Macrotis leucura

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	PERAMELEMORPHIA	THYLACOMYIDAE

Scientific Name:

Macrotis leucura

Species Authority:

(Thomas, 1887)

Common Name/s:

English	–	Lesser Bilby, Lesser Rabbit-eared Bandicoot, White-tailed Rabbit-eared Bandicoot, Yallara
French	–	Bandicoot-lapin À Queue Blanche, Bandicoot-lapin Mineur, Petit Bandicoot-lapin, Petit Péramèle-lapin
Spanish	–	Cangurito Narigudo Coliblanco

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Extinct ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2008

Assessor/s

Burbidge, A., Johnson, K. & Dickman, C.

Evaluator/s:

Lamoreux, J. & Hilton-Taylor, C. (Global Mammal Assessment Team)

Justification:
Listed as Extinct because it has not been located since the last specimen was collected in 1931. Aboriginal records indicate populations possibly survived into the 1960s, but there are no indications that it still persists.

History:

1996	–	Extinct
1994	–	Extinct (IUCN)
1990	–	Extinct (IUCN 1990)
1988	–	Extinct
1986	–	Extinct (IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre 1986)
1982	–	Extinct

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species was endemic to the deserts of central Australia. The last confirmed collection of a specimen was in 1931 near Cooncherie in north-eastern South Australia (Johnson 2008). A skull of unknown age was found in 1967 in a Wedge-tailed Eagle's nest south-east of Alice Springs (Johnson 2008). Aboriginal oral history suggests survival possibly into the 1960s (Johnson 2008).
Countries:	Regionally extinct: Australia

Population [top]

Population:	This species is presumed to be extinct. It died out completely only about 35 years after Hedley Finlayson considered it to be common (Johnson 2008).

Population:

This species is presumed to be extinct. It died out completely only about 35 years after Hedley Finlayson considered it to be common (Johnson 2008).

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	The species occurred in sandy and loamy deserts with Triodia hummock grassland and sparse low trees and shrubs (A. Burbidge pers. comm.).
Systems:	Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Predation from introduced species such as cats and foxes, as well as competition with rabbits for food and degradation of habitat is thought resulted in the extinction of this species. They were also possibly affected by changes in fire regime.

Major Threat(s):

Predation from introduced species such as cats and foxes, as well as competition with rabbits for food and degradation of habitat is thought resulted in the extinction of this species. They were also possibly affected by changes in fire regime.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	There are no conservation measures pertaining to this species.

Conservation Actions:

There are no conservation measures pertaining to this species.

Citation:	Burbidge, A., Johnson, K. & Dickman, C. 2008. Macrotis leucura. In: IUCN 2009. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 21 November 2009.
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