The Kimberley tropical savanna is a

tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands is a terrestrial biome defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. The biome is dominated by grass and/or shrubs located in semi-arid to semi-humid climate regions of subtropical and t ...

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of ...

in northwestern

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

, covering portions of

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to t ...

and the

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory shares its borders with Western Aust ...

south of the

Timor Sea The Timor Sea ( id, Laut Timor, pt, Mar de Timor, tet, Tasi Mane or ) is a relatively shallow sea bounded to the north by the island of Timor, to the east by the Arafura Sea, and to the south by Australia. The sea contains a number of reefs ...

Geography

The ecoregion lies in Northwestern coastal Australia, including the Kimberley region of

and extending into the

. It is bounded on the north by the Timor Sea. The

Arnhem Land tropical savanna The Arnhem Land tropical savanna is a tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands ecoregion in Australia's Northern Territory. Geography The ecoregion occupies the peninsula of Arnhem Land and its offshore islands, includin ...

ecoregion lies to the northeast, the Carpentaria tropical savanna lies to the east, and the Victoria Plains tropical savanna ecoregion lies to the southeast and south. The Great Sandy-Tanami desert ecoregion lies to the southeast. Much of the ecoregion has rugged terrain of

Proterozoic The Proterozoic () is a geological eon spanning the time interval from 2500 to 538.8million years ago. It is the most recent part of the Precambrian "supereon". It is also the longest eon of the Earth's geologic time scale, and it is subdivided i ...

sandstone. The Northern Kimberley coast is generally steep with many offshore islets. Rivers in the ecoregion include the Fitzroy, May, Drysdale, Durack, Ord,

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

Katherine Katherine, also spelled Catherine, and other variations are feminine names. They are popular in Christian countries because of their derivation from the name of one of the first Christian saints, Catherine of Alexandria. In the early Christ ...

Flora Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring ( indigenous) native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' gut flora'' or '' skin flora''. ...

and Daly. Rivers and streams often follow sandstone fault blocks, eroding dramatic gorges. Some coastal areas of the Northern Kimberly are formed of basalt, and the Mitchell Plateau and Bougainville Peninsula are overlain by a layer of bauxitic

duricrust Duricrust is a hard layer on or near the surface of soil. Duricrusts can range in thickness from a few millimeters or centimeters to several meters. It is a general term (not to be confused with duripan) for a zone of chemical precipitation and ...

. The southern Dampierland region, which includes the Dampier Peninsula and the coastal plain extending to the southwest, are on deposits of red sand. The topography of Dampierland is mostly gentle, with coastal dunes and lagoons.

IBRA regions

The ecoregion includes five IBRA regions –

Central Kimberley The Central Kimberley, an interim Australian bioregion, is located in the central Kimberley region of Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area ...

Daly Basin The Daly Basin, an interim Australian bioregion, is located in the Northern Territory,IBRA ...

Dampierland Dampierland is an interim Australian bioregion in Western Australia.IBRA Version 6.1

Northern Kimberley The Northern Kimberley, an interim Australian bioregion, is located in the northern Kimberley region of Western Australia,Victoria Bonaparte The Victoria Bonaparte, an interim Australian bioregion, is located in the Northern Territory and Western Australia,

Climate

The ecoregion has a

tropical savanna climate Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry winter) and ''As'' (for a dry summer). The driest month has less than of ...

. Temperatures are high throughout the year, and monthly maximum averages range from 25º to 35º C. Rainfall is highly seasonal, occurring with the summer monsoons from October to March, followed by a long dry season during the rest of the year. Rainfall is highest in the coastal north of the ecoregion, and lower in the south and towards the interior. The

Mitchell Plateau Mitchell River National Park is a national park in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, northeast of Perth. The park adjoins the northern boundary of the Prince Regent National Park. The nearest towns are Derby, to the southwest, as wel ...

in the north receives 1,400 mm annually, while Broome in the southwest receives around 600 mm.

Flora

Boab tree in February, Kimberley region, Western Australia

The vegetation is mostly savanna and open woodland, which vary in species composition with rainfall, underlying soils, and exposure to fires. Other vegetation types include wetlands and enclaves of monsoon rainforest.

Woodlands and savannas

Woodland of bloodwood eucalypts (''Corymbia'' spp.) is widespread on sand and loam soils.

Boab ''Adansonia gregorii'', commonly known as the boab and also known by a number of other names, is a tree in the family Malvaceae, endemic to the northern regions of Western Australia and the Northern Territory of Australia. Names The specific ...

