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  • Writer's pictureJennifer J

Australia Marsupials The Dunnart May Now Be Extinct Because Of The Australian Fires


Dunnart

One of Australia's cutest Marsupials - the Dunnart, may now be extinct because of the Australian bushfires.

The Dunnart is a tiny little animal which is the size of a mouse.

There are known to be nineteen species of Dunnart within Australia. These are the Dunnart species and their population and conservation status before the Australian bushfires took place:

. The Kakadu Dunnart: Near Threatened, with between 9,000 & 100,000.

. The Ooldea Dunnart: Least Concern, their population is unknown.

. Gilbert's Dunnart: Least Concern, population unknown.

. Butler's Dunnart: Vulnerable, 20,000 population.

. Common Dunnart: Least Concern, population unknown.

. Grey-Bellied Dunnart: Least Concern, population unknown.

. Sooty Dunnart: population and conservation status not known.

. Sandhill Dunnart: Vulnerable, population 5,000 to 10,000.

. Chestnut Dunnart: conservation status and population not known.

. Lesser-Hairyfooted Dunnart: Least Concern, population not known.

. Red-Cheeked Dunnart: Least concern, population not known.

. Long-Tailed Dunnart: Least Concern, population unknown.

. White-Footed Dunnart: Least Concern, population 8,000 to 10,000.

. Julia Creek Dunnart: Near Threatened, population of 20,000.

. Fat-Tailed Dunnart: Least Concern, population not known.

. Hairy-Footed Dunnart: Least Concern, population unknown.

. White-Tailed Dunnart: Least Concern, population unknown.

. Stripe-Faced Dunnart: Least Concern, population unknown.

. Long-Tailed Dunnart: Least Concern, population unknown.

All of these stats are from the IUCN Red List, but they could be outdated - especially now due to the Australian bushfires.

What Is The Future For Dunnarts?

It's unclear now what the conservation status and population is of Dunnarts because of the Australian bushfires.

Experts now think that Dunnarts could be one of the animals that have went extinct because of the Australian bushfires - they are not the only animals that are feared to now be extinct, there could be many species of animal which are now extinct because of these fires.

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