Wildlife list

Rose Gums Wilderness Retreat borders ‘a million wild acres’ of protected forests so the wildlife is truly wildlife.

We do not feed any animals for the well-being of the wildlife, so patience and a keen eye are necessary to catch a glimpse of the unique Australian fauna.

Platypus & echidna:
These curious mammals lay eggs. The platypus is often seen in our creeks. They are a little smaller than the ones in southern Australia since living in the warmer waters of north Queensland, they do not need as much body fat.

Birds:
Over 160 species including the endangered cassowary are recorded at Rose Gums Wilderness Retreat.
See Bird List & Specialty Birds for further details.

Kangaroos, wallabies & possums:
The smallest kangaroo in the world, the musky-rat kangaroo lives at Rose Gums. Other marsupials recorded are the Lumholtz tree-kangaroo, red-legged pademelon, agile wallaby, long-nosed bandicoot, green ringtail possum & lemuroid ringtail possum.

Other mammals:
Spectacled flying-fox, little red flying-fox, microbats, white-tailed rat, yellow-footed antechinus & Atherton antechinus, bush rat & dingo.

Frogs:
At Rose Gums Wilderness Retreat we often see the orange-thighed tree frog during the wet season. Others spotted are – little red frog, green-eyed tree frog, common tree frog, robust frog,common nursery frog, graceful tree frog, northern dwarf tree frog & the cane toad.

Butterflies:

Over 40 species of butterflies have been recorded including the largest moth in the world, the Hercules moth, the very large Cairns Bird wing and the brilliant Ulysses butterflies