(''Adansonia gregorii'') is a distinctive woodland tree that favours sandy soils. Darwin stringybark (''Eucalyptus tetrodonta'') and

Darwin woollybutt ''Eucalyptus miniata'', commonly known as the Darwin woollybutt or woolewoorrng, is a species of medium-sized to tall tree that is endemic to northern Australia. It has rough, fibrous, brownish bark on the trunk, smooth greyish bark above. Adul ...

(''E. miniata'') predominate where soils are richer and rainfall is higher. The trees are evergreen and form an open canopy 5 to 15 metres high. The understory is mostly tall grass, with species of ''

Sorghum ''Sorghum'' () is a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants in the grass family (Poaceae). Some of these species are grown as cereals for human consumption and some in pastures for animals. One species is grown for grain, while many other ...

, Heteropogon,

Themeda ''Themeda'' is a genus of plants in the grass family native to Asia, Africa, Australia, and Papuasia. There are about 18Barkworth, M. E''Themeda''.Grass Manual. Flora of North America. to 26Potdar, G. G., et al. (2003)A new species of ''Themeda'' ...

Chrysopogon ''Chrysopogon'' is a genus of tropical and subtropical plants in the grass family. They are widespread across Eurasia, Africa, Australia, southeastern North America, and various islands. Species Source: Formerly included Source: Resear ...

Aristida ''Aristida'' is a very nearly cosmopolitan genus of plants in the grass family. ''Aristida'' is distinguished by having three awns (bristles) on each lemma of each floret. The genus includes about 300 species found worldwide, often in arid warm ...

'', and '' Eriachne''. In parts of Northern Kimberly, the palm '' Livistona eastonii'' forms a dense sub-canopy in the woodlands. River valley lowlands with fine-textured clay and clay-loam soils are home to open woodlands characterized by trees of the genera '' Terminalia'' and ''

Bauhinia ''Bauhinia'' () is a large genus of flowering plants in the subfamily Cercidoideae and tribe Bauhinieae, in the large flowering plant family Fabaceae, with a pantropical distribution. The genus was named after the Bauhin brothers Gaspard and J ...

'', and grasslands of ''

'', and '' Dichanthium'', with species of ''

Xerochloa ''Xerochloa'' is a genus of Australian and Southeast Asian plants in the grass family. ; Species * ''Xerochloa barbata'' R.Br. - Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland * ''Xerochloa imberbis'' R.Br. - rice grass - Thailand, Java, Wes ...

'' in wetter areas. Many of these woodlands and grasslands have been converted to farmland.

Pindan

Pindan is a plant community found on the Dampier Peninsula and elsewhere the southwestern portion of the ecoregion, typically in areas with red sandy soils. Pindan is a low-canopied open woodland with trees 3 to 8 meters high. The dominant species are wattle, including ''

Acacia eriopoda ''Acacia eriopoda'', commonly known as the Broome pindan wattle and the narrow-leaf pindan wattle, is a species of wattle in the legume family that is native to northern Western Australia. It is also known as Yirrakulu to the Nyangumarta peop ...

, A. tumida, A. platycarpa'', and '' A. colei''. Occasional bloodwoods emerge above the wattle canopy.

Monsoon rainforests

Pockets of monsoon rainforest are found on scattered sites, generally within 150 km of the coast. There are approximately 1500 monsoon rainforest patches totaling 7,000 hectares (ha). The average patch is less than four hectares. Only 3% exceed 20 ha, and the largest is 200 ha. Monsoon rainforest is composed of semi-deciduous or deciduous trees which lose their leaves towards the end of the dry season ("raingreen"). Woody vines are common, and they climb into the tree canopies; lower-canopied monsoon rainforests are also known as monsoon vine thickets. Understory plants include low trees, shrubs and vines. Monsoon rainforest is generally fire-intolerant, in contrast to the surrounding savanna and woodlands which are adapted to frequent fires. Trees and shrubs of the monsoon rainforest often have fleshy fruits, which are eaten and dispersed by birds, bats, and mammals. Monsoon rainforests are found behind coastal dunes, on hillsides and scree slopes, at the edges of swamps and rivers, and in gorges and gullies. Rainforests have a distinct flora from the adjacent savannas and woodlands, with many ancient Gondwanian plants, along with plants characteristic of the Australasian and

Indomalayan The Indomalayan realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms. It extends across most of South and Southeast Asia and into the southern parts of East Asia. Also called the Oriental realm by biogeographers, Indomalaya spreads all over the Indi ...

