Placental Mammals
There are over 140 terrestrial placental mammals in Australia, with almost all of these being bats or rodents. Bats are the only mammals that can fly and can be split into two main groups; fruit eaters and insect eaters.
The Grey-headed Flying Fox is one of the most common fruit bats and is distributed along the eastern part of the continent and can be seen around the You Yangs and Great Ocean Road. Baby flying foxes can be spotted in ‘maternity camps’ around October. Across Kakadu & Arnhem Land, the Black Flying Fox congregates in large groups and is known to follow the ripening of fruit and the blossoming pollens of eucalypts, Melaleuca Paperbarks and banksias. Little Red Flying Foxes and Blossom Bats can also be seen in this area. Also in Northern Australia, the Spectacled Flying Fox is a common sighting across the Wet Tropics outside of Cairns. Endemic to Christmas Island, the Christmas Island Flying-fox is critically endangered and is the island's only remaining native mammal. It is estimated that there are 2000 individuals left on Christmas Island (compared to 4000 in the 1980s).
Ghost Bats are the second largest insect-eating bat in the world and are characterised by their almost transparent wings and large protruding ears. These bats feed on lizards, birds and large insects. Only 10,000 individuals are left in the wild, with significant colonies present in the Kakadu area. Large and Small Bentwing bats can also be seen in the tropics and eastern coast of Australia, often seen flying in and out of caves or mines at dusk.
Australia’s best-known placental mammal is the Dingo. Fossil evidence suggests that Dingoes, which are a subspecies of the Grey Wolf, arrived with Asian seafarers 3,000-5,000 years ago. They can be heard howling in the early morning and late evening throughout Kakadu & Arnhem Land and the Wet Tropics. Dingoes often hunt in packs and will target kangaroos, wallabies and waterbirds, as well as domestic farm animals such as sheep and calves (young cows). This led to the Australian government erecting the 'dog fence', which stretches more than 5,600km (almost 3,500 miles) across south-eastern Australia. The fence is the longest in the world and is designed to restrict the flow of dingoes into Australia's most productive livestock farming country.
Search for tours including Placental Mammals, using the seasonal viewing opportunities calendar further down the page or find out more at the tour links below:
Daintree & Cape Tribulation Tour Ultimate Nature, Daintree Exclusive, Three Day ‘Peek’ Kakadu & Arnhem Land, SEIT Red Centre Iconics, East Gippsland Wildlife Journey
Viewing opportunities that include placental mammals
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January,February,December, East Gippsland
East Gippsland - Summer Sightings for Land Mammals & Marsupials
Marsupials Kangaroos & Macropods: Eastern Grey Kangaroo*, Red-necked Wallaby*, Swamp Wallaby* | Koala* | Wombats: Common Wombat* | Rat Kangaroos: Long-nosed Potoroo | Brushtail Possums & Cuscuses: Common Brushtail Possum* | Gliding Possums: Yellow-bellied Glider, Sugar Glider, Feathertail Glider | Ringtail Possums & Greater Gliders: Common Ringtail Possum, Greater Glider | Carnivorous Marsupials: Dusky Antechinus | Bandicoots & Bilbies: Southern Brown Bandicoot, Long-nosed Bandicoot
Monotremes Platypus* | Short-beaked Echidna*
Placental Mammals Bats: Grey-headed Flying Fox* | Rodents: Bush Rat, Swamp Rat, Water Rat (Rakali), Smoky Mouse
* Denotes sighting chance as high or common
How to find these species
"Grey-headed Flying Foxes are large fruit-eating bats that roost in camps of thousands of individuals during the day near Bairnsdale, which provides great viewing of their diverse social interactions. Most of their babies are born in spring, and by summer the juveniles are quite noticeable, clinging under their mothers arm. Swamp Wallabies prefer denser vegetation of wet eucalypt forests or heaths at this time of year, with their beautiful dark brown or almost black fur a delight to see. The warm evenings also provide the opportunity to see possums and if we are lucky, Yellow-bellied and Greater Gliders in the mature eucalypt forests. These remarkable creatures have a membrane of skin from their wrists or elbows to their ankles, enabling them to glide up to 100 between trees, as they search for insects and nectar to feed upon."Roger Smith, Tour Guide
Suggested tour: East Gippsland Wildlife Journey
Duration: 4 Days/3 Nights
Type: Shared, PrivateVenturing across East Gippsland's magnificent lush rainforests, coastal heathlands, giant eucalypt groves, white sandy beaches and pristine rivers and estuaries, this four day immersive adventure offers you encounters with an incredible array of species.
