What Is The Rarest Animal In The Daintree Rainforest?

The Daintree Rainforest located above Cairns Queensland is the world’s most intact and oldest tropical rainforest existent today. There are green canopies and crawling vines throughout the forest, making it more fantastic and out of this world. No wonder Daintree Rainforest has become one of the bucket lists for adventurous individuals.

The Daintree Rainforest is believed to be 180 million years old and home to some of the rarest animals in the world. The rarest animal in the Daintree Rainforest is the Southern Cassowary. The Southern Cassowary is the largest flightless bird in the world, it’s distinct features can be seen from far away.

Aside from the beautiful landscape, what’s unique about Daintree Rainforest is the survival of animals over the years. In fact, there are animals that you can only see in Daintree Rainforest and not somewhere else.

Also, it’s interesting that the rainforest can accommodate itself with exotic plants that have existed ever since the era of dinosaurs. The ecosystem makes it perfect living conditions for animals to thrive in the rainforest.

5 Rare Animals In The Daintree Rainforest

1. Musky Rat Kangaroo

The Musky Rat Kangaroo is the smallest of the Kangaroo species, weighing around only 620 grams. Although the name rat can throw most people off its rat-shaped body, it gives it its name.

You can find these small musky rat-kangaroos foraging on the jungle floor in the mid-morning hours. The musky rat-kangaroo bounds instead of hops, like a rabbit. It possesses possum-like traits, including a hallux (big toe) on its rear feet for climbing.

Its curled tail carries nesting materials across tropical jungles, scattering plant seeds. Guided jungle treks are a great way to allow you to view the world’s tiniest animals and kangaroos. The Musky Rat Kangaroos diet consists of eating rainforest plants, fungi, and tiny insects.

2. Southern Cassowary

A Southern Cassowary is easily identified by its gorgeous blue neck and face and its characteristic horn-like casque. Aside from that, the southern cassowaries can be seen all around the Daintree Rainforest, especially along Mission Bay and in the Daintree Rainforest lowlands.

These unique and valuable inhabitants of the region are best observed from a distance, especially as they have pointed, spear-like claws upon every foot and can become violent when challenged. They can reach up to 1.8 meters in height and females can weigh up to 58.5 kg, whereas males are smaller weighing up to 34kg.

These magnificent, flightless birds may be traced back to Gondwana and also are famous for their horticulture, distributing fruit seeds throughout the forest and preserving the different figures of unique, prehistoric plants’ ineffective seed dissemination.

3. Lumholtz And Bennett’s Tree Kangaroo

There are undoubtedly some genuinely fascinating species to try and discover in the Daintree Rainforest. Bennett’s and Lumholtz forest kangaroo are some native species to keep a close eye out for.

Tree kangaroos are similar to regular kangaroos in that they do have lengthy, broad tails and strong hind legs. One of the most noticeable changes in Daintree Rainforest is that they have solid and pointed claws for tree climbing.

Have your camera available when exploring the Daintree in case you come across one of these adorable Australian animals. The larger Bennett’s tree kangaroo lives in the Daintree Rainforest’s north, whereas the shorter Lumholtz tree kangaroo lives in the rainforest’s southeast.

4. Buff-Breasted Paradise Kingfisher

The buff-breasted Paradise kingfisher is new in both Australia and neighbouring New Guinea. It’s a little bird with a big red bill and bright feathers. The buff-breasted utopia kingfisher frequently has a brilliant yellow chest and other vividly coloured plumage, but this can vary.

Whereas this bird can be challenging to notice in the treetops, they fly straight to the floor to feed, providing visitors with a closer look at this magnificent Daintree native.

5. Daintree River Ringtail Possum

As its title suggests, the Daintree River ringtail possum is most commonly observed near the Daintree Rivers, which flows through to the Daintree Rainforest. However, this possum spends the majority of its life within trees, so spotting one from a river trip will be more challenging than if you were examining the area on the land.

The majority of ringtail possums weigh less than one kilo. They are pale brown in colour, with a dark stripe on the rear of their heads, and have a distinctively bent tail that they use for transport small branches and sticks for nest building. Equip yourself with binoculars to increase your odds of seeing a Daintree River ringtail possum.

About Daintree Rainforest

Other than the question of what is the rarest animal in the Daintree rainforest, there are other things that you are sure to take delight in. Even the most experienced wildlife watcher will be awestruck by the Daintree’s different animal population.

There are 430 species of birds, 12,000 beneficial insects, and 30% of Australia’s frog, reptile, frog, and mammal species all make their homes in this one-of-a-kind rainforest environment. In actual fact, the Daintree Rainforest is home to the greatest number of endangered and critically endangered animal species of any forest on the entire planet!

Conclusion

The Daintree Rainforest is home to an astonishing variety of animal life that is not to be missed. The area is home to a stunning 90% of Australia’s native bats and insects, as well as 30% of the country’s frog numbers and 7% of the country’s bird species in total.

The Daintree Rainforest is located not far from Cairns and is worth the day drive to explore the area. Overall, the region contains the highest concentration of unique plant and animal species of any forest on the earth’s surface.

There are a few species that are only found in this particular region that can be found inside the woods. The Daintree rainforest is home to a number of vulnerable species that are found in the trees, branches, and shrubs.