tropics.Kenneally, Kevin F. (2018). Kimberley Tropical Monsoon Rainforests of Western Australia: Perspectives on Biological Diversity. ''Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas'': 149 – 228. 2018. Little Mertens view

In Northern Kimberley, monsoon rainforests are common on scree slopes at the bottom of escarpments, and at the edges of freshwater swamps and mangroves. They are most extensive on basalt slopes at the foot of the laterite plateaus that top the Mitchell Plateau and Bougainville Peninsula. Mixed evergreen, semi-evergreen, and deciduous trees form a canopy 15–20 meters in height, crowned by emergent trees. Monsoon rainforest trees in the Northern Kimberley include ''

Aglaia elaeagnoidea ''Aglaia elaeagnoidea'', the droopy leaf or priyangu, is a species of plant in the family Meliaceae. It is a 10m tall tree found in American Samoa, Australia (Western Australia and Queensland), Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, New C ...

Albizia lebbeck ''Albizia lebbeck'' is a species of ''Albizia'', native to Indomalaya, New Guinea and Northern AustraliaUSDA (1994) and widely cultivated and naturalised in other tropical and subtropical regions. English names for it include Sirisa, Siris, lebbe ...

, Brachychiton diversifolius, Brachychiton xanthophyllus,

Bombax ceiba ''Bombax ceiba'', like other trees of the genus ''Bombax'', is commonly known as cotton tree. More specifically, it is sometimes known as Malabar silk-cotton tree; red silk-cotton; red cotton tree; or ambiguously as silk-cotton or kapok, both of ...

, Dysoxylum latifolium,

Ficus ''Ficus'' ( or ) is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes and hemiepiphytes in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extendi ...

(F. congesta, F. geniculata'' var. ''insignis, F. hispida'' var. ''hispida, F. racemosa'' var. ''racemosa'', and ''F. virens'' var. ''virens), Ganophyllum falcatum, Garuga floribunda,

Grewia breviflora ''Grewia'' is a large flowering plant genus in the mallow family Malvaceae, in the expanded sense as proposed by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group. Formerly, Grewia was placed in either the family Tiliaceae or the Sparrmanniaceae. However, these ...

Litsea glutinosa ''Litsea glutinosa'' is a rainforest tree in the laurel family, Lauraceae. Common names include soft bollygum, bolly beech, Bollywood, bollygum, brown bollygum, brown Bollywood, sycamore and brown beech. The powdered bark, known as jigat, may b ...

, Miliusa brahei,

Mimusops elengi ''Mimusops elengi'' is a medium-sized evergreen tree found in tropical forests in South Asia, Southeast Asia and northern Australia. English common names include Spanish cherry,Bailey, L.H.; Bailey, E.Z.; the staff of the Liberty Hyde Bailey Ho ...

, Monoon australe,

Myristica insipida ''Myristica insipida'', commonly known in Australia as Australian nutmeg, Queensland nutmeg or native nutmeg, is a small rainforest tree in the family Myristicaceae native to parts of Malesia, Papuasia and Australia. It is closely related to t ...

, Sterculia quadrifida,

Terminalia ferdinandiana ''Terminalia ferdinandiana'', most commonly known as the Kakadu plum and also called the gubinge, billygoat plum, green plum, salty plum, murunga, mador and other names, is a flowering plant in the family Combretaceae, native to Australia, wid ...

, Terminalia microcarpa,

Terminalia petiolaris ''Terminalia petiolaris'', commonly known as blackberry tree or billygoat plum, or ''marool'' in the local Bardi language, is a species of plant in the Combretaceae family. It is endemic to the coast of the Kimberley region of northern Western ...

, Wrightia pubescens'', and '' Ziziphus quadrilocularis''. Woody vines are profuse, and climb into the tree canopies. Small trees and shrubs make up the understory, and include ''Alectryon kimberleyanus, Denhamia obscura, Glycosmis microphylla, Glycosmis trifoliata, Grewia glabra, Micromelum minutum, Murraya paniculata, Strychnos lucida'', and ''Trema tomentosa''. Trees found at the edges of rainforest patches include '' Acacia holoserica'',

boab ''Adansonia gregorii'', commonly known as the boab and also known by a number of other names, is a tree in the family Malvaceae, endemic to the northern regions of Western Australia and the Northern Territory of Australia. Names The specific ...

