Action Plan for Australian Marsupials and Monotremes
Wildlife Australia, December 1996
ISBN 0 6422 1395 X
Research priorities
Table 6 shows listed taxa, ordered by decreasing Action Score from the modified Millsap et al. (1990) system (see Appendix B).
High scores reflect lack of knowledge about and lack of conservation management of taxa.
Table 6. Listed taxa grouped by category, ordered by decreasing Millsap et al. action score.
| Action Score |
|
| Critically Endangered | |
|---|---|
| 26 | Potorous gilbertii, Gilbert's Potoroo |
| 25 | Sminthopsis griseoventer unnamed subsp., Boullanger Island Dunnart |
| 9 | Perameles gunnii unnamed subsp., Eastern Barred Bandicoot (mainland) |
| 5 | Lasiorhinus krefftii, Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat |
| 5 | Lagorchestes hirsutus unnamed subsp., Mala |
| Endangered | |
| 40 | Notoryctes caurinus, Kakarratul, Northern Marsupial Mole |
| 40 | Notoryctes typhlops, Itjaritjari, Southern Marsupial Mole |
| 36 | Dasycercus hillieri, Ampurta |
| 35 | Sminthopsis aitkeni, Kangaroo Island Dunnart |
| 35 | Sminthopsis psammophila, Sandhill Dunnart |
| 31 | Parantechinus apicalis, Dibbler |
| 31 | Sminthopsis douglasi, Julia Creek Dunnart |
| 30 | Dasyurus maculatus gracilis, Spotted-tailed Quoll (N Qld) |
| 26 | Potorous longipes, Long-footed Potoroo |
| 21 | Phascogale calura, Red-tailed Phascogale |
| 21 | Perameles bougainville bougainville, Western Barred Bandicoot (Shark Bay) |
| 16 | Petrogale persephone, Proserpine Rock-wallaby |
| 16 | Petaurus gracilis, Mahogany Glider |
| 11 | Burramys parvus, Mountain Pygmy-possum |
| 9 | Bettongia tropica, Northern Bettong |
| 5 | Onychogalea fraenata, Bridled Nailtail Wallaby |
| 4 | Gymnobelideus leadbeateri, Leadbeater's Possum |
| Vulnerable | |
| 40 | Sminthopsis butleri, Butler's Dunnart |
| 35 | Petrogale lateralis, Black-footed Rock-wallaby (W Kimberley race) |
| 30 | Pseudantechinus mimulus, Carpentarian Antechinus |
| 30 | Isoodon auratus auratus, Golden Bandicoot (mainland) |
| 30 | Petaurus australis unnamed subsp., Fluffy Glider |
| 26 | Potorous tridactylus tridactylus, Long-nosed Potoroo (SE mainland) |
| 25 | Dasyurus maculatus maculatus, Spotted-tailed Quoll (SE mainland+Tas) |
| 25 | Lagorchestes hirsutus bernieri, Rufous Hare-wallaby (Bernier Is) |
| 25 | Lagorchestes hirsutus dorreae, Rufous Hare-wallaby (Dorre Is) |
| 25 | Lagostrophus fasciatus fasciatus, Banded Hare-wallaby (Bernier+Dorre Is) |
| 21 | Dasycercus byrnei, Kowari |
| 21 | Dasycercus cristicauda, Mulgara |
| 21 | Macrotis lagotis, Greater Bilby |
| 21 | Petrogale lateralis hacketti, Recherche Rock-wallaby |
| 20 | Pseudocheirus occidentalis, Western Ringtail |
| 19 | Perameles gunnii gunnii, Eastern Barred Bandicoot (Tas) |
| 16 | Vombatus ursinus ursinus, Bass Strait Wombat |
| 16 | Bettongia lesueur lesueur, Boodie (Shark Bay) |
| 16 | Lagorchestes conspicillatus conspicillatus, Barrow Island Spectacled Hare-wallaby () |
| 16 | Petrogale lateralis MacDonnell Ranges race, Black-footed Rock-wallaby (MacDonnell Ranges race) |
| 16 | Petrogale lateralis pearsoni, Pearson Island Rock-wallaby |
| 16 | Petrogale penicillata, Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby |
| 16 | Petrogale xanthopus xanthopus, Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby (SA+NSW) |
| 16 | Setonix brachyurus, Quokka |
| 14 | Isoodon obesulus nauticus, Nuyts Southern Brown Bandicoot |
| 14 | Macropus robustus isabellinus, Barrow Island Euro |
| 11 | Isoodon auratus barrowensis, Barrow Island Golden Bandicoot |
| 11 | Petrogale lateralis lateralis, Black-flanked Rock-wallaby |
| 10 | Dasyurus geoffroii, Chuditch |
| 5 | Myrmecobius fasciatus, Numbat |
| 4 | Bettongia lesueur unnamed subspecies, Boodie (Barrow+Boodie Is) |
| Lower Risk (conservation dependent) | |
| 0 | Bettongia penicillata ogilbyi, Woylie, Brush-tailed Bettong |
| Lower Risk (near threatened) | |
| 40 | Sminthopsis murina tatei, Common Dunnart (N Qld) |
| 40 | Isoodon obesulus peninsulae, Southern Brown Bandicoot (Cape York) |
| 40 | Petrogale concinna monastria, Nabarlek (NW Kimberley) |
| 40 | Wyulda squamicaudata, Ilangnalya, Scaly-tailed Possum |
| 35 | Lagorchestes conspicillatus leichardti, Spectacled Hare-wallaby (mainland) |
| 35 | Petrogale burbidgei, Monjon |
| 35 | Petrogale coenensis, Cape York Rock-wallaby |
| 35 | Petrogale concinna concinna, Nabarlek (NW NT) |
| 35 | Petaurus norfolcensis, Squirrel Glider |
