Nocturnal animals are active during the night. More than 95% of Australian animals are nocturnal because of our extreme climate conditions.

The first night stalk was held at Baldivis Children's Forest when school children had a sleepover in November 2006. A brushtail possum, kangaroos, a boobook owl and many different insects were observed. Pitfall traps opened overnight caught four species of frog. Since this time, BHP Billiton Nickel West and Synergy have funded community night stalks at the forest each term. We always see and hear nocturnal animals during these guided walks and they are a lot of fun.

To investigate whether bats live in our forest, sonar emissions of echolocation calls have been recorded. The results of the survey in November 2006 showed students that there was a large amount of micro-bat activity (35 calls in a 23-hour period). Gould's wattled bat (Chalinolobus gouldii) and white-striped mastiff bat (Tadarida australis) were actively hunting and feeding during the night on insects such as moths and mosquitoes. Another survey in winter 2008 recorded the activities of Gould’s wattled bat, the white-striped mastiff bat and the southern forest bat (Vespadelus regulus).

Quenda/Southern Brown Bandicoot (Isoodon obesulus)

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