Badger Island

Badger Island is a low-lying granite and limestone island, with an area of 1242 ha, in south-eastern Australia. It is part of Tasmania’s Badger Island Group, lying in eastern Bass Strait just west of Flinders and Cape Barren Islands in the Furneaux Group. The island is private property and is extensively grazed by livestock and macropods. It contains a homestead, jetty and airstrip.

Flora and fauna

Introduced plants, grazing and burning have had a heavy impact on the original vegetation, of which there are remnant communities of "Poa" and "Stipa" species at the western end of the island, as well as patches of "Melaleuca" and "Casuarina" scrub.

Recorded breeding seabird, wader and waterbird species include Sooty Oystercatcher, Pied Oystercatcher and Cape Barren Goose, for which it is a major breeding site. White-bellied Sea-Eagles have also nested on the island. Reptiles present include the Metallic Skink, Spotted Skink, White's Skink, Eastern Blue-tongued Lizard, Mountain Dragon, Tiger Snake and White-lipped Snake. Native Mammals found there are the Red-necked Wallaby and Tasmanian Pademelon. Tasmanian Devils were released on the island in 1998/9. Exotic mammals, apart from cattle and sheep, are the House Mouse and feral cats.Brothers, Nigel; Pemberton, David; Pryor, Helen; & Halley, Vanessa. (2001). "Tasmania’s Offshore Islands: seabirds and other natural features". Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery: Hobart. ISBN 0-7246-4816-X]

References