ON LAND LIFE
Wilsons Prom national Park is home to a massive array of land animals in all shapes and sizes. From endangered to largely populated, Wilsons Prom houses large numbers of animals.
The sheltered areas to the large open spaces provide perfect habitats for all sorts of creatures, whether they be night dwellers or prefer getting out in the day.
Housing so many animals Wilsons Prom is a great place to sightsee some of the animals you may be able to catch at least a glimpse of whilst in the Prom are:
Below is a list of some of the on land animal life you may come across whilst at Wilsons Promontory:
White Footed Dunnart
With a light to dark brown coat, this marsupial is relatively small growing up to 200mm long and 18g heavy.
The White footed Dunnart relies on the forest environment with cover needed at all times.
Feeds on small reptiles (up to 17 mm long) and any sort of invertebrates.
Long nosed Poteroo
Has a greyish-brown on the top/back and a light grey on the underside of the animal , this marsupial can grow anywhere up to around 700mm long and usually weighs around 700-1700 g.
The Long nosed Poteroo's habitat is coastal forests, with areas to be dense underfoot.
The marsupial feeds on many fruits found in rainforest areas (hypogeous) and also small insects and larvae.
Feather Tailed Glider
Is grey-mousy brown with a white underside and distinctive, hairless tail. The Feather Tailed Glider is the smallest gliding marsupial known in the world coming in at 160mm from head to tail and weighing only 10-15g.
The glider's are known to live in all sorts of forests in treed areas, but in forests habitats prefer to live in high altitude treed habitats.
Feather tailed gliders feed on many different items such as pollen, honeydew and many insects.
New Holland Mouse
With grey-brown on the topside and and boasts and dusky brown tail, the New Holland Mouse has a head and body length of anywhere between 85-95mm and can weigh up to 20g.
The New Holland Mouse is usually found in coastal areas and max. 900m above sea level and on softer soils to enable ease when digging burrows.
This Mouse is nocturnal and relies on seeds, fungi and invertebrates.
Eastern pygmy-possum
A nocturnal grey-brown marsupial with leave looking ears, the Eastern Pygmy Possum can grown from 15-22 cm (head to tail) and can weigh up to 25g
This marsupial is found in habitats from woodland to rainforests and is often seen alone (solitary animal)
The preferred diets of these animals is pollen and nectar like many other possums but they also diet on small insects and fruits.
Dusky Antechinus
One of the largest in the Antechinus species The Dusky Antechinus is over 12 cm and weighs anywhere from 40(females) to 70 (males) grams.
The marsupial nests in thick vegetation on the ground or in hollowed out logs in rainforest areas.
The Dusky Antechinus is a carnivorous marsupial and feeds on things such as invertebrates, skinks, small birds and other marsupials (such as mice)
Echidna (short-beaked)
These Echidnas are compared to platypus as they lay eggs but are still a type of mammal (known as a monotreme) . They are a greyish-brown colour and they are covered in coarse hair and thick spikes. Echidnas can be anywhere between 30-50cm long and can weigh a heavy 1.5-7 kgs.
The Echidna is known for having not just one particular habitat. The Echidna feeds on mostly termites so where there is wood, the monotreme can survive.
The Echidnas diet consists of mainly ants and termites.
Brush tailed possum
Usually this mammal is black or grey but in some areas it can be a copper colour. The brush tailed possum grows up to 500mm long not including their tail which can range form 200mm-400mm in length, with that being said it isn't a suprise that they can weigh p to 5kgs.
The Brush tailed possums preferred habitat is in hidden away gum trees making them quite hard to spot in the day time as they are nocturnal creatures
This possum feeds on many types of vegetations such as eucalypti leaves, flowers and seeds. The possum also eats small insects and larvae.
The sheltered areas to the large open spaces provide perfect habitats for all sorts of creatures, whether they be night dwellers or prefer getting out in the day.
Housing so many animals Wilsons Prom is a great place to sightsee some of the animals you may be able to catch at least a glimpse of whilst in the Prom are:
- The hairy nosed wombat
- Gippsland water dragon
- Echidnas
- Rattus lutreolus (swamp rat)
Below is a list of some of the on land animal life you may come across whilst at Wilsons Promontory:
White Footed Dunnart
With a light to dark brown coat, this marsupial is relatively small growing up to 200mm long and 18g heavy.
The White footed Dunnart relies on the forest environment with cover needed at all times.
Feeds on small reptiles (up to 17 mm long) and any sort of invertebrates.
Long nosed Poteroo
Has a greyish-brown on the top/back and a light grey on the underside of the animal , this marsupial can grow anywhere up to around 700mm long and usually weighs around 700-1700 g.
The Long nosed Poteroo's habitat is coastal forests, with areas to be dense underfoot.
The marsupial feeds on many fruits found in rainforest areas (hypogeous) and also small insects and larvae.
Feather Tailed Glider
Is grey-mousy brown with a white underside and distinctive, hairless tail. The Feather Tailed Glider is the smallest gliding marsupial known in the world coming in at 160mm from head to tail and weighing only 10-15g.
The glider's are known to live in all sorts of forests in treed areas, but in forests habitats prefer to live in high altitude treed habitats.
Feather tailed gliders feed on many different items such as pollen, honeydew and many insects.
New Holland Mouse
With grey-brown on the topside and and boasts and dusky brown tail, the New Holland Mouse has a head and body length of anywhere between 85-95mm and can weigh up to 20g.
The New Holland Mouse is usually found in coastal areas and max. 900m above sea level and on softer soils to enable ease when digging burrows.
This Mouse is nocturnal and relies on seeds, fungi and invertebrates.
Eastern pygmy-possum
A nocturnal grey-brown marsupial with leave looking ears, the Eastern Pygmy Possum can grown from 15-22 cm (head to tail) and can weigh up to 25g
This marsupial is found in habitats from woodland to rainforests and is often seen alone (solitary animal)
The preferred diets of these animals is pollen and nectar like many other possums but they also diet on small insects and fruits.
Dusky Antechinus
One of the largest in the Antechinus species The Dusky Antechinus is over 12 cm and weighs anywhere from 40(females) to 70 (males) grams.
The marsupial nests in thick vegetation on the ground or in hollowed out logs in rainforest areas.
The Dusky Antechinus is a carnivorous marsupial and feeds on things such as invertebrates, skinks, small birds and other marsupials (such as mice)
Echidna (short-beaked)
These Echidnas are compared to platypus as they lay eggs but are still a type of mammal (known as a monotreme) . They are a greyish-brown colour and they are covered in coarse hair and thick spikes. Echidnas can be anywhere between 30-50cm long and can weigh a heavy 1.5-7 kgs.
The Echidna is known for having not just one particular habitat. The Echidna feeds on mostly termites so where there is wood, the monotreme can survive.
The Echidnas diet consists of mainly ants and termites.
Brush tailed possum
Usually this mammal is black or grey but in some areas it can be a copper colour. The brush tailed possum grows up to 500mm long not including their tail which can range form 200mm-400mm in length, with that being said it isn't a suprise that they can weigh p to 5kgs.
The Brush tailed possums preferred habitat is in hidden away gum trees making them quite hard to spot in the day time as they are nocturnal creatures
This possum feeds on many types of vegetations such as eucalypti leaves, flowers and seeds. The possum also eats small insects and larvae.