Marsupials

The following report and interim conservation plan is the result of a four-day intensive planning workshop for the Greater Bilby (Macrotis lagotis) involving 39 individuals that I would consider to be experts in their particular fields and representative of 29 organisations involved directly with, or supporting recovery of this vulnerable, iconic Australian marsupial.

Platypus, opossums, kangaroos, koalas...Monotremes and marsupials include a host of animals that have intrigued mammal fanciers for centuries. Monotremes are a very distinctive ancient group of mammals with only a handful of extant species in Australia and New Guinea and marsupials, with roots in South America, likely reached Australia via Antarctica some 50 million years ago. With relatives remaining in America, Marsupials have adapted to an amazing diversity of lifestyles and habitats.

This Action Plan lists 39 endangered and Vulnerable species and 55 “Potentially Vulnerable” species; in all 94 marsupials and 2 monotreme species that need some form of conservation action. It first describes the zoo-geography of Australasian marsupials and monotremes and the taxonomy used, and then provides a conservation overview on a country-by-country basis. It looks at possible causes of decline in Australian populations.