Flora and Fauna of Tasmania
New Zealand spinach
Tetragonia tetragonioides (or previously T. expansa) is a leafy groundcover also known as New Zealand spinach, Warrigal greens, kōkihi (Māori language), sea spinach, Botany Bay spinach, tetragon and Cook's cabbage. It is native to New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Chile and Argentina.
Waxlip Orchid
Glossodia major, commonly known as the Waxlip Orchid is a small terrestrial orchid, found in eastern Australia. This plant first appeared in scientific literature in 1810, in the Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae authored by the prolific Scottish botanist, Robert Brown.
Australian Indigo
Indigofera australis, known as Australian Indigo, is an attractive species of leguminous shrub in the genus Indigofera (Fabaceae family). The genus name "Indigofera" is Neo-Latin for "bearing Indigo" (Indigo is a purple dye originally obtained from some Indigofera species), while "australis" from the Latin, means "southern", referring to the ...more ↓
Spiny-headed Mat-rush
Lomandra longifolia, commonly known as Spiny-head Mat-rush,Spiky-headed Mat-rush or Basket Grass, is a perennial, rhizomatous herb found throughout eastern Australia. The leaves are 40 cm to 80 cm in long, and generally have a leaf of about 8 mm to 12 mm wide. It grows in a variety of soil types and is frost, heat and drought tolerant. Labillardiere ...more ↓
Pterostylis curta
Pterostylis curta is a species of orchid endemic to New Caledonia and eastern and southeastern Australia. It is the type species of the genus Pterostylis.
Diuris sulphurea
Diuris sulphurea (Tiger Orchid) is a species of orchid which is endemic to Australia. It occurs in South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales and the Queensland. It was one of many species first described by the botanist Robert Brown. It has grass-like leaves and yellow flowers with red-brown blotches.
Blackthorn
Bursaria spinosa is a small tree or shrub in the family Pittosporaceae. The species occurs in mainly in the eastern and southern half of Australia and not in Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Reaching 10 m (35 ft) high, it bears fragrant white flowers at any time of year but particularly summer. A common understory shrub of eucalyptus woodland, it aggressively ...more ↓
Grasstrees
Xanthorrhoea is a genus of flowering plants native to Australia and a member of family Xanthorrhoeaceae, being the only member of subfamily Xanthorrhoeoideae. The Xanthorrhoeaceae are monocots, part of order Asparagales. There are 28 species and five subspecies of Xanthorrhoea.
Milkmaids
Burchardia umbellata (milkmaids) is a perennial herb native to woodlands and heath of southern Australia. It typically flowers in September, in dry sclerophyll forests.
Myrtle Beech
Nothofagus cunninghamii, the Myrtle Beech, is an evergreen tree native to Victoria and Tasmania, Australia. It grows mainly in the temperate rainforests. It is not related to the Myrtle family.
Button Grass
Gymnoschoenus sphaerocephalus, commonly known as button grass, is a species of tussock-forming sedge from southeastern Australia. It forms part of a unique habitat in Tasmania.
Allanaspides helonomus
Anaspididae is a family of freshwater crustacean that is endemic to Tasmania, Australia. The family contains 3 genera and 5 species. This group of crustaceans are considered living fossils. They are commonly and collectively known as the Tasmanian anaspid crustaceans. Anaspidids have stalked eyes, long antennae and antennules, and a slender body with no carapace. The two species ...more ↓
Allanaspides hickmani
Anaspididae is a family of freshwater crustacean that is endemic to Tasmania, Australia. The family contains 3 genera and 5 species. This group of crustaceans are considered living fossils. They are commonly and collectively known as the Tasmanian anaspid crustaceans. Anaspidids have stalked eyes, long antennae and antennules, and a slender body with no carapace. The two species ...more ↓
Lowlands Copperhead
The lowland copperhead or lowlands copperhead (Austrelaps superbus) is a venomous snake species in the family Elapidae. It is commonly referred to as the copperhead, but is not closely related to the American copperhead, Agkistrodon contortrix. If provoked, the lowland copperhead is a dangerous snake with neurotoxic venom, which can kill an adult human if ...more ↓
Bold-striped Cool-skink
The Eastern Three-lined Skink (Bassiana duperreyi), also known as the Bold-striped Cool-skink, is a species of skink in the Scincidae family. It is found in south-eastern Australia (New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria), and several islands. It is strongly striped, oviparous, and usually found in coastal heaths and warm, sunny areas.
