Biodiversity - fauna
The Tarkine Wilderness has an astonishing variety of animal species and sub-species. Slater (1992) identified 267 animal species, of which 193 are vertebrates and 74 invertebrates. The vertebrates include 122 bird species, 27 mammal species, 11 reptile species, 8 amphibian species, and 25 species of fish (13 freshwater and 12 marine).

The invertebrate figures almost entirely neglect insects for which there is a paucity of data. A recent review of insect genera recorded 47 in the Savage River National Park and Regional Reserve - an area representing less than 10% of the total area of the Tarkine Wilderness and almost wholly one particular type of ecosystem (Parks and Wildlife Service 2001).

  • Twenty-seven species of terrestrial fauna located in the Tarkine Wilderness have been identified as in some way threatened. The area has experienced little permanent human development and settlement. From a conservation perspective its integrity and size makes the Tarkine Wilderness an ideal refuge for threatened species of fauna.
Type
Latin Name
Common Name
Status*
Mammal Dasyurus maculatus maculatus Spotted-tailed Quoll Vulnerable (A)
  Peramelesgunnii Eastern Barred Bandicoot Vulnerable (A)
  Mastacomys fuscus fuscus Broad-toothed Rat Endangered (T)
Bird Aquila audax fleayi Tas. Wedge-tailed Eagle Endangered (A)
  Accipter novehollandiae Grey Goshawk Rare (T)
  Diomedea epomophora Southern Royal Albatross Vulnerable (A)
  Diomedea exulans Wandering Albatross Endangered (T)
  Lathamus discolor Swift Parrot Endangered (A)
  Macronectes giganteus Southern Giant Petrel Endangered (A)
  Macronectes halli Northern Giant Petrel Vulnerable (A)
  Neophema chrysogaster Orange-bellied Parrot Endangered (A/T)
  Thinornis rubricollis Hooded Plover Vulnerable (A)
Invertebrate Beddomeia angulata Freshwater Snail Rare (T)
  Phrantela annamurrayae Freshwater Snail Rare (T)
Amphibian Littoria raniformis Southern Bell Frog Vulnerable (T)
Crustacean Astacopsis gouldi Giant Freshwater Crayfish Vulnerable (A/T)

Threatened Animal Species (*A = Australian status, T = Tasmanian Status)

Bass Strait separates Tasmania from mainland Australia, but a number of bird species seasonally migrate between both islands. These include the Blue-winged and Orange-bellied Parrots (Neophema chrysostoma and N. chrysogaster), and the Swift Parrot (Lathamus discolor). The first is uncommon, while the other parrots are endangered and breed only in Tasmania. Their habitat is critical for their continued survival in the wild.

A subspecies of the Wedge-tailed Eagle (found in relative abundance on mainland Australia), the Tasmanian Wedge-tailed Eagle (Aquila audax fleayi), is the largest eagle in the world. There are an estimated 130 pairs successfully breeding each year in Tasmania, the wedge-tailed eagle is listed as endangered. The major threats to the species include habitat loss, nest disturbance, collisions and electrocutions with powerlines and persecution through shooting, trapping and poisoning by thoughtless persons.

The Giant Freshwater Crayfish (Astacopsis gouldi), or Tayatea as it is known by its Aboriginal name, is the largest freshwater crustacean in the world. It can grow to one metre (3'3"), in length and is believed to live for up to 40 years. Its existence is highly dependent on undisturbed old-growth forest adjacent to its riverine habitat. Its optimum habitat is deep shaded water clear of siltation and sediment, with a suitable water temperature.