List of Australia-New Guinea species extinct in the Holocene facts for kids

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Contents Mammals: Animals with Fur Monotremes: Egg-Laying Mammals Echidnas: Spiny Anteaters Western Long-Beaked Echidna: Possibly Gone from Australia Carnivorous Marsupials: Meat Eaters Dog-like Marsupials: The Thylacine Marsupial Shrews: Small Hunters Tasmanian Devil: Gone from the Mainland Bandicoots and Bilbies: Diggers and Foragers Bandicoots: Small, Quick Diggers Bilbies: Desert Dwellers Pig-Footed Bandicoots: Unusual Feet Diprotodontia: Kangaroos, Wallabies, and Possums Brushtail Possums and Cuscuses: Tree Dwellers Telefomin Cuscus: Possibly Gone Macropods: Hopping Animals Bettongs, Potoroos, and Rat-Kangaroos: Small Hoppers Rodents: Rats and Mice Old World Rats and Mice: Native Rodents Emma's Giant Rat: Possibly Gone Bats: Flying Mammals Megabats: Fruit Bats Aru Flying Fox: Possibly Gone Vesper Bats: Common Bats Birds: Feathered Friends Cassowaries and Emus: Large Flightless Birds Pigeons and Doves: Common Birds Rails and Cranes: Water Birds Tasmanian Nativehen: Gone from the Mainland Owls: Night Hunters True Owls: Common Owls Parrots: Colorful Birds Kea and Kākā: New Zealand Parrots Old World Parrots: Diverse Parrots Perching Birds: Songbirds and More Australasian Wrens: Small, Active Birds Bristlebirds: Secretive Birds Australian Warblers: Small Insect Eaters Cuckooshrikes and Allies: Varied Birds Fantails and Silktails: Agile Birds White-eyes: Small, Social Birds White-Chested White-Eye: Possibly Gone Thrushes: Ground Foragers Starlings: Social Birds Reptiles: Scaly Creatures Squamates: Lizards and Snakes Common Geckos: Night Lizards Christmas Island Chained Gecko: Gone from the Wild Skinks: Smooth-Scaled Lizards Christmas Island Blue-Tailed Skink: Gone from the Wild Amphibians: Frogs and Toads Frogs: Jumping Amphibians Australian Ground Frogs: Unique Frogs Treefrogs and Allies: Climbing Frogs Ray-Finned Fish: Fish with Bony Fins Anglerfish: Unique Fish Handfish: Fish That Walk Smooth Handfish: Data Deficient Galaxias: Small Freshwater Fish Galaxias: Freshwater Fish Pedder Galaxias: Gone from the Wild Insects: Tiny Creatures Beetles: Hard-Shelled Insects Predaceous Diving Beetles: Water Hunters Snails and Slugs: Slimy Creatures Lord Howe Flax Snail: A Land Snail Plants: Green Life Plants Listed as Extinct by the Australian Government Plants Listed as Extinct by States and Territories Tasmania: Plants Declared Extinct Images for kids

This article is about animals and plants from Australia-New Guinea that have disappeared during the Holocene epoch. The Holocene is a long period of time that started about 11,650 years ago and continues to this day.

The landmass we call Australia-New Guinea is also known as Sahul. It includes mainland Australia, Tasmania, the island of New Guinea, and other nearby islands like the Aru Islands. This huge area is shared by three countries: Australia, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia.

The animals of Australia-New Guinea are very special. For example, marsupials (like kangaroos and koalas) and monotremes (like echidnas and platypuses) are found here. These unique mammals outcompeted other types of mammals, called placental mammals, which are common on other continents. Only two groups of placental mammals are naturally found here: rodents (like mice) and bats. Other animals like dingoes were brought by humans.

Many species have disappeared from Australia-New Guinea because of human activities. Most of the really big animals, like giant kangaroos, vanished a long time ago. But smaller extinctions have continued, especially after Europeans started settling in Australia in 1788. Some animals, like the thylacine and Tasmanian devil, disappeared from mainland Australia thousands of years before Europeans arrived, but they survived in Tasmania.

