Wildlife of the Otways and Shipwreck Coast

By Grant Palmer

The Otways and Shipwreck Coast is known for its natural beauty and attracts millions of visitors each year, particularly along the Great Ocean Road. The value of the region's rich biodiversity is recognised at the national and global level and its wildlife is markedly different to other regions, including eastern Victoria which supports similar vegetation types.

Wildlife of the Otways and Shipwreck Coast is a photographic field guide to the vertebrate wildlife of Victoria’s south-west. It covers all the mammals, birds, reptiles and frogs that occur in the region, including on land and in coastal waters. Each of the 288 species profiles includes a description and information on identification, range, conservation status, habitat use and ecology and is complemented by an exquisite colour photograph and a detailed distribution map. The book also includes chapters on habitat types, conservation and management, and on 14 key places in the region to view wildlife.

This book will allow those interested in wildlife, including residents and visitors, to identify vertebrate animals found in the region. Readers will also become more familiar with the distinct role the Otways has in conserving Australia’s biodiversity.

• Language: English
• Publisher: CSIRO PUBLISHING
• Release date: Apr 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9781486309009

Grant Palmer

Grant Palmer has over 25 years’ experience in wildlife research, particularly across Victoria’s South-West. He has a PhD in wildlife ecology and has been an academic at Federation University in environmental and conservation science since 2005. He is the author of Wildlife of the Otways and Shipwreck Coast (CSIRO Publishing).

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Introduction

The Otways and Shipwreck Coast is famous for its remarkable wildlife and scenic beauty. The region is identified as a Key Biodiversity Area, recognising its role in the global persistence of biodiversity by supporting vital habitat for the conservation of plant and animal species in terrestrial, aquatic and marine environments. Its distinctive wildlife includes species such as Platypus, Koala, Long-nosed Potoroo, Southern Right Whale, Grey Goshawk, Rufous Bristlebird, Mountain Heath Dragon and Growling Grass Frog. The region supports both endemic species (e.g. Otway Black Snail) and sub-species (e.g. Otway Forester (a sub-species of Pied Currawong) and Rufous Bristlebird). Further, it provides critically important habitat for threatened species such Spotted-tailed Quoll, New Holland Mouse and Orange-bellied Parrot.

The Otways and Shipwreck Coast

The Otways and Shipwreck Coast is a remarkable region, comprising a series of low ranges and hinterland of foothills and plains, peeling back from the rugged coastline of southern Victoria, from Torquay in the east to Warrnambool in the west. The region covered in this guide has two parts: the Otway Range and Otway Plain bioregions in the east, and the Shipwreck Coast in the west, which includes the Warrnambool Plain bioregion. The Otway Range is a relatively flat-topped mountain range, rising from the coast to ~500 m above sea level with foothills extending out from the inland fall of the range. The highest point in the range is Mt Cowley at 670 m above sea level. The Shipwreck Coast stretches west from Cape Otway to Warrnambool. It includes iconic limestone formations such as the Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge and Bay of Islands, which are all easily accessed via the world-famous Great Ocean Road. The Shipwreck Coast is fringed by the Warrnambool Plain bioregion which is generally less than 100 m above sea level. Away from the coast, most of the native vegetation in this part has been cleared for pastoral industries, including long-established dairy, cattle and sheep enterprises.

Volcanic activity around 4 million years ago resulted in the creation of the Victorian Volcanic Plain (which forms the northern boundary of the region), effectively isolating the Otway Range from other highland areas on the mainland of Australia, such as those associated with the Great Dividing Range. Further, the Otways are now isolated from the Tasmanian highlands by the marine environment of Bass Strait. The Tasmanian land mass would have been connected to the mainland at various times due to changes in sea levels during glacial phases, with the last land bridge connection being around 13 000 years ago. So, while currently isolated, the Otway region has past links with both Tasmania and the eastern highlands of Australia – there is clear evidence of this in the wildlife found in the region today.

The Otways and Shipwreck Coast region.

