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Wildlife of Australia |
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Threatened fauna of Australia are those species and subspecies of birds, fish, frogs, insects, mammals, molluscs, crustaceans, and reptiles to be found in Australia that are in danger of becoming extinct. This article lists species classified as threatened species under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).
Based on the list of Australian animals extinct in the Holocene, about 33 mammals (27 from the mainland, including the thylacine), 24 birds (three from the mainland), one reptile, and three frog species or subspecies are strongly believed to have become extinct in Australia during the Holocene epoch. These figures exclude dubious taxa like the Roper River scrub robin (Drymodes superciliaris colcloughi) and possibly extinct taxa like the Christmas Island shrew (Crocidura trichura).[ citation needed ]
An online database of threatened mammals launched on 22 April 2020 reported that there had been a decline of more than a third of threatened mammal numbers in the past 20 years, but the data also show that targeted conservation efforts are working. The Threatened Mammal Index "contains population trends for 57 of Australia's threatened or near-threatened terrestrial and marine mammal species". [1]
A study published in Biological Conservation in March 2023 listed 23 species which the authors considered to no longer meet the criteria as threatened species under the EPBC Act. [2] The team, led by John Woinarski of Charles Darwin University, looked at all species listed as threatened under the act in 2000 and 2022. There was one fish (Murray cod) and one reptile (Flinders Ranges worm-lizard) on the list, along with fifteen mammals, eight birds, and four frogs. [3]
The list of species below includes those proclaimed under the Australian federal EPBC Act. The classifications are based on those used by the World Conservation Union (IUCN); however, IUCN and Australian rankings do differ. Each state and territory also has its own legislation relating to environmental protection.
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) and Regulations set up a framework for protection of the Australian environment, including its biodiversity and its natural and culturally significant places.
Threatened species in Australia are protected by, or affected by, four main types of legislation:
One fish is listed as extinct in the wild.
Five mammals, six birds, two reptiles, three fish and five other species are listed as critically endangered.
Thirty-four mammals, thirty-eight birds, eleven reptiles, eighteen frogs, sixteen fishes and eleven other species are listed as endangered.
Four fish and one mammal are dependent on conservation measures.
Freycinet National Park is a national park on the east coast of Tasmania, Australia, 125 kilometres (78 mi) northeast of Hobart. It occupies a large part of the Freycinet Peninsula, named after French navigator Louis de Freycinet, and Schouten Island. Founded in 1916, it is Tasmania's oldest park, along with Mount Field National Park. Bordering the national park is the small settlement of Coles Bay, and the largest nearby town is Swansea. Freycinet contains part of the rugged Tasmanian coastline and includes the secluded Wineglass Bay. Features of the park include its red and pink granite formations and a series of jagged granite peaks in a line, called "The Hazards".
The Dasyuridae are a family of marsupials native to Australia and New Guinea, including 71 extant species divided into 17 genera. Many are small and mouse-like or shrew-like, giving some of them the name marsupial mice or marsupial shrews, but the group also includes the cat-sized quolls, as well as the Tasmanian devil. They are found in a wide range of habitats, including grassland, underground, forests, and mountains, and some species are arboreal or semiaquatic. The Dasyuridae are often called the 'marsupial carnivores', as most members of the family are insectivores.
The Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) is a legally binding international agreement signed in 2001 and entered into force on 1 February 2004 when South Africa ratified as the fifth Party to the Agreement.
The shy albatross, also known as shy mollymawk, is a medium-sized albatross that breeds on three remote islands off the coast of Tasmania, Australia, in the southern Indian Ocean. Its lifespan is about 60 years, and it has been seen as far afield as South Africa and the Pacific coast of the United States. As of June 2020, the species is listed as "Endangered" in Australia; there are thought to be 15,000 pairs of shy albatross left. It is Australia's only endemic albatross.
Sydney Zoo is a zoo in Bungarribee in the Western Sydney Parklands, in Greater Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Sydney Zoo is located 38 kilometres (24 mi) west of the Sydney central business district. It occupies a 16.5-hectare (41-acre) site. Sydney Zoo is a member of the Zoos and Aquariums Association of Australia and New Zealand.
Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park is a 25-acre (10 ha) biopark within the Pearcedale Conservation Park located at Pearcedale on the Mornington Peninsula near Melbourne, Australia. It aims to display the fauna that was found in the Mornington Peninsula and Western Port Biosphere Reserve prior to European settlement as well as working towards the recovery of threatened Australian fauna. The park is open all year except on Christmas Day. The sanctuary, as part of Pearcedale Conservation Park, is an institutional member of the Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA). It is ECO Certified at the Ecotourism level by Ecotourism Australia.
Caversham Wildlife Park is a wildlife park currently located in Whiteman Park in Western Australia. It is home to several Australian animals including kangaroos, koalas, possums, wallabies, wombats and Tasmanian devils.
Gorge Wildlife Park is a privately-owned sanctuary in the Australian state of South Australia. It is at Cudlee Creek in the Adelaide Hills and continues to be operated by the same family that established it in 1965. It is 30 km northeast of Adelaide. Situated on 14 acres of land, under shaded trees, paths meander among the largest privately owned collection of Australian animals. The park provides contact with a range of Australian native animals as well as exhibits of Australian and exotic animals and birds. A feature is the opportunity for visitors to hold a koala.
Australia Walkabout Wildlife Park is a wildlife sanctuary located in Calga, New South Wales, Australia. The wildlife park is home to Australian native birds, mammals and reptiles as well as farm animals. It offers research and education programs, with visitors able to undertake day and night tours. The park is home to a wide range of Australian animals and in 2021 became home to a group of meerkats, the park's first exotic animals.