Elected representatives in government are in charge of the policy and funding that can make or break saving threatened species. Their decisions and actions matter.
Cowper has or used to have 27 threatened animals within its boundaries. One of them is me, the Grey-headed Flying-fox.
We took care to attach appropriate images that are as close to representative of each species as our resources and the availability of images allowed. However, we could not ensure perfect accuracy in every case. Some images show species that share the same genus but not at the species or subspecies level.
Grey-headed Flying-fox
Pteropus poliocephalus
Status: Vulnerable
The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) lists threatened species under six categories:
Extinct, Extinct in the wild, Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable, Conservation dependent. Read more about these categories
Pteropus poliocephalus is found across 128 electorates.
The Grey-headed Flying-Fox is one of the largest bats in the world with a weight of 600–1000 g and a head-body length of 230–289 mm. It is the only Australian flying-fox that has a collar of orange/brown fully encircling its neck. Thick leg fur extends to the ankle, in contrast to other Pteropus species in which it only reaches the knee. As its name implies, the head is covered by light grey fur. The belly fur is grey, often with flecks of white and ginger. The fur on the back shows two morphs which could be related to age, moult or sub-population. One morph has dark grey fur and the other has a pronounced silver or frosted appearance. Winter fur is darker than summer fur with a pronounced moult occurring in June.¹
Explore more about this species on the Atlas of Living Australia
Habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation
Overexploitation and other direct harm from human activities
Explore more about the threats facing species on our Resources page.
- Scented Acronychia (Acronychia littoralis)
- Dwarf Heath Casuarina (Allocasuarina defungens)
- Allocasuarina thalassoscopica (Allocasuarina thalassoscopica)
- Hairy-joint Grass (Arthraxon hispidus)
- Trailing Woodruff (Asperula asthenes)
- Orara Boronia (Boronia umbellata)
- Callistemon pungens (Callistemon pungens)
- Glenugie Karaka (Corynocarpus rupestris subsp. rupestris)
- Leafless Tongue-orchid (Cryptostylis hunteriana)
- White-flowered Wax Plant (Cynanchum elegans)
- Bluegrass (Dichanthium setosum)
- Diuris eborensis (Diuris eborensis)
- Small Snake Orchid (Diuris pedunculata)
- Craven Grey Box (Eucalyptus largeana)
- Narrow-leaved Peppermint (Eucalyptus nicholii)
- Euphrasia arguta (Euphrasia arguta)
- Green Waxberry (Gaultheria viridicarpa)
- Mountain Angelica (Gingidia rupicola)
- Grevillea guthrieana (Grevillea guthrieana)
- Tall Velvet Sea-berry (Haloragis exalata subsp. velutina)
- Monkey Nut (Hicksbeachia pinnatifolia)
- Kardomia prominens (Kardomia prominens)
- Macadamia Nut (Macadamia integrifolia)
- Rough-shelled Bush Nut (Macadamia tetraphylla)
- Clear Milkvine (Marsdenia longiloba)
- Biconvex Paperbark (Melaleuca biconvexa)
- Neoastelia spectabilis (Neoastelia spectabilis)
- Dorrigo Daisy-bush (Olearia flocktoniae)
- Milky Silkpod (Parsonsia dorrigoensis)
- Knotweed (Persicaria elatior)
- Lesser Swamp-orchid (Phaius australis)
- Nightcap Plectranthus (Plectranthus nitidus)
- Scrub Turpentine (Rhodamnia rubescens)
- Native Guava (Rhodomyrtus psidioides)
- Samadera sp. Moonee Creek (Samadera sp. Moonee Creek )
- Ravine Orchid (Sarcochilus fitzgeraldii)
- Fragrant Pepperbush (Tasmannia glaucifolia)
- Austral Toadflax (Thesium australe)
- Triplarina imbricata (Triplarina imbricata)
- Tylophora woollsii (Tylophora woollsii)
- Willi Willi Zieria (Zieria lasiocaulis)
- Headland Zieria (Zieria prostrata)
You are in federal electorate Cowper.