Nature Guide

Uluru

Uluru, also known as Kata Tjuta, is located in the centre of Australia, in the South of the Northern Territory. Take a look at the map below.

Uluru

Natural Features

The natural features of a place or the natural environment includes everything that occurs naturally. All living things, climate, weather and natural resources (such as water) are all part of the natural environment.

Uluru is a large sandstone rock formation. The area surronding the rock has a number of waterholes, rock caves and ancient paintings.

Uluru was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

This means it is a landmark that has a cultural, historical or scientific significance that is important and should be protected.

Uluru is one of Australia's most recognisable natural landmarks. It is 348 metres tall and to walk the entire way around it is 9.4kilometres.

Uluru is famous for appearing to change colour as the sun changes its place in the sky. The famous red glow as the sun sets over it has become a popular tourist attraction.

Native Animals

Even though Uluru has such a harsh and hot environment, it is still home to a large number of plants and animals. Uluru is home to 21 species of native mammals, 178 species of birds, 73 species of replies and thousands of spiders and insects.

Take a read below to find out more about some of these animals.

THORNY DEVIL LIZARD

The thorny devil lizard can appear very frightening as it has sharp spines covering its body. While these spines are definitely sharp, they are harmless, the only thing that should be afraid of the thorny devil are the many types of ants that make up its diet. The lizard will sit in the sun next to an ant trail and quickly snap up every any that passes with its tongue.

The thorny devil lizard are very clever, they can absorb water using their feet. The lizard can place themselves in a small amount of water such as a puddle or wet sand and the water will travel up their skin and into their mouth like a big straw. These lizards may not see many puddles in the outback but they are able to drink from very wet sand.

Thorny devil lizards are orange and yellow colours with small amounts of black. During the day when it is very hot it is hard to find a thorny devil, this is because they prefer to bury themselves under the sand to stay cool.

KANGAROO

Unlike the thorny devil lizard, you will not have any problems spotting a kangaroo! Bouncing over the red desert are many wallabies and kangaroos.

Kangaroos are marsupials which means they have a pouch to carry their offspring. Kangaroos have large and powerful back legs that make it perfect for leaping across the desert. They have a thick tail which allows them to keep their balance.

The red kangaroo is the most commonly seen around Uluru. The male can get to 2 metres tall and weigh 90kg. The kangaroos live all around Uluru, keep an eye out for them bouncing past you!

DINGO

The dingo is the largest land predator in Australia. Dingoes are a type of wild dog that live in the outback. They have bushy tails and pricked up ears. Their coats can be an orange ginger or a sandy yellow. Most dingoes will have a lighter chest and paws.

Unlike dogs, dingoes do not bark they howl instead. Howling is used for long distance communication. It allows dingoes to warn pack members of nearby predators.

During the heat of the day, dingoes will hide under the shade of hollow logs or caves. Keep an eye out for them at night once it has cooled down!

WOMA PYTHON

The woma python is a large nocturnal snake that can grow almost up to 3 metres long. This snake is not poisonous or dangerous to humans.

The woma python colour is often a pale brown with dark patterns across, sometimes you will some with shades of orange and yellows. This camouflages well with the desert colours.

The python likes to live in borrows in the sand, but imagine trying to dig a borrow with no hands or feet. Instead the python looks for homes built by other animals and takes over them.

While the woma python is not dangerous to humans, it is still not a reptile you want to come too close to.

Native Plants

Many plants have adapted their lifestyle to survive in the desert surrounding Uluru. There are over 400 species of plants found at Uluru. Many of these plants are very important as they provide food, medicine and fuel.

DESERT OAK

The desert oak is found in Central Australia surrounding Uluru. This tree has adapted to be able to live in such hot and dry environments. The desert oak has learnt to reduce the amount of water that can be lost through its leaves. Instead it holds that water and slowly drinks.

The Desert oak is a slow growing tree. A young desert oak tree looks similar to a Christmas tree. Although once it has grown larger it has widespread branches to be the biggest of its kind.

MULGA SHURB

The mulga shrub is a very tough plant and is the most common shrub to see in the desert. This plant is very well equipped for the heat and lack of water that is the Uluru environment.

The mulga shrub has leaves that absorb and hold the water for a long time. Its leaves have a silver colour to them to reflect the heat and minimize how much sunshine lands on them.

HONEY GREVILLEA

This plant is seen throughout Australia but in the desert surrounding Uluru they have a very important role. It is the honey grevilleas role to attract insects and honeyeater birds. The flowers on the grevillea plant are full of nectar and in the early mornings of the day will have many birds and insects enjoying the sweet taste.

Honey grevillea will flower in the Spring and the Summer. These flowers will be bright yellow and green. The flowers are noticeable by their bottle brush heads.

