tRESULTS OF THE ARCHBOLD it EXPEDITIONS. NO. 66 -MAMMALS OF CAPE YORK PENINSULA, WVITH NOTES ON THE, OCCURRENCE OF RAIN FOREST IN QUEENSLAND G. H. H. TATE BULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOLUME9F8 ARTICLE 7 NEW YORK: 1952 MAMMALS OF CAPE YORK PENINSULA RESULTS OF THE ARCHBOLD EXPEDITIONS. NO. 66 MAMMALS OF CAPE YORK PENINSULA, WITH NOTES ON THE OCCURRENCE OF RAIN FOREST IN QUEENSLAND G. H. H. TATE Curator Department of Mammals BULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOLUME 98: ARTICLE 7 NEW YORK: 1952 BULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY Volume 98, article 7, pages 563-616, text figures 1, 2, tables 1-6 Issued March 25, 1952 Price: $.75 a copy INTRODUCTION SPECIAL INTEREST in the Cape York Penin- The number of forms now demonstrable in sula arises from the fact that it has served as the mammalian fauna of the Cape York the main highway of communication between Peninsula are approximately as follows: the faunas of Australia and New Guinea. Monotremata, two (Ornithorhynchus and Further investigation of the problems posed Tachyglossus); Marsupialia, 45; Rodentia, by the region was carried out in 1948 by the native rats and native mice, 15; Chiroptera, Archbold Cape York Expedition of the 27; there is also the dingo. American Museum of Natural History, In the course of the general studies re- New York' The specimens listed were pro- quired for preparation of this report it has cured by the Archbold expedition, unless been necessary to describe a new Taphozous. otherwise stated. In addition, a general recon- The following abbreviations refer to the naissance trip through Queensland was made museums in which specimens are deposited: by the author. The results of that reconnais- sance are inserted parenthetically. Through A.M.N.H., the American Museum of Natural the kindness of the Curators of Mammals at History the Museum of Comparative Zodlogy, the C.N.H.M., Chicago Natural History Museum Chicago Natural History Museum, and the M.C.Z., Museum of Comparative Zoology United States National Museum, I have U.S.N.M., the United States National Museum been able to study and integrate into this re- port the collections made by Raven, Hoy, A map showing the localities in the Cape Darlington, and Mrs. Scott (n6e Neuhauser). York area is included (fig. 1). PHYSIOGRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF THE CAPE YORK AREA A short description of the general environ- the eastern side, the eastern run-off of which ment is offered before an examination of the is short and steep, the western slope very distributional patterns of the mammals of long and forming an almost imperceptible the Cape York Peninsula is made. The CApe gradient to the Gulf of Carpentaria. The York Peninsula can be delimited from the main drainage consequently flows to the main mass of Australia by a line drawn from west, while to the east the rivers are com- the southernmost shore line of the Gulf of paratively small and rapid. The divide at Carpentaria eastward to the Pacific coast. the northern tip of the Peninsula reaches al- This definition is arbitrary and conforms to titudes of only 200 to 300 feet, but becomes no geological or biogeographical boundary. gradually higher, in the south rising to peaks Thus the peninsula so described includes the of from 3000 to 5000 feet. This peninsular northern part of the Atherton Tableland. divide becomes increasingly complicated by The area is roughly triangular. It has two the presence of lateral ranges and spurs. long sides converging northward to Cape Many of the highest peaks stand on these York proper and stands on a shorter base- side ranges instead of on the Great Dividing the east-west line described above. Its length Range itself. from south to north is approximately 500 The climate of the Peninsula is monsoonal. miles. Its width at the base may be taken as During the period when the heat equator is 400 miles. It lies between latitudes 110 and north of the true equator (April to October) 170 S. the dry season is generally effective, though The physiography of Cape York Penin- often, as elsewhere in the tropics, there ex- sula, sketched in broad terms, centers on a ists a rag both in the onset of the dry and in north-south divide placed relatively close to its termination. However, by May, the 1 A preliminary sketch of the travels of the party can southeast trade wind controls the climate, be found in L. J. Brass, "Camps on Cape York" (1949, dropping whatever moisture it carries when Nat. Hist., New York, vol. 58, no. 8, pp. 366-372). it reaches the mountains of the east coast 567 568 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 98 say n Ker - - -- APPROXIMATE