When the sun sets and the day disappears, the night takes over, and the Daintree comes alive.
From tree kangaroos to sugar gliders to cassowaries, the Daintree is jam-packed with unique wildlife you wouldn’t find anywhere else! From bioluminescent mushrooms, to snakes, to glow worms…the rainforest at night is simply magical.
At night, the Daintree comes alive. You’ll hear the call of frogs, the ring of crickets, and the rustling of bushes as mammals make their nightly commute around the forest. Rodents, bandicoots, bats and possums all populate the bushes.
The majority of the wildlife here is nocturnal. In the daytime, the rainforest sleeps. Oppositely, the Daintree becomes full of life at night.
During the night, the wildlife is protected by the darkness from their predators.
Exploring the Daintree at night
If you are touring around the Daintree at night, you’ll likely realise that there is not much artificial light at all. Even some of the roads are completely dark. If you’re exploring the Daintree after sunset, make sure you bring your torch!
You might go on a night tour safari!
Here’s what you can expect at night. Nighttime is a busy time for the Daintree.
It’s when all the animals seem to come out of their holes, exploring the dark rainforest, hoping to sink their teeth into their next meal!
Because of their patchy eyesight, most of the wildlife in the rainforest has other senses that are heightened. These nocturnal animals are quite loud and generally quite vocal!
Spiders
See the reflections of spider eyes as they crawl along the branches in the forest. When you flash your torch and look closely, you might see the reflection of their eyes glistening!
Fireflies
Glistening reflections of spiders and the vibrant fireflies. It’s a magnificent sight that you won’t want to miss. You won’t always see the same thing in the Daintree.
It just depends on which animals are out and about that night! Normally, if you go on a night safari, the animals you see are a chance encounter! Plus, human behaviour will affect the behaviour of the animals! Sometimes they’ll be put off by the noise and might shy away.
Owls
Owls have fantastic night vision – and they’ll see you before you see them! Owls are the Daintree’s silent hunters.
Owl’s eyes have rod cells in them, which are sensitive to low light levels. This allows them to see well in the dark!
Glow worms
Insects are attracted to the luminescent lines that the glow worms leave, which allows them to trap the insects on the sticky surfaces. Spot the glow worm trails as they leave their marks around the surface of the trees!
Mammals
There are pademelons, feral pigs, and various types of marsupials that are dotted around the forest. You’re most likely to see feral pigs. If you find bits of churned-up earth, then this could be a sign of pigs that are running around the forest at night.
Go on a night safari…come and see for yourself!
To experience the magic of the Daintree at night, why not join a tour?
If you want to catch the sunset in the Daintree, we’d recommend going to the sunset viewing area. After the sun has set, venture into the forest on an exciting tour around the rainforest to see some spectacular wildlife that you simply can’t find anywhere else!
To explore the Daintree at night, come and join one of our tours! We head out to Cape Tribulation and deep into the Rainforest for an exciting, unforgettable night adventure!