Rock and log habitats
Rocks as habitat
Rocks retain heat from the sun and are used by reptiles to warm themselves. Crevices in or between rocks provide shelter and nesting sites for reptiles and some mammals. Rocks also provide shelter for invertebrates and a growing platform for lichens and other plant-like organisms.
Blue tongue lizards sun bake on top of rocks and logs.
Crevices and cracks in rocks create hiding spaces for many small animals such as these two southern leaf-tailed geckos.
In the Pilliga National Park, pythons rest in large sandstone crevices.
Logs as habitat
Many ground feeding birds, frogs, lizards and Australian mammals use rotting or hollow logs on the ground. They can provide homes and shelter and the invertebrates that eat the logs can in turn become a food source to insectivores such as echidnas. As they decompose the logs provide nutrients to the soil. They also can act as a form of erosion control slowing water running down hillsides.
Once trees die and fall to the ground they still provide essential habitat such as shelter.
Skinks hunt invertebrates hidden on or under logs. Hollow logs can protect the skinks from predators.
Southern leaf-tailed gecko
The southern leaf-tailed gecko is known for its leaf-shaped tail. Its skin is rough and scaly with mottled patterns which make for perfect camouflage in a sandstone rock crevice habitat.
Leaf tailed geckos are nocturnal. In the evening they emerge from crevices to hunt small invertebrates.
Habitat digital book
Find out more
Habitat is a digital book that investigates the needs of living things through detailed text, interactive activities, videos and stunning images.
Explore the value of habitats such as trees, shrubs and ground cover plants and non-living habitats such as leaf litter, rocks, logs and water.
Find out how to create and restore habitats that will help animals survive and thrive.
This book supports Australian Curriculum biological sciences and living world.