threatened species Threatened Species of Tasmania SUPPORTED BY Department of Primary Industries and Water plants and A celebration of all our native plantsanimals and animals On Threatened Species Day we is only one of 684 listings on the area is protected in some form While National The irreversible here will be even more should all consider the importance Threatened Species List. Other of reserve, which is a fact that the Threatened impact of the catastrophic, if they were to SJREXMZI¾SVEERHJEYRESRXLI species include the orange-bellied whole Tasmanian community can Species Day establish. Bandicoot, bettong, variety of islands that make up parrot, the Miena jewel beetle, the be proud of. Private landowners potoroo and many species of on September 7 remembers the Red Fox Tasmania. The rich biodiversity wedge-tailed eagle, Baudins sea- and land managers are continuing ground nesting birds would rapidly extinction of the Thylacine, the day and beauty of our ecosystem is lavender, myrtle elbow orchid and to make protection of natural The European red fox has had a disappear from our landscape, as is as much about caring for all our renowned, and its uniqueness swamp eyebright. values a high priority. These devastating and irreversible impact they have done already from the native wildlife as it is about those celebrated. facts augur well for the future of on native wildlife across mainland mainland. Some may disappear under threat. All species of plant Recovery plans and private land Tasmania’s beautiful and unique %YWXVEPMEERHMWMHIRXM½IHMR before we realise it. and animal hold an important The recent listing of the iconic programs are both examples plants and animals. Australian Government legislation Tasmanian devil as a threatened of the way the Tasmanian place in Tasmania’s unique as a key threatening condition. With the rapid decline of the species, due to the ravages of Government is working in environment – with innovation, Tasmanian devil, which may have the Facial Tumour Disease, was a conjunction with the Australian perseverance and hard work we As Tasmania is now a last refuge until recently helped protect harsh and powerful reminder of Government, the State’s three David Llewellyn GERTVSXIGXSYVREXMZI¾SVEERH for so many small mammals and against foxes establishing, it is fauna for future generations. birds, the impact of the red fox the vulnerability of our wildlife and Regional Natural Resource Minister for absolutely critical to keep Tasmania plants. The combined efforts to Management groups and the Primary Fox Free. help save the devil is a heartening broader community to protect Industries 3 example of how much we do SYVQEKRM½GIRXREXYVEPXETIWXV] and Water value our native creatures, but it About 45% of Tasmania’s total land Our Threatened Species PLANTS Species ANIMALS Species Threatened (land, marine & freshwater) Threatened Eucalypts, other tree types 18 Mammals and marsupials 12 Shrubs 106 Birds 35 Herbs 155 Reptiles and amphibians 10 Mesibov B. Orchids 71 Fish 15 Contents Unchanged for millions of years, these Tasmania has three threatened Lilies 9 Freshwater insects 66 caterpillar-like creatures are often species. The rare giant velvet worm Sedges, etc 44 Crustaceans 7 Did You Know Threatened Species 3 called are often called a missing link can extend to 75mm in length when Grasses 35 Cave species 14 between the annelid worms and walking, and is a stunning pink/mauve Velvet worms are amazing. They Ferns 19 &IIXPIWERHFYXXIV¾MIW 16 arthropods. They live deep in the colour. It occurs only in the north-east, Kids Pages 8 are all cloaked in velvet and capture Lichens and others 30 Land snails and velvet worms 11 heart of old, decaying logs, emerging at near Scamander. XLIMVTVI]F]INIGXMRKEWXMGO]¾YMH Other invertebrates 11 night to hunt for food. Tasmanian Devil 10 from their head. Total 487 species Total 197 species Managing Editor - Nadeen Burge Editor - Janette Kirkman www.dpiw.tas.gov.au/threatenedspecies Designer - Brett Littleton For cover photo credits, see throughout the booklet Carol Kroger Simon de Salis Orange-bellied Parrot Pedder Galaxias With fewer than 150 orange- far south-west. While the bird’s Tasmania’s endemic freshwater Fortunately, this critically bellied parrots surviving in the breading areas are well protected, ½WLXLI4IHHIVKEPE\MEWSRGI endangered species still exists wild, one of Australia’s highest the orange-bellied parrot is occurred only in the original Lake today because of an insurance The species is very susceptible TVS½PIVIGSZIV]TVSKVEQWGIRXVIW threatened by weeds and feral Pedder and its adjoining lakes population that was established in to stress and efforts to hold it in on saving this critically endangered predators such as foxes and cats in and streams. The species declined a trout-free lake in the Western tanks, as well as captive breeding species. It is a migratory bird that its feeding grounds in Victoria and dramatically after the damming of Arthur Range. The insurance programs, have been