, in the Burnett, Mary, and Fitzroy River drainages. This species is entirely aquatic, rarely coming ashore and is chiefly herbivorous, feeding on the fruits and buds of riparian vegetation, algae, and large a ...
quatic plants.First proposed as a species by John Goode in the 1960s, it was finally described in 2006. The species is named from the Latin alba = white and gula = throat, which is a reference to the white blotching present on the throats of adult females in the species.The type locality for the species is the Burnett River in south-eastern Queensland, but it is also found in the Mary and Fitzroy River drainages to the north of the Burnett. Some have argued for each of these rivers to represent different species, but DNA, morphological, and morphometric analyses does not support this conclusion.
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Elseya albagula
Bluff Downs giant python
The Bluff Downs giant python (Liasis dubudingala ) is an extinct species of snake from Queensland, Australia, that lived during the Early Pliocene.The Bluff Downs giant python hunted mammals, birds and reptiles in the woodlands and vine thickets bordering Australian watercourses during Pliocene times. Its nearest living relative is the olive python (Liasis olivacea ).
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Bluff Downs giant python
Carphodactylus
Carphodactylus is a monotypic genus of geckos in the family Carphodactylidae. The genus consists of the sole species Carphodactylus laevis, commonly known as the chameleon gecko. The species is endemic to the rainforests of northeastern Australia. It is rated as Least Concern, as it is common (albeit secretive) within its range and occurs within protected areas. It currently experiences no major threats, though long-term climate change may alter ...
or reduce its geographic distribution under some scenarios.
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Carphodactylus
Northern leaf-tailed gecko
The northern leaf-tailed gecko (Saltuarius cornutus ) is a species of the genus Saltuarius, the Australian leaf-tailed geckos.
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Northern leaf-tailed gecko
Gulf snapping turtle
The Gulf snapping turtle or Lavaracks' turtle (Elseya lavarackorum ) is a large species of freshwater turtle in the sidenecked family Chelidae. The species is endemic to northern Australia in northwest Queensland and northeast Northern Territory. The species, similar to other members of the Australian snapping turtles in genus Elseya, only comes ashore to lay eggs and bask. The Gulf snapping turtle is a herbivore and primarily consumes Pandanus ...
and figs.
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Gulf snapping turtle
Elseya uberrima
Elseya uberrima is an Eocene species of extinct Australian snapping turtle.
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Elseya uberrima
Cryptoblepharus virgatus
Cryptoblepharus virgatus, also commonly known as striped snake-eyed skink, cream-striped shinning-skink, wall skink, fence skink or snake-eyed skink is a skink commonly found in southern and eastern Australia. It is an active little lizard, and if threatened will often play dead to confuse the attacker.
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Cryptoblepharus virgatus
Concinnia queenslandiae
The prickly skink, or prickly forest skink (Gnypetoscincus queenslandiae ), is a morphologically and genetically distinctive species of skink endemic to rainforests of the Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Area, in north-eastern Australia. Unlike most small skinks, which have smooth scales, this species has rough, ridged and pointed scales. These keeled scales may be an adaptation to its high-rainfall habitat, to its microhabitat in ...
rotting logs, or to camouflage it when moving through forest leaf-litter.
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Concinnia queenslandiae
Techmarscincus
Techmarscincus is a genus of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The genus is endemic to Australia, and is monotypic, containing the sole species Techmarscincus jigurru.Techmarscincus jigurru, commonly known as the Bartle Frere skink, is a species of rare and endangered lizard first discovered in 1981. It was described and named in 1984 by the late Australian herpetologist Jeanette Covacevich.
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Techmarscincus
Collared delma
The collared delma or adorned delma (Delma torquata ) is the smallest species of lizard in the Pygopodidae family endemic to Australia. Pygopopdids are legless lizards, so are commonly mistaken for snakes. They are distributed mainly across south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales, in both forests and some suburban areas. They are active during the day, seen foraging and hunting for small insects.
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Collared delma
Cacophis churchilli
Cacophis churchilli is a species of elapid snake. Its common name is northern dwarf crowned snake. Its range is the wet tropics of Queensland between Townsville and Cooktown.
