Kangaroo Island Dunnart
EPBC Status: Endangered
SPRAT Species Profile: Sminthopsis aitkeni — Kangaroo Island Dunnart
Found in: Kangaroo Island, South Australia
Threatened Species Strategy Scorecards:
Kangaroo Island Dunnart Year 3 scorecard 2018 (PDF - 403.78 KB)
Kangaroo Island Dunnart Year 3 scorecard 2018 (DOCX - 375.93 KB)
Year 3 Scorecard Summary (2018)
The Kangaroo Island Dunnart is a small carnivorous marsupial, now found only on Kangaroo Island. It is notoriously difficult to sample so determining population trends is challenging. However, it is likely to have suffered major declines due to historic land clearing, particularly in the eastern part of Kangaroo Island.
Since the 1970s, much of the western part of Kangaroo Island has been protected in conservation reserves. This provides security against ongoing habitat loss so declines may have stabilised. A significant amount of private land is now under heritage agreement. Recently there has been increased action and investment to tackle other threats, including controlling the impact of feral cats, managing the spread of Phytophthora, and engaging private land owners in conservation activities. Efforts have also increased to find ways of monitoring the Kangaroo Island Dunnart, with a two year research and monitoring program undertaken by the NESP Threatened Species Recovery Hub, and with the Kangaroo Island Land for Wildlife Program undertaking extensive camera trapping surveys. This survey work will expand in 2019, with planned attempts to sample the species at key monitoring sites. This will inform future management actions to best protect and conserve this species. Longer term, this species is also likely to benefit from efforts to eradicate feral cats from Kangaroo Island, which is being supported by the Australian Government.
Further information
- Threatened species strategy
- 20 birds by 2020
- 20 mammals by 2020
- 30 plants by 2020
- Three year review of progress on priority bird and mammal species
Please note that this scorecard is due for review in Year 5 of the Threatened Species Strategy (2020). If you would like to contribute information on this species please provide your contact details to ThreatenedSpeciesCommissioner@awe.gov.au
Photo credit: DEWNR Kangaroo Island