(''Adansonia gregorii)'', helicopter tree (''Gyrocarpus americanus''), and '' Antidesma ghaesembilla''. The monsoon vine forests of the northern Dampier Peninsula grow up to 12 meters in height. Common trees include ''Terminalia petiolaris'', mangarr ('' Sersalisia sericea''), banyan fig (''Ficus virens'' var. ''virens''), '' Ficus geniculata'' var. ''insignis'', wild apple (''Syzygium eucalyptoides'' subsp. ''bleeseri''), with gubinge (''Terminalia ferdinandiana'') growing on the landward fringe. There are localized populations of ''

Cupaniopsis anacardioides ''Cupaniopsis anacardioides'', with common names tuckeroo, carrotwood, beach tamarind and green-leaved tamarind, is a species of flowering tree in the soapberry family, Sapindaceae, that is native to eastern and northern Australia. The usual ...

, Diospyros maritima, D. rugulosa,

Pittosporum moluccanum ''Pittosporum'' ( or ) is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Pittosporaceae. The genus is probably Gondwanan in origin; its present range extends from Australasia, Oceania, eastern Asia and some parts of Africa. ''Cit ...

Trophis scandens ''Malaisia scandens'' (syn. ''Trophis scandens''), the burny vine or crow ash, is a species of large woody vines, constituting part of the fig plant family. They grow naturally in rainforests in Australia and Malesia. In Australia, they grow ...

'', and '' Vitex glabrata''. Coastal monsoon vine thickets extend from the Dampier Peninsula as far south as Broome, in areas with 600 mm or more of annual rainfall. They are found in small, usually linear patches along the leeward side of dunes, sustained by a shallow aquifer. The endemic Cable Beach bloodwood (''Corymbia paractia'') is a characteristic tree, along with Goonj (''

Celtis philippensis ''Celtis philippensis'', is an Asian species of flowering plant in the family Cannabaceae Cannabaceae is a small family of flowering plants, known as the hemp family. As now circumscribed, the family includes about 170 species grouped in abou ...

''), ''Croton habrophyllus'', broad-leaved ballart (''Exocarpos latifolius''), karnbor (''Melaleuca dealbata''), marool or blackberry tree (''Terminalia petiolaris''), and mamajen (''Mimusops elengi''). Vines include '' Capparis lasiantha, Gymnanthera oblonga, Parsonsia kimberleyensis'', stinking passionflower (''Passiflora foetida''), snake vine (''

Tinospora smilacina ''Tinospora smilacina'' is a woody vine in the Menispermaceae family. It was first described by George Bentham in 1861. The Walmajarri The Walmadjari (Walmajarri) people, also known as Tjiwaling and Wanaseka, are an Aboriginal Australian pe ...

''), and '' Secamone elliptica''. The vine thickets often transition to pindan further inland.

Riparian forests

Riparian forests line rivers and streams. Common riparian trees include

river red gum ''Eucalyptus camaldulensis'', commonly known as the river red gum, is a tree that is endemic to Australia. It has smooth white or cream-coloured bark, lance-shaped or curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven or nine, white flowers an ...

(''Eucalyptus camaldulensis''), ''

Terminalia platyphylla ''Terminalia platyphylla'', commonly known as wild plum, is a tree of the family ''Combretaceae'' native to northern Australia. The tree typically grows to a height of in height and is deciduous. It blooms between January and October producing ...

Nauclea orientalis ''Nauclea orientalis'' is a species of tree in the family Rubiaceae, native to Southeast Asia, New Guinea, and Australia. It has many common names, including bur tree, canary wood, Leichhardt pine and yellow cheesewood. It grows to a maximum of a ...

, Melaleuca leucadendra'', and species of ''

Alphitonia ''Alphitonia'' is a genus of arborescent flowering plants comprising about 20 species, constituting part of the buckthorn family (Rhamnaceae). They occur in tropical regions of Southeast Asia, Oceania and Polynesia. These are large trees or shrub ...

Calophyllum ''Calophyllum'' is a genus of tropical flowering plants in the family Calophyllaceae. They are mainly distributed in Asia, with some species in Africa, the Americas, Australasia, and the Pacific Islands. History Members of the genus ''Calophyllu ...

Canarium ''Canarium'' is a genus of about 100 species of tropical and subtropical trees, in the family Burseraceae. They grow naturally across tropical Africa, south and southeast Asia, Indochina, Malesia, Australia and western Pacific Islands; includi ...

Cryptocarya ''Cryptocarya'' is a genus of evergreen trees belonging to the laurel family, Lauraceae. The genus includes more than 350 species, distributed through the Neotropical, Afrotropical, Indomalayan, and Australasian realms. Overview The genus incl ...