Brown Skua
The Brown Skua (Stercorarius antarcticus), also known as the Antarctic Skua, Subantarctic Skua, Southern Great Skua, Southern Skua, or Hākoakoa (Māori), is a large seabird that breeds in the subantarctic and Antarctic zones and moves further north when not breeding. Its taxonomy is highly complex and a matter of dispute, with some splitting it ...more ↓
Antipodean Albatross
The Antipodean Albatross (Diomedea antipodensis) is a large seabird in the albatross family. Antipodean Albatrosses are smaller than Wandering Albatrosses, and breed in predominantly brown plumage, but are otherwise difficult to distinguish from Wanderers.
Northern Royal Albatross
The Northern Royal Albatross or Toroa,Diomedea sanfordi, is a large seabird from the albatross family. It was split from the closely related Southern Royal Albatross as recently as 1998, though not all scientists support that conclusion and consider both of them to be subspecies of the Royal Albatross.
White-lipped Snake
The White-lipped Snake (Drysdalia coronoides) is a small species of elapid snake that is restricted to south-eastern mainland Australia and Tasmania. It is the smallest of 3 species of snake found in Tasmania and is Australia's most cold tolerant snake, even inhabiting areas on Mount Kosciuszko above the snow line. Growing to only about 40 cm in length, this snake feeds almost ...more ↓
Australian Emerald
The Australian Emerald (Hemicordulia australiae), is a species of dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. It is native to Australia. Its appearance is very similar to the Tau Emerald (H. tau).
Ancient Greenling
Hemiphlebia mirabilis, the Ancient Greenling, is a species of damselfly in family Hemiphlebiidae. It is very small with a long, metallic green body and clear wings. It is the only member of its genus and family. It is endemic to south-eastern Australia. Its natural swamp habitat is threatened by habitat loss.
Aurora Bluetail
The Golden Dartlet (Ischnura aurora) is a species of damselfly. There are three described subspecies: Ischnura aurora aurora (Brauer, 1865), Ischnura aurora rubilio (Selys, 1876), Ischnura aurora viduata (Lieftinck, 1949).
Paranaspides lacustris
Anaspididae is a family of freshwater crustacean that is endemic to Tasmania, Australia. The family contains 3 genera and 5 species. This group of crustaceans are considered living fossils. They are commonly and collectively known as the Tasmanian anaspid crustaceans. Anaspidids have stalked eyes, long antennae and antennules, and a slender body with no carapace. The two species ...more ↓
Entrecasteaux's Skink
The Southern Grass Skink (Pseudemoia entrecasteauxii) is a skink endemic to Australia, where it is found in the south-east of the continent, as well as in Tasmania and the islands of Bass Strait. Although it occurs in a variety of habitats, it is most commonly found in open grassy woodlands.
Tasmanian Spotwing
Synthemiopsis gomphomacromioides, also known as the Tasmanian spotwing, is a species of dragonfly from southern and northwestern Tasmania, Australia. It is the only species in the genus Synthemiopsis and has also been placed in its own tribe, Synthemiopsini.R. J. Tillyard, who first described it, considered it intermediate between the Australian genus ...more ↓
Blind Velvet Worm
Tasmanipatus anophthalmus is a species of invertebrate in the Peripatopsidae family.
Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross
The Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross (Thalassarche carteri) is a member of the albatross family, and is the smallest of the mollymawks. In 2004, BirdLife International split this species from the Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross; however Clements has not split it yet, and the SACC has not either, but recognizes the need for a proposal.
Campbell Albatross
The Campbell Albatross or Campbell Mollymawk (Thalassarche impavida) is a medium-sized mollymawk in the albatross family. It breeds only on Campbell Island and the associated islet of Jeanette Marie, a small New Zealand island group in the South Pacific. It is sometimes considered a subspecies of the Black-browed Albatross. It is a medium-sized black and white albatross ...more ↓
White-capped Albatross
The White-capped Albatross (Thalassarche steadi) is a mollymawk that breeds on the islands off of New Zealand. Not all experts agree that this form should be recognized as a separate species to the Shy Albatross, Thalassarche cauta. It is a medium sized black, slate grey, and white albatross and is the largest of the mollymawks.
