About 81% of Australia is broadly defined as rangelands. This part of the country is known to most Australians as the Outback. The rangelands are home to many of Australia’s Indigenous people and are culturally important for most Australians.
Rangelands extend across low rainfall and variable climates, including arid, semi-arid, and north of the Tropic of Capricorn, some seasonally high rainfall areas. They include a diverse group of relatively undisturbed ecosystems such as tropical savannas, woodlands, shrublands and grasslands. From an ecological perspective, 53 of Australia's 85 bioregions include rangeland ecosystems and 12 are located entirely within the Rangelands. Together, they cover a huge diversity of habitats and ecological communities.
Australia is the driest inhabited continent in the world; 70% of it is either arid or semi arid land. The arid zone is defined as areas which receive an average rainfall of 250mm or less. The semi arid zone is defined as areas which receive an average rainfall between 250-350mm.
Within the Arid Zone you will find many interesting plants and animals, including birds, kangaroos, emu, snakes and lizards. Please ensure that you do not touch or harass these animals, as they make not like it and retaliate. It is always best to take a photography of the animal, so that you can enjoy the memory for many years to come.