Myristica ''Myristica'' is a genus of trees in the family Myristicaceae. There are over 150 species, distributed in Asia and the western Pacific. The type species of the genus, and the most economically important member, is '' Myristica fragrans'' (the ...

'', and ''

Syzygium ''Syzygium'' () is a genus of flowering plants that belongs to the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. The genus comprises about 1200 species, and has a native range that extends from Africa and Madagascar through southern Asia east through the Pacific. ...

''. Understory shrubs include '' Pandanus aquaticus'', '' P. spiralis,

Antidesma ''Antidesma'' is a genus of tropical plant in the family Phyllanthaceae formally described by Linnaeus in 1753. It is native to tropical Africa, S + E + SE Asia, Australia, and various oceanic islands. The greatest diversity occurs in Southe ...

'', and ''

Drypetes ''Drypetes'' is a plant genus of the family Putranjivaceae, in the order Malpighiales. It was previously in the family Euphorbiaceae, tribe Drypeteae, and was the sole pantropical zoochorous genus of the family. The genus comprises about 200 s ...

''. Vines aren't as profuse as in the monsoon rainforests, but the non-native stinking passionflower is abundant in some areas. The riparian forests include many rainforest tree and shrub species with fleshy fruits. These are an important food source for wildlife, and the forests also provide habitat and shelter for many animals.

Fauna

Erythrura gouldiae -Frankfurt Zoo -black headed-8a-3cp

About 230 species of plants are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

to the ecoregion, along with six endemic species of mammals, two endemic bird species, 31 endemic reptile species, and 16 endemic fish species. Native mammals include the

agile wallaby The agile wallaby (''Notamacropus agilis''), also known as the sandy wallaby, is a species of wallaby found in northern Australia and southern New Guinea. It is the most common wallaby in north Australia. The agile wallaby is a sandy colour, beco ...

(''Macropus agilis''),

common wallaroo The common wallaroo (''Osphranter robustus''), also known as the euro, hill wallaroo, or simply wallaroo, is a species of macropod. The word ''euro'' is particularly applied to one subspecies (''O. r. erubescens'').WE Poole and JC Merchant (198 ...

(''Osphranter robustus''),

antilopine kangaroo The antilopine kangaroo (''Osphranter antilopinus''), also known as the antilopine wallaroo or the antilopine wallaby, is a species of macropod found in northern Australia: in Cape York Peninsula in Queensland, the Top End of the Northern Terri ...

(''Osphranter antilopinus''), northern quoll (''Dasyurus hallucatus''), bilby (''Macrotis lagotis''),

short-beaked echidna The short-beaked echidna (''Tachyglossus aculeatus''), also called the short-nosed echidna, is one of four living species of echidna and the only member of the genus ''Tachyglossus''. It is covered in fur and spines and has a distinctive snout ...

(''Tachyglossus aculeatus''),

northern brushtail possum The northern brushtail possum (''Trichosurus arnhemensis'') is a nocturnal marsupial inhabiting northern Australia. The northern brushtail possum is sometimes considered a species, however more often than not is considered a subspecies of the ...

(''Trichosurus arnhemensis''),

common brushtail possum The common brushtail possum (''Trichosurus vulpecula'', from the Greek for "furry tailed" and the Latin for "little fox", previously in the genus ''Phalangista'') is a nocturnal, semiarboreal marsupial of the family Phalangeridae, native to Aus ...

(''Trichosurus vulpecula''),

rock-haunting ringtail possum The rock-haunting ringtail possum (''Petropseudes dahli''), also known as the rock ringtail possum, is a species of Australian possum. It is found in rocky escarpments in the Kimberley, Arnhem Land and Gulf of Carpentaria across Western Austral ...

(''Petropseudes dahli''),

sugar glider The sugar glider (''Petaurus breviceps'') is a small, omnivorous, arboreal, and nocturnal gliding possum belonging to the marsupial infraclass. The common name refers to its predilection for sugary foods such as sap and nectar and its abili ...

(''Petaurus breviceps''), and

pale field rat The pale field rat (''Rattus tunneyi'') is a small rat endemic to Australia. It is a nocturnal and herbivorous rodent that resides throughout the day in shallow burrows made in loose sand. Once widespread, the range has become greatly reduced an ...

(''Rattus tunneyi''). The

golden bandicoot The golden bandicoot (''Isoodon auratus''; Yolngu: ''Wan'kurra'') is a short-nosed bandicoot found in northern Australia. It is the smallest of its genus. The golden bandicoot is now a threatened species. It was once found throughout much o ...

(''Isoodon auratus'') and

golden-backed tree-rat The golden-backed tree rat (''Mesembriomys macrurus'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae, found only in Australia. It is present in the Charnley River–Artesian Range Wildlife Sanctuary Charnley River–Artesian Range Wildlife ...

(''Mesembriomys macrurus'') were once widespread in the ecoregion, but are now limited to Northern Kimberley. The

boodie The boodie (''Bettongia lesueur''), also known as the burrowing bettong or Lesueur's rat-kangaroo, is a small, furry, rat-like mammal native to Australia. Once common throughout the continent, it is now restricted to a few coastal islands. A memb ...

or burrowing bettong (''Bettongia lesueur''), a formerly-native kangaroo, is now extinct from the ecoregion. The six endemic mammals are the Ningbing false antechinus (''Pseudantechinus ningbing''), scaly-tailed possum (''Wyulda squamicaudata''),

monjon The monjon (''Petrogale burbidgei'') is the smallest species of rock-wallabies (''Petrogale'') and is found in north-west Australia. They are restricted to a small area of the Kimberley region and on nearby islands in the Bonaparte Archipelago. ...

(''Petrogale burbidgei''), yellow-lipped bat (''Vespadelus douglasorum''), Kimberley mouse (''Pseudomys laborifex''), and

Kimberley rock rat The Kimberley rock rat (''Zyzomys woodwardi'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in Australia, specifically in the northern tropical part of the Northern Territory and adjacent Kimberley region of Western Australia ...

(''Zyzomys woodwardi''). Windjana Gorge, Tunnel Creek, and

Geikie Gorge Geikie Gorge (known locally as Darngku) is a feature of the Napier Range and is located within the grounds of Danggu Gorge National Park (formerly, Geikie Gorge National Park), from Fitzroy Crossing, northeast of Perth and east of Broome in ...

have extensive cave systems that support large bat colonies. The

black grasswren The black grasswren (''Amytornis housei''), known as dalal to the Wunambal people, is a species of bird in the family Maluridae. It is endemic to Western Australia. Naturalist Frederick Maurice House discovered the black grasswren in 1901, as ...

(''Amytornis housei'') and white-quilled rock pigeon (''Petrophassa albipennis'') are endemic. The black grasswren lives in hummock grasslands in the sandstone hills of Northern Kimberley. The ecoregion is home to the near-threatened

Gouldian finch The Gouldian finch (''Chloebia gouldiae''), also known as the Lady Gouldian finch, Gould's finch or the rainbow finch, is a colourful passerine bird that is native to Australia. Taxonomy The Gouldian finch was described by British ornithologi ...

(''Erythrura gouldiae''). The

purple-crowned fairywren The purple-crowned fairywren (''Malurus coronatus'') is a species of bird in the Australasian wren family, Maluridae. It is the largest of the eleven species in the genus '' Malurus'' and is endemic to northern Australia. The species name is de ...

(''Malurus coronatus'') is threatened by habitat loss, as its riparian habitat, particularly along the Ord and Fitzroy rivers, has been trampled by cattle and converted to agriculture. The ecoregion's wetlands are important habitats for migratory and resident water birds.

Glossy ibis The glossy ibis (''Plegadis falcinellus'') is a water bird in the order Pelecaniformes and the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae. The scientific name derives from Ancient Greek ''plegados'' and Latin, ''falcis'', both meaning "sickle" a ...

(''Plegadis falcinellus'') and

magpie goose The magpie goose (''Anseranas semipalmata'') is the sole living representative species of the family Anseranatidae. This common waterbird is found in northern Australia and southern New Guinea. As the species is prone to wandering, especially w ...

(''Anseranas semipalmata'') are the most abundant. The Ord River Floodplain and Parry Creek floodplain,

Eighty Mile Beach Eighty Mile Beach, also spelled Eighty-mile Beach or 80-mile Beach, lies along the north-west coast of Western Australia about half-way between the towns of Broome and Port Hedland. It is a beach some in length, forming the coastline where t ...

, and

Roebuck Bay Roebuck Bay is a bay on the coast of the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Its entrance is bounded in the north by the town of Broome, and in the south by Bush Point and Sandy Point. It is named after , the ship captained by Willia ...

are

Ramsar sites A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O) *** Permanent 8 ha (P) *** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts) ** Marshes on inorganic soils: *** Permanent (herb dominated) (Tp) *** P ...

