Editing Outback (section)

=== Wildlife ===

The Outback is full of very important well-adapted wildlife, although much of it may not be immediately visible to the casual observer. Many animals, such as [[red kangaroo]]s and [[dingo]]es, hide in bushes to rest and keep cool during the heat of the day.

Birdlife is prolific, most often seen at waterholes at dawn and dusk. Huge flocks of [[budgerigar]]s, [[cockatoo]]s, [[Corella (bird)|corellas]] and [[galah]]s are often sighted. On bare ground or roads during the winter, various species of snakes and lizards bask in the sun, but they are rarely seen during the summer months.

[[Invasive species in Australia|Feral animals]] such as [[Australian feral camel|camels]] thrive in central Australia, brought to Australia by pastoralists and explorers, along with the early [[Afghan (Australia)|Afghan drivers]]. Feral horses known as '[[brumby|brumbies]]' are station horses that have run wild.  [[Feral pig#Australia|Feral pigs]], [[Red foxes in Australia|foxes]], [[Feral cats in Australia|cats]], [[Feral goats in Australia|goats]] and [[Rabbits in Australia|rabbits]] and other imported animals are also degrading the environment, so time and money is spent eradicating them in an attempt to help protect fragile rangelands.

The Outback is home to a diverse set of animal species, such as the kangaroo, [[emu]] and dingo. The [[Dingo Fence]] was built to restrict movements of dingoes and [[Dingo–dog hybrid|wild dogs]]<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2016-06-29/last-dog-trapper-south-australia/7552974?section=sa Wild dog populations will be out of control within five years without dedicated dogger, former trapper says] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180428020527/http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2016-06-29/last-dog-trapper-south-australia/7552974?section=sa |date=28 April 2018 }} ''SA Country Hour'', ABC News, 29 June 2016. Retrieved 13 November 2017.</ref><ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-07/explainer-sa-wild-dog-problem-and-sheep-industry-plea-for-dogger/8396652 Explainer: South Australia's wild dog problem and sheep industry's plea for dedicated doggers] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170415064728/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-07/explainer-sa-wild-dog-problem-and-sheep-industry-plea-for-dogger/8396652 |date=15 April 2017 }} ''ABC Rural'', 7 April 2017. Retrieved 13 November 2017.</ref> into agricultural areas towards the south east of the continent. The marginally fertile parts are primarily utilised as rangelands and have been traditionally used for sheep or cattle grazing, on cattle stations which are leased from the Federal Government. While small areas of the outback consist of clay soils the majority has exceedingly infertile [[paleosols|palaeosols]].

[[Australian Fossil Mammal Sites (Riversleigh)|Riversleigh]], in Queensland, is one of Australia's most renowned fossil sites and was recorded as a World Heritage site in 1994.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Centre |first=UNESCO World Heritage |title=Australian Fossil Mammal Sites &#x28;Riversleigh &#x2f; Naracoorte&#x29; |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/698/ |access-date=2024-03-24 |website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre |language=en |archive-date=31 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231031031345/https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/698/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The {{convert|100|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} area contains fossil remains of ancient mammals, birds and reptiles of [[Oligocene]] and [[Miocene]] age.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2015-10-09 |title=Australian Fossil Mammal Site – Riversleigh section, World Heritage Area |url=https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/management/managed-areas/world-heritage-areas/current/riversleigh |access-date=2024-03-24 |website=Parks and forests {{!}} Department of Environment, Science and Innovation, Queensland |language=en-AU |archive-date=17 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231117133825/https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/management/managed-areas/world-heritage-areas/current/riversleigh |url-status=live }}</ref>