Wildlife of
Queensland

Dense evergreen rainforests of the Wet Tropics and Cape York (upland and lowland) with high endemism, complex canopy structure, and very high rainfall.

Narrow but continuous coastal/montane belt in the far north (Wet Tropics) and patches across Cape York; small proportion of total area but very high biodiversity.

Seasonally dry forests and monsoon forests/woodlands (including vine thickets) in northern Queensland, often on sheltered slopes and coastal/gulf margins.

Patchy across the north (Cape York, Gulf Country, north coast) and some inland pockets.

Extensive tropical savannas and eucalypt woodlands with grassy understories, strongly shaped by seasonal rainfall and fire; includes Cape York, Gulf savannas, and much of central/western Queensland.

Dominant across northern and much of inland Queensland.

Arid to semi-arid landscapes with sparse shrublands/grasslands, dune fields and floodout/channel systems; highly variable productivity driven by episodic rain.

Southwest and far west (including Channel Country and margins of the Simpson Desert).

Open grasslands and grassy downs (e.g., Mitchell grass and other native grasslands) on fertile cracking clays and plains, supporting grazing and remnant native biota.

Inland plains (notably Mitchell Grass Downs) and parts of the Darling Downs; many areas modified for agriculture.

Subtropical to warm-temperate eucalypt forests and mixed forests in southeast Queensland and higher elevations, with wetter gullies and drier ridge systems.

Primarily the southeast and some coastal ranges; fragmented by development and agriculture.

Cooler/wetter subtropical-temperate rainforest elements in elevated border ranges and moist refugia (often adjoining NSW), including complex vine forests and moist gullies.

Very limited and localized to uplands of southeast Queensland (border ranges) and select moist escarpments.

Rivers, floodplains, billabongs, impoundments and upland streams-from monsoonal north-flowing systems to inland drainage and coastal catchments-supporting aquatic and riparian biodiversity.

Statewide along major river basins (e.g., Burdekin, Fitzroy, Mitchell, Cooper/Channel Country systems) and coastal drainages.

Coastal and inland wetlands including floodplain lagoons, paperbark swamps, saltmarsh, melaleuca wetlands, and large riverine floodplains; crucial for waterbirds and fisheries.

Common along tropical coasts (Gulf of Carpentaria and east coast) and in major inland floodplains; highly seasonal in the north.

Coral reef, lagoon, shelf and deep-water ecosystems of the Great Barrier Reef, Torres Strait and Coral Sea, including seagrass meadows and pelagic habitats.

Entire Queensland east coast offshore waters (GBR/Coral Sea) plus far-northern Torres Strait; among the most extensive marine systems in Australia.

Wet Tropics rainforests (Daintree-Atherton Tablelands-Paluma range) and Cape York rainforest patches; world-renowned for endemism and ancient lineages.

Widespread eucalypt forests from coastal ranges to inland slopes, including mixed communities with diverse understory types.

Eucalypt and acacia woodlands dominating Cape York, Gulf Country and central Queensland; often fire-adapted with open canopies.

Tropical savanna mosaics of grasses, scattered trees and seasonal wetlands, strongly shaped by monsoon seasonality and frequent fire.

Mitchell grass plains and other native grasslands on inland clay plains; important for grazing and grassland fauna where intact.

Semi-arid shrublands (e.g., mulga/acacia-dominated areas and mixed chenopod shrublands) in drier inland regions.

Dune fields, gibber/stony plains and arid floodouts in the far west/southwest, with boom-bust ecology after rains.

Upland habitats of the Great Dividing Range, Atherton Tablelands and border ranges; cooler climates and high-rainfall refugia.

Major river systems (e.g., Fitzroy, Burdekin, Mitchell) with riparian corridors, seasonal flow pulses and floodplain connectivity.

Natural and artificial lakes/impoundments (e.g., large storages) plus inland seasonal waterbodies supporting waterbirds and aquatic communities.

Floodplain wetlands, paperbark (Melaleuca) swamps, and coastal wetland complexes, many seasonally inundated.

Freshwater swamps in coastal lowlands and floodplains, often dominated by paperbarks and sedges.

Shallow, emergent-vegetation wetlands and floodplain marshes; important feeding/breeding sites for waterbirds.

Extensive mangrove forests along tropical coasts (especially Gulf of Carpentaria, Cape York and estuaries on the east coast), supporting fisheries nurseries.

Tidal river mouths and estuarine deltas along both coasts, linking catchments to nearshore seagrass and reef systems.

Coastal dunes, headlands and lowland plains from the Wet Tropics coast to southeast Queensland, including major development and conservation areas.

Long sandy beaches and dune systems (east coast) and tropical shorelines (north), important for nesting turtles and shorebirds.

Rocky headlands and intertidal platforms (notably in parts of southeast and central coast), supporting diverse intertidal assemblages.

Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait reefs-barrier, fringing and platform reefs with high coral and fish diversity.

Pelagic waters of the Coral Sea and outer GBR supporting migratory megafauna and oceanic food webs.

Deep Coral Sea environments beyond the continental shelf, including slopes and basins with poorly mapped but distinctive fauna.

Continental shelf and lagoon seabeds with sand/mud habitats, seagrass meadows and sponge/algal communities.

Sugarcane and horticulture in coastal lowlands; broadacre cropping and grazing across the Darling Downs, Brigalow Belt and inland plains.

Localized timber plantations (e.g., pine and hardwood) mainly in coastal and southeast regions.

Major urban footprints (e.g., Brisbane-Gold Coast-Sunshine Coast, Townsville, Cairns) with strong pressures on adjacent coastal habitats.

Rapidly expanding peri-urban zones in southeast Queensland and regional coastal cities, often adjacent to wetlands and forest remnants.