Species Profiles

(Dasyurus hallucatus) Also called the northern Australian native cat, northern native cat, satanellus, and njanmak (Mayali) Introduction Northern quollPhoto © Eric Vanderduys The northern quoll is the smallest of four species of marsupial carnivore in the genus Dasyurus. The species was first described in 1842 and given the species name hallucatus, which means ‘notable first …

(Dasyurus maculatus) Spotted-tailed quoll (Dasyurus maculatus)Photo: Scott Burnett Also called … Tiger quoll, tiger cat, yarri (Herbert River District), burrumbil (Mulgrave River and Atherton Tablelands, north Queensland) Introduction The spotted-tailed quoll is mainland Australia’s largest marsupial carnivore. It was one of the first Australian animals to be encountered by Europeans; Arthur Phillip’s party collected one …

(Tachyglossus aculeatus) The short-beaked echidna isAustralia’s most widespread animalPhoto © WPSQ Also known as spiny anteater, nyingarn (Beeloo, WA), tjilkamata (Pitjantjatjara, Central Australia), minha kekoywa (Pakanh, Cape York Peninsula) Tachyglossus means ‘quick tongue’, referring to the speed with which the echidna uses its tongue to catch ants and termites. Aculeatus means ‘spiny’. The species was …

(Ornithorhynchus anatinus) Juvenile female platypus, Cold Creek. Image © Tamielle Brunt / Wildlife Queensland Also known as the duck-billed platypus, boondaburra, mallangong or tambreet (Indigenous terms around Yas, Murrumbidgee and Tumat), or tohunbuck (Goomburra language, Darling Downs). The platypus belongs to the order Monotremata, meaning ‘one hole’ because it has a single opening for its …

(Lasiorhinus krefftii) Also called Yaminon (Indigenous name from the region of St George, south-western Queensland) Introduction Northern hairy-nosed wombat.Photo © EPA / Darren Jew The northern hairy-nosed wombat, Queensland’s most endangered mammal, has reached a population milestone, now exceeding more than 300. When the species was first surveyed, in the early 1980s, there were just …

(Phascolarctos cinereus) Introduction image © WIldlife Queensland The koala is the largest arboreal folivore found in Australia, with a lifestyle adapted to life in the trees.  It is the only extant member of the family Phascolarctidae but debate continues amongst researchers as to whether there are two or three subspecies, or whether there are any …

(Petaurus australis) Yellow-bellied gliderImage © Steve Parish Publishing The yellow-bellied glider, also known as the fluffy glider in Far North Queensland, is a member of the Petauridae family. It is the largest of the four Petaurus gliders that occur in Australia. Description The yellow-bellied glider lives in family groups and is the most vocal of …

(Petaurus breviceps / Petaurus notatus / Petaurus ariel) Sugar GliderPhoto © Steve Parish Publishing Sugar gliders are possibly the most commonly known of all the glider species in Australia. Previously considered to be one species (Petaurus breviceps), a study[i] published in July 2020 showed the sugar glider is actually three genetically distinct species: Petaurus breviceps and two new …

(Petaurus norfolcensis) Squirrel GliderPhoto © Steve Parish Publishing Squirrel gliders are so named because of their dense, bushy tail. They are not quite as well known as their smaller relative, the sugar glider. Squirrel gliders and sugar gliders can co-occur in some areas and where they do, squirrel gliders are usually the more abundant of …

(Petaurus gracilis) Mahogany GliderPhoto © Daryl Dickson The mahogany glider is named for its rich brown mahogany colour and the importance of the swamp mahogany tree, Lophostemon suaveolens, in its habitat. The scientific name Petaurus gracilismeans slender rope dancer. They have been known to glide up to 60 metres with an average glide distance of 30 metres. …