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Threatened species

Meet the native Australian animals we’re fighting to protect. These species are on the brink of extinction due to a range of threats and need our help before it’s too late.

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Ogyris Mallee Butterfly, perched on a dry branch, facing right and down.

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Mallee Bronze Azure Butterfly

Vote for the Mallee Bronze Azure as this year's ABC Insect of the Year!

Alpine She-oak Skink, eating on a rock, facing right with tongue out.

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Alpine She-oak Skink

Found in only a few locations in Victoria and NSW, the Alpine She-oak Skink is listed as endangered.

Baw Baw Frog sitting on green moss bed.

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All estimates point to extinction in the wild for the Baw Baw Frog in just five to 10 years.

Two Brush-tailed Rock-wallabies, resting in the grass and facing right.

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Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby (southern population)

In Victoria, the Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby now exists in only two small and isolated locations.

Small Eastern Barred Bandicoot, left side view, foraging in leaf litter.

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Eastern Barred Bandicoot (mainland population)

These small nocturnal marsupials were once widespread.

Right side-view of Giant Burrowing Frog on wet rocks; dark brown with yellow lips and spots on the right side.

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Southern Giant Burrowing Frog

Although we know that populations of the Southern Giant Burrowing Frog are in decline, this elusi...

Golden-rayed Blue Butterfly resting with wings spread on dry grass, brown with faint iridescent blue suffusion and golden veins.

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Golden-rayed Blue Butterfly

This Victorian butterfly is endangered.

Grassland Earless Dragon side view, looking over the right shoulder to the camera.

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Grassland Earless Dragon (Victorian Species)

The Grassland Earless Dragon has not appeared in Victoria since 1969.

Close-up of Guthega Skink, sitting outside a borrow on yellow stones, facing right.

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The Guthega Skink is endangered nationally. In Victoria, it is only found on the Bogong High Plains.

Juvenile Helmeted Honeyeater perching on a tree branch; possessing a striking yellow colour with black and olive.

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Helmeted Honeyeater

You can see the Helmeted Honeyeater at Healesville Sanctuary. 

A Key's Matchstick Grasshopper, sitting on top of a yellow flower bud, facing right and looking upward.

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Key’s Matchstick Grasshopper

This distinctive grasshopper is flightless and has a long, stretched body shape.

Close up side view of a large Watson's (Brown Tree) Frog gripping a stick and facing left; mottled with different shades of brown and golden eyes.

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The Watson's is one of the least understood amphibian species in Victoria. The mating call of the...

Close-up view of the face of a Leadbeater's Possum wrapped in a blanket; big eyes and fine facial details seen as they looks to the right of the camera.

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Leadbeater's Possum (Lowland population)

Once thought to be extinct, the Leadbeater's Possum was rediscovered in 1961.

Lord Howe Island Stick Insect on a person's hand, with six legs, a long black body and two antennae on the head.

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Lord Howe Island Stick Insect

Melbourne Zoo plays a vital role in the captive breeding of this Critically Endangered species.

Mallee Emu-wren in long dry grass looking left to the camera, with a bright orange head, white chest and a pale orange body.

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Mallee Emu-wren

The Mallee Emu-wren is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of bushfire.

Close-up of a Possum's face, resting on an angled rock and facing right.

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Mountain Pygmy-possum

Australia's only hibernating marsupial, this possum hibernates for up to seven months.

Northern Corroboree Frog with vivid yellow and black stripes, sitting on wet pebbles and facing up.

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Northern Corroboree Frog

Although not as rare as their southern relatives, populations of these frogs are declining.

Side view of an Orange Bellied Parrot side perching on a tree branch and looking to the left; featuring grass green plumage with yellow, blue and (as the name suggests) an orange belly.

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Orange-bellied Parrot

The Orange-bellied Parrot is Critically Endangered. This very special bird is one of only two mig...

Side view of Plains Wanderer bird, standing camouflaged in dry grass, looking left but eyeing the camera.

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Plains-wanderer

In evolutionary terms, Plains-wanderers are one of a kind. There’s no bird like it in the world.

Pookila mouse staring right at the camera with leaves at their feet.

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Pookila (New Holland Mouse)

Once thought to be extinct, the Pookila is now classified as endangered.

Regent Honeyeater bird on a branch looking down; mostly black with yellow speckles.

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Regent Honeyeater

The Regent Honeyeater has been in decline since the 1940s, and its soft call is rarely heard.

Smoky Mouse, facing left, in a sandy habitat with grass and leaves in the background.

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The Smoky Mouse, once commonly found in south eastern Australia, is sadly facing extinction.

Close-up of a small black bat with wings drawn in tight, resting on a rocky surface

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Southern Bent-wing Bat

This tiny micro-bat is critically endangered.

Southern Corroboree Frog standing on pale green moss; bright yellow and black striped, facing right..

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Southern Corroboree Frog

One of Australia’s best known frogs is critically endangered.

A Spotted Tree Frog is gripping a fern leaf looking to the left, light green with gold eyes.

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Spotted Tree Frog

Populations of the Spotted Tree Frog have declined to the point that it's now critically endangered.

Southern Barred Frog sitting on green moss; a golden brown colour with a black stripe over the left eye.

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Southern Barred Frog (previously known as Stuttering Barred Frog)

Populations of Southern Barred Frogs are fast disappearing.

A Swift Parrot perched on a branch looking sideways towards the camera; mostly green with red and yellow on the face and wings.

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The Swift Parrot is critically endangered.

A Tasmanian Devil standing on a log, facing the camera with their mouth open to show sharp teeth, with green bushy terrain in the background.

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Tasmanian Devil

Tasmanian Devils are the largest carnivorous marsupials in the world.

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