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Cacophis churchilli
Atherton delma
The Atherton delma (Delma mitella ) is a species of lizard in the Pygopodidae family endemic to Australia.
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Atherton delma
Ctenotus zebrilla
Ctenotus zebrilla, also known commonly as the Southern Cape York fine-snout ctenotus, is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Australia.
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Ctenotus zebrilla
Black Mountain rainbow-skink
The Black Mountain rainbow-skink (Liburnascincus scirtetis ) is an endemic species that inhabits a total of 6 km2 (2.3 sq mi) on Black Mountain in Queensland, Australia. The species is 70 mm long with a weight between 4 and 6 grams.
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Black Mountain rainbow-skink
Congoo gecko
The Congoo gecko (Strophurus congoo ) is a species of lizard in the family Diplodactylidae. The species is endemic to Australia.
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Congoo gecko
Striped-tailed delma
The striped-tailed delma or single-striped delma (Delma labialis ) is a species of lizard in the Pygopodidae family endemic to Australia.
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Striped-tailed delma
Golden-eyed gecko
The golden-eyed gecko (Strophurus trux ) is a species of lizard in the family Diplodactylidae. The species is endemic to Australia.
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Golden-eyed gecko
Lemur-like ringtail possum
The lemuroid ringtail possum (Hemibelideus lemuroides ), also known as the lemur-like ringtail possum or the brushy-tailed ringtail, is a truly singular member of the ringtail possum group. It was once thought that they were gliding possums (Petauroides volans ); Hemibelideus literally translates as "half-glider" (belideus being a diminutive form of Petaurus, meaning "glider"). They are similar to lemurs in their facial characteristics, with ...
short snouts, large, forward-facing eyes and small ears, but similar to gliders in their musculo-skeletal adaptations to accommodate a leaping lifestyle. Their long, prehensile tail is a further adaptation to their arboreal habitat.It has a bushier tail when compared to other ringtails, and can be distinguished from the greater glider by its lack of gliding membrane and much shorter, hairless ears. It is a social possum, and is found in two main colour forms: the more common brownish-gray form, with a yellowish underbelly, and a rare white form, which occurred in the Daintree Rainforest and was last seen in 2005 in Mount Lewis National Park, and in 2008 believed to have been nearly extinct.This possum is found in a small area of only about 300,000 hectares in total, between Ingham and Cairns in Queensland, Australia, and in an isolated population on the Mount Carbine Tableland, both within the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. They are strictly arboreal and live in the high canopies of mature forests and favour particular tree types, usually found above 480–900 metres in elevation. Body length is 30–38 cm and tail length 30–35 cm, weighing between 810 and 1140 grams.Stephen Williams, researcher on climate change and biodiversity at the Centre for Tropical Biodiversity and Climate Change at James Cook University, Queensland, stated that none were seen for several years after the heat waves of 2005, when first a few were spotted (three were observed in the Daintree National Park, on Cape York Peninsula in 2009) then increasing numbers as they slowly recovered. Williams said in 2009 that there was no reason to believe the white variant would be impacted more than the brown.Then the next heatwave in struck in November 2018, when the Cairns region was hit by the highest temperatures since records began – even the highest mountain in the wet tropics reached 39 °C. Many tropical species cannot cope with extreme heat, not having evolved mechanisms to cool their bodies down, according to Williams; they can die from temperatures above 29 degrees. He said that over the past 15 years systematically species have started to disappear from the lower elevations, causing the total populations to decline as they are constrained to smaller areas at higher elevations. This puts pressure on creatures living in the mountain summits such as the lemuroid possum, which have nowhere else to go; the nearest rainforest is 1000 kilometres away.
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Lemur-like ringtail possum
Mareeba rock-wallaby
The Mareeba rock-wallaby (Petrogale mareeba ) is a rare species of rock-wallaby found around Mareeba in northeastern Queensland, Australia.
