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.
Mayo has or used to have 31 threatened animals within its boundaries. One of them is me, the Kangaroo Island Dunnart.
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.
Kangaroo Island Dunnart
Sminthopsis griseoventer aitkeni
Status: Endangered
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
Sminthopsis griseoventer aitkeni has greater than 80% of its range within Mayo
The Kangaroo Island dunnart is restricted to conservation reserves on western part of the island. It is found in a variety of mallee and woodland types. Wildfire and dieback of heath understorey threaten the species at its known sites, and land clearing and predation were the likely cause of historic declines. The species feeds at night and predominantly eats insects, spiders and other terrestrial arthropods. During the day it shelters in yacca fronds, leaf litter and holes/burrows.¹
Explore more about this species on the Atlas of Living Australia
Adverse fire regimes
Invasive species and diseases
Explore more about the threats facing species on our Resources page.
- Menzel's Wattle (Acacia menzelii)
- Fat-leaved Wattle (Acacia pinguifolia)
- Neat Wattle (Acacia rhetinocarpa)
- Mount Compass Oak-bush (Allocasuarina robusta)
- Downy Star-bush (Asterolasia phebalioides)
- Kangaroo Island Turpentine Bush (Beyeria subtecta)
- White-beauty Spider-orchid (Caladenia argocalla)
- Pink-lipped Spider-orchid (Caladenia behrii)
- Coloured Spider-orchid (Caladenia colorata)
- Bayonet Spider-orchid (Caladenia gladiolata)
- Kangaroo Island Spider-orchid (Caladenia ovata)
- Stiff White Spider-orchid (Caladenia rigida)
- Greencomb Spider-orchid (Caladenia tensa)
- Copper Beard Orchid (Calochilus cupreus)
- Twining Finger-flower (Cheiranthera volubilis)
- Hindmarsh Correa (Correa calycina)
- Deep Creek Correa (Correa eburnea)
- Toothed Helmet-orchid (Corybas dentatus)
- Trailing Hop-bush (Dodonaea procumbens)
- Mount Compass Swamp Gum (Eucalyptus paludicola)
- Osborn's Eyebright (Euphrasia collina subsp. osbornii)
- Clover Glycine (Glycine latrobeana)
- Hibbertia tenuis (Hibbertia tenuis)
- Kangaroo Island Phebalium (Leionema equestre)
- Kangaroo Island Logania (Logania insularis)
- Small-flowered Daisy-bush (Olearia microdisca)
- Silver Daisy-bush (Olearia pannosa subsp. pannosa)
- Kangaroo Island Pomaderris (Pomaderris halmaturina subsp. halmaturina)
- Fleurieu Leek Orchid (Prasophyllum murfetii)
- Pale Leek-orchid (Prasophyllum pallidum)
- Plum Leek-orchid (Prasophyllum pruinosum)
- Sandhill Greenhood Orchid (Pterostylis arenicola)
- Hindmarsh Valley Greenhood (Pterostylis bryophila)
- Leafy Greenhood (Pterostylis cucullata)
- Two-bristle Greenhood (Pterostylis psammophila)
- Hale Dwarf Greenhood (Pterostylis sp. Hale )
- Ironstone Mulla Mulla (Ptilotus beckerianus)
- Yellow Bush-pea (Pultenaea villifera var. glabrescens)
- Large-fruit Fireweed (Senecio macrocarpus)
- Butterfly Spyridium (Spyridium coactilifolium)
- MacGillivray Spyridium (Spyridium eriocephalum var. glabrisepalum)
- Blue Top Sun-orchid (Thelymitra cyanapicata)
- Metallic Sun-orchid (Thelymitra epipactoides)
- Blue Star Sun-orchid (Thelymitra hygrophila)
- Spiral Sun-orchid (Thelymitra matthewsii)
- Mount Lofty Speedwell (Veronica derwentiana subsp. homalodonta)
You are in federal electorate Mayo.