Mammals

Climate change is predicted to bring more seasonal and less predictable rainfall in most areas which may influence the availability of resources that influence wallaby numbers.

We expect bats to start appearing in new areas, or breeding earlier, as warmer temperatures enable them to live in environments that were previously too cold for them.

A shift in climate will also dramatically degrade and fragment the native habitat of Koalas, putting populations under a significant amount of stress.

Click on the images below to learn more about the species, their phenophase behaviours, and how to identify them, so you can contribute your ClimateWatch observations.

Also known as the sandy wallaby, Kimberley wallaby, jungle wallaby, grass wallaby and river wallaby.. A medium-sized, light yellowish-brown with a prominent white face stripe leading back from upper lid to under eye and a white thigh stripe. Droppings are pear-shaped and slightly pointed at broader end (25 mm long by 15 mm at broadest end). Size Body length 80 cm; tail length 77 cm; weight 15 kg.
Almost completely black with a rusty-red or chocolate-brown patch at the back of its head and on its neck. Its fur can be tipped with grey, particularly on its belly. It has no fur on its lower legs. Size 23 – 28 cm head and body length, wingspan over 1 m.
One of Australia’s most iconic and abundant species, the Eastern Grey Kangaroo is a large marsupial with light grey woolly coloured fur, a darker face, and a long, muscular tail that is dark at the distal third. Droppings are unevenly round and around 1-3cm in diameter. Size The Eastern Grey Kangaroo is sexually dimorphic with males significantly larger than females. Males with body length up to 130cm; tail up to 100cm; weight up to 60kg. Females with body length up to 100cm; tail up to 85cm; weight up to 40kg.
Dark grey to brown body, with lighter grey fur on its head and golden-orange fur encircling its neck. Its wings are black. Distinctive feature Fur on its legs that extends to its ankles. Size 23 cm to 29 cm head and body length); wingspan over 1 m.
Arboreal (tree-dwelling) marsupial with large furry ears, a prominent black nose and a vestigial tail. Its fur is thick and ash grey or grey-brown on the dorsal side with an off-white/pale yellow underside. Size Koalas from Australia’s southern regions are larger than that of their northern counterparts, with head-body length ranging from 72-78cm.
Grey soft fur, with a white belly and a black stripe that runs from its nose, over its head and along its back. It has a long bushy tail, the last quarter of which is black, often with a white tip. Its ears are large and hairless, and its large eyes are black. Size About 28 cm long (from nose to tip of tail).
It has dark brown to black fur with a bright white-stripe at the junction of the body and wings. Some individuals also have an area of white-fur on the chest. One of the largest insectivorous (microbats) in Australia, it is in the ‘free tail’ family (Molossidae) which have a strong, stiff tail projecting beyond the tail membrane. The species was formerly classified as Tadarida australis. Size 85 - 100 mm head and body length; free tail extends 40 to 55 mm from the body. Adult average weight 37 g.