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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).

Background

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).

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".

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. 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.

Threatened species legislation

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.

Federal legislation

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.

State legislation

Further information: Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 § State acts

Threatened species in Australia are protected by, or affected by, four main types of legislation:

  • Protected areas legislation (e.g., National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 (NSW))
  • Threatened species legislation (e.g. Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (NSW), Threatened Species Protection Act 1995 (Tas))
  • Native vegetation conservation laws
  • Fisheries legislation

List of species

Extinct in the wild

One fish is listed as extinct in the wild.

Critically endangered

Five mammals, six birds, two reptiles, three fish and five other species are listed as critically endangered.

Invertebrates

Fish

  • Grey nurse shark, Carcharias taurus - east coast population
  • Western trout minnow, western trout galaxias, Galaxias truttaceus hesperius
  • Speartooth shark, Glyphis glyphis
  • Opal cling goby, Stiphodon semoni

Reptiles

  • Western swamp tortoise, Pseudemydura umbrina
  • Leathery turtle, leatherback turtle, luth, Dermochelys coriacea

Birds

Mammals

Endangered

Thirty-four mammals, thirty-eight birds, eleven reptiles, eighteen frogs, sixteen fishes and eleven other species are listed as endangered.

Invertebrates

  • Desert sand-skipper, aestiva skipper, Croitana aestiva
  • Central North burrowing crayfish, Engaeus granulatus
  • Tasmanian giant freshwater crayfish, Astacopsis gouldi
  • Furneaux burrowing crayfish, Engaeus martigener
  • Scottsdale burrowing crayfish, Engaeus spinicaudatus
  • Gove crow butterfly, Euploea alcathoe enastri
  • Broad-toothed stag beetle, Wielangta stag beetle, Lissotes latidens
  • Freshwater snail, Beddomeia capensis
  • Land snail Mesodontrachia fitzroyana
  • Lord Howe placostylus, Lord Howe flax snail, Placostylus bivaricosus
  • Land snail Semotrachia euzyga
  • Land snail Sinumelon bednalli
  • Moth Phyllodes imperialis (southern subspecies)

Fish

Macquarie perch
This exceptionally large Macquarie perch was caught on a lure (visible in the picture) and was carefully released.

Amphibians

CorroboreeFrog
Corroboree frog

Reptiles

Caretta caretta01
Loggerhead turtle

Birds

Adult gouldian finch
Gouldian finch, Erythrura gouldiae
  • Brown thornbill (King Island subspecies), Acanthiza pusilla archibaldi
  • Christmas Island goshawk, Accipiter fasciatus natalis
  • Wedge-tailed eagle (Tasmanian subspecies), Aquila audax fleayi
  • Red-tailed black-cockatoo (south-eastern subspecies), Calyptorhynchus banksii graptogyne
  • Glossy black-cockatoo (South Australian and Kangaroo Island subspecies), Calyptorhynchus lathami halmaturinus
  • Carnaby's black cockatoo, short-billed black cockatoo, Calyptorhynchus latirostris
  • Southern cassowary (Australian subspecies), Casuarius casuarius johnsonii
  • Common emerald dove (Christmas Island subspecies), Chalcophaps indica natalis
  • Norfolk Island green parrot (formerly the Norfolk Island subspecies of the red-fronted parakeet), Cyanoramphus cookii
  • Coxen's fig parrot, Cyclopsitta diophthalma coxeni
Golden-Shouldered-Parrot-2
Golden-shouldered parrot

Mammals

SpottedQuoll 2005 SeanMcClean
Tiger quoll

Vulnerable

Invertebrates

  • Draculoides bramstokeri
  • Mount Arthur burrowing crayfish, Engaeus orramakunna
  • Burnie burrowing crayfish, Engaeus yabbimunna
  • Lasionectes exleyi, a cave-dwelling remipede crustacean
  • Giant Gippsland earthworm, Megascolides australis
  • Bathurst copper, purple copper, Paralucia spinifera

Fish

CSIRO ScienceImage 2535 The Red Handfish
The red handfish
Whiteshark-TGoss1
Great white shark
  • Edgbaston goby, Chlamydogobius squamigenus
  • Murray hardyhead, Craterocephalus fluviatilis
  • Swamp galaxias, Galaxias parvus
  • Saddled galaxias, Galaxias tanycephalus
  • Eastern dwarf galaxias, dwarf galaxias, Galaxiella pusilla
  • Murray cod, cod, goodoo, Maccullochella peelii
  • Blind gudgeon, Milyeringa veritas
  • Flinders Ranges gudgeon, Mogurnda clivicola
  • Balston's pygmy perch, Nannatherina balstoni
  • Yarra pygmy perch, Nannoperca obscura
  • Ewens pygmy perch, golden pygmy perch, variegated pygmy perch, Nannoperca variegata
  • Australian lungfish, Queensland lungfish, Neoceratodus forsteri
  • Blind cave eel, Ophisternon candidum
  • Shannon paragalaxias, Paragalaxias dissimilis
  • Great Lake paragalaxias, Paragalaxias eleotroides
  • Dwarf sawfish, Queensland sawfish, Pristis clavata
  • Freshwater sawfish, largetooth sawfish, Pristis microdon
  • Green sawfish, dindagubba, narrowsnout sawfish, Pristis zijsron
  • Australian grayling, Prototroctes maraena
  • Honey blue-eye, Pseudomugil mellis
  • Whale shark, Rhincodon typus
  • Waterfall Bay handfish, Sympterichthys species [CSIRO #T1996.01]
  • Ziebell's handfish Sympterichthys species [CSIRO #T6.01]