EDGE OF RAINFOREST FIG. 1. Map of northeastern Australia, to show in particular the localities of the Cape York Peninsula. Details of the Cairns-Atherton Tableland area are in the inset. andicontinuing across the Peninsula as a east trade wind, modified south of the equa- dry, though sometimes cloud-bearing, wind. tor into the northwest, is felt as a series of Though the heat equator moves south of storms which herald the wet season in the the true equator during late September, the northern parts of the Peninsula. The rains above-mentioned lag (perhaps occasioned by spread week by week farther south. Again the momentum of the southeast wind) often the afore-mentioned lag operates, so that the prolongs the dry season into October and wet may extend well into April. Actually the November. By late November, when the transition is far from uniform and may be doldrums have passed still farther to the complicated by cyclic weather phenomena, south, the effect of the rain-bearing north- including hurricanes. Generally the rivers 1952 TATE: MAMMALS OF CAPE YORK PENINSULA 569 run full and the great western plains of the miles of it are burned over in the name of the Peninsula receive copious rain from Decem- cattle industry so that dormant grasses, ber to April, whereas from May to Novem- which in this way are given a "shot in the ber the rivers dry up and rain seldom falls arm," put forth green sprouts somewhat in west of the main divide. advance of the grass plants on unburned Temperatures are generally fairly uniform, areas. At the same time all humus is de- tropical at the northern tip. The coastal stroyed, as well as most of the older, weaker strip near the base of the Peninsula in winter trees and fallen hollow logs that may afford (July-August) becomes agreeably cool, while cover for animals. This ocean of open forest in the dry interior the temperature some- surrounds the islands of rain forest and iso- times falls to freezing just before sunrise. lates them from one another. Some 30 miles south of Cooktown, at Ship- Rain forest depends for its continuance ton's Flat, 800 feet above sea level, the tem- upon water, whether of aerial or seepage ori- perature at 6 A.M. in September fell almost gin. It occurs where enough water is present to 500 F. through most of the year. It comprises The geology of such an enormous area as mainly broad-leafed trees which form dense the Cape York Peninsula can scarcely be shade. In it vines and epiphytes are plenti- touched upon in this article. Very large por- ful. It grows in varied form on stony hill- tions of the region are granite; other exten- sides, well-drained flats, or old flood plains sive portions are sandstone. The mineral margining rivers. It generally forms narrow belt, chiefly in the mountainous parts, is com- belts from 10 to 25 miles in width, though as posed of greatlV deformed sediments bearing much as 100 miles in length, on the east- valuable ores of iron, tin, gold, and wolfram. facing slopes of the ranges. Only the combi- In the southwest are extensive deposits of nation of fertile soil and adequately distrib- limestone, and there also great sheets of ba- uted rainfall will allow full development of salt cover many square miles of country. By these rich tropical jungles, which must not decomposition these rocks have produced a be confused with flood-plain forests, covered variety of soils, which are further modified in the wet months by 10 to 15 feet of water, by climatic factors into sands, clays, mucks, or with mangrove forests. Both the latter, etc. though they may also receive copious rain, The geology and the climate of the Penin- obtain much of their water by seepage. Rain sula primarily control its vegetation. In the forest is sometimes found continuous with broadest sense there are but two main classes flood forest or mangrove forest, the one type of vegetable cover: open forest and rain for- changing gradually or abruptly into the est. Both have numerous subdivisions. Open other. Its larger masses are important both forest, which covers most of the Peninsula, is as the nurseries of Australian timbers and found chiefly in areas where a pronounced because they act as reservoirs for the rich water shortage exists for a number of months variety of animal life requiring their shelter. of the year. But it is also found locally in The Cape York rain forests do not, as one areas of ample rainfall. Its constituents vary might expect, form a continuous band along widely: iron-bark forest, she-oak forest, the north-south ranges, but are parted into stringy-bark and messmate forest, blood- several distinct masses, or islands, by wood forest, wattle forest, pandanus forest, stretches of open forest.