Animals of Arid Australia: Out on Their Own?

The following statement outlined the scope of the forum, “Animals of arid Australia: out on their own?” to presenters, and the audience on the day: “Although most Australians never visit the ‘outback’, images of the inland pervade popular culture and provide many of our most familiar icons. The arid zone, a vast area encompassing almost 70% of the continent, is characterised by an extraordinary diversity of landforms, extreme temperatures, and the most unpredictable rainfall regime on Earth. It also supports industries that contribute greatly to our material wealth. Research over the last few years has provided a clear understanding of how inland fauna persists, the ecological processes that drive arid systems, and has also revealed astonishing levels of diversity in groups as disparate as ants, snails, reptiles and mammals. Yet, despite the tenacity of arid fauna, inland environments are fragile; our present use of the land, introduced species and imminent changes to the climate threaten the future of some of our most iconic animals. This forum discusses whether the animals of arid Australia are ‘out on their own’ in terms of their unique adaptations for desert life, our distant view of them, and their prospects for the future”