Long-footed Potoroo
Potorous longipes
Australia's Threatened Species Category
Endangered
Listed since: 15/02/2022
IUCN's Threatened Species Category
Vulnerable
Listed since: 6/04/2014
Population trend: Decreasing
Other names: None
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 long-footed potoroo is a small, mostly nocturnal terrestrial marsupial that shelters in crude nests under dense understorey vegetation during the day. It is restricted to mainland south-eastern Australia, where it is currently known from two core subpopulations in Victoria and a much smaller subpopulation in New South Wales. The diet of the long-footed potoroo is comprised predominantly of hypogenous fungi with invertebrates and plant material making up the remainder.
Threats
The major threats to the long-footed potoroo are introduced species (predation and competition), inappropriate fire regimes and climate change. The main factors that make the long-footed potoroo eligible for listing in the Endangered category are population reduction and habitat destruction following the 2019�20 bushfires and prior population decline due to bushfires and predation.
Quollity Conservation Hub's Vulnerability Score:
51
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.