Mammals: Animals with Fur

Mammals are warm-blooded animals that usually have fur or hair. They feed their babies milk.

Monotremes: Egg-Laying Mammals

Monotremes are very special mammals because they lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young.

Echidnas: Spiny Anteaters

Echidnas are spiny animals that eat insects.

Western Long-Beaked Echidna: Possibly Gone from Australia

The Western long-beaked echidna (Zaglossus bruijnii) lives in Western New Guinea. Some people think it might have also lived in parts of Western Australia until the early 1900s. Fossils and ancient cave paintings show that a type of long-beaked echidna was in mainland Australia a very long time ago. Scientists are still studying old specimens to find out for sure if this echidna lived in Australia more recently.

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
Western long-beaked echidna	Zaglossus bruijnii	Western New Guinea, Indonesia and possibly Kimberley, Western Australia	This critically endangered species lives in Western New Guinea. There's a debate about whether it also lived in mainland Australia more recently.

Carnivorous Marsupials: Meat Eaters

These marsupials are meat-eaters, just like dogs or cats.

Dog-like Marsupials: The Thylacine

The thylacine was a large marsupial that looked a bit like a dog.

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
Thylacine	Thylacinus cynocephalus	Mainland Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea	The last known thylacine died in a zoo in 1936. Some people think they might have survived in remote parts of Tasmania for a few more decades. Thylacines disappeared from mainland Australia and New Guinea much earlier. Their extinction was likely caused by humans hunting them and competition with dingos. In Tasmania, farmers hunted them to protect their sheep.

Marsupial Shrews: Small Hunters

These are small, shrew-like marsupials.

Tasmanian Devil: Gone from the Mainland

The Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) used to live across mainland Australia and Tasmania.

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
Tasmanian devil	Sarcophilus harrisii	Mainland Australia and Tasmania	Tasmanian devils disappeared from mainland Australia around 1200 BCE. This might have been because of dingoes, human hunting, or climate change. They still live in Tasmania and have even been brought back to parts of New South Wales.

Bandicoots and Bilbies: Diggers and Foragers

Bandicoots and bilbies are marsupials known for their long snouts and strong claws for digging.

Bandicoots: Small, Quick Diggers

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
Desert bandicoot	Perameles eremiana	Central Australia	The last known desert bandicoot was seen in 1943. They likely died out because of introduced animals like feral cats and red foxes, and changes to their habitat.
New South Wales barred bandicoot	Perameles fasciata	New South Wales	The last one was collected in 1846.
Southwestern barred bandicoot	Perameles myosuros	Western Australia	The last one was collected in 1906.
Southern barred bandicoot	Perameles notina	South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales	The last one was collected in 1857.
Nullarbor barred bandicoot	Perameles papillon	Nullarbor Plain, southern Australia	The last one was collected in 1928.
	Peroryctes aruensis	New Guinea	The most recent remains of this bandicoot are from 9,000 to 28,000 years ago.

Bilbies: Desert Dwellers

Bilbies are unique marsupials with long ears and tails.

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
Lesser bilby	Macrotis leucura	Deserts of Australia	The last lesser bilby was collected in 1931. It probably disappeared because of introduced cats and foxes, and changes to its habitat.

Pig-Footed Bandicoots: Unusual Feet

These bandicoots had very unusual feet, like tiny hooves.

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
Southern pig-footed bandicoot	Chaeropus ecaudatus	Southern and western Australia	The last reliable record was in 1901. Local people said they survived until the 1950s. They likely went extinct because of introduced cats and foxes.
Northern pig-footed bandicoot	Chaeropus yirratji	Central Australia

Diprotodontia: Kangaroos, Wallabies, and Possums

This group includes many well-known Australian marsupials.