Frogs

Litoria raniformis
Growling grass frog

Reptiles

Denisonia maculata
Ornamental snake
  • Five-clawed worm-skink, long-legged worm-skink, Anomalopus mackayi
  • Pink-tailed worm-lizard, Aprasia parapulchella
  • Flinders Ranges worm-lizard, Aprasia pseudopulchella
  • Hermite Island worm-lizard, Aprasia rostrata rostrata
  • Green turtle, Chelonia mydas
  • Lord Howe Island gecko, Christinus guentheri
  • Three-toed snake-tooth skink, Coeranoscincus reticulatus
  • Yinnietharra rock dragon, Ctenophorus yinnietharra
  • Airlie Island ctenotus, Ctenotus angusticeps
  • Lancelin Island skink, Ctenotus lancelini
  • Hamelin ctenotus, Ctenotus zastictus
  • Striped legless lizard, Delma impar
  • Striped-tailed delma, Delma labialis
  • Atherton delma, legless lizard, Delma mitella
  • Collared delma, Delma torquata
  • Ornamental snake, Denisonia maculata
  • Great desert skink, tjakura, warrarna, mulyamiji, Egernia kintorei
  • Yakka skink, Egernia rugosa
  • Baudin Island spiny-tailed skink, Egernia stokesii aethiops
  • Bell's turtle, Namoi River turtle, Bell's saw-shelled turtle, Elseya belli
  • Bellinger River emydura, Emydura macquarii signata
  • Hawksbill turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata
  • Dunmall's snake, Furina dunmalli
  • Broad-headed snake, Hoplocephalus bungaroides
  • Christmas Island gecko, Lister's gecko, Lepidodactylus listeri
  • Mount Cooper striped lerista, Lerista vittata
  • Pilbara olive python, Liasis olivaceus barroni
  • Flatback turtle, Natator depressus
  • Pernatty knob-tail, Nephrurus deleani
  • Pedra Branca skink, red-throated skink, Niveoscincus palfreymani
  • Krefft's tiger snake (Flinders Ranges), Notechis ater ater
  • Bronzeback snake-lizard, Ophidiocephalus taeniatus
  • Brigalow scaly-foot, Paradelma orientalis
  • Lord Howe Island skink, Pseudemoia lichenigera
  • Christmas Island blind snake, Ramphotyphlops exocoeti
  • Fitzroy River turtle, Rheodytes leukops
  • Border thick-tailed gecko, Underwoodisaurus sphyrurus

Birds

  • Slender-billed thornbill (western subspecies), Acanthiza iredalei iredalei
  • Grey grasswren (Bulloo River subspecies), Amytornis barbatus barbatus
  • Thick-billed grasswren (eastern subspecies), Amytornis textilis modestus
  • Thick-billed grasswren (Gawler Ranges subspecies), Amytornis textilis myall
  • Lesser noddy (Australian subspecies), Anous tenuirostris melanops
  • Noisy scrub-bird, Atrichornis clamosus
  • Muir's corella, Cacatua pastinator pastinator
  • Baudin's black-cockatoo, long-billed black-cockatoo, Calyptorhynchus baudinii
  • Cape Barren goose (south-western subspecies), Recherche Cape Barren goose, Cereopsis novaehollandiae grisea
Cereopsis novaehollandiae1
Cape Barren goose
  • Western bristlebird, Dasyornis longirostris
  • Antipodean albatross, Diomedea antipodensis
  • Southern royal albatross, Diomedea epomophora
  • Wandering albatross, Diomedea exulans
  • Gibson's albatross, Diomedea gibsoni
  • Red goshawk, Erythrotriorchis radiatus
  • Crested shrike-tit (northern subspecies), northern shrike-tit, Falcunculus frontatus whitei
  • Christmas Island frigatebird, Andrew's frigatebird, Fregata andrewsi
  • White-bellied storm-petrel (Tasman Sea or Australasian subspecies), Fregetta grallaria grallaria
  • Squatter pigeon (southern subspecies), Geophaps scripta scripta
  • Partridge pigeon (western subspecies), Geophaps smithii blaauwi
  • Partridge pigeon (eastern subspecies), Geophaps smithii smithii
  • Blue petrel, Halobaena caerulea
  • Malleefowl, Leipoa ocellata
  • Northern giant-petrel, Macronectes halli
  • Purple-crowned fairy-wren, (western subspecies), Malurus coronatus coronatus
  • White-winged fairywren (Barrow Island subspecies), Barrow Island black-and-white fairywren, Malurus leucopterus edouardi
  • White-winged fairy-wren (Dirk Hartog Island subspecies), Dirk Hartog black-and-white fairy-wren, Malurus leucopterus leucopterus
  • Crimson finch (white-bellied subspecies), Neochmia phaeton evangelinae
  • Christmas Island hawk-owl, Ninox natalis
  • Norfolk golden whistler, Pachycephala pectoralis xanthoprocta
GoldenWhistlerMale
Golden whistler

