Wildlife of Tropical North Queensland

Book excerpt: A place of unparalleled native beauty, Tropical North Queensland is home to some of our most fascinating creatures. This region has the highest biodiversity of any part of Australia, and each year thousands of visitors are drawn to the state's lush, tropical north to experience the lure of its spectacular landscapes and astonishing wildlife. More than half of Australia's butterflies are found here, for example, as well as an abundance of native mammals, reptiles and colourful birds across a wide range of habitats, including pristine rainforests, mist-covered mountains, fire-adapted eucalypt forests and coastal mangroves. This new edition of Wildlife of Tropical North Queensland, first published twenty years ago, is a comprehensive guide to the animals of the region. Featuring full-colour photography and updated information on more than 850 species, it covers the area east of the Great Dividing Range between Cooktown and Mackay (including Cairns and Townsville) and is an essential handbook for anyone wanting to discover the beauty and diversity of Queensland's wildlife for themselves.