Brushtail Possums and Cuscuses: Tree Dwellers

These marsupials live in trees and have bushy tails.

Telefomin Cuscus: Possibly Gone

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments
Telefomin cuscus	Phalanger matanim	Telefomin and Tifalmin, Papua New Guinea	Last seen in 1997. The area where it lived was destroyed by a fire in 1998.

Macropods: Hopping Animals

This family includes kangaroos, wallabies, and their relatives.

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
Mainland banded hare-wallaby	Lagostrophus fasciatus albipilis	Western Australia	This subspecies is no longer considered valid by some scientists.
Lake Mackay hare-wallaby	Lagorchestes asomatus	Northern Territory; possibly other deserts	The only known specimen was found in 1932. It likely disappeared between 1940 and 1960 due to introduced cats and foxes, and changes to its habitat.
South-western rufous hare-wallaby	Lagorchestes hirsutus hirsutus	South-west of Western Australia	This subspecies is extinct, but two other subspecies still exist.
Eastern hare-wallaby	Lagorchestes leporides	Interior southeastern Australia	The last one was collected in 1889. It likely went extinct because its habitat was destroyed by farm animals and increased wildfires.
Toolache wallaby	Notamacropus greyi	Southeastern Australia	The last confirmed sightings were in 1924. The last one in captivity died in 1939.
Crescent nailtail wallaby	Onychogalea lunata	Western and central Australia	The last one was killed in 1956. It went extinct because of introduced cats and foxes, and habitat damage.
Christensen's pademelon	Thylogale christenseni	New Guinea	The most recent remains of this pademelon are from about 1385-1738 BCE.

Bettongs, Potoroos, and Rat-Kangaroos: Small Hoppers

These are smaller relatives of kangaroos.

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
Desert bettong	Bettongia anhydra	Tanami Desert and Nullarbor Plain	Only known from one specimen found in 1933. It likely went extinct because of introduced cats and foxes, and changes to its habitat.
South-eastern woylie	Bettongia penicillata penicillata	South-eastern Australia	This subspecies is extinct. The woylie's population greatly decreased due to habitat loss and introduced cats and foxes.
Nullarbor dwarf bettong	Bettongia pusilla	Nullarbor Plain, Hampton and Mallee regions	Known only from old remains, but thought to have lived until European settlement.
Desert rat-kangaroo	Caloprymnus campestris	Channel Country and possibly southeastern Queensland	The last confirmed sighting was in 1935. It is believed to have gone extinct because of introduced cats and foxes.
Broad-faced potoroo	Potorous platyops	From the Swan Coastal Plain to the Eyre and Yorke Peninsulas, and Kangaroo Island	Last seen in 1875. It likely went extinct because of introduced cats, diseases, wildfires, and habitat loss from grazing animals.

Rodents: Rats and Mice

This group includes many types of rats and mice.