Tours in East Gippsland related to Placental Mammals
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September,October,November, East Gippsland
East Gippsland - Spring Sightings for Land Mammals & Marsupials
Marsupials Kangaroos & Macropods: Eastern Grey Kangaroo*, Red-necked Wallaby*, Swamp Wallaby* | Koala* | Wombats: Common Wombat* | Rat Kangaroos: Long-nosed Potoroo | Brushtail Possums & Cuscuses: Common Brushtail Possum* | Gliding Possums: Yellow-bellied Glider, Sugar Glider, Feathertail Glider | Ringtail Possums & Greater Gliders: Common Ringtail Possum, Greater Glider | Carnivorous Marsupials: Dusky Antechinus | Bandicoots & Bilbies: Southern Brown Bandicoot, Long-nosed Bandicoot
Monotremes Platypus* | Short-beaked Echidna*
Placental Mammals Bats: Grey-headed Flying Fox* | Rodents: Bush Rat, Swamp Rat, Water Rat (Rakali), Smoky Mouse
* Denotes sighting chance as high or common
How to find these species
"The Common Wombat is a resident of the lush East Gippsland forests, with the cool nights in Spring an ideal time to see them. Short-beaked Echidnas are also active at this time, with November being the peak viewing time to see these intriguing animals across East Gippsland. Cool nights and mild sunny days make for perfect conditions for viewing echidnas in the daytime, as they are an animal that cannot tolerate high temperatures. They hibernate in winter and usually breed in spring. Females lay a single egg into a simple pouch in the abdomen about four weeks after mating."Roger Smith, Tour Guide
Suggested tour: East Gippsland Wildlife Journey
Duration: 4 Days/3 Nights
Type: Shared, PrivateVenturing across East Gippsland's magnificent lush rainforests, coastal heathlands, giant eucalypt groves, white sandy beaches and pristine rivers and estuaries, this four day immersive adventure offers you encounters with an incredible array of species.
Tours in East Gippsland related to Placental Mammals
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Koala
March,April,May, East Gippsland
East Gippsland - Autumn Sightings for Land Mammals & Marsupials
Marsupials Kangaroos & Macropods: Eastern Grey Kangaroo*, Red-necked Wallaby*, Swamp Wallaby* | Koala* | Wombats: Common Wombat* | Rat Kangaroos: Long-nosed Potoroo | Brushtail Possums & Cuscuses: Common Brushtail Possum* | Gliding Possums: Yellow-bellied Glider, Sugar Glider, Feathertail Glider | Ringtail Possums & Greater Gliders: Common Ringtail Possum, Greater Glider | Carnivorous Marsupials: Dusky Antechinus | Bandicoots & Bilbies: Southern Brown Bandicoot, Long-nosed Bandicoot
Monotremes Platypus* | Short-beaked Echidna*
Placental Mammals Bats: Grey-headed Flying Fox* | Rodents: Bush Rat, Swamp Rat, Water Rat (Rakali), Smoky Mouse
* Denotes sighting chance as high or common
Suggested tour: East Gippsland Wildlife Journey
Duration: 4 Days/3 Nights
Type: Shared, PrivateVenturing across East Gippsland's magnificent lush rainforests, coastal heathlands, giant eucalypt groves, white sandy beaches and pristine rivers and estuaries, this four day immersive adventure offers you encounters with an incredible array of species.
Tours in East Gippsland related to Placental Mammals
