Native mammals you're quite likely to see in the reserve include:
- eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus)
- swamp wallaby (Wallabia bicolor)
- common wombat (Vombatus ursinus)
- sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps)
- agile antechinus (Antechinus agilis)
- dusky antechinus (A. swainsonii)
- bush rat (Rattus fuscipes)
- swamp rat (Rattus lutreolis)
- long-nosed bandicoot
- common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula)
- greater glider (Petauroides volans)
- common ringtail possum (Pseudocheirus peregrinus).
The swamp wallaby lives in thick undergrowth in forest, woodland and heath in eastern and southern Australia. Areas of dense grass or ferns, sometimes in wet spots on hillsides of open eucalypt forest, provide daytime shelter from which it emerges to feed at night. It seems to only live where there is enough dense vegetation for shelter. Although solitary, swamp wallabies may gather in groups when feeding.
The greater glider lives in a variety of eucalypt dominated habitats, ranging from low, open forests on the coast to tall forests in the ranges and low woodland west of the Dividing Range. In any particular area it feeds on only one or two species of eucalypt, but over its entire range the number of species it eats is much greater. Strictly nocturnal and essentially solitary, it rests during the day in a tree hollow, usually high in an old tree. When it emerges it moves by a series of glides, often along established routes, to a feeding area. It sometimes glides as far as 100 m and can execute a 90° turn mid-glide.
The yellow-bellied glider has several distinctive calls, most characteristic of which is a short, high-pitched shriek that subsides into a throaty rattle. This territorial call can be heard from 400 m away. It's an active and very mobile climber, often running along the underside of a branch. During the day it rests in a den in a hollow branch, usually in a living, smooth-barked eucalypt. The home range of an individual is remarkably large and it may spend 90% of its waking hours foraging for food. Its numbers appear to be diminishing and its long-term survival depends on maintaining the integrity of large areas of forest, with adequate food resources and nest trees.
Sixteen species of bats have been recorded in the reserve. Most live in trees, of which the most common are:
- lesser long-eared bat (Nyctophilus geoffroyi)
- southern forest bat (Vespadelus regulus)
- little forest bat (V. vulturnus)
- chocolate wattled bat (Chalinolobus morio).
Eastern horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus megaphllus) and threatened common bentwing-bats (Miniopterus shreibersii) are found in the sea caves in the reserve.
Threatened species in the reserve that rely on maintenance of the moist and old-growth forests include the long-nosed potoroo, southern brown bandicoot, yellow-bellied glider and tiger quoll. Other gliders, possums and many other species also depend on these forests. Protecting the forests from too many fires is vital.
Preliminary surveys have indicated there might be very rare long-footed potoroos (Potorous longipes) in the wetter forests in the south-west corner of Nadgee Nature Reserve.
Several dingo (Canis familiaris) families are present in the reserve. Because of the Nadgee's isolation, the dingos have been subject to minimal disturbance and this provides a valuable opportunity for research into their biology and behaviour. This research is important as the dingo has interbred in many areas and pure dingo populations have declined drastically.
Please store food and rubbish out of reach of wildlife. Human food does not meet the dietary requirements of native animals. If fed, they can become aggressive, dependent and ultimately sick.
The coastal heaths have 34 bird species of which 27 are heath residents. Heathland birds you might see in Nadgee include:
- southern emu wren
- welcome swallow
- New Holland honeyeater
- tawny-crowned honeyeater.
The southern emu wren, tawny-crowned honeyeater and the threatened striated fieldwren and ground parrot are restricted to heath. Most of the heath species prefer heathland with a large proportion of shrubs and low trees. For these species fire must be sufficiently infrequent to allow seed production in the food plants.
Birds of the forests include:
- wonga pigeon
- yellow-tailed black cockatoo
- crimson rosella
- fan-tailed cuckoo
- superb lyrebird
- grey fantail
- scarlet robin
- striated thornbill.
The total estimated eastern bristlebird population is less than 2000 and Nadgee Nature Reserve and Croajingalong National Park in Victoria support the entire remaining southern population of the species, estimated at 120 individuals. The near-coastal areas of heathland, scrubland and woodland/forest between Little Creek estuary and Cape Howe are significant breeding and foraging habitat for the eastern bristlebird. Conservation of habitat is a very important priority in the reserve because of the few locations where this species is still found.
Sea birds such as the short-tailed shearwater, crested tern and gannet use the rock platforms and beaches of the reserve. A large number of waterbirds are found in the estuaries including:
- black cormorant
- pied cormorant
- white-faced heron
- black swan
- black duck.
Most of the park's beaches support a breeding pair of endangered hooded plovers. If these birds are frequently disturbed, keeping them away from their eggs and young, they may not be able to successfully breed. They are also affected by storm damage and by predatory animals like foxes and dingos.
Hooded plovers make their nests in small sand scrapes above the high tide mark on beaches and sand dunes. Little terns nest in the same way. You can help protect these shorebirds by:
- watching them from a distance
- keeping away from sand dunes during the nesting season (December to the end of February)
- when walking on the beach, keeping below the high tide mark.
Raptors recorded in the park include:
- wedge-tailed eagle
- white-bellied sea eagle
- whistling kite
- brown falcon.
Breeding, foraging and roosting needs of the threatened masked owl, powerful owl and sooty owl are centred around the riparian forests including rainforest, tall wet eucalypt forest and low open forest with a dense heath understorey. Patches of old-growth forest throughout the reserve are particularly important because they provide large breeding and roosting hollows for these species.
Amphibians and reptiles
Reptiles seen in the reserve include:
- red-bellied black snakes
- garden skinks
- highland water skinks
- blue-tongued lizards
- tiger snakes
- common scaly-foots
- lace monitors.
Mainland tiger snakes are found in a broad range of habitats, from rainforest in the north to dry open forest and river floodplains in the south. They mainly eat frogs and are aggressive only when aroused. They're out during the day or at dusk when it's cool, but are nocturnal in warmer weather.
The lace monitor, or goanna, is a large tree-dwelling lizard which eats insects, reptiles and small mammals, but is also a predator of nesting birds. It often forages on the ground, but will take to a tree when disturbed. Like many arboreal lizards, it spirals upwards around a tree trunk when pursued, always keeping to the opposite side of the tree from its pursuer.
Frog species recorded in Nadgee include:
- brown froglet
- Bibron's toadlet
- Lesueur's frog
- green leaf tree frog
- eastern banjo frog.
Lesueur's frog (Litoria lesueuri) lives in eucalypt forest, woodland and associated grassy areas. It's common around rocky flowing creeks, but will breed in still ponds close to these creeks. Its call sounds like a soft purr.
The eastern banjo frog (or eastern pobblebonk) is widely distributed and is found in woodland, rainforest, farmland, heathland and grassy areas. It's often noticable after rain and is commonly associated with dams, ditches and other bodies of still water. Its call is a single banjo-like 'plonk' or 'bonk' repeated at intervals.
Information about reptiles and frogs in Nadgee is scarce, limited to incidental records collected during general fauna surveys. Sampling of frog and reptile habitats is needed to assess the status of threatened or regionally significant species such as the green and golden bell frog, giant burrowing frog and diamond python.
Little is known about invertebrates in Nadgee Nature Reserve. Several of the sea caves contain important invertebrate communities dependent on bat guano. At Merrica Beach Cave there is significant interaction between the guano community and the marine seawrack-dependent seashore community.
These communities are easily damaged by trampling. Please keep away from sea caves such as Merrica Beach Cave.