What Australian animals are endangered?

“It is a curious feature of our existence that we come from a planet that is very good at promoting life but even better at extinguishing it.”

—Bill Bryson

Australia has the highest extinction rate for mammals in the world. More than 100 extinctions of endemic species since the European settlement in January of 1788 when 850 convicts and their Marine guards and officers arrived at Botany Bay in the “First Fleet”.

“Endemic” refers to that only live in one isolated part of the world like Australia. Furthermore, these types of animals are most commonly found in more isolated parts of the globe, like islands, but they can be found in other places too.

Some species that have been around and well for thousands of centuries are now gone like the Tasmanian tiger. For a full list of Australian animals that are extinct, please read What Australian animals are extinct?

Other animals are not extinct, however, they are close to extinction. The following 10 animals are at risk of despairing forever:

  1. Numbat
  2. Gouldian finch
  3. Mountain pygmy possum
  4. Regent honeyeater
  5. Orange bellied parrot
  6. Eastern quoll
  7. Woylie
  8. Eastern curlew
  9. Black flanked rock wallaby
  10. Purple crowned fairy wren

Let’s go one by one:

  1. Numbat
Numbat Perth Zoo, Western Australia taken by Martin Pot
Numbat Perth Zoo, Western Australia taken by Martin Pot

2. Gouldian finch

Gouldian Finch taken by Martin Pot

3. Mountain pygmy possum

Mountain piggy possum

4. Regent honeyeater

Regent honeyeater at Taronga Zoo

5. Orange bellied parrot

Orange-bellied Parrot male, Melaleuca, Southwest National Park, Tasmania taken by JJ Harrison

6. Eastern quoll

Eastern quoll by Michael Barritt & Karen May

7. Woylie

Woyle by Arthur Chapman

8. Eastern curlew

Eastern curlew by JJ Harrison

9. Black flanked rock wallaby

Black footed rock wallaby by Thomas Schoch

10. Purple crowned fairy wren

Purple-crowned Fairy-wren by Graham Winterflood from Cairns, Australia

Several important projects around Australia are protecting these endangered animals. So, this is a great opportunity for all of us to work together.