Australian Reed Warbler
The Australian Reed Warbler Acrocephalus australis is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. It lives in reedbeds across Australia. It is about 16 centimetres long, and brown and buff in colour.
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
The Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita) is a relatively large white cockatoo found in wooded habitats in Australia and New Guinea. They can be locally very numerous, leading to them sometimes being considered pests. They are well known in aviculture, although they can be demanding pets.
Galah
The Galah /ɡəˈlɑː/, Eolophus roseicapilla, also known as the Rose-breasted Cockatoo, Galah Cockatoo, Roseate Cockatoo or Pink and Grey, is one of the most common and widespread cockatoos, and it can be found in open country in almost all parts of mainland Australia.
Little Corella
The Little Corella (Cacatua sanguinea), also known as the Bare-eyed Cockatoo, Blood-stained Cockatoo, Short-billed Corella, Little Cockatoo and Blue-eyed Cockatoo, is a white cockatoo native to Australia and southern New Guinea. It was known as Birdirra among the Yindjibarndi people of the central and western Pilbara. They would keep ...more ↓
Long-billed Corella
The Long-billed Corella (Cacatua tenuirostris) is a cockatoo native to Australia, which is similar in appearance to the Little Corella and Sulphur-crested Cockatoo. This species is mostly white, with a reddish-pink face and forehead, and has a long pale beak, which is used to dig for roots and seeds. It has reddish-pink feathers on the breast and belly.
Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo
The Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus funereus) is a large cockatoo native to the south-east of Australia measuring 55–65 cm (22–26 in) in length. It has a short crest on the top of its head. Its plumage is mostly brownish black and it has prominent yellow cheek patches and a yellow tail band. The body feathers are edged with yellow giving a scalloped appearance. The ...more ↓
Little Grassbird
The Little Grassbird (Megalurus gramineus) is a species of Old World warbler in the Locustellidae family. It is found in Australia and in West Papua, Indonesia.
Eastern Whipbird
The Eastern Whipbird (Psophodes olivaceus) is an insectivorous passerine bird native to the east coast of Australia, its whip-crack call a familiar sound in forests of eastern Australia. Two subspecies are recognised. Heard much more often than seen, it is a dark olive-green and black in colour with a distinctive white cheek patch and crest. The male and female are similar in ...more ↓
Centaurium spicatum
Schenkia spicata is a species of annual herb in the Gentianaceae family. It has a very wide old world distribution, ranging from north Africa, through Europe and into Asia.
Alpine Coral-fern
Gleichenia alpina, commonly known as Alpine Coral-fern, is a small fern species that occurs in Tasmania and New Zealand.
Oxylobium ellipticum
Oxylobium ellipticum, known as the Common Shaggy-pea is a common small plant in the pea family, found in south-eastern Australia.
Domestic Cat
The domestic cat (Felis catus or Felis silvestris catus) is a small, usually furry, domesticated, and carnivorous mammal. It is often called the housecat when kept as an indoor pet, or simply the cat when there is no need to distinguish it from other felids and felines. Cats are often valued by humans for companionship and their ability to hunt ...more ↓
King billy pine
Athrotaxis selaginoides is a species of Athrotaxis, endemic to Tasmania in Australia, where it grows at 400–1,120 m altitude. In its habitat in the mountains, snow in winter is very usual. It is often called King Billy Pine or King William Pine (believed to be in reference to the Tasmanian aborigine William Lanne), although it is not a true pine.
British Soldier Lichen
Cladonia cristatella, commonly known as the British soldier lichen, is a fruticose lichen belonging to the family Cladoniaceae. The species was first described scientifically by the American Botanist Edward Tuckerman in 1858.
Utricularia monanthos
Utricularia dichotoma, commonly known as fairy aprons, is a variable, perennial species of terrestrial bladderwort. The specific epithet is Latin for "dividing into pairs" and refers to the double arrangement of flowers which this species often displays.
