Fauna species profiles

Western Australia has a range of unusual native animals, encompassing a variety of common and threatened mammals, birds and reptiles. The aim of these species profiles is to provide information about some of the species that are being protected throughout Western Australia and the range of strategies that have been developed to protect them against feral predators and other threats. This information is directed towards community groups, schools, universities and other teaching institutions.

These profiles provide information on 19 marsupial, six rodent, five reptile, two bird and one monotreme species, and will help people to identify species, which in turn could help us to locate populations that were previously unknown. A greater awareness and understanding of each species and its needs will help the community to understand and, hopefully, lessen the impact of human activities on the species.

Each profile—a joint collaboration between the former Department of Conservation and Land Management and the Centre for Ecosystem Management, Edith Cowan University—has a photograph of the species and information about its size, weight, physical features, common names, historic and current distribution, habitat, behaviour, diet, breeding patterns, threatening processes, current management and other interesting facts and relevant references. In addition, each species profile, ties in with Western Shield,  the Department's lead animal conservation program.

The conservation status of each species was current in 2002, but the status of these animals is expected to change as species that recover from their threatened status as a result of the  the Western Shield program.

You can also find out more about DEC's animal conservation research.

The distribution maps for some species have been reprinted with acknowledgement from N.L. McKenzie, A.A. Burbidge, A. Baynes and many other contributors. Clarification of text has been made with the assistance of A.A. Burbidge, P. Mawson, K.D. Morris, and P. Orell.