Manly Dam

The Manly Dam catchment area is home to a variety of:

• Mammals        
• Birds (PDF, 690KB)
• Reptiles & amphibians     
• Fish (PDF, 161KB)
• Feral Animals

Click on the link to find out more.

Mammals

Brown antechinus (antechinus stuartii) is found where there is thick ground cover and abundant logs. It hunts at night for insects such as beetles, spiders and cockroaches. Most males die after a strenuous breeding season.

 

Bush rat (Rattus Fuscipes) is a shy, nocturnal animal that lives in the undergrowth of shrubs and ferns in heath, forests and woodlands. It is an omnivore and eats fungi, grasses, fruits, seeds and insects.

Common brushtailed possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) is a nocturnal animal. During the day it retreats to a hollow log or tree trunk or dark area such as house roofs. In the wild, its diet consists of leaves, flowers and fruit, but in suburbia it will eat almost anything, including meat. Possums are protected. Contact Council for advice on removing from roofs.

Common ringtail possum (pseudocherius peregrinus) uses its long tail like a fifth limb to climb and jump between branches and carry nesting material. It is one of the few marsupials able to eat eucalypt leaves which are a poor source of nutrition and difficult to digest. It also eats its own faecal pellets to extract the maximum nutrients from its food.

Long-nosed bandicoot (Perameles nasuta) is best known for the conical holes it leaves while foraging. Dug with its front feet, the holes allow its long, sensitive snout to find insects, small  invertebrate and succulent plant material. Once common in Sydney, it now only occurs in isolated populations in bushland areas to the south and north of Sydney.

Short beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) is a monotreme, like the platypus - the most primitive type of mammal. It lays eggs but also suckles its young. The echidna is toothless and feeds almost exclusively on ants and termites. When disturbed, it curls into a spiny ball to protect its soft underside or digs its belly into the soil, exposing only its spines.

Swamp wallaby (Wallabia bicolor) is a small, stocky wallaby with dark brown fur, often with rusty patches on its belly, chest and base of the ears. It feeds on shrubs, grasses and ferns. Swamp wallabies are occassionally spotted at Manly Dam.

 

 

Lizards, Turtles, Snakes and Frogs

Lizards

Eastern Blue-tongued Lizards are one of 300 species of skinks in Australia. When threatened, blue-tongues turn towards the threat, open their mouths up wide and stick out their broad blue tonge - which contrasts vividly with their pink mouth.

 

Eastern Water Dragons are large lizards. They eat a variety of insects and aquatic organisms and may be seen scavenging around picnic spots. They have very sharp claws.

 

 

Lace Monitors are Australia's second largest lizard. Commonly called goannas, they grow in length to on average 1.5 metres. They can scale tree trunks in pursuit of prey or to escape danger. They feed on birds, insects, small mammals and othe reptiles.

 

Southern Leaf-tailed Geckos discards their tails if threatened or attacked so they can escape. They regrow another tail and the descarded tail will decompose.

 

 

Turtles

Eastern Long-necked Turtles spends most of their lives in water and only emerge to bask, migrate, nest and hibernate in winter.

 

 

Snakes

Diamond Pythons kill their prey, like all pythons, by wrapping their bodies around the victims - usually small mammals and lizards - and suffocating them. Females lay eggs and coil around them to protect and keep them warm.

 

Red-bellied Black Snakes are black on top with a red or crimson belly. They are often found near water as frogs form a large part of their diet.

 

 

Frogs

Common Eastern Froglets are found in wet habitats from the mountains to the coast, usually in shallow water. They are often found in suburban fish ponds where its presence is announced by its 'crick-crick-crick' call.

 

Eastern Dwarf Tree Frogs bright green colour gives them excellent camouflage in swamp and dam vegetations where they hunt.

 

 

Eastern Banjo Frogs are common is a wide rang of habitats from woodland and rainforests to farmland and grassy areas.