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Cradle Mountain and the boat shed on Dove Lake, Tasmania
Photo: Thennicke, CC BY-SA 4.0

Island · Australia

Tasmania Animal Checklist

Tasmania, the island state south of mainland Australia, is the only place to see Tasmanian devils in the wild, and one of the easiest places to see wombats, platypus and echidnas. This checklist covers 58 animals, including all twelve of Tasmania's endemic birds. Wildlife is good year-round; summer suits walks at Cradle Mountain and Maria Island, and June to September brings whales.

A large share of the island is national park and World Heritage wilderness. Many of its animals are nocturnal, so plan some dusk and night outings.

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The Tasmania checklist in the Wilder app, started as a trip with the first animals ticked
Animals to find
58
Where
Australia
Best time
Year-round
Endemic birds
12

Tasmania's headline animals

  • Tasmanian Devil, one of the animals to look for in Tasmania

    Tasmanian Devil

    Wild devils have declined sharply because of devil facial tumour disease. Your best chance is a night tour in the north-west or a stay on Maria Island, where a disease-free population was released in 2012.

    Photo: Adrian Tync, CC BY-SA 4.0

  • Wombat, one of the animals to look for in Tasmania

    Wombat

    Bare-nosed wombats graze by day around Darlington on Maria Island, and in the late afternoon at Ronny Creek at Cradle Mountain.

    Photo: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0

  • Platypus, one of the animals to look for in Tasmania

    Platypus

    Watch quiet pools at dawn and dusk. Latrobe calls itself the platypus capital of the world, and Mount Field and the Geeveston river walk are also good.

    Photo: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0

  • Short-beaked Echidna

    Often seen by day snuffling for ants along tracks and roadsides, especially in spring and summer.

  • Tasmanian Pademelon

    A small, stocky wallaby that grazes on lawns and forest edges at dusk. Cradle Mountain and Mount Field are full of them.

  • Spotted-tailed Quoll

    The largest quoll, and rarely seen. Night tours in the north-west give the best chance.

  • Eastern Quoll

    Almost gone from the mainland but still found in Tasmania. Look at night in farmland and grassy woodland.

  • Penguin (Little)

    Little penguins come ashore after dark at Bicheno and The Neck on Bruny Island, mainly from spring to autumn. Stay on the viewing platforms.

  • Forty-spotted Pardalote

    One of the rarest endemic birds, living in white gum woodland on Bruny and Maria islands.

  • Green Rosella

    Tasmania's endemic parrot, common in forests and gardens across the state.

All 58 animals to spot in Tasmania

Grouped the way you'll meet them. Tips show where to look.

Marsupials and monotremes 12

Sea mammals 5

Endemic birds 12

Other land birds 13

Sea and shore birds 12

Reptiles and amphibians 3

Sea life 1

  • Last reviewed September 2026.
  • Sources are listed below the questions.
  • Wild animals only. Please give them space.

Best time to see wildlife in Tasmania

Tasmania's wildlife is good in every month, and most of it stays put all year. December to March is warm with long evenings, best for walks at Cradle Mountain, Freycinet and Maria Island, for little penguins with chicks, and for short-tailed shearwaters returning to their burrows at dusk. Autumn, March to May, brings calm weather and the turning of the fagus, a native beech, in late April. Winter, June to August, is cold and wet in the west but good for platypus and whales: southern right whales visit the Derwent estuary and humpbacks pass the east coast from May to November. Spring, September to November, brings joeys and migrant birds such as the swift parrot.

  • Dec-FebLong walks, penguin chicks
  • Mar-MayCalm weather, fagus in late April
  • Jun-AugWhales, platypus
  • Sep-NovSwift parrots, shearwaters return

Tips for spotting wildlife in Tasmania

  1. Buy a parks pass

    You need a Parks and Wildlife Service pass to enter Tasmania's national parks. The holiday pass covers eight weeks and is the best value for most trips.

  2. Drive slowly at dusk

    Tasmania has some of the worst roadkill rates in the world because so many animals feed on roadsides at night. Avoid driving after dark where you can, and slow down when you do.

  3. Spend a night on Maria Island

    The ferry from Triabunna takes you to a car-free island with wombats, Forester kangaroos, Cape Barren geese and devils. Stay overnight for the best dusk and night sightings.

  4. Find the endemics on Bruny Island

    Bruny Island has all twelve endemic birds, including the forty-spotted pardalote, plus white Bennett's wallabies in the south around Adventure Bay.

  5. Use red light at night

    On spotlighting walks and at penguin colonies, use a red torch and keep it off the animals' eyes. Never use flash on penguins.

The Wilder app

Take Tasmania with you

Tick off devils, wombats and all twelve endemic birds as you travel round Tasmania. Wilder is free to start and works offline in the wilderness.

  • Tick off as you goOut in the field with no signal, too.
  • Add your photosEach sighting keeps its date and picture.
  • A summary of the tripEverything you saw, day by day.
  • A passport stampOne for Tasmania, kept in your Wilder passport.
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The Tasmania checklist in the Wilder app, started as a trip with the first animals ticked

Tasmania wildlife FAQ

What animals can you see in Tasmania?

In Tasmania you can see Tasmanian devils, wombats, platypus, echidnas, pademelons, Bennett's wallabies, quolls and possums, along with little penguins, fur seals and, in winter, whales. There are also twelve bird species found nowhere else, including the green rosella and black currawong. Some animals now rare or gone on the mainland, such as the eastern quoll, are still found here.

Where can you see Tasmanian devils in the wild?

The best places to see Tasmanian devils in the wild are the north-west, including the Tarkine and Arthur River area, and Maria Island, where a disease-free population was released in 2012. Devils are nocturnal and shy, so a guided night tour or an overnight stay gives the best chance. Sanctuaries such as Devils@Cradle show them up close, but those aren't wild sightings.

Where is the best place to see wombats in Tasmania?

Maria Island is the best place to see wombats in Tasmania: they graze around Darlington in daylight and are used to walkers. Ronny Creek at Cradle Mountain is also very reliable, especially late in the afternoon, and Narawntapu National Park in the north has them too. Keep your distance and never touch or feed them.

Where can you see platypus in Tasmania?

You can see platypus in quiet streams across Tasmania, with the best odds at dawn and dusk. Try the Warrawee Forest Reserve near Latrobe, the platypus walk in Geeveston and the streams of Mount Field National Park. Stand still, watch for rings spreading on the water, and be patient: a platypus surfaces for only a minute or so.

Sources

Last reviewed September 2026

Photo credits

All photo credits. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, resized.

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