A comprehensive list of Australia’s critically endangered animals.
By AG STAFF • June 17, 2014 •
Australia's only hibernating marsupial, the mountain pygmy possum, is critically endangered. Image credit: DEPI VIC
ACCORDING TO THE IUCN Red List of endangered species, Australia has 86 animal species that are considered Critically Endangered.
A species is considered Critically Endangered by the ICUN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) if it meets certain criteria, such as a reduction in the population of 90 per cent within a decade, the population range is severely limited or fragmented, or the population is under 50 indivuduals.
Endangered species are animals and plants that are in danger of becoming extinct. When a species is considered endangered, scientists believe that every member of the species will become extinct without human effort to preserve it. Endangered species are granted certain protections by the government. Human activities, such as commercial agriculture and logging, are mainly responsible for a species becoming endangered.
The concept of preserving living organisms to protect them from extinction is relatively new mainly because it was difficult for earlier generations to imagine the complete destruction of a species or natural resource. The enormous size of the world or the individual continents was not known for much of human history. Prior to industrialization in the nineteenth century, humans...
Endangered Animals
Animals Under Threat
Animals Under Threat Koala
Extinct & Endangered Birds of Australia
Wildlife Extinction Crisis
