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Why are animals endangered in Australia?

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Why are animals endangered in Australia?

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Since European settlement and introduced predators, hundreds of species have become extinct in Australia. Today, nearly 1 in 3 of our unique mammals is at risk of extinction! About 1,700 plant and animal species are listed as threatened under the Australian Government's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC). A further 90 are considered extinct.

There are many threats that are the reason for animals becoming endangered and extinct. The threats are fire, illegal wildlife trade and poaching, tree-clearing, introduced predators, and Global Warming. Fire and tree-clearing destroy the habitats of the animals. Illegal wildlife trade and poaching moves the animals away from their natural habitat or kills them because the hunters want something from the animal.

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Cuts to Australian conservation funding worsen endangered species’ plight

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Educational Video of the Week: Endangered Species in Australia

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5 Critically  Endangered Australians You Need To Know About

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TEDxBoulder - Andrew Currie - Protecting Endangered Species for Future Generations

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These spotted marsupial predators of the north are carnivorous marsupials. They are susceptible to cane toad toxins, fire and introduced predators such as foxes and cats. The cause of declines is largely due to cane toads where they often mistake poisonous cane toads for native frogs, eat them and then die from the poison.

In areas where cane toads are not colonized, Northern Quoll declines can be related to predation by feral cats. The impacts of cats are exacerbated by extensive wildfires, habitat degradation through over-grazing and urban development which reduce ground cover and hence shelter for these small mammals.

Highly adaptable, Northern Quolls are finding refuge on some offshore, toad-free islands and thriving on Fish River Station, Northern Territory. They will also benefit from better land management practices in the Kimberley.

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These endangered marsupials were once widespread across many parts of Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory. They live in rugged rocky areas where they shelter during the day in caves, cliffs, screes and rock piles. They emerge at dusk to feed on grasses, shrubs, and occasionally seeds and fruits. Feeding occurs as near shelter as possible, especially where exotic predators are present. The clearing of its habitat, changes to fire patterns and introduced foxes and wild cats, all threaten their existence. The Black-flanked Rock-wallaby is one of 20 mammals that the Australian Government has prioritized resources to support the recovery of the species.

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Also known to Aboriginal people as the Djintamoonga or Manbul, the Black-footed Tree-rat can weigh almost a kilogram and stands up to 31 cm tall. Populations have declined by an estimated 30-50% in the last decade.

Its threats include changes in fire regimes and predation by feral cats. Intense wildfires reduce the abundance of fleshy-fruited shrubs favored by Black-footed Tree-rats, as well as the availability of hollow trees. Clearing for agriculture has reduced the extent of their habitat in localised areas including north-east Queensland and parts of the Northern Territory.

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The Gouldian Finch is a very colorful bird. Because of it's impressive colors, it appealed to bird enthusiasts and hence large number of them were trapped in the wild for the local and international bird trade up until the early 1980s. This, a parasitic air-sac mite, habitat changes as a result of land clearing and fire are the main causes of their decline.

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The Eastern Curlew is the largest of all the world's shorebirds. It uses its impressive bill to dig up crabs and mollusks. However, they are critically endangered and their population has declined by 80% in the last 50 years. The Eastern Curlew is declining as a result of habitat destruction and change to the food chain of the coastal wetlands along their migratory. Many of these wetlands are being damaged by urban development, flood mitigation, agriculture and pollution. Direct disturbance on beaches by humans, domestic dogs and vehicles can cause stress to birds.