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Local threatened species

Meet the 27 Australian animals we're fighting to protect. These species are on the brink of extinction due to a range of threats. A lesser recognised but very real threat to these species, is that many Victorians do not know they exist, or how they can help. We think the only thing more unjust than wildlife extinction, is the loss of a species that no one knew was in trouble.

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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.

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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 side view foraging in leaf litter.

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Eastern Barred Bandicoot (mainland population)

These small nocturnal marsupials were once widespread.

Giant Burrowing Frog on wet rocks side view. The frog is dark brown with yellow lips and spots on its side.

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Giant Burrowing Frog

This elusive digger is one of Victoria's most poorly understood species.

Golden Rayed Blue Butterfly resting with wings spread on dry grass. It is 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 lizard side view looking over its right shoulder at the camera.

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Grassland Earless Dragon (Victorian Species)

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

A Guthega Skink, sitting outside a borrow on yellow stones, seen from the 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. It is 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 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 Brown Tree Frog gripping a stick. Frog is mottled different shades of brown with golden eyes.

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Large Brown Tree Frog

The Large Brown Tree Frog is one of the least understood amphibian species in Victoria.

Close up view of the face of a Leadbeater's Possum wrapped in a blanket. Big eyes and fine facial details can be seen as it 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. The insect has six legs, a long black body and two antennas on its 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 at the camera. It has 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

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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.

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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. The parrot is grass green with yellow and blue and as the name suggests it has 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...

Plains Wanderer bird standing in dry grass. Side view of bird, with its body camouflaged in the grass, looking towards 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 at the camera with leaves at its 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. It is 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 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. Frog is bright yellow and black striped.

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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. It is light green with a 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; frog is a golden brown colour with a black stripe through its 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; parrot is mostly green with red and yellow on its face and wings.

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The Swift Parrot is critically endangered.

A Tasmanian Devil standing on a log with its mouth open showing its 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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