Portuguese Millipede
Ommatoiulus moreleti (spelt moreletii in older publications), commonly known as the Portuguese millipede, is a herbivorous millipede native to the southern Iberian Peninsula where it shares its range with other Ommatoiulus species. From here, it has spread by international commerce to a number of new localities. This species was accidentally introduced into ...more ↓
Drosera spatulata
Drosera spatulata, the spoon-leaved sundew, is a variable, rosette-forming sundew with spoon-shaped leaves. The specific epithet is Latin for "spatula shaped," a reference to the form of the leaves. This sundew has a large range and occurs naturally throughout Southeast Asia, in southern China and Japan, Micronesia, New Guinea through to the eastern territories of ...more ↓
Drosera pygmaea
Drosera pygmaea is a tiny, carnivorous, rosette-forming biennial or annual herb native to Australia and New Zealand. The specific epithet which translates as "dwarf" from Latin is a reference to the size of this plant which grows to between 8 and 18 mm in diameter.
Allocasuarina verticillata
Allocasuarina verticillata or drooping sheoak is a nitrogen fixing native tree of southeastern Australia. Originally collected in Tasmania and described as Casuarina verticillata by French naturalist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck in 1786, it was moved to its current genus in 1982 by Australian botanist Lawrie Johnson.
Tasmanian Waratah
Telopea truncata, commonly known as the Tasmanian waratah, is a plant in the Proteaceae family endemic to Tasmania in Australia. It grows as a multistemmed shrub or small tree, with red flower heads, known as inflorescences, appearing over the Tasmanian summer (November to February). Yellow-flowered plants are occasionally seen.
Jack Jumper Ant
The jack jumper ant, hopper ant, jumper ant or jumping jack, Myrmecia pilosula, is a species of bull ant that is native to Australia. The ants are recorded throughout the country, but are most often found in Tasmania, rural Victoria, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory and the Adelaide Hills of South Australia.
Hen and Chicks Fern
Mother spleenwort, Asplenium bulbiferum, is a fern species native to Australia and New Zealand. It is also called hen and chicken fern and, in the Māori language, pikopiko, mouku or mauku. Its fronds are eaten as a vegetable.
Tasmanian flax-lily
Dianella tasmanica, commonly known as the Tasman Flax-lily or Tasmanian Flax-lily is a herbaceous strappy perennial herb of the family Xanthorrhoeaceae, subfamily Hemerocallidoideae, found in southeastern Australia and Tasmania. It has leaves to 80 cm, flower stem to 1.5 m, and the berries are not edible. Blue flowers in spring and summer are followed by violet ...more ↓
Utricularia dichotoma
Utricularia dichotoma, commonly known as fairy aprons, is a variable, perennial species of terrestrial bladderwort. The specific epithet is Latin for "dividing into pairs" and refers to the double arrangement of flowers which this species often displays.
Celery-top Pine
Phyllocladus aspleniifolius (Celery-top pine) is an endemic gymnosperm of Tasmania, Australia. It is found in rainforest as a dominant, in eucalypt forest as an understorey species, and occurs occasionally as a shrub in alpine vegetation. It is confined to areas of high rainfall and low fire frequency.
Pindi Moth
Abantiades latipennis, known as the Pindi moth, is a species of moth in the Hepialidae family. It may also be referred to as a swift moth or a ghost moth, as this is a common name associated with Hepialidae. Endemic to Australia and identified in 1932, it is most populous in temperate rainforest where eucalypti are prevalent, as the larvae feed primarily on the roots of ...more ↓
Shield Sundew
Drosera peltata, commonly called the shield sundew or pale sundew, is a climbing or scrambling perennial tuberous species in the carnivorous plant genus Drosera. Among the tuberous sundews, D. peltata has the largest distribution, which includes eastern and western Australia, New Zealand, India, and most of Southeast Asia including the Philippines. ...more ↓
Shining Tea-tree
Leptospermum nitidum, commonly known as Shining Tea-tree, is a shrub species that is endemic to Tasmania. It grows to about 2 metres high and has narrow leaves that are about 2 cm long. The flowers are white.