Old World Rats and Mice: Native Rodents

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
White-footed rabbit rat	Conilurus albipes	South-eastern South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and eastern Queensland	Last recorded around 1860. It probably disappeared due to introduced cats and habitat damage.
Capricorn rabbit rat	Conilurus capricornensis	Queensland	Known only from old remains. It is thought to have lived until European settlement.
Lesser stick-nest rat	Leporillus apicalis	Arid and semiarid central Australia	The last specimens were collected in 1933. It likely went extinct because of introduced cats and habitat damage.
Bramble Cay melomys	Melomys rubicola	Bramble Cay, Queensland	Last recorded in 2009. It disappeared because of increasing storms that destroyed its island home. This was the first mammal extinction directly linked to climate change.
Short-tailed hopping mouse	Notomys amplus	From north-eastern South Australia and south-eastern Northern Territory to North West Cape	Only known from specimens collected in 1896. The reasons for its extinction are unknown, but introduced cats and foxes might be to blame.
Long-tailed hopping-mouse	Notomys longicaudatus	From north-western New South Wales to North West Cape	Last collected in 1901-1902. Its extinction is blamed on introduced cats.
Big-eared hopping-mouse	Notomys macrotis	Western central wheatbelt of Western Australia	Last collected in 1843. It likely went extinct because of diseases or introduced cats, with habitat damage from sheep also playing a part.
Darling Downs hopping mouse	Notomys mordax	Darling Downs, Queensland	Known from only one skull found in 1846. It is believed to be extinct because of introduced cats and habitat destruction from farming.
Great hopping mouse	Notomys robustus	Davenport and Flinders Ranges, South Australia	Only known from skulls found in old owl nests.
Blue-gray mouse	Pseudomys glaucus	South-eastern Queensland and north-eastern New South Wales	Last collected before 1892. Its extinction is believed to be due to habitat loss and introduced cats and foxes.
Maclear's rat	Rattus macleari	Christmas Island	Last collected in 1901-1902. It died out after getting sick from a parasite carried by fleas from introduced black rats.
Bulldog rat	Rattus nativitatis	Christmas Island	Last recorded in 1897-1898. It also died out from the same disease as Maclear's rat.

Emma's Giant Rat: Possibly Gone

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments
Emma's giant rat	Uromys emmae	Owi Island, Papua, Indonesia	Last seen in 1946.

Bats: Flying Mammals

Bats are the only mammals that can truly fly.

Megabats: Fruit Bats

These bats are often called fruit bats or flying foxes.

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
Percy Island flying fox	Pteropus brunneus	Percy Islands, Queensland	Known from only one specimen collected in 1874. It might have disappeared because of habitat loss.

Aru Flying Fox: Possibly Gone

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
Aru flying fox	Pteropus aruensis	Aru Islands, Indonesia	Described in the mid-1800s. No sightings in the 1900s, but a jawbone found in 1992 might belong to this species.

Vesper Bats: Common Bats

These are the most common type of bats.

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments
Christmas Island pipistrelle	Pipistrellus murrayi	Christmas Island	Last recorded in 2009. Its population dropped by 90% in just 10-15 years. The reasons are not clear, but introduced animals and diseases might be factors.
Lord Howe long-eared bat	Nyctophilus howensis	Lord Howe Island, New South Wales	Known from only one skull found in 1972. It might have been hunted by introduced rats and owls.

Birds: Feathered Friends

Birds are animals with feathers, wings, and beaks.

Cassowaries and Emus: Large Flightless Birds

These are large birds that cannot fly.

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
Kangaroo Island emu	Dromaius novaehollandiae baudinianus	Kangaroo Island	Last recorded in 1819. It was hunted until it disappeared.
King Island emu	Dromaius novaehollandiae minor	King Island, Tasmania	Last seen in the wild in 1805. The last one in captivity died in 1822. It was hunted until it disappeared.
Tasmanian emu	Dromaius novaehollandiae diemenensis	Tasmania	Last recorded in 1851. It was hunted until it disappeared.

Pigeons and Doves: Common Birds

These birds are known for their cooing sounds.

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
Lord Howe pigeon	Columba vitiensis godmanae	Lord Howe Island	Hunted until it disappeared in 1853.
Norfolk pigeon	Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae spadicea	Norfolk Island	Last recorded in 1900. It was hunted until it disappeared.
Norfolk ground dove	Pampusana norfolkensis	Norfolk and possibly Nepean Island	Known from old paintings and descriptions. It disappeared a long time ago.

Rails and Cranes: Water Birds

Rails are often shy, ground-dwelling birds.

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
Macquarie Island banded rail	Hypotaenidia philippensis macquarensis	South Macquarie Island, Tasmania	Last recorded in 1879. It disappeared because of hunting and introduced animals like cats and dogs.
Norfolk Island rail	Hypotaenidia sp.	Norfolk Island	It was hunted until it disappeared.
Western Lewin's rail	Lewinia pectoralis clelandi	Southwestern Australia	Last recorded in 1932. It went extinct because its wetland habitat was drained and burned for farms.
White swamphen	Porphyrio albus	Lord Howe Island, New South Wales	Last recorded in 1790. It was hunted by sailors and was gone by the time the island was settled in 1834.
Norfolk swamphen	Porphyrio sp.	Norfolk Island	This bird was extinct before Europeans arrived in 1788.