Mammals

  • Subantarctic fur seal, Arctocephalus tropicalis
  • Sei whale, Balaenoptera borealis
  • Fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus
  • Boodie, burrowing bettong (Shark Bay subspecies), Bettongia lesueur lesueur
  • Boodie, burrowing bettong (Barrow and Boodie Islands subspecies), Bettongia lesueur unnamed subspecies
  • Dingo, Canis dingo
  • Large-eared pied bat, large pied bat, Chalinolobus dwyeri
  • Kowari, Dasycercus byrnei
  • Mulgara, Dasycercus cristicauda
  • Chuditch, western quoll, Dasyurus geoffroii
  • Spot-tailed quoll, spotted-tail quoll, tiger quoll (Tasmanian population), Dasyurus maculatus maculatus
  • Golden bandicoot (mainland subspecies), Isoodon auratus auratus
  • Golden bandicoot (Barrow Island subspecies), Isoodon auratus barrowensis
  • Southern brown bandicoot (Nuyts Archipelago subspecies), Isoodon obesulus nauticus
  • Spectacled hare-wallaby (Barrow Island subspecies), Lagorchestes conspicillatus conspicillatus
  • Rufous hare-wallaby (Bernier Island subspecies), Lagorchestes hirsutus bernieri
  • Rufous hare-wallaby (Dorre Island subspecies), Lagorchestes hirsutus dorreae
  • Banded hare-wallaby, marnine, munning, Lagostrophus fasciatus fasciatus
  • Greater stick-nest rat, wopilkara, Leporillus conditor
  • Barrow Island euro, Macropus robustus isabellinus
  • Greater bilby, Macrotis lagotis
  • Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae
  • Golden-backed tree-rat, Mesembriomys macrurus
  • Southern elephant seal, Mirounga leonina
  • Numbat, Myrmecobius fasciatus
  • Australian sea-lion, Neophoca cinerea
  • Northern hopping-mouse, Notomys aquilo
  • Dusky hopping-mouse, wilkiniti, Notomys fuscus
  • Corben's long-eared bat, south-eastern long-eared bat, Nyctophilus corbeni
  • Eastern barred bandicoot (Tasmania subspecies), Perameles gunnii gunnii
  • Yellow-bellied glider, fluffy glider (Wet Tropics subspecies), Petaurus australis unnamed subspecies.
  • Warru, black-footed rock-wallaby (MacDonnell Ranges race), Petrogale lateralis MacDonnell Ranges race
  • Black-footed rock-wallaby (West Kimberley race), Petrogale lateralis West Kimberley race
  • Recherche rock-wallaby, Petrogale lateralis hacketti
  • Black-flanked rock-wallaby, Petrogale lateralis lateralis
  • Pearson Island rock-wallaby, Petrogale lateralis pearsoni
  • Brush-tailed rock-wallaby, Petrogale penicillata
  • Yellow-footed rock-wallaby (South Australia and New South Wales subspecies), Petrogale xanthopus xanthopus
  • Long-nosed potoroo (south-east mainland subspecies), Potorous tridactylus tridactylus
  • Carpentarian false antechinus, Pseudantechinus mimulus
  • Western ringtail possum, Pseudocheirus occidentalis
  • Plains rat, Pseudomys australis
  • Djoongari, Alice Springs mouse, Shark Bay mouse, Pseudomys fieldi
  • Pilliga mouse, Pseudomys pilligaensis
  • Heath mouse, Pseudomys shortridgei
  • Spectacled flying-fox, Pteropus conspicillatus
  • Grey-headed flying-fox, Pteropus poliocephalus
  • Pilbara leaf-nosed bat, Rhinonicteris aurantius (Pilbara form)
  • Quokka, Setonix brachyurus
  • Butler's dunnart, Sminthopsis butleri
  • Boullanger Island dunnart, Sminthopsis griseoventer boullangerensis
  • Common wombat (Bass Strait subspecies), Vombatus ursinus ursinus
  • False water rat, water mouse, Xeromys myoides
  • Arnhem rock-rat, Arnhem Land rock-rat, Zyzomys maini

Conservation-dependent

Four fish and one mammal are dependent on conservation measures.

Fish

  • School shark, eastern school shark, snapper shark, tope, soupfin shark, Galeorhinus galeus
  • Orange roughy, deep-sea perch, red roughy, Hoplostethus atlanticus
  • Eastern gemfish, Rexea solandri (eastern Australian population)
  • Southern bluefin tuna, Thunnus maccoyii

Mammals

  • Southern bent-wing bat, Miniopterus schreibersii bassanii
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