Xanthorrhoea australis
Xanthorrhoea australis, the Grass-tree or Black Boy is an Australian plant. It is the most commonly seen species of the genus Xanthorrhoea . Its fire-blackened trunk can grow up to several metres tall and is often branched. In certain Aboriginal languages, it is called 'Bukkup' or 'Kawee'.
Tasmanian Glow Worm
Arachnocampa is a genus of five fungus gnat species which have a luminescent larval stage, akin to the larval stage of glowworm beetles. The species of Arachnocampa are endemic to New Zealand and Australia, dwelling in caves and grottos, or sheltered places in forests.
Dicksonia
Dicksonia is a genus of tree ferns in the order Cyatheales. It is regarded as related to Cyathea, but is considered more primitive, dating back at least to the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. The fossil record includes stems, pinnules, and spores.
Waratah Anemone
The Waratah anemone, Actinia tenebrosa is the most common species of sea anemone found in the waters of eastern Australia, and also New Zealand. It is found relatively high on the seashore, in rock pools, and various cracks and shaded surfaces such as under rock overhangs in the intertidal zone.
Oyster Bay Pine
Callitris rhomboidea, or Oyster Bay Pine, is a species of conifer in the Cupressaceae family. It is found only in Australia. It is native to South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, and has also naturalised in parts of Victoria and Western Australia.
Purple Dewplant
Disphyma is a monotypic genus of succulent shrubs. Commonly known as Round-leaved Pigface and New Zealand Iceplant it occurs in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Its sole species, Disphyma crassifolium, is divided into two subspecies, D. crassifolium subsp. crassifolium and D. crassifolium subsp. clavellatum.
Silver Banksia
Banksia marginata, commonly known as the Silver Banksia, is a species of tree or woody shrub in the plant genus Banksia found throughout much of southeastern Australia. It ranges from the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, to north of Armidale, New South Wales, and across Tasmania and the islands of Bass Strait. It grows in various habitats, including ...more ↓
Spotted Snake Millipede
Blaniulus guttulatus, the spotted snake millipede is a species of millipede in the family Blaniulidae that can be found in Central and Western Europe (except for Portugal). It has been introduced in North American countries such as the United States, Canada, Saint Helena, and Tristan da Cunha, as well as Tasmania and Norfolk Island, Australia.
Brachyiulus pusillus
Brachyiulus pusillus is a species of millipede in the family Julidae. The species is brownish-black coloured and has 30–34 segments. They also have either light yellowish or reddish lines that are located closer to the centre of the back. It can be found on bushes and trees. The species are commonly found in walls or fences.
Tasmanian Cave Spider
The cribellate spider species Hickmania troglodytes (Tasmanian cave spider) occurs only in Tasmania, where it is widely distributed, especially in underground drainage and cave systems, where large numbers can be found in the entrances.
Podocarpus lawrencei
Podocarpus lawrencei is a species of podocarp native throughout the Australian high country, from southern Tasmania through to the New South Wales highlands. Common names are Errinundra plum-pine and mountain plum-pine (though it is neither a pine nor a plum). It grows on exposed sites to 1,800 m, often forming living carpets over rocks through wind pruning.
Diselma archeri
Diselma archeri (syn. Fitzroya archeri (Hook.f.) Benth. & Hook.) is a species of plant of the family Cupressaceae and the sole species in the genus Diselma. It is endemic to the alpine regions of Tasmania's southwest and Central Highlands, on the western coast ranges and Lake St. Clair, at an altitude ranging from 910-1220 m.
Athrotaxis laxifolia
Athrotaxis laxifolia is a species of Athrotaxis, endemic to Tasmania in Australia, where it grows at 1,000–1,200 m altitude.
Athrotaxis cupressoides
Athrotaxis cupressoides is a species of Athrotaxis, endemic to Tasmania in Australia, where it grows at 700–1,300 m altitude. Its common name is Pencil Pine, although it's not a member of the Pine family.
Selaginella uliginosa
Selaginella uliginosa is a small perennial plant found in Australia. An ancient and primitive plant, usually under 10 centimetres tall, it is often seen in sunny moist areas. The specific epithet uliginosa is from Latin, referring to the plant's preference to grow in swampy locations.
