Carabeen Creek

Red Carabeen

Carabeen Creek is a 132 hectare reserve of endangered high altitude rainforest on basalt on the Atherton Tablelands. 

 

South Endeavour bought this forest in 2009 to save it from imminent logging.  The forest is prime breeding habitat for the Lumholtz's Tree Kangaroo.

Massive Red Carabeen with huge buttresses

 

 

Other key biodiversity values of Carabeen Creek include:

  • A large area of simple to complex notophyll vine forest of cloudy wet highlands on basalt, described as the endangered regional ecosystem 7.8.4
  • Habitat for the endangered Southern Cassowary

 

There are six species of possum in the forest, five of which are restricted to altitudes above 700m. These include:

  • Green Ringtail Possum
  • Lemuroid Ringtail Possum
  • Long-tailed Pygmy Possum
  • Herbert River Ringtail Possum
  • Coppery Brushtail Possum
  • Striped Possum

 

The area is also prime habitat for the Atherton Antechinus and Masked White-tailed Rat that are also restricted to higher altitudes.

 

The following thirteen bird species endemic to Queensland’s Wet Tropics are found in this area, six of which are restricted to the higher altitudes represented by this forest type:

  • Lesser Sooty Owl
  • Mountain Thornbill
  • Fernwren
  • Atherton Scrubwren
  • Bridled Honeyeater
  • Macleay’s Honeyeater
  • Pied Monarch
  • Chowchilla
  • Bower’s Shrike-thrush
  • Victoria’s Riflebird
  • Golden Bowerbird
  • Toothbilled Bowerbird
  • Grey-headed Robin

 

 

370 plant species including 5 rare plants have been recorded in the rainforest on the adjacent Cloudland Nature Refuge.