Threatened fauna of Australia


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 list is the list proclaimed under the Australian federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The classifications are based on those used by the World Conservation Union, however IUCN and Australian rankings do differ. Each state and territory has its own legislation relating to environmental protection.

2020: new database of threatened mammals

A new 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 "is compiled from more than 400,000 individual surveys, and contains population trends for 57 of Australia's threatened or near-threatened terrestrial and marine mammal species".

Extinct in the wild

There are 24 birds, 7 frogs, and 27 mammal species or subspecies strongly believed to have become extinct in Australia since European settlement.
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.

Invertebrates

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

Invertebrates

Invertebrates

Four fish and one mammal are conservation dependent.

Fish

Federal legislation

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and Regulations set up a framework for protection of the Australian environment, including its biodiversity and its natural and culturally significant places.

State legislation

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