largely breeds only in Tasmania’s South Australia. Lake Pedder and its catchment so population bred successfully unsuccessful. by the mid 1980s, it could only be and is today thriving. A second banded. Orange-bellied parrots There are 11 native freshwater Every year, volunteers help to JSYRHMREJI[MR¾S[MRKWXVIEQW translocation site now holds a record the number of adult birds are also bred in captivity in three ½WLPMWXIHSR7XEXIERH%YWXVEPMER Did You Know small number of Pedder galaxias returning from the mainland Australian States, with offspring Its natural habitat had been invaded Government threatened species but these have been slow to register – almost half of our 25 In January 2004, a Tasmanian man to their breeding grounds at released into the wild to help by the aggressive brown trout and establish and yet to breed. REXMZIJVIWL[EXIV½WLWTIGMIW found a dead beetle lodged in the tray Melaleuca. boost the population. the climbing galaxias, both quickly of his ute. Why was this so special? out-competing the Pedder galaxias Little is known of the species’ life Orange-bellied parrots breed in Every year in March, orange- Because it was the Miena jewel for food and habitat. history in the wild. It is thought forests that fringe the south-west bellied parrots begin their beetle, previously thought to have that Pedder galaxias mature buttongrass plains. Feeding stations northern migration to coastal &]XLIQMHW½WLGSYPHRSX been extinct since the 1960s. Several at three or four years of age Did You Know are established at Melaleuca and Victoria and South Australia. They be found in Lake Pedder or its [IIOWPEXIVE½WLIVQEREX0MXXPI4MRI and spawn in spring as water at Birchs Inlet, south of Strahan, travel up Tasmania’s west coast, tributaries and it has now become Late spring is the best time to spy 0EKSSRMHIRXM½IHEWIGSRHWTIGMQIR temperatures rise. where more than 100 nest boxes spending time on King Island, and extinct in the wild. the rare fairy lantern (Thismia Both men had read about the ‘extinct’ have been erected to enable other islands in the Hunter group, rodwayi). It’s a very small herb that beetle in a newspaper several months chicks to be measured and colour before crossing Bass Strait. grows in wet forests in southern and earlier…just as you are doing now. www.dpiw.tas.gov.au/threatenedspecies northern Tasmania. It is rarely seen The endangered jewel beetle is highly because it lives hidden underground decorated and has vivid jewel-like Baudins Sea-lavender Miena Cider Gum for most of the year feeding on the colours and patterns. For centuries rotting parts of other plants. But in late spring you might see its bright- 4 jewel beetles have been used for Baudins sea-lavender (Limonium It has a cluster of spoon-shaped Miena cider gum (Eucalyptus gunnii oozed from holes in the trunk and 5 brooches, earrings and dress pins. baudinii) was collected from leaves at its base, with an erect subsp. divaricata) is so named branches ferments at the base of SVERKI¾S[IVW¯PSSOMRKVIQEVOEFP] They feed on nectar and adult beetles Tasmania in 1802 during the ¾S[IVLIEHXLEXETTIEVWMRPEXI because Aborigines and early the tree. The small rounded and like small lanterns – within the leaf ¾]MRXLI(IGIQFIV.ERYEV]TIVMSH voyage of the French explorer, WYQQIV8LI¾S[IVWEVIUYMXI stockmen tapped its sap and waxy young leaves are popular PMXXIVSRXLIJSVIWX¾SSV8LI]EVISRP] Nicolas Baudin. But it wasn’t until small and papery, with tiny yellow fermented it to form a cider. One [MXL¾SVMWXW one or two centimeters tall, so keep a the 1980s that a botanist in Russia petals. Plants grow from seed quite of 32 eucalypt species native to close eye out! recognised it as a ‘new’ species. LETTMP]TVSHYGMRKPIEZIWMRXLI½VWX Tasmania, it is now endangered The Miena cider gum evolved in a 8SHE]MXMWGPEWWM½IHEWZYPRIVEFPI ]IEVERH¾S[IVWMRXLIRI\X]IEV – dying in large numbers as it cooler and wetter climate, growing with fewer than 1,000 known struggles to cope with the warmer, on the edges of frost hollows on plants. Baudins sea-lavender is at risk drier summers brought about by the Central Plateau. It is one of because it grows in only a few climate change. the most frost tolerant eucalypts Baudins sea-lavender is closely patches of salt marsh, close to known. Putting further pressure related to statice, a well known a built-up area. Salt marsh is In summer, cider gums often smell on the species is the fact that any KEVHIRTPERXERHHVMIH¾S[IV sensitive to damage by stock and of rotting apples as sap that has regrowth following drought stress Sally Bryant vehicles, or changes to drainage. is especially delicious to browsing Justine Shaw The Department of Primary animals and insects. Industries and Water (DPIW) monitors populations of Baudins To help protect the Miena cider sea-lavender to make sure that gum, the last remaining live stands any threatening processes are are being fenced, seedlings caged MHIRXM½IHERHEHHVIWWIHUYMGOP] and plantings established to help prevent this species becoming extinct.