few mammals include the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) and the Alexandria false antechinus (Pseudantechinus mimulus), a small carnivorous marsupial found only in a number of small, isolated localities in northern Australia, including Alexandria Station on the Barkly Tableland. Meanwhile, the section of the Mitchell grasslands in Queensland is home to another endangered marsupial, the Julia Creek dunnart. There are healthy populations of grassland birds such as the flock bronzewing, while the endangered night parrot has been spotted in Diamantina National Park in Queensland. The seasonal wetlands of the downs are important habitats, particularly as breeding grounds for waterbirds. These include the Lake Tarabool swamp, Lake Woods, Lake Buchanan and Lake Galilee (Queensland). There are also many snakes and other reptiles and amphibians adapted to the clay soils that crack in the long dry season and turn to mud after the rains. These include burrowing frogs that emerge to breed in the mud and the long-haired rat which erupts in huge numbers after the monsoon and spreads across the grasslands. Endemic reptiles of the downs include the dwarf dtella gecko (Gehyra minuta), some species of Ctenotus and Lerista skinks, an agamid lizard (Pogona henrylawsoni), and a monitor lizard (Spencer's goanna). The snakes include the Elapidae; speckled brown snake (Pseudonaja guttata), Ingram's brown snake (Pseudonaja ingrami), and Collett's snake, all of which are venomous. Insects include a number of endemic species of ant. Threats and preservation Some of the grassland is protected but most is pasture and although largely unspoilt, it is vulnerable to overgrazing, particularly areas of Queensland bluebush (Chenopodium auricomum). The downs are home to a number of endangered species and localised habitats that are threatened. Protected areas that contain Mitchell grassland include Connells Lagoon Conservation Reserve in the Northern Territory. In Queensland, Astrebla Downs National Park, which is part of the national initiative to resuscitate the endangered bilby marsupial; Moorrinya National Park and Bladensburg National Park, both home to the Julia Creek dunnart; Diamantina National Park; and White Mountains National Park which contains areas of desert uplands at the western edge of the tableland. The Mount Isa area is more or less unprotected except that part of it is in Boodjamulla National Park. References External links Barkly Tablelands info Barkly Region Biogeography of the Northern Territory IBRA subregions Regions of the Northern Territory Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands