Brushy-tailed marsupial rat
Dasyuroides byrnei
Australia's Threatened Species Category
Endangered
Listed since: 15/11/2023
IUCN's Threatened Species Category
Vulnerable
Listed since: 15/06/2015
Population trend: Decreasing
Other names: Kowari, Byrne's crest-tailed marsupial rat
Priority Species? No
The Australian government's Threatened Species Action Plan 2022-2032 selected over 100 priority species derive from consultation with threatened species experts and the wider community. While all species are important, focusing on a limited number of species can help target effort and resources so that outcomes can be achieved, measured and shared.
Description
The Kowari, also known as the brush-trailed marsupial rat is a ground dwelling carnivorous marsupial. The current distribution of the Kowari covers the arid zone in the south-western corner of Queensland and north-eastern corner of South Australia. They live in burrows dug into sand mounds that occur infrequently across stony gibbler plains. They are a solitary, nocturnal animals and feed predominantly on invertebrates such as grasshoppers, but also rodents, reptiles and birds.
Threats
The current threat which has caused the population decline to the Kowaris across their geographic range is the effect of introduced species, either through predation or habitat degradation and appears to be exacerbated by the effects of climate change, such as extreme drought and increased rainfall variability.
Quollity Conservation Hub's Vulnerability Score:
44
To help compare the relative vulnerability of different species, we have developed a scoring system based on biological and ecological characteristics that influence a species' ability to survive and recover from environmental change and natural disasters.
The framework is adapted from assessment methods used by conservation experts following the Black Summer bushfires to help identify species most in need of conservation action, research, and recovery funding.
Each species is assessed using a range of factors, including its conservation status, lifespan, reproductive rate, habitat and dietary requirements, ability to disperse or recover after fire, and the number and severity of threats it faces.
In general, the higher a species' score, the greater its overall vulnerability and risk of decline or extinction.
Like all conservation assessments, this scoring system is limited by the information currently available. Many threatened species remain poorly studied and receive limited research funding, meaning some assessments rely on the best available scientific knowledge or information from closely related species. As new research becomes available, scores may be updated to reflect our improved understanding.