The Otway Range is dominated by damp forests and rainforest on higher slopes, with drier forests and woodlands on the lower slopes. The climate on the range is generally cool and wet, with mean annual rainfall between 800 mm and 2000 mm. Most rain falls in the winter period. The highest rainfall levels are recorded along the ridge (including the highest annual rainfall in Victoria at Weeaproinah), which is often shrouded in mist. Average daily maximum temperatures high on the range reach 25°C during summer, but are as low as 9°C in winter. Conditions become milder near the coast with less variation in temperature and rainfall. The Shipwreck Coast has an average annual rainfall of 700 mm to 1000 mm, mainly falling during winter and early spring. Average maximum daily temperatures are typically cooler near the coast in summer (20°C), reaching ~27°C inland. In winter the trend is reversed, with cooler daily maximum temperatures inland (10°) compared with 13°C near the coast.

Digital elevation model of the region, showing topographical representation and major locations.

How to use this guide

Species profiles

The individual species profiles in Chapter 4 are a succinct summary of their identification, distribution, status and ecology. Where appropriate, these descriptions provide information especially relevant to the region. For each species, the following information is covered.

•Common name and species name (see Taxonomy and nomenclature below).

•Description of identification, key features and vocalisations.

•Range and status : the extent of distribution in the region, commonness (see Species commonness below) and seasonal patterns in occurrence. Conservation status is described where relevant (see Conservation status below).

•Habitat : describes the habitat types preferred by the species, including important habitat features.

•Ecology : describes the diet and foraging habits, breeding behaviour, general behaviour and other ecological features of the species.

•Locations : lists some key locations in the region for the species. These include general areas as well as specific sites in some cases.

Wildlife are presented in the following sequence: Mammals, birds, reptiles, frogs and introduced species. Within this classification, species are grouped according to the broad biomes in which they are most likely to be encountered – Land, Freshwater wetlands and streams and Marine and coastal. The exception to this is frogs, where no biome grouping is used, reflecting extensive use of both aquatic and terrestrial biomes during different life stages. In the broad biome groupings, species are ordered following the taxonomic sequence used in the sources identified in Taxonomy and nomenclature. An index to species is included at the back to assist with locating species within the book.

Example of species distribution map annotated to show key features.

Species distribution maps

For each species included in the profiles, an individual distribution map is shown. This map is largely based on distribution records from the Atlas of Living Australia and the Victorian Biodiversity Atlas. Individual records from these comprehensive databases are presented as red dots, which show the locality of observations of the species in the region. Not all species have been subjected to equal observation or survey effort through time; for some species, very little information on their distribution in the region is known. Some species are highly cryptic and difficult

to observe, resulting in very few records for the region, even though they can be common, at least in local areas.

The distribution of these points in the landscape, in combination with the likely habitat types used and other landscape features, such as extent of native vegetation, has been used to create the species range in the region. This has been corroborated with records and knowledge in scientific literature and reports, input from researchers and local naturalists, and personal observations and experience. The species range is displayed on maps as follows.

1. The range in which a species could reliably be expected to occur is shaded light purple. If the species could reliably be expected to occur throughout the region, then the whole region is shaded light purple.

2. Where populations of species are concentrated in particular parts of the range, or where the species is particularly common (regularly encountered) or abundant, these areas are shaded deeper purple (i.e. darker). If the species is common and abundant throughout the region, then the whole region is shaded deep purple.

There are instances where known records (i.e. red dots) for some species fall outside the range defined on the map. Such records include historic records where the species is considered unlikely to still occur in the vicinity, or vagrant records outside the expected range in the region.

Readers should consider the maps in combination with the descriptive text. This will allow readers to increase their chances of encountering particular wildlife in the region.

Species commonness

Species distribution records and understanding of their abundance in the region are used to assign a regional status level. The status level can be used to elucidate the likelihood of encountering the species in the region if searching suitable habitats, using appropriate means. For example, although many bats are common across much of the region, they will only be encountered regularly if using appropriate survey techniques, such as harp traps or echolocation recording devices. The levels used to describe a species status include:

•Common : species is relatively numerous and often readily encountered.

•Locally common : species is relatively numerous in local areas and often readily encountered.

•Moderately common : species is typically present in suitable habitat, but less readily encountered.

•Uncommon : species occurs in relatively low numbers, and is often difficult to encounter.

•Rare : species occurs in low numbers and is not widespread.

•Resident : species is present in region throughout the year.

•Seasonal migrant : Species is present in the region for at least part of the year.

•Visitor : species visits the region on a regular or semi-regular basis, but not annually (if annually it is considered a seasonal migrant).

•Vagrant : species typically occurs outside the region, but irregularly recorded from region.

Conservation status

The listed conservation status of wildlife in this book follows the classification of threatened species as vulnerable, endangered, critically endangered, or extinct in the wild in either Victoria (i.e. state level) or Australia (i.e. national level), or both. The conservation status of threatened species in Victoria is compiled on the Advisory List of Threatened Vertebrate Fauna in Victoria

(DSE 2013). In Victoria, threatened species may also be listed under the

Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (FFG Act). At the national level, the conservation status of threatened species is listed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). The categories are defined in Table 1.

Table 1. Definition of conservation status categories applied to threatened species.

Taxonomy and nomenclature

In this book, common and species names (i.e. scientific names) generally follow:

•Mammals: those presented in Jackson and Groves (2015) Taxonomy of Australian Mammals.

•Birds: those presented in Menkhorst et al . (2017) The Australian Bird Guide.

•Reptiles: those presented in Wilson and Swan (2017) A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia .

•Frogs: those presented in Cogger (2014) Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia.

Acronyms

The following abbreviations for parks, reserves and other features of the region are used throughout the book:

1

Wildlife of the Otways and Shipwreck Coast

The Otways and Shipwreck Coast supports a rich and diverse wildlife when compared to other forested regions in south-eastern Australia – particularly for mammals and birds. The Victorian Volcanic Plain has a barrier effect, isolating the Otway Range from other forested areas and contributing to its distinctiveness. This makes the region biogeographically important. It supports endemic taxa and it lacks species which are widespread in similar environments in south-eastern Australia, such as the wet forest ranges of the Central Highlands spanning eastern Victoria.

Mammals

Almost half of the mammal species recorded in Victoria occur in the region. A high proportion of these species occur widely in south-eastern Australia; however, the high species richness in the Otways is driven by the broad mix of vegetation communities occurring in the relatively confined geographical area. In forests and woodlands, Short-beaked Echidna, Agile Antechinus, Common Brush-tailed Possum, Swamp Wallaby, Bush Rat, White-striped Free-tailed Bat, Little Forest-bat and Lesser Long-eared Bat are widespread. Others closely associated with tall moist eucalypt forest include Dusky Antechinus, Yellow-bellied Glider and Southern Long-nosed Bandicoot.

Rohan H. Clarke

Yellow-bellied Gliders prefer productive gully areas with tall smooth-barked eucalypts on the Otway Range.

Heathlands and heathy woodlands support a rich assemblage of small mammals and the Otways and Shipwreck Coast region is a conservation hotspot for many of these animals. The heathy understorey supports bandicoots (Southern Brown and Southern Long-nosed Bandicoots), marsupial carnivores from the family Dasyuridae (Agile Antechinus, Swamp Antechinus, White-footed Dunnart), small macropods (Long-nosed Potoroo), Eastern Pygmy-possum and several small placental mammals (Broad-toothed Rat, Swamp Rat, Bush Rat and New Holland Mouse). The combinations of species present are often strongly linked to the fire history of a given site.

Streams draining the ranges support aquatic mammals such as Platypus and Water Rat. Some terrestrial mammals that are widespread in the landscape are closely associated with riparian forests along drainage lines and gullies because of the distinct habitats they provide. For example, Broad-toothed Rat prefers sites with dense tussocky grasses and herbs, which typically fringe waterways. Yellow-bellied Glider often forages along drainage lines, particularly where smooth-barked eucalypts such as Manna Gum and Swamp Gum penetrate drier forest types in the foothills.

The region’s bat community is dominated by the insectivorous species referred to as microbats that are found across the rest of southern Australia. There are

12 taxa of microbats known from the Otways and Shipwreck Coast. Most are forest and woodland generalists that are widespread and common in south-eastern Australia, except for Southern Bent-winged Bat, a subspecies which depends on caves in eroding coastal cliff faces for roosting and maternity sites. The region houses one of only two known maternity sites for this subspecies.

Terry Reardon

The Shipwreck Coast houses one of only two known maternity sites for the cave-roosting Southern Bent-winged Bat.

Wet forests and gullies support a diverse range of tree-dwelling (arboreal) mammals. For example, along a 100 m stretch of the Parker River near Cape Otway, Yellow-bellied Glider, Sugar Glider, Narrow-toed Feather-tailed Glider, Common Brush-tailed Possum, Eastern Ring-tailed Possum and Koala have been found during regular surveys over many years.

There are several marine mammals inhabiting coastal waters. These include common or widespread species in southern Australian waters, such as Humpback Whale, Southern Right Whale, Short-beaked Common Dolphin and Australian Fur Seal. There are also vagrant marine species, including Blue Whale and Southern Elephant Seal.

Characteristic of Australian mammals, there are typically very few diurnally active species in the region. Apart from Swamp Wallaby, Eastern Grey Kangaroo and Koala, other mammals will typically be difficult to encounter.

M. Watson, DELWP

Logans Beach near Warrnambool provides an important nursery site for Southern Right Whales.

Birds

The avifauna (i.e. birds) is also impressive, with over half of the species recorded in Victoria occurring in the region. Again, the diversity of vegetation communities underlies the high species richness. Many species common in the Otways are typical of forests and woodlands in south-eastern Australia, including Brown Thornbill, Grey Shrike-thrush, Golden Whistler, White-browed Scrubwren, White-throated Treecreeper, Grey Fantail, Crimson Rosella, Eastern Yellow Robin, Grey Currawong and Spotted Pardalote. Species with close affinities to tall moist forests such as Rose Robin, Olive Whistler, Bassian Thrush, Australian King Parrot, Gang-gang Cockatoo and Rufous Fantail can be found here. Other species typical of heathlands are also present, including Tawny-crowned Honeyeater, Beautiful Firetail, Chestnut-rumped Heathwren, Southern Emu-wren and Eastern Ground Parrot. Drier forests on ridges and inland slopes cater for Scarlet Robin, Painted Button-quail, Rufous Whistler, White-winged Chough and Buff-rumped Thornbill. These species are also found in drier forest regions inland of the Great Dividing Range in south-eastern Australia, such as the Grampians and box-ironbark forests and woodlands. Waterways provide habitat for a range of species, including Azure Kingfisher and Lewin’s Rail. Birds that are characteristic of open country and farmland include Australian Magpie, Magpie-lark, Australian White and Straw-necked Ibis, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Brown Falcon, Galah, Welcome Swallow, Australian Pipit and Willie Wagtail.

Large forest owls are an important component of the Otways ecosystem, being the top predators in the system. Powerful Owl and Australian Masked Owl are forest-dwelling species, while Eastern Barn Owl and Barking Owl occur in lightly wooded parts, particularly on the plains in the northern fringe of the region. The smaller Southern Boobook occurs throughout the region. These top-order predators take a diverse range of mammal and bird prey and occupy very large home ranges. Owls are an effective focus for conservation. When we help owls by protecting mature old trees needed for breeding hollows and to support arboreal mammal populations as a prey base, we also incidentally conserve many other species in ecosystems within the owls’ large territories.

Rufous Fantail is a characteristic member of the wet forest on the Otway Range.

While mammal, reptile and frog assemblages remain relatively constant throughout the year, many birds undertake regular movements to and from, or within, the region. There are intercontinental migrants (e.g. Fork-tailed Swift and White-throated Needletail) and intracontinental migrants, including those moving between Tasmania and the mainland (e.g. Blue-winged Parrot, Swift Parrot and Silvereye) and those that breed in the Otways in the spring/summer period before overwintering in northern Australia or New Guinea (e.g. Rufous Fantail, Rufous Whistler, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Satin Flycatcher and Sacred Kingfisher). Other species move into or out of the Otways, or around the region, tracking seasonal or irregular food resources such as flowers and nectar (e.g. Musk Lorikeet, Purple-crowned Lorikeet, White-naped Honeyeater, Red Wattlebird and New Holland Honeyeater), fruits (e.g. Satin Bowerbird and Silvereye) or sporadically abundant animal prey (e.g. Black-shouldered Kite and Eastern Barn Owl).

The display bower of a male Satin Bowerbird. While breeding males often remain in their territory year-round, young birds and females can roam widely.

Birds are highly mobile and, from time to time, birds reach the Otways unexpectedly. These species are considered vagrants and there are very few historic records of such species. Examples of vagrant species in the Otways are Black-faced Monarch, Leaden Flycatcher, White-fronted Honeyeater and Scarlet Honeyeater. However, distribution patterns are not static and over time species can expand their range in response to changes in land cover (e.g. habitat clearing or urbanisation, or as a short-term response to a major bushfire), environmental conditions (e.g. changes expected under climate change) and resource availability (e.g. cereal grain crops, fruit trees and ornamental garden trees as food sources). In recent decades, several native species have expanded the southern limits of their range considerably in south-eastern Australia, adapting to changing agricultural landscapes or increasing urbanisation. These include Crested Pigeon, Long-billed Corella, Little Corella and Rainbow Lorikeet – all these species were considered vagrants in the region in the 1980s but have quickly established resident populations and are now at least locally common there. Vagrant species that have been expanding their distribution in south-eastern Australia in recent years and that are likely to find suitable habitat in the region include Scarlet Honeyeater, Eastern Koel and Cicadabird.

The most species-rich family of birds in the region is the honeyeaters (Family Meliphagidae). While nectar forms a key part of the diet for these species, only a few of the region’s honeyeaters are specialist nectarivores, feeding almost entirely on nectar. Such species include New Holland Honeyeater and Eastern Spinebill (but even these feed on invertebrates at times). Most honeyeaters, however, switch between nectar, plant and other carbohydrates (e.g. exudates such as manna and sap, or lerps) or protein sources (e.g. invertebrates), responding to changes in the availability of these resources within a year, or between years. White-eared and Brown-headed Honeyeaters spend much time foraging among peeling bark and bark ribbons to extract invertebrates. White-naped Honeyeaters predominantly glean lerps – a tiny sugary dome on leaves, secreted by a leaf-eating psyllid – from the tree canopy. Red Wattlebird and Yellow-faced Honeyeater will actively pursue flying insects in gaps above and below the canopy. But it seems all these species crave nectar, and most track this resource: seasonal or sporadic flowering events attract large numbers of individuals and numerous species to an area. Some species, including Red Wattlebird and Eastern Spinebill, will build large numbers in local areas in response to booming flowering events, attracting individuals from within and beyond the region.

The White-eared Honeyeater is a member of the prolific Family Meliphagidae that is typically closely associated with flowering plants.

Australia is renowned as the land of parrots. The region truly reflects this, as many of the most spectacular parrots and cockatoos are readily observed. Cockatoos are prevalent with six species commonly found, including the forest-dwelling, arboreal species Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo and Gang-gang Cockatoo, and the open country cockatoos, including Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Galah, Long-billed Corella and Little Corella. Crimson Rosellas are one of the most commonly seen birds in the Otways, occurring in all vegetation communities, as well as being common in farmland and towns. The Eastern Rosella prefers the open country, being a regular in farmland and townships, along with Red-rumped Parrot. The Australian King Parrot is a bird of the ranges, inhabiting the tall, wet forests. Nectarivorous lorikeets, such as Musk Lorikeet, Purple-crowned Lorikeet and Rainbow Lorikeet, move into and out of the region tracking flowering events; however, Rainbow Lorikeet is now resident and expanding in the region. There are a few endangered parrots in the region that have very particular habitat requirements, perhaps to their detriment. The Orange-bellied Parrot feeds on saltmarsh vegetation. This habitat has been lost, degraded or substantially modified throughout its range; this problem, along with other factors, has contributed to populations being decimated to the point that it is now on the brink of extinction in the wild. The Eastern Ground Parrot frequents heaths of a particular age after fire, and there have been few confirmed sightings of the species in recent decades. The Swift Parrot is a nectar-feeding species that overwinters on the mainland. Occasionally this species will show up in the region, either passing through or being attracted to flowering events.

Chris Tzaros

One of Australia’s spectacular parrots, the Australian King Parrot is common in forests on the Otway Range, as well as in some townships.

Reptiles

There are few reptiles in the region compared to other forested regions in south-eastern Australia and less than one-fifth of the reptiles known to occur in Victoria have been recorded there. The reptile fauna is limited to some skinks, elapid snakes and a small number of other species. The cool temperatures and moist environments encountered in the Otways are likely to be a limiting factor for many reptile species. Common reptiles in other environments, such as turtles and geckoes, are either not found in the region or are under-represented.

However, the reptile fauna includes some species that are only found in cool-temperature forest environments. This includes several skinks, such as Eastern Mourning Skink, Southern Forest Cool-skink, Trunk-climbing Cool-skink and Highlands Forest-skink.

The two large snakes found in the Otways, Tiger Snake and Lowland Copperhead, are relatively abundant and widespread.

Jules Farquhar

The Eastern Mourning Skink is one of several reptiles which are characteristic of cool-temperature environments.

Frogs

There are 11 species of frogs reliably recorded from the region, representing approximately one-third of the species recorded in Victoria. Most of these frogs are widely distributed across south-eastern Australia. However, there are fewer species found in the region than in similar forested environments in eastern Victoria and drier forested regions to the north. This reflects the pattern of decreasing species richness of frogs with decreasing longitude in southern Victoria.

The Southern Brown Tree Frog is one of the most common frogs encountered in the region and in south-eastern Australia.

Most of the frog species are closely tied to water throughout their life-cycle, but Southern Toadlet, Bibron’s Toadlet, Eastern Banjo Frog and Common Spadefoot Toad stray away from water, inhabiting damp forest litter or sheltering in the soil.

Distinct taxa

Because of the geographical isolation of some habitat types from similar vegetation elsewhere, the Otways fauna includes several unique taxa (i.e. distinct taxonomic units, groups or populations of animals). A duller, less rufous-coloured subspecies of Rufous Bristlebird Dasyornis broadbenti caryochrous is restricted to the Otways. The Rufous Bristlebird is a bird of coastal scrubs, yet the Otways subspecies extends inland along dense gullies. The Pied Currawong subspecies Strepera gracullina ashbyi only occurs in the Otways and a little west of the region. This subspecies had long been considered extinct, genetically swamped by a long period of hybridisation with the more widespread S. g. nebulosa, but recent research shows it still occurs in the Otways region. Two birds that are widespread in south-eastern Australia have subspecies which only occur in the Otways and the southernmost part of eastern Victoria, Brown-headed Honeyeater and White-browed Scrubwren.

Among the invertebrate wildlife there are several species endemic to the region, including Otway Black Snail, Otway Burrowing Crayfish and Otway Stonefly.

The Otway Forester represents a subspecies of Pied Currawong, which is closely tied to the Otways and Shipwreck Coast region.

The carnivorous Otway Black Snail is endemic to the region, occurring only in Wet Forest and Cool Temperate Rainforest on the Otway Range.

The Otways provides population strongholds on the Australian mainland for a range of wildlife, including Spotted-tailed Quoll, Swamp Antechinus, Smoky Mouse, New Holland Mouse, Grey Goshawk, Rufous Bristlebird, Forest Raven and Eastern Mourning Skink.

It is interesting to note that some species of wildlife commonly found in eastern Victoria are not found in the Otways, such as Common Wombat, Bobuck, Greater Glider, Superb Lyrebird, Sooty Owl, Red-browed Treecreeper, Eastern Whipbird, Pilotbird and Lewin’s Honeyeater.

Tasmanian affinities

The region’s wildlife retains some remarkable examples of species that are considered to reflect prior land linkage between Tasmania and the mainland. Species such as Swamp Antechinus, Grey Goshawk, Forest Raven, Beautiful Firetail, Smooth Frog and Southern Toadlet have populations in Tasmania but extend to the mainland, with the Otways providing a stronghold for their mainland population. Some of these species are thought to have originated in Tasmania when it was isolated from the mainland during prior interglacial periods, before subsequently colonising the southern mainland when connected by a land bridge during a glacial period. There are also species that regularly migrate between Tasmania and the mainland, including Orange-bellied Parrot, Swift Parrot and Silvereye.

The Grey Goshawk has populations in Tasmania and mainland Australia. The region is a stronghold for the mainland population.

2

Otways and Shipwreck Coast habitats

Many wildlife species have specific habitat requirements. For example, they may require physical structures such as tree hollows for shelter and breeding, or dietary resources such as nectar for survival. As a result, the distribution of wildlife in the landscape is associated with distinct environments or collections of plants (vegetation communities) which meet their ecological needs.

The Otways and Shipwreck Coast provides a diverse range of habitats, each supporting characteristic groups of wildlife. In this guide, 13 broad habitat types are described. Nine of these are based on the vegetation communities that make up the physical structure and resources of a habitat. Vegetation communities are shaped by topography, geology and soils, moisture regimes, and ecological processes such as fire. Another four broad habitat types that are not defined by native vegetation are recognised. These are marine and coasts, cleared land–farmland, plantations and urban areas.

Shrubby Foothill Forest

Shrubby Foothill Forest is widely distributed on the Otway Range across a broad range of altitudes, occupying exposed slopes of moderate to low gradient with clay or loam soils, where annual average rainfall is greater than 1100 mm.

The overstorey is a medium forest dominated by eucalypts up to 30 m tall. The most prevalent is Messmate, commonly forming an association with Mountain Grey Gum. Other eucalypts present occasionally include Scentbark, Brown Stringybark, Southern Blue-gum, Narrow-leaved Peppermint, Swamp Gum and Manna Gum. This community lacks midstorey trees.

Distribution of Shrubby Foothill Forest in the Otways and Shipwreck Coast region.

The understorey is dominated by a high cover of shrubs up to 4–5 m in height. Typical shrubs are Prickly Moses, Narrow-leaf Wattle, Hop Goodenia, Snowy Daisy-bush, Prickly Currant-bush, Prickly Tea-tree, Hazel Pomaderris and Tree Everlasting.

Example of Shrubby Foothill Forest, Forrest.

The ground layer is often dominated by either Austral Bracken or Forest Wire-grass, which form dense swards in openings in the thick shrub layer. Other species which may be present include Tall Sword-sedge and the climber Mountain Clematis.

Highlights

Sugar Glider, Narrow-toed Feather-tailed Glider, Yellow-bellied Glider, Long-nosed Potoroo, Grey Goshawk, Powerful Owl, Australian Masked Owl, Blue-winged Parrot, Forest Raven, White-lipped Snake.

Commonly encountered wildlife

Short-beaked Echidna, Agile Antechinus, Eastern Ring-tailed Possum, Koala, Lesser Long-eared Bat, Bush Rat, Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo, Gang-gang Cockatoo, Crimson Rosella, White-throated Treecreeper, Brown Thornbill, Grey Fantail, Flame Robin, Tiger Snake, Lowland Copperhead.

Wet Forest

A charismatic feature of the Otway Range is its Wet Forests. Wet Forest occurs in the wettest areas on the ranges, where rainfall exceeds 1450 mm annually. They typically occur on sheltered south-facing slopes above the coastal influence, and in gullies, sometimes extending along these to near the coast. Extensive patches also occur on northerly aspects high up on the range, but also in high-rainfall zones on the inland foothills at relatively low altitudes. The soils supporting Wet Forest are highly fertile loams, retaining high soil moisture throughout the annual cycle.

Mountain Ash dominates this community structurally, forming a tall tree layer over 40 m in height (trees >80 m tall still occur in the region). The oldest of these forest giants are likely to be at least 400 years old, but there are very few of these

in the landscape today. Mountain Ash often forms single-species stands in wetter parts, but on drier sites it occurs with Mountain Grey Gum, Messmate and Southern Blue-gum.

A midstorey layer of tall Blackwood is common, particularly in gullies. The tall shrub