Threatened fauna species numbers

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Key finding

The number of fauna species listed as threatened (‘vulnerable’, ‘endangered’ or ‘extinct in the wild’) in Queensland increased by 61 between 2007 and 2015. Notably, three frog species have been listed as ‘extinct in the wild’.

In Queensland threatened species are listed under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 (NCA) in the categories ‘vulnerable’, ‘endangered’ and ‘extinct in the wild’. Species at risk of becoming threatened in the near future are listed as ‘near threatened’.

Comparison of species numbers between 2007 and 2015 show that:

  • total number of fauna species listed as threatened has increased by 61
  • the number of threatened species has increased in all fauna groups
  • ‘near threatened’ fauna reduced by 79 species between 2011 and 2015.

Although birds have the highest number of threatened species, threatened frogs (35 species) and mammals (49 species) represent significant percentages of the total number of species in their taxonomic group at 24% and 15% respectively.

All ‘rare’ species were initially reclassified to ‘near threatened’ when the overall classifications were aligned with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listing categories. These species were subsequently reviewed to determine which of the categories most adequately describe their status. This process, which incorporates updated information on species and their threats, is likely to explain the reduction in the number of ‘near threatened’ fauna with species either re-categorised as ‘least concern’ or to a threatened status.

Despite recovery efforts by Queensland state and local governments and many non-government organisations, the threat of extinction is still very real for threatened fauna.

More information:

Indicator: Total number of fauna species, and proportion listed as threatened and extinct

Count of threatened fauna species' conservation status, comparing between 2007, 2011 and 2015. Categorised into fauna groups including: Mammals, Birds, Reptiles, Frogs, Fish, Butterflies, Crayfish and Snails. Data current as at September 2015.

Download data from Queensland Government data