This visually stunning book is a celebration of the unique wildlife found only within Australia's World Heritage Listed Wet Tropics. Endemic species are featured in full colour double page spreads, with subspecies and other notable animals included as short briefs.
In The Wet Tropics we showcase every endemic frog, reptile, bird and mammal found in Australia's Wet Tropics bringing up to date the list of unique animals of this region, with a collection of full colour photographs never before assembled in a single volume. Recently described species are included as well as updates on the status of others, making this the most accurate and comprehensive listing in print.
The Wet Tropics are bordered cardinally by four striking features: to the west the aridity of Australia's outback, the east the Coral Sea and to the north and south two outliers, Black Mountain and its granite boulders and Mount Elliot with its montane rainforest. Each of these two fascinating National Park curiosities house three endemic vertebrates a skink, a gecko and a frog – found nowhere else on earth. This pattern recurs throughout the Wet Tropics and in a megadiverse country this tiny fragment of ancient relictual rainforest stands out as the most biodiverse spot on this enormous island continent of Australia.
The Wet Tropics is a tribute to the photographers and biologists who work there and a call to arms for conservation.
Craig Ward has a passion for global biodiversity conservation. In this first of eternal endemism's multi-region series, Craig explores the Wet Tropics. He has led expeditions and carried out conservation research throughout Northern Australia, the Indo-Pacific and beyond for almost 20 years. Craig is the director of sevare Pty Ltd, a bespoke expedition company which supports conservation and charities in remote and fascinating parts of the world. Today he lives with his family in Tropical North Queensland and Singapore and embodies the Eternal Endemism motto of "putting nature first."
Tim Hawkes was raised on a bushland property on the outskirts of Sydney and spent most of his childhood exploring and familiarizing himself with Sydney's rich flora and fauna. As a teenager he developed an obsession in north Queensland's Wet Tropics after reading of Eric Worrell's adventures in Tully Gorge in Song of the Snake. This was the impetus that saw Tim move to North Queensland in the late 1980's when a work opportunity presented itself. He now resides in Julatten at the foothills of the Carbine Tablelands.
Jonathan Munro was born in the UK and now lives in the Misty Mountains in tropical north Queensland where he owns a significant tract of highland rainforest and wet sclerophyll forest noted for its 12 species of possums, Lumholtz's Tree-kangaroos, Golden Bowerbirds and many other locally endemic species. He operates a tourism business called Wild Watch Australia. He is also actively involved in rainforest restoration projects.
"This compilation of endemic terrestrial vertebrates of the Wet Tropics is not only an exquisite visual demonstration of the magnificence, diversity and uniqueness of our Wet Tropics wildlife, but it is also an eminently useful and important resource for amateur naturalists, tour guides, the Wet Tropics community, and all who share a passion for the splendour of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. "
– Scott Buchanan, Executive Director, Wet Tropics Management Authority