The vertebrate fauna of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area

Abstract

The Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area encompasses an area of 1.38 million hectares, or approximately 20% of the island state of Tasmania. The World Heritage Area plays a significant role in the conservation of Tasmania's fauna and natural biological processes. The area supports 30 species of terrestrial mammal including three endemic species (91% of total Tasmanian species), 120 species of terrestrial bird including 10 endemic species (76% of state total), 14 species of terrestrial reptile including seven endemic species (67% of state total), seven species of frog including three endemic species (64% of state total), 16 species of freshwater fish including four endemic species (64% of state total), and 68 species of marine fish including one endemic species (14% of state total). A number of vertebrate species are entirely restricted to the World Heritage Area (Moss Froglet, Pedra Branca Skink, Mountain Skink, Pedder Galaxias, Swamp Galaxias and Western Paragalaxias, while the migratory Orange-bellied Parrot breeds only within the World Heritage Area. A number of other species have the majority of their Tasmanian range within the World Heritage Area (Broad-toothed Rat, Ground Parrot, Southern Emu-wren, Tasmanian Tree Frog, Northern Snow Skink, Southern Snow Skink, Bathurst Harbour Skate and the Clarence Galaxias). The World Heritage Area also supports a range of threatened mammal, bird, reptile and fish species. Of the 44 species of introduced vertebrates which have established feral populations in Tasmania, only seven species (16% of state total) have a significant presence within the World Heritage Area and pose a potential threat to the area's integrity. The diversity and endemism of the vertebrate fauna of the World Heritage Area reflects the Gondwanan origins of much of the fauna of western Tasmania, the repeated glaciation of the area during the Pleistocene, and subsequent pulses of speciation among certain taxa.