Urban areas cover 35 percent of the Sydney area and are constantly growing. The urban environment has far fewer species of animals than more natural environments.
Urban environments have:
- residential and business buildings and a high concentration of people
- opportunities for animals to scavenge
- roads and domestic pets that are dangerous to wildlife
There are, however, many animals that thrive in our towns and cities. Sydney's gardens, parks, ponds and even houses and buildings provide opportunities for many species. The outer suburbs, particularly those close to one of the many national parks that surround the city, have a great diversity of wildlife. Native plants attract insects, spiders and birds, lizards and if there is water nearby, frogs. Backyards can be a haven for native wildlife.
Possums, bandicoots, gliders, lizards, snakes, frogs, many spectacular birds as well as many different insects and other invertebrates live in and around Sydney.