New South Wales FaunaFauna Index Arachnids Frogs Spiders Birds

New South Wales is home to some amazing fauna, across the diverse habitats and regions. From mountain ranges, plateaus, upland areas and escarpment, to coastal habitats stretching from the Queensland border to the Victoria border, and stretching inland encompassing a great range of native vegetation, including rainforests, eucalypt forests and woodlands, alpine grasslands, wetlands, coastal heaths, alpine habitats and arid shrublands.

With such diversity, New South Wales is home to an amazing diverse range of fauna, from aquatic creatures, insects, spiders, reptiles, mammals, marsupials and birds. Whilst most of the larger wildlife are known, there are many thousands of unamed species of insects and spiders.

Check out our New South Wales Fauna Index. Some fauna is already listed under various regions and destinations in NSW including Central Coast Fauna, Northern Beaches Fauna, Sapphire Coast Fauna, South Coast Fauna and Sydney Fauna (all being work in progress and much more to come).


Tiger Spider (Trichonephila plumipes), Stony Range Regional Botanic Garden, Dee Why NSW
Tiger Spider (Trichonephila plumipes), Stony Range Regional Botanic Garden, Dee Why NSW
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita)
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita), Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, NSW
Saunders' Case Moth (Metura elongatus), west Sydney NSW © Murad Abaza
Saunders’ Case Moth (Metura elongatus), west Sydney NSW © Murad Abaza
Native Honey Bee (Sugar Bags), Tetragonula carbonaria, Stony Range Regional Botanic Garden, Dee Why NSW
Native Honey Bee (Sugar Bags), Tetragonula carbonaria, Stony Range Regional Botanic Garden NSW
Australian Brush-turkey (Alectura lathami), Dee Why NSW
Australian Brush-turkey (Alectura lathami), Dee Why NSW
Pittosporum Leaf Beetle (Lamprolina impressicollis), Stony Range Regional Botanic Garden, Dee Why NSW
Pittosporum Leaf Beetle (Lamprolina impressicollis), Stony Range Regional Botanic Garden NSW
Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus), Wallaga Lake NSW © Deb Taylor
Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus), Wallaga Lake NSW © Deb Taylor
Jacky Dragon (Amphibolurus muricatus), Central Coast NSW © Michael Doe
Jacky Dragon (Amphibolurus muricatus), Central Coast NSW © Michael Doe
Red-tipped Crab Spider (Sidymella rubrosignata) on a Flannel Flower, Stony Range Regional Botanic Garden, Dee Why NSW
Red-tipped Crab Spider (Sidymella rubrosignata) on a Flannel Flower, Stony Range RBG, Dee Why NSW
Diamond Python (Morelia spilota spilota), Woy Woy Bay NSW © Michael Doe
Diamond Python (Morelia spilota spilota), Woy Woy Bay NSW © Michael Doe
Neon Cloak-and-dagger Bee (Thyreus nitidulus), Wandella NSW © Deb Taylor
Neon Cloak-and-dagger Bee (Thyreus nitidulus), Wandella NSW © Deb Taylor
Common Shutwing (Cordulephya pygmaea), Lake Parramatta, Sydney metropolitan area NSW © Jeff Melvaine
Common Shutwing (Cordulephya pygmaea), Lake Parramatta NSW © Jeff Melvaine
Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae). Taken from a shoreline lookout at Dalmeny in southern NSW, Australia © Phil Warburton
Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), from shoreline lookout – Dalmeny southern NSW © Phil Warburton
Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula), Northern Beaches NSW
Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) and young, Northern Beaches NSW
Rainbow Lorikeets (Trichoglossus moluccanus)
Rainbow Lorikeets (Trichoglossus moluccanus), Northern Beaches NSW © Derek Leel

This section is a work in progress… more information coming…


  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia

Footnote & References

  1. Photograph © Jeff Melvaine
  2. Photograph © Murad Abaza
  3. Photograph © Derek Leel

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