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Mareeba rock-wallaby
Northern bettong
The northern bettong (Bettongia tropica ) is a small potoroid marsupial which is restricted to some areas of mixed open Eucalyptus woodlands and Allocasuarina forests bordering rainforests in far northeastern Queensland, Australia. They are known as "rat kangaroos" and move about in a slow hopping manner. There are five different species in Australia of this particular animal. It is about the size of a rabbit with a large tail dragging behind.
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Northern bettong
Coppery brushtail possum
The coppery brushtail possum (Trichosurus johnstonii ) is a species of marsupial possum in the family Phalangeridae. Coppery brushtails are found within the Atherton Tablelands area of Queensland, in northeastern Australia. These mammals inhabit rainforest ecosystems, living within the tree canopy. Though they have a restricted distribution, they are locally common. This population is often considered a subspecies of T. vulpecula.
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Coppery brushtail possum
Proserpine rock-wallaby
The Proserpine rock-wallaby (Petrogale persephone ) is a species of rock-wallaby restricted to a small area in Conway National Park, Dryander National Park, Gloucester Island National Park, and around the town of Airlie Beach, all in Whitsunday Shire in Queensland, Australia. It is a threatened species, being classified by the IUCN as endangered.The Proserpine rock-wallaby is mostly grey in colour and is a timid grass-eater that rarely ventures ...
far from rock shelter. It is distinguished from the many other rock wallabies found in northeastern Queensland by its larger size and longer tail, tipped with white. It was unknown to science until 1977, when a single individual was captured after farmers at Proserpine had spoken of a strange form of rock wallaby in the area.The Proserpine rock-wallaby is found only in a relatively intensively-settled area, but it is in competition with other more successful rock-wallaby species, which competition is probably responsible for its threatened status.
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Proserpine rock-wallaby
Green ringtail possum
The green ringtail possum (Pseudochirops archeri ) is a species of ringtail possum found only in northern Australia. This makes it unique in its genus, all other members of which are found in New Guinea or nearby islands. The green ringtail possum is found in a tiny area of northeastern Queensland, between Paluma and Mount Windsor Tableland.The green ringtail possum gets its name from its fur, which does indeed have a greenish tinge. In reality ...
the fur is olive grey, but it is grizzled with silver, yellow and black hairs, which makes it appear green. It is nocturnal, solitary, and arboreal. It feeds mostly on leaves and is one of the few species that can eat the leaves of the stinger plant (Dendrocnide moroides ) which can cause extreme pain with human casualties needing to be hospitalised. It also engages in a practice called coprophagy, where an animal eats its own faeces.
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Green ringtail possum
Purple-necked rock-wallaby
The purple-necked rock-wallaby (Petrogale purpureicollis ) is a species of rock-wallaby first described in 1924 by Albert Sherbourne Le Souef, then director of the Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia, who noted a purple colouration around the neck and cranial features that distinguish it from other rock-wallaby species.The purple colouration was thought by some sceptical scientists to be due to the animal rubbing against a dye, but the animal does ...
in fact secrete a purple pigment. The pigment is known to wash off in the rain and fade away after death, causing some possible confusion with other rock-wallaby species.The species has undergone taxonomic upheaval for decades and has variously been classified as an unadorned rock-wallaby, brush-tailed rock-wallaby, and black-flanked rock-wallaby. Le Souef and others have asserted that it was a new species, and this has been affirmed by a 2001 paper in the Australian Journal of Zoology.
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Purple-necked rock-wallaby
Cape York rock-wallaby
The Cape York rock-wallaby (Petrogale coenensis ) is a species of rock-wallaby restricted to Cape York Peninsula in northeastern Queensland, Australia. It is a member of a group of seven very closely related rock-wallabies, all found in northeastern Queensland, also including the Mount Claro rock-wallaby (P. sharmani ), the Mareeba rock-wallaby (P. mareeba ) and Godman's rock-wallaby (P. godmani ).The Cape York rock-wallaby is found only in ...
central Cape York, from the Musgrave to the Pascoe River. It is also the only member of the group of seven species to be completely separated geographically from its relatives; it is separated from Godman's rock-wallaby by the Hann River Catchment (around 70 km).
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Cape York rock-wallaby
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