Tasmanian Nativehen: Gone from the Mainland

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
Tasmanian nativehen	Tribonyx mortierii	Mainland Australia and Tasmania	This bird cannot fly and is common in Tasmania today. It used to live on mainland Australia but disappeared about 4,700 years ago. This might have been due to human hunting, the introduction of the dingo, or a very dry climate.

Owls: Night Hunters

Owls are birds of prey that hunt at night.

True Owls: Common Owls

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Images
Lord Howe boobook	Ninox novaeseelandiae albaria	Lord Howe Island, New South Wales	Probably disappeared in the 1940s or 1950s. This was due to trees being cut down and introduced black rats.
Norfolk boobook	Ninox novaeseelandiae undulata	Norfolk Island	The last individual died in 1996. It declined because of habitat loss and competition with other birds.

Parrots: Colorful Birds

Parrots are known for their bright colors and ability to mimic sounds.

Kea and Kākā: New Zealand Parrots

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
Norfolk kākā	Nestor productus	Norfolk Island	The last birds in the wild were seen between 1825 and 1854. The last one in captivity died in 1851. They disappeared because of hunting and habitat destruction by introduced animals like rabbits and pigs.

Old World Parrots: Diverse Parrots

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
Lord Howe parakeet	Cyanoramphus subflavescens	Lord Howe Island, New South Wales	Last seen in 1869. Farmers killed them because they ate garden plants and crops.
Macquarie parakeet	Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae erythrotis	Macquarie Island, Tasmania	Last seen in 1890. It probably went extinct because of introduced weka birds and rabbits.
Paradise parrot	Psephotellus pulcherrimus	Southeastern Queensland and possibly New South Wales	Last confirmed sighting in 1927 or 1928. It disappeared due to droughts, overgrazing by farm animals, habitat loss, and hunting.

Perching Birds: Songbirds and More

This is a very large group of birds, often called songbirds.

Australasian Wrens: Small, Active Birds

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
Dirk Hartog thick-billed grasswren	Amytornis textilis carteri	Dirk Hartog Island, Western Australia	Last recorded in 1918. It disappeared because of introduced black rats.
Namoi Valley thick-billed grasswren	Amytornis textilis inexpectatus	Central New South Wales	Last recorded in 1912. The reasons for its extinction are unknown.
Southwestern thick-billed grasswren	Amytornis textilis macrourus	Southwestern Australia	Last recorded in 1910. It went extinct due to drought and overgrazing by introduced mammals.

Bristlebirds: Secretive Birds

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
Western rufous bristlebird	Dasyornis broadbenti litoralis	Southwestern Australia	Last recorded around 1930. It disappeared because its habitat was burned for farms and due to introduced cats.

Australian Warblers: Small Insect Eaters

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
Lord Howe gerygone	Gerygone insularis	Lord Howe Island, New South Wales	Last recorded in 1928. It likely went extinct because introduced black rats raided its nests.

Cuckooshrikes and Allies: Varied Birds

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
Norfolk triller	Lalage leucopyga leucopyga	Norfolk Island	Last recorded in 1942. It probably went extinct because of introduced black rats and trees being cut down.

Fantails and Silktails: Agile Birds

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
Lord Howe fantail	Rhipidura fuliginosa cervina	Lord Howe Island, New South Wales	Last recorded in 1924. It probably disappeared because of introduced black rats.

White-eyes: Small, Social Birds

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
Robust white-eye	Zosterops strenuus	Lord Howe Island, New South Wales	It is believed to have gone extinct because of black rats that arrived on the island in 1918.

