Unique Cape York Animals
Some
Cape York animals
are found nowhere else in Australia.
Many Cape York animals are the same as the animals in the rest of north Queensland, and the rest of Australia.
But thanks to the recent land bridges between the tip of Cape York and the neighbouring New Guinea, there are some species of birds, plants and animals that are only found in Cape York and New Guinea, and nowhere else in the world.
Cape York is quite famous for that fact, and many people want to see those birds and animals on their trip.
The thing is, they are not as easy to see as some other, more common and more obvious animals, but if you want to put some effort into it and go spotlighting and bird watching, it is not impossible to see them.
Unique Cape York Animals -
Mammals
Some of the most famous ones are the Cuscuses and Striped Possums.
The striped possum is found in Daintree rainforests as well as in the McIllwraith and Iron Range rainforests. Another very special animal is cuscus - an animal that is found nowhere else than in Cape York and Papua New Guinea. None of them are easy to come across, unless you go spotlighting night time (or have some extreme luck at dusk or dawn).
Spotted Cuscus. By Michael Pennay via Flickr.com
Unique Cape York Animals -
Reptiles
Another rare animal only found here is the green tree python, which may first look like the much more common green tree snake, which is found in tropical rainforests further south. Green Python is only found in Iron Range and McIllwraith Range rainforests.
It is not common to spot, but again, if you go spotlighting night time you may see it. I have spotted it in Iron Range National Park. It tends to climb on branches in the bush only about one metre above the ground. They seem to be territorial - the same individual is to be found in the same place every night.
Green Tree Python. ©cape-york-australia.com
Unique Cape York Animals - Birds
Eclectus Parrots are one of the rare birds that are only found up here. Males are green and females are red - I have read that it is because females sit in the nest and their colour acts as warning for any intruders, while males fly around foraging (and feeding the female), so the green colour is perfect camouflage.They were the birds that were taken in the old days from the famous Smugglers Tree in Iron Range National park.
Eclectus parrots are only found in the rainforests in eastern Cape York.
Eclectus Parrot. ©cape-york-australia.com
More Unique Cape York Birds
Another species of birds
that
are found nowhere else in Australia, are the famous Palm
Cockatoos.
They are by far the largest cockatoos in Australia. They are also known
to be smarter than other cockatoos, and have a more complicated social
system. They are not very easy to see on a brief trip to Cape York. If you really want to see them, ask locals. They know the area around where they live, and often know where Palmies hang around (and what time of the day). Like other birds, they are easiest to spot when they are most active - at dusk and dawn.
I have never actually seen one from close enough to get a good photo (yeah, looking at the one below.. :-). I seem to have the luck to spot them from distance, the one below was on the northern bank of Jardine River.
Palm Cockatoo. ©cape-york-australia.com
Plan
Your Trip... the FREE Cape
York Travel Pocket Guide
Bring
to the Trip... the full Visit
Cape York Destination Guide
If you liked the books or this website, let others know about it!
Link to it from your website, your blog, your forum post... Share it on Facebook, Tweet about it...
Every link helps other travellers!
Thank you for doing the right thing and letting others know :-)