SPINIFEX

The spinifex plant is a type of grass and plays an important role for the animals living around Uluru. This grass provides food for many animals, particularly insects and some mammals. It also cools the sand around it which allows animals to have a spot to lie down which is not scorching hot sand, this is good for the kangaroos, wallabies and dingoes.

The spinifex is also known as 'spiky donuts'. It starts growing in a clump and grows outwards, once it gets big enough the centre of it dies and creates a ring. Spinifex have very deep roots that go down more than 3 metres.

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Uluru

Nature Guide

Uluru, also known as Kata Tjuta, is located in the centre of Australia, in the South of the Northern Territory. Take a look at the map below.

Uluru

Natural Features

The natural features of a place or the natural environment includes everything that occurs naturally. All living things, climate, weather and natural resources (such as water) are all part of the natural environment.

​

Uluru is a large sandstone rock formation. The area surronding the rock has a number of waterholes, rock caves and ancient paintings.

​

Uluru was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

This means it is a landmark that has a cultural, historical or scientific significance that is important and should be protected.

​

Uluru is one of Australia's most recognisable natural landmarks. It is 348 metres tall and to walk the entire way around it is 9.4kilometres.

​

Uluru is famous for appearing to change colour as the sun changes its place in the sky. The famous red glow as the sun sets over it has become a popular tourist attraction.

​

Native Animals

Even though Uluru has such a harsh and hot environment, it is still home to a large number of plants and animals. Uluru is home to 21 species of native mammals, 178 species of birds, 73 species of replies and thousands of spiders and insects.

Take a read below to find out more about some of these animals.

​

THORNY DEVIL LIZARD

​

​

Thorny devil lizards are orange and yellow colours with small amounts of black. During the day when it is very hot it is hard to find a thorny devil, this is because they prefer to bury themselves under the sand to stay cool.

KANGAROO

Unlike the thorny devil lizard, you will not have any problems spotting a kangaroo! Bouncing over the red desert are many wallabies and kangaroos.

​

Kangaroos are marsupials which means they have a pouch to carry their offspring. Kangaroos have large and powerful back legs that make it perfect for leaping across the desert. They have a thick tail which allows them to keep their balance.

​

The red kangaroo is the most commonly seen around Uluru. The male can get to 2 metres tall and weigh 90kg. The kangaroos live all around Uluru, keep an eye out for them bouncing past you!

​

DINGO

The dingo is the largest land predator in Australia. Dingoes are a type of wild dog that live in the outback. They have bushy tails and pricked up ears. Their coats can be an orange ginger or a sandy yellow. Most dingoes will have a lighter chest and paws.

​

Unlike dogs, dingoes do not bark they howl instead. Howling is used for long distance communication. It allows dingoes to warn pack members of nearby predators.

​

During the heat of the day, dingoes will hide under the shade of hollow logs or caves. Keep an eye out for them at night once it has cooled down!

​

​

WOMA PYTHON

The woma python is a large nocturnal snake that can grow almost up to 3 metres long. This snake is not poisonous or dangerous to humans.

​

The woma python colour is often a pale brown with dark patterns across, sometimes you will some with shades of orange and yellows. This camouflages well with the desert colours.

​

The python likes to live in borrows in the sand, but imagine trying to dig a borrow with no hands or feet. Instead the python looks for homes built by other animals and takes over them.

While the woma python is not dangerous to humans, it is still not a reptile you want to come too close to.

​

​

Native Plants

Many plants have adapted their lifestyle to survive in the desert surrounding Uluru. There are over 400 species of plants found at Uluru. Many of these plants are very important as they provide food, medicine and fuel.

​

DESERT OAK

The desert oak is found in Central Australia surrounding Uluru. This tree has adapted to be able to live in such hot and dry environments. The desert oak has learnt to reduce the amount of water that can be lost through its leaves. Instead it holds that water and slowly drinks.

The Desert oak is a slow growing tree. A young desert oak tree looks similar to a Christmas tree. Although once it has grown larger it has widespread branches to be the biggest of its kind.

​

MULGA SHURB

The mulga shrub is a very tough plant and is the most common shrub to see in the desert. This plant is very well equipped for the heat and lack of water that is the Uluru environment.

​

The mulga shrub has leaves that absorb and hold the water for a long time. Its leaves have a silver colour to them to reflect the heat and minimize how much sunshine lands on them.

HONEY GREVILLEA

​

Honey grevillea will flower in the Spring and the Summer. These flowers will be bright yellow and green. The flowers are noticeable by their bottle brush heads.

​

SPINIFEX

​

The spinifex is also known as 'spiky donuts'. It starts growing in a clump and grows outwards, once it gets big enough the centre of it dies and creates a ring. Spinifex have very deep roots that go down more than 3 metres.

​

​

For more fun facts and photos