Potorous longipes

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	DIPROTODONTIA	POTOROIDAE

Scientific Name:

Potorous longipes

Species Authority:

Seebeck & Johnston, 1980

Common Name/s:

English

–

Long-footed Potoroo

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Endangered B1ab(v) ver 3.1

Year Published:

2008

Assessor/s:

McKnight, M.

Reviewer/s:

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

Justification:
Listed as Endangered because its extent of occurrence is less than 5,000 km², its distribution is severely fragmented, and there is probably a continuing decline in the number of mature individuals due to introduced predators and competition for its specialized food resources from introduced pigs.

History:

1996	–	Endangered
1994	–	Endangered (Groombridge 1994)
1990	–	Indeterminate (IUCN 1990)
1988	–	Indeterminate (IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre 1988)
1986	–	Indeterminate (IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre 1986)
1982	–	Indeterminate (Thornback and Jenkins 1982)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species is endemic to Australia, where it is known from three disjunct, fragmented populations, one in south-eastern New South Wales, and two in north-east Victoria: East Gippsland and the Great Dividing Range. Recorded from South East Forests National Park and Yambulla State Forest in New South Wales where it has never been trapped, but is known from hair and predator scat samples (NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service 2002). Recorded from 44 sites in East Gippsland: most lie between the Snowy River and Cann River in near-coastal East Gippsland and the adjacent uplands of the Snowy River. It ranges in elevation from 100 m to 1,100 m (Menkhorst and Seebeck 2008).
Countries:	Native: Australia (New South Wales, Victoria)
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	This species is rare, cryptic, and difficult to find. The most recent National Recovery Plan refrains from estimating its population size due these factors, but states that it is unlikely to be more that a few thousand individuals, and it might only be a few hundred (Nunan et al. 2000).
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	The species occurs in a variety of forest types ranging from montane wet sclerophyll forests at over 1,000 m altitude, to lowland sclerophyll forest at 100 m altitude. It is apparently confined to sites with a high soil moisture content throughout the year. The primary requirements of Long-footed Potoroos are a diverse and abundant supply of hypogeal fungal sporocarps throughout the year and dense cover to provide shelter and protection from predators (Maxwell et al. 1996; Menkhorst and Seebeck 2008). Its diet is highly unusual for a mammal species, and consists almost entirely of fungi (up to 91%) (Menkhorst and Seebeck 2008).
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

The species occurs in a variety of forest types ranging from montane wet sclerophyll forests at over 1,000 m altitude, to lowland sclerophyll forest at 100 m altitude. It is apparently confined to sites with a high soil moisture content throughout the year. The primary requirements of Long-footed Potoroos are a diverse and abundant supply of hypogeal fungal sporocarps throughout the year and dense cover to provide shelter and protection from predators (Maxwell et al. 1996; Menkhorst and Seebeck 2008). Its diet is highly unusual for a mammal species, and consists almost entirely of fungi (up to 91%) (Menkhorst and Seebeck 2008).

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Major threats to the species include predation from foxes, dingoes, and feral dogs, which may lead to the low densities at which this species has been found (Menkhorst and Seebeck 2008). Introduced pigs might be competitors for this species' specialized food requirements. Inappropriate fire regimes might also affect the fungi on which this species depends. Logging activities appear to be detrimental to the species, but further research is required for confirmation (NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service 2002).

Major Threat(s):

Major threats to the species include predation from foxes, dingoes, and feral dogs, which may lead to the low densities at which this species has been found (Menkhorst and Seebeck 2008). Introduced pigs might be competitors for this species' specialized food requirements. Inappropriate fire regimes might also affect the fungi on which this species depends. Logging activities appear to be detrimental to the species, but further research is required for confirmation (NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service 2002).

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	In Victoria about half the species' range is within national parkland with much of the remaining part of its range in area available for timber harvesting and fuel-collection. About half of the species' range in New South Wales is within the South East Forests National Park and the rest is within state forest land. This species is listed as Endangered nationally and also has state threatened species status as well. A National Recovery Plan was completed in 2000 (Nunan et al. 2000), and a State Recovery Plan for New South Wales was completed in 2002 (NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service 2002). Numerous recovery activities have been conducted to date, and these need to continue along with other recovery actions. Recommendations for the recovery of this species include (Nunan et al. 2000; NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service 2002): protect suitable habitat for the species, control predators through the controlled use of 1080 baiting, control introduced pigs through trapping, establish the distribution and abundance of the species (perhaps with new survey techniques), research the effects of habitat disturbance from timber harvesting and fire, research the biology of hypogeous fungi that it depends on, maintain and expand the captive colony, and promote public awareness of the species.

Conservation Actions:

In Victoria about half the species' range is within national parkland with much of the remaining part of its range in area available for timber harvesting and fuel-collection. About half of the species' range in New South Wales is within the South East Forests National Park and the rest is within state forest land.

This species is listed as Endangered nationally and also has state threatened species status as well. A National Recovery Plan was completed in 2000 (Nunan et al. 2000), and a State Recovery Plan for New South Wales was completed in 2002 (NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service 2002).

Numerous recovery activities have been conducted to date, and these need to continue along with other recovery actions. Recommendations for the recovery of this species include (Nunan et al. 2000; NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service 2002): protect suitable habitat for the species, control predators through the controlled use of 1080 baiting, control introduced pigs through trapping, establish the distribution and abundance of the species (perhaps with new survey techniques), research the effects of habitat disturbance from timber harvesting and fire, research the biology of hypogeous fungi that it depends on, maintain and expand the captive colony, and promote public awareness of the species.

Citation:	McKnight, M. 2008. Potorous longipes. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 24 May 2012.
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