White-Chested White-Eye: Possibly Gone

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
White-chested white-eye	Zosterops albogularis	Norfolk Island	Last confirmed sighting in 2000. This species declined because of competition with another introduced bird, black rats, and habitat loss.

Thrushes: Ground Foragers

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
Norfolk thrush	Turdus poliocephalus poliocephalus	Norfolk Island	This subspecies went extinct around the late 1970s. It was due to habitat loss and introduced rats and cats.
Lord Howe thrush	Turdus poliocephalus vinitinctus	Lord Howe Island, New South Wales	Not recorded since about 1924. It is believed to have gone extinct because of introduced black rats.

Starlings: Social Birds

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
Norfolk Island starling	Aplonis fusca fusca	Norfolk Island	Last recorded in 1923. It may have disappeared due to habitat destruction or introduced black rats.
Lord Howe starling	Aplonis fusca hulliana	Lord Howe Island, New South Wales	Last seen in 1918. It probably disappeared because of black rats introduced to the island that year.

Reptiles: Scaly Creatures

Reptiles are cold-blooded animals with scales.

Squamates: Lizards and Snakes

This group includes lizards and snakes.

Common Geckos: Night Lizards

Christmas Island Chained Gecko: Gone from the Wild

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments
Christmas Island chained gecko	Lepidodactylus listeri	Christmas Island	Last recorded in the wild in 2012. It likely disappeared because of introduced Indian wolf snakes.

Skinks: Smooth-Scaled Lizards

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments
Christmas Island forest skink	Emoia nativitatis	Christmas Island	Last seen in the wild in 2010. It went extinct because of introduced Indian wolf snakes, possibly made worse by trees being cut down.

Christmas Island Blue-Tailed Skink: Gone from the Wild

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments
Christmas Island blue-tailed skink	Cryptoblepharus egeriae	Christmas Island	Last seen in the wild in 2010. It likely disappeared because of introduced Indian wolf snakes.

Amphibians: Frogs and Toads

Amphibians are animals that can live both on land and in water.

Frogs: Jumping Amphibians

Australian Ground Frogs: Unique Frogs

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
Southern gastric-brooding frog	Rheobatrachus silus	Conondale and Blackall Ranges, Queensland	Last seen in the wild in 1981. The last one in captivity died in 1983. The reasons for its extinction are unknown, but a frog disease called chytridiomycosis is suspected.
Northern gastric-brooding frog	Rheobatrachus vitellinus	Eungella National Park, Queensland	Last recorded in 1985. Chytridiomycosis is suspected as the cause of its extinction.
Sharp snouted day frog	Taudactylus acutirostris	Coastal north Queensland from Mount Graham to the Big Tableland	Last seen in 1997. It was apparently wiped out by chytridiomycosis.
Mount Glorious day frog	Taudactylus diurnus	Blackall, Conondale, and D'Aguilar Ranges in southeast Queensland	Last recorded in 1979. Chytridiomycosis is suspected as the cause of its extinction.

Treefrogs and Allies: Climbing Frogs

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments
Mountain mist frog	Ranoidea nyakalensis	Wet Tropics of Queensland	Last recorded in 1990. It rapidly declined, likely due to chytridiomycosis.

Ray-Finned Fish: Fish with Bony Fins

This group includes most of the fish we know.

Anglerfish: Unique Fish

Handfish: Fish That Walk

Handfish are unique fish that use their fins to "walk" on the seabed.

Smooth Handfish: Data Deficient

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments
Smooth handfish	Sympterichthys unipennis	Southeastern Tasmania	Last recorded in 1802. It might have disappeared because its habitat was destroyed and it was accidentally caught in fishing nets.

