At over 135 million years, the Daintree Rainforest is the world’s oldest and it is home to the largest range of plants and animals on earth.
The Daintree contains 30% of the frog, marsupial and reptile species in Australia, and 65% of Australia's bat and butterfly species as well as 20% of our bird species. Whilst it is Australia’s largest rainforest, at 1200 sq kms it takes up only 0.2% of the continent’s landmass.
The diversity, intricacy and age of plant species in the Daintree are greater than any other ecosystem in Australia, and many places around the world. The Daintree rainforest is home to one of the highest populations of primitive flowering plants in the world. Of 19 primitive plant families on earth, 12 are found in the Daintree. Of Australia's 36 mangrove species, 28 are found in the Daintree region. Every plant in the rainforest is placed in relation to other plants to serve a special role. Many plants cannot survive without the characteristics of another plant along side it.
As with the vegetation, when it comes to fauna, the Daintree contains some of the most rare and endangered species in the world. New species are constantly being found, including the recent discovery of the masked white-tailed rat. There are species unique to the region, like the shy and retiring Bennett's tree kangaroo, the Thornton Peak Medlomys, and the Daintree River Ringtail Possum. Beautiful butterflies include the metallic blue Ulysses, there are the strangely named Cuscus the Bandicoot and the Sugar Glider as well as the best known and least liked Estuarine Crocodile.
Approximately 430 species of birds live among the trees, including 13 species that are found nowhere else in the world. The largest is the flightless cassowary bird; the female is larger and may grow to over 1.75 meters high. The cassowary is vital to the region in its role of seed disperser for over 100 species of rainforest plants.
