Wildlife Hotspots
The Northern Territory, home to over 400 species of bird, 150 species of mammal and 300 species of reptile, has an area twice as big as France and a tiny human population (less than Bordeaux). It's virtually impossible not to spot wildlife here.
The possum is a nocturnal creature and spends most of the day asleep in the hollow of a tree, coming out at night to forage. The common brushtail is one of the largest species of possum and are usually the size of a common house cat. Visit East Point Reserve near Darwin to see these creatures in their natural habitat.
The brolga is a member of the crane family and resides in the wetlands of tropical Australia. Well-known for their impressive mating dance, the male brolga can grow to 1.3 metres in height. View these spectacular birds in the Fogg Dam Conservation Reserve 70km east of Darwin in the Northern Territory, where kingfisher and jabiru can also be spotted in abundance.
Often mistaken for kangaroos, the wallaby is of the same family but slightly smaller and with a more rounded body than its larger cousin. The Litchfield National Park is a great place in which to spot these agile creatures, and is also home to a wide array of woodland birds. Keep your eyes peeled here for the gigantic termite mounds as well.
The saltwater crocodile is the largest reptile in the world and can grow up to seven metres in length, perhaps why they are feared by many! Primarily found around the Northern Territory, ‘salties’ as the Australians affectionately call them, are frequently spotted throughout Kakadu National Park, one of the most important UNESCO World-Heritage areas.
The flying fox is also know as the fruit bat and can be spotted in large numbers around Nitmiluk National Park, 300 km north of Katherine in the Northern Territory. The black and little-red flying foxes are among the most common in and around the park, where the rare Gouldian finch and water monitors also reside.
Most at home in the arid desert scrub, thorny devils can be found across the sand plains of central and western Australia. They are covered entirely by conical shaped spines which both protect them and help to collect the water that is channelled through grooves to the mouth. For food, the thorny devils feast on ants, eating up to a thousand in one sitting.