Almost 750 Australian animals and plants are now on the endangered list after an international register updated its data.
Australian Conservation Foundation National Nature campaigner Jess Abrahams said more Australian animals had been added to the international Red List of threatened species.
Ms Abrahams said there were now 742 endangered Australian plants and animals on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of threatened species.
“Our disappearing wildlife are sending us a dire warning,” she said.
“Australia has one of the worst extinction rates in the world, we’ve caused the extinction of more mammals than any other country.”
Ms Abrahams said among the recent additions were the heath mouse and curlew sandpiper.
She said the heath mouse was under threat due to feral animals, inappropriate fire regimes, habitat degradation and increasing temperature extremes.
“Curlew sandpiper numbers have declined at inland wetlands in Australia, and this is thought to be associated with the destruction of wetlands in the Murray-Darling Basin.”
Ms Abrahams said other species that were found in Australia, but were more threatened globally included the pink ling fish, which was commonly sold in restaurants and fish and chip shops around Australia, and the giant clam, which was well-known on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
“The now critically endangered giant clam is the largest aquatic mollusc on Earth, weighing up to 250 kilograms and growing to a metre long.”
