Wildlife of
Western Australia

Monsoonal tropical savannas dominate the Kimberley, with eucalypt woodlands, tall grasses, seasonal wetlands, and frequent fire regimes; sandstone ranges and gorges create local habitat mosaics.

Primarily the far north (Kimberley), strongest north of ~18-20°S and inland plateaus.

Patches of tropical seasonal woodlands and dry forests occur in the north where rainfall is strongly seasonal; includes denser riparian and gorge-associated woodlands compared with surrounding savanna.

Localized within the Kimberley (especially along rivers, gorges, and higher-moisture pockets).

Large arid and semi-arid deserts with dune fields, spinifex grasslands, salt lakes, and shrublands; extreme heat and low, erratic rainfall shape sparse vegetation and episodic productivity after rains.

Covers much of the interior and east/northeast (e.g., Great Sandy, Little Sandy, Gibson, Great Victoria).

Southwest has a classic Mediterranean climate (wet winters, dry summers) supporting globally significant biodiversity in woodlands, shrublands (kwongan), and forested areas; fire and nutrient-poor soils are key ecological drivers.

Southwest corner and south coast hinterlands; relatively small area compared with deserts but exceptionally species-rich.

Temperate open grasslands and grassy woodlands occur as components within southwest and south-coast mosaics, often intergrading with shrublands and woodlands on plains and valleys.

Patchy in the southwest agricultural zone and some southern coastal plains.

Temperate eucalypt forests in the southwest (including tall karri and jarrah-marri forests) and woodlands on higher-rainfall landscapes; supports diverse understories and endemic flora.

Higher-rainfall southwest (e.g., Darling Range, Warren region) and parts of the south coast hinterland.

Freshwater systems include perennial rivers and pools in the southwest, and seasonal rivers, billabongs, and temporary claypans in the north and arid interior; many wetlands are intermittent and can be very salty in some basins.

Statewide but most reliable/perennial in the southwest; strongly seasonal in the north; highly episodic in arid interior.

Includes northern floodplain wetlands and paperbark swamps, southwest peat/wet heath wetlands, salt lakes and samphire flats in arid zones, and internationally important coastal lagoons/estuaries.

Scattered statewide; major concentrations on Kimberley floodplains, Swan Coastal Plain, and around interior salt-lake systems.

Western Australia's marine life ranges from tropical coral and reef-fish at Ningaloo and the Kimberley's macrotidal coast to temperate seagrass beds and macroalgae reefs on west and south coasts. The Leeuwin Current links them.

Along the entire coastline (Indian Ocean to Southern Ocean), with tropical-to-temperate transition from north to south.

Kimberley eucalypt savannas with annual grasses, frequent fires, and seasonal waterholes; includes rugged sandstone country (e.g., King Leopold Ranges) creating fine-scale habitat diversity.

Widespread eucalypt woodlands from tropical north to the southwest; includes iconic southwest woodlands (e.g., wandoo, salmon gum) and arid-zone mulga-like communities where conditions allow.

Southwest kwongan heathlands and mallee shrublands with extremely high plant diversity and endemism; also arid shrublands on plains and around salt lakes with halophytes (e.g., samphire).

Spinifex sandplains, dune fields, stony deserts, and salt-lake margins across the interior (Great Sandy, Gibson, Great Victoria); productivity is highly pulse-driven after rain.

Tall forests in the southwest (jarrah-marri; karri in higher rainfall pockets) with complex understories, important for threatened fauna and hollow-dependent species.

Patchy temperate grasslands and grassy woodlands in the southwest and southern plains; often heavily modified in the agricultural wheatbelt but remnants remain in reserves and road verges.

Large river systems include the Ord (north; heavily regulated), Fitzroy (Kimberley; major wet-season flows), and southwest rivers like the Swan-Canning and Blackwood; many northern rivers are seasonal with refugial pools.

Interior salt lakes and playa systems (often ephemeral), plus coastal lakes/lagoon systems on the Swan Coastal Plain; salinity and hydroperiod vary widely.

Northern floodplain wetlands and seasonal billabongs; southwest wetlands on the Swan Coastal Plain and peat/wet heath systems; supports waterbirds and specialized aquatic flora.

Paperbark (Melaleuca) swamps in the north and southwest lowlands; often seasonal in the north and sensitive to hydrological change in the southwest.

Coastal and inland marshes including sedgelands around lakes and estuaries; important for migratory shorebirds in suitable coastal systems.

Extensive mangroves on the Kimberley's macrotidal coastline and protected embayments; key nursery habitat for fish and crustaceans.

Estuaries such as Swan-Canning (near Perth) and numerous smaller south-coast estuaries; productivity influenced by seasonality, salinity gradients, and catchment land use.

Highly varied coastline: tropical macrotidal mudflats and rocky coasts in the Kimberley; sandy coasts and dune systems along the west; rugged cliffs and bays along the south.

Long sandy beaches along the west and south coasts; important nesting/foraging areas for shorebirds and marine turtles in some regions, with dune vegetation stabilization systems.

Rocky headlands and intertidal platforms occur widely, especially along parts of the mid-west and south coast, supporting rich intertidal invertebrate and algal communities.

Ningaloo Reef (fringing reef) and patch reefs in the Kimberley; supports coral assemblages, whale sharks (seasonal at Ningaloo), turtles, and diverse reef fish.

Temperate reef systems with canopy-forming algae and kelp-like macroalgae become more prominent toward the lower west and south coasts, supporting high fish and invertebrate diversity.

Continental shelf habitats include seagrass meadows (notably in some bays) and soft-sediment communities; important for benthic invertebrates and demersal fish.

Offshore pelagic waters influenced by the Leeuwin Current support migratory megafauna (whales) and pelagic fisheries; productivity varies with currents and eddies.

Beyond the shelf, deep benthic and slope ecosystems occur offshore, with poorly surveyed biodiversity and vulnerable deep-sea habitats susceptible to disturbance.

Notable coastal cliffs and escarpments along sections of the south coast (e.g., Great Australian Bight margin) and rugged gorge/cliff systems in the Kimberley create nesting and refuge sites.

Karst and limestone cave systems (notably in parts of the southwest and coastal limestone areas) provide specialized subterranean habitats and roosts for bats.

Urban ecosystems concentrated around Perth and regional centers; includes remnant bushland fragments, wetlands, and coastal systems under pressure from development.

Suburban matrices around Perth and major towns interface with bushland and wetlands, affecting fire regimes, invasive species, and hydrology.

Extensive land conversion in the southwest wheatbelt for broadacre cropping and grazing; remnant native vegetation and riparian buffers are critical for connectivity and biodiversity retention.