Galaxias: Small Freshwater Fish

Galaxias: Freshwater Fish

Pedder Galaxias: Gone from the Wild

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
Pedder galaxias	Galaxias pedderensis	Lake Pedder, Tasmania	This fish disappeared from its original home, Lake Pedder, after the area was flooded for power generation. Introduced trout also played a big role in its decline. The last wild one was caught in 1996. Luckily, this species still lives in two other places where it was moved for safety.

Insects: Tiny Creatures

Insects are small invertebrates with six legs.

Beetles: Hard-Shelled Insects

Predaceous Diving Beetles: Water Hunters

Scientific name	Range
Rhantus papuanus	Papua New Guinea

Snails and Slugs: Slimy Creatures

These are soft-bodied animals that often have shells.

Lord Howe Flax Snail: A Land Snail

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments
Lord Howe flax snail (subspecies)	Placostylus bivaricosus etheridgei	Lord Howe Island, New South Wales	This is a type of land snail.

Plants: Green Life

Plants are living things that make their own food using sunlight.

Plants Listed as Extinct by the Australian Government

The Australian government has a list of plants that are considered extinct since European settlement began in 1788. There are 37 plant species on this list. Sometimes, plants thought to be extinct are rediscovered, like Pimelea spinescens subsp. pubiflora in 2005.

Name	Common name	Distribution
Acacia kingiana		WA
Acacia prismifolia	Diel's wattle	WA
Acianthus ledwardii		QLD
Amperea xiphoclada var. pedicellata		NSW
Amphibromus whitei		QLD
Caladenia brachyscapa	short spider-orchid	TAS
Coleanthera virgata	hidden coleanthera	WA
Deyeuxia lawrencei		TAS
Didymoglossum exiguum		QLD
Diuris bracteata		NSW
Euphrasia ruptura		NSW
Frankenia decurrens	decurrent-leaved frankenia	WA
Huperzia serrata	water tassel-fern	QLD
Hymenophyllum lobbii		QLD
Hymenophyllum whitei		QLD
Lemmaphyllum accedens		QLD
Lepidium drummondii	Drummond's lepidium	WA
Leucopogon cryptanthus	small-flowered leucopogon	WA
Lycopodium volubile = Pseudodiphasium volubile		QLD
Marsdenia araujacea		QLD
Monogramma dareicarpa	grass fern	QLD
Musa fitzalanii	Daintree banana	QLD
Myriocephalus nudus		WA
Olearia oliganthema		NSW
Opercularia acolytantha		WA
Ozothamnus selaginoides	clubmoss everlasting, Table Mountain daisy bush	TAS
Paspalum batianoffii		QLD
Persoonia laxa		NSW
Persoonia prostrata		QLD
Pultenaea maidenii	Maiden's bush-pea	VIC
Senecio georgianus	grey groundsel	NSW, SA, VIC
Solanum bauerianum	bridal flower	LHI, NI
Tetratheca fasciculata	Cronin's tetratheca	WA
Thomasia gardneri	Mount Holland thomasia	WA
Tmesipteris lanceolata		QLD
Trianthema cypseleoides		NSW
Vanvoorstia bennettiana	Bennett's seaweed	NSW

Plants Listed as Extinct by States and Territories

Each state and territory in Australia also keeps its own lists of extinct plants and animals. These lists might be different from the federal government's list.

Tasmania: Plants Declared Extinct

Tasmania has 20 plant species listed as "presumed extinct."

• Ballantinia antipoda
• Banksia integrifolia subsp. integrifolia
• Botrychium australe
• Caladenia cardiochila
• Chenopodium erosum
• Coopernookia barbata
• Hibbertia obtusifolia
• Lepilaena australis
• Levenhookia dubia
• Myriophyllum glomeratum
• Podotheca angustifolia
• Prostanthera cuneata
• Punctelia subflava
• Senecio macrocarpus
• Thesium australe
• Thynninorchis huntiana
• Veronica notabilis

Images for kids

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  The Lake Pedder earthworm (Hypolimnus pedderensis) was known from only one specimen collected in 1971. Its habitat was flooded in 1972.