. Lakes Argyle and Kununurra are artificial reservoirs on the Ord River which have become important dry-season refuges for birds. The rocky northern coast and offshore islands are home to colony breeding sites for herons, cormorants, and other seabirds. The endemic lizards include seven species of

gecko Geckos are small, mostly carnivorous lizards that have a wide distribution, found on every continent except Antarctica. Belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, geckos are found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from . Geckos a ...

es ('' Diplodactylus mcmillani, Gehyra occidentalis, G. xenopus, Oedura filicipoda, O. gracilis, Amalosia obscura'' and '' Pseudothecadactylus cavaticus''), four agamid lizards ('' Diporiphora convergens, D. pindan, D. superba'', and '' Pogona microlepidota''), and 13 skinks ('' Carlia johnstonei, Ctenotus burbidgei, C. mastigura, C. tantillus, C. decaneurus yampiensis, Egernia douglasi, Eremiascincus brongersmai, Lerista apoda, L. borealis, L. kalumburu, L. separanda, L. walkeri'', and '' Cyclodomorphus maximus''). Endemic snakes are the rough-scaled python (''Morelia carinata''),

Kimberley deep-soil blind snake The Kimberley deep-soil blind snake (''Anilios howi'') is a species of snake in the family Typhlopidae. McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T (1999). ''Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1''. Washington, Distr ...

(''Anilios howi''), Small-eyed blind snake (''A. micromma''), Sandamara blind snake (''A. troglodytes''), Yampi blind snake (''A. yampiensis''), Ord curl snake (''Sula ordensis''), and ''

Simoselaps minimus ''Simoselaps minimus'', also known as the Dampierland burrowing snake, is a species of venomous burrowing snake that is endemic to Australia. The specific epithet ''minimus'' (“least”) refers to the species’ relatively small size. Descr ...

''. The endemic frogs include

flat-headed frog :''The unrelated corrugated frog (''Limnonectes laticeps'') of Southeast Asia is occasionally also called "flat-headed frog".'' The flat-headed frog (''Limnodynastes depressus'') is a species of frog in the family Limnodynastidae. It is endemic t ...

(''Limnodynastes depressus''), cave-dwelling frog (''Ranoidea cavernicola''), magnificent tree frog (''Ranoidea splendida''),

Derby toadlet The Derby toadlet (''Uperoleia aspera'') is a species of frog in the family Myobatrachidae. It is endemic to the Kimberley (Western Australia), Kimberley region near Derby and Broome, Western Australia, Broome in Western Australia. Its natural ...

(''Uperoleia aspera''), small toadlet (''U. minima''),

fat toadlet The fat toadlet (''Uperoleia crassa'') is a species of frog in the family Myobatrachidae. It is endemic to Australia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland and intermittent freshwater marsh A marsh is a ...

(''U. crassa''), marbled toadlet (''U. marmorata''), Mjoberg's toadlet (''U. mjobergi''), and

mole toadlet The mole toadlet (''Uperoleia talpa'') is a species of frog in the family Myobatrachidae. It is endemic to Western Australia. Its natural habitats are dry savanna and subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland A grassland is an area whe ...

(''U. talpa'').

Conservation and threats

Threats to the ecoregion's wildlife include: habitat loss from converting land to agriculture and pasture; trampling and overgrazing by livestock cattle and feral cattle, donkeys, pigs, and rabbits; changes to the fire regime from replacing Aboriginal fire practices (small, frequent, and deliberately-set small fires) with widespread fire suppression resulting in larger late-season fires; and the introduction of exotic predators including house cats and foxes. Several introduced plants have become widespread weeds, displacing native plants and disrupting the region's fire and hydrologic cycles and food sources for native animals. These plants include rough cocklebur (''Xanthium strumarium''),

parkinsonia ''Parkinsonia'' , also ''Cercidium'' , is a genus of flowering plants in the pea family, Fabaceae. It contains about 12 species that are native to semi-desert regions of Africa and the Americas. The name of the genus honors English apothecary ...

(''Parkinsonia aculeata''), bellyache bush (''Jatropha gossypifolia''), castor bean plant (''Ricinus communis''), and stinking passionflower (''Passiflora foetida'').

Protected areas

00 2116 Geikie-Gorke-Nationalpark in Western Australia

A 2017 assessment found that 84,546 km², or 25%, of the ecoregion is in protected areas but less than 10% is in IUCN Cat 1 & 2 protected areas. Protected areas in the ecoregion include

Drysdale River National Park Drysdale River National Park is a national park in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, northeast of Perth. The park lies about south of Kalumburu and west of Wyndham. The park is the largest and least accessible in the Kimberley, w ...

Keep River National Park Keep River National Park is in the Northern Territory of Australia, 418 km southwest of Darwin and 468 km west of Katherine. The nearest town is Kununurra in Western Australia. Environment The park has a number of striking sandstone ...

, Mitchell River National Park,

Prince Regent National Park Prince Regent National Park, formerly the Prince Regent Nature Reserve, is a protected area in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. In 1978 the area was nominated as a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. Land The national park covers a tota ...

Danggu Gorge National Park Danggu (Geikie) Gorge National Park is a national park in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, ( great-circle distance) northeast of Perth and approximately east of Broome by road. The gorge was originally named in honour of Sir Archiba ...

Mirima National Park Mirima National Park also commonly known as Hidden Valley National Park is a National Park in far northern Western Australia located at the eastern side of the Kimberley region. It is located approximately from Perth just outside the township of ...

Wunaamin Miliwundi Ranges Conservation Park The Wunaamin Miliwundi Ranges (formerly between 1879 and 2020, the King Leopold Ranges) are a range of hills in the western Kimberley region of Western Australia. There are two conservation parks within the ranges, the Wunaamin Conservation ...

, Ord River Nature Reserve,

Charnley River–Artesian Range Sanctuary Charnley is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bill Charnley, English footballer * Bryan Charnley (1949–1991), English artist * Chic Charnley (born 1963), Scottish association football (soccer) player *Dave Charnley (1935&n ...

, Marion Downs Sanctuary,

Mornington Sanctuary Mornington Sanctuary, formerly Mornington Station, is a nature reserve in the Kimberley region of north-west Western Australia. It contains the Mornington Wilderness Camp and is owned and managed by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC ...

, Tableland Wildlife Sanctuary, and the northern and western portions of

Gregory National Park Judbarra National Park, formerly Gregory National Park, is a national park in the Northern Territory of Australia, 359 km south of Darwin. The park is the second largest national park in the Northern Territory, after Kakadu National Park ...

Indigenous protected area An Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) is a class of protected area used in Australia; each is formed by voluntary agreement with Indigenous Australians, and declared by Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islander representative organisations ...

s (IPAs) in the ecoregion include Nyangumarta Warrarn Indigenous Protected Area,

Yawuru Indigenous Protected Area The Yawuru, also spelt Jawuru, are an Indigenous Australian people of the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Language A Japanese linguist, Hosokawa Kōmei (細川弘明), compiled the first basic dictionary of the Yawuru language in 1988, an ...

( Yawuru people), Bardi Jawi Indigenous Protected Area (

Bardi Jawi The Bardi people, also spelt Baada or Baardi and other variations, are an Aboriginal Australian people, living north of Broome and inhabiting parts of the Dampier Peninsula in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. They are ethnically cl ...

peoples), Dambimangari Indigenous Protected Area (

Dambimangari The Worrorra, also written Worora, are an Aboriginal Australian people of the Kimberley area of north-western Australia. The term is sometimes used to describe speakers of the (Western) Worrorra language, and sometimes groups whose traditiona ...

peoples), Karajarri Indigenous Protected Area, Uunguu Indigenous Protected Area (

Uunguu The Wunambal (Unambal), also known as Wunambal Gaambera, Uunguu (referring to their lands), and other names, are an Aboriginal Australian people of the northern Kimberley region of Western Australia. People The Wunambal were, according to Norma ...

people),

Wilinggin Indigenous Protected Area The Ngarinyin or Ngarinjin are an Aboriginal Australian people of the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Their language, Ngarinyin, is also known as Ungarinyin. When referring to their traditional lands, they refer to themselves as Wilinggi ...

( Wilinggin people), Balanggarra Indigenous Protected Area ( Balanggarra peoples), and Wardaman Indigenous Protected Area (

Wardaman people The Wardaman people are a small group of Aboriginal Australians living about South-West of Katherine, on Menngen Aboriginal Land Trust in the Northern Territory of Australia. Language Wardaman is a non Pama-Nyungan language. Though close t ...

).UNEP-WCMC (2020). Protected Area Profile for Australia from the World Database of Protected Areas, September 2020. Available at: www.protectedplanet.net

References

External links

* {{Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA) Ecoregions of Western Australia Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands