The Daintree is home to a variety of freaky animals and plants.
Go deep into the rainforest on a delightful hike and keep your eye out for our favourite species! See if you can tick them all off.
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Your day-time check plant checklist
The Daintree is bright and alive as the sun shines in the sky. Plants are open and bloomed, ready to soak in all the rays they can get. There are so many fascinating plants for you to look out for, they’ll excite the inner botanist in you!
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Idiot Tree
Perhaps the most famous plant in all of the Daintree is the Idiot Fruit Tree, why? Probably because it has a great name.
This unique tree is easily spotted by its foamy white flowers and can only be found in the tropical rainforests of north Queensland. Be careful though, while it may look like a common garden plant, the idiot fruit seeds are not to be messed with! They are so toxic they can easily paralyse and kill cattle.
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Kings Fern
Discover the magical King Ferns, some of the largest in the world. These ancient ferns are key to providing cover and protection to the small animals in this rainforest. They need constant moisture to survive, feeding off the humid environment around them. These ferns grow up to 5m wide, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble spotting them during a day walk!
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Take on the night
One of the highlights of our Daintree Rainforest tours is always the night walk. This awesome activity allows you to see a whole host of incredibly nocturnal animals and insects that hideaway during the day.
The Daintree Rainforest is home to hundreds of native, and freaky, animals that you simply must-see. A guided night walk doesn’t guarantee you’ll see all these amazing animals, but it certainly increases the chances!
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Frogs
Keep an ear out for the evening song of frogs throughout the forest. The Daintree’s high moisture, humid environment is perfect for frogs to thrive. See if you can find the giant white-lipped tree frog. Don’t be fooled by its name though, while these may be the largest tree frogs in the world, they only measure to approximately 14cms long!
Your best bet when trying to spot them is by looking out for their distinctive white lips. Their unique “tonk tonk” call will alert you to their whereabouts, try to follow the sound of their calls.
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Spiders
The Daintree Rainforest is home to some pretty crazy looking spiders. Australia is famous for its creepy eight-legged friends when taking a night walk you’re more likely to see some of them. Spiders tend to come out at night when there are less predators and loud humans to scare them away.
Look for the magnificent golden-orb spider. They are commonly found in the region and produce large intricate webs. Their silk is some of the strongest silk in the world, and they’re known to catch small birds and bats. Orb spiders can be identified by their jet blag legs and yellow bodies.
Related article: Wildlife Found in the Daintree
Managing Director at Sightseeing Tours Australia
Cameron Ward turned his travel passion into a thriving Australian tourism business. Before he co-founded his own business, Sightseeing Tours Australia, he was enjoying being a Melbourne tour guide. Even now, Cameron delights in helping visitors from all around the world get the most out of their incredible Australian trip. You’ll see Cameron leading tours or writing about his favourite Australian places where he shares his local insights.