| 30 | Antechinus godmani, Atherton Antechinus |
| 30 | Antechinus leo, Cinnamon Antechinus |
| 30 | Antechinus swainsonii insulanus, Dusky Antechinus (isolated Vic population) |
| 30 | Phascogale tapoatafa pirata, Brush-tailed Phascogale (N mainland) |
| 30 | Phascogale tapoatafa tapoatafa, Brush-tailed Phascogale (S mainland) |
| 30 | Macropus bernardus, Black Wallaroo |
| 30 | Macropus irma, Western Brush Wallaby, Kwoora |
| 30 | Petrogale sharmani, Mt Claro Rock-wallaby |
| 30 | Cercartetus caudatus macrurus, Long-tailed Pygmy-possum (Aust) |
| 30 | Phalanger intercastellanus, Southern Common Cuscus |
| 26 | Antechinus minimus maritimus, Swamp Antechinus (SE mainland) |
| 25 | Dasyurus hallucatus, Northern Quoll |
| 25 | Dasyurus viverrinus, Eastern Quoll |
| 25 | Macropus parma, Parma Wallaby |
| 21 | Isoodon obesulus obesulus, Southern Brown Bandicoot (SE mainland) |
| 20 | Dendrolagus bennettianus, Bennett's Tree-kangaroo |
| 20 | Dendrolagus lumholtzi, Lumholtz's Tree-kangaroo |
| 20 | Hemibelideus lemuroides, Lemuroid Ringtail Possum |
| 20 | Pseudochirops archeri, Green Ringtail Possum |
| 20 | Pseudochirulus cinereus, Daintree River Ringtail Possum |
| 20 | Pseudochirulus herbertensis, Herbert River Ringtail Possum |
| 20 | Petaurus australis australis, Yellow-bellied Glider (S subspecies) |
| 19 | Tachyglossus aculeatus multiaculeatus, Kangaroo Island Echidna |
| 16 | Petrogale xanthopus celeris, Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby (Qld) |
| 14 | Phascolarctos cinereus, Koala |
| 14 | Macropus eugenii decres, Tammar Wallaby (Kangaroo Is) |
| 14 | Macropus fuliginosus fuliginosus, Kangaroo Island Western Grey Kangaroo |
| 11 | Isoodon obesulus fusciventer, Quenda |
| 10 | Bettongia gaimardi cuniculus, Tasmanian Bettong (Tas) |
| 9 | Macropus eugenii derbianus, Tammar Wallaby (WA) |
| 6 | Macropus giganteus tasmaniensis, Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Tas) |
| 6 | Trichosurus vulpecula hypoleucus, Common Brushtail Possum (SW mainland) |
| Data Deficient | |
| 40 | Sminthopsis archeri, Chestnut Dunnart (Aust population) |
| 35 | Sminthopsis leucopus, White-footed Dunnart |
| 30 | Antechinomys laniger, Kultarr |
Within the 'Critically Endangered' category, further research is needed for Gilbert's Potoroo Potorous gilbertii (underway) and Boullanger Island Dunnart Sminthopsis griseoventer unnamed subspecies (no detailed work current).
Within the 'Endangered' category, several taxa need additional research. In order of score these are: Kakarratul (Notoryctes caurinus), (no work underway) Itjaritjari (N. typhlops) (no work underway), Ampurta (Dasycercus hillieri) (some work underway), Kangaroo Island Dunnart (Sminthopsis aitkeni) (no work underway), Sandhill Dunnart (S. psammophila) (no work underway), Dibbler (Parantechinus apicalis) (work underway), Spotted-tailed Quoll (N Qld) (Dasyurus maculatus gracilis) (no work underway), and Julia Creek Dunnart (Sminthopsis douglasi) (limited work underway).
Within the 'Vulnerable' category several taxa have very high action scores. Work on these is urgent, since further research may clarify conservation status. In some cases these taxa may be more seriously threatened than currently thought; in others, further research may show that no conservation action is required. Priorities include Butler's Dunnart (Sminthopsis butleri), Southern Brown Bandicoot (Cape York) (Isoodon obesulus peninsulae), Black-footed Rock-wallaby (W Kimberley) (Petrogale lateralis western Kimberley race), Carpentarian Antechinus (Pseudantechinus mimulus), Golden Bandicoot (mainland) (Isoodon auratus auratus), and Fluffy Glider (Petaurus australis unnamed N subspecies).
Continuing and expanded research into threatening processes that affect several species is also urgent. Research into the effects and the control of the European Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) in WA has led to improvements in the conservation status of several marsupials. Research into the control of Feral Cats is underway in parts of Australia; however, further research into and control of cats is urgent. Research into the effects of changed fire regimes and the development of fire regimes appropriate for marsupial conservation is also urgent, especially in grasslands and savannas, but also in forests, woodlands and shrublands.
Taxonomic research priorities are discussed in 'Introduction'.