13 extinctions (including 11 historical extinctions)

Comment on listing assessment

Invitation to comment

You are invited to provide your views and supporting reasons in relation to the eligibility of 13 species for inclusion on the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) threatened species list in the Extinct category. In order for the EPBC Act list of threatened species to be seen as the authoritative list for the country, it is important that it reflect the true state of the Australian biota. This includes updating the list with species that have gone extinct.

Please note: the Threatened Species Scientific Committee (the Committee) are now primarily focused on the assessment of species that were impacted by the 2019/20 bushfires. Prior to the recent bushfires, the Committee commenced assessment of these extinct species (in 2017-18) to ensure the currency of the EPBC Act list of threatened species.

Of the 13 species assessed, 11 are believed to have gone extinct in Australia during the mid-19th or early 20th century, primarily due to the spread of introduced feral cats and European red foxes. These species are:

• Perameles bougainville fasciata (Liverpool Plains Bandicoot)
• Perameles bougainville notina (South-eastern Striped Bandicoot)
• Perameles bougainville myosuros (Marl)
• Perameles papillon (Nullarbor Barred Bandicoot)
• Bettongia anhydra (Desert Bettong)
• Bettongia pusilla (Nullarbor Dwarf Bettong)
• Pseudomys auritus (Long-eared Mouse)
• Pseudomys glaucus (Blue-grey Mouse)
• Notomys robustus (Broad-cheeked Hopping Mouse)
• Conilurus capricornensis (Capricorn Rabbit-rat)
• Pteropus brunneus (Percy Island Flying-fox)

Two species from Christmas Island are more recent extinctions:

• Pipistrellus murrayi (Christmas Island Pipistrelle)
• Emoia nativitatis (Christmas Island Forest Skink)

The views of experts, stakeholders and the general public are welcome. Responses can be provided by any interested person.

Anyone may nominate a native species, ecological community or threatening process for listing under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) or for a transfer of an item already on the list to a new listing category. The Threatened Species Scientific Committee (the Committee) undertakes the assessment of species to determine eligibility for inclusion in the list of threatened species and provides its recommendation to the Australian Government Minister for the Environment.