Native animals

Over a third of our native animal species have a conservation rating, which means that unless we change our management practices and address the threats that face these species, we will lose them (i.e. they will become extinct).

We have several animal species that are endemic to Eyre Peninsula (occurs nowhere else) including the Eyre Peninsula Southern Emu-wren; the Pearson Island Black-footed Rock-wallaby; the Sandhill Dunnart; and the Eyre Peninsula Dragon. Eyre Peninsula also has two species of animals without backbones that are found nowhere else in the world: one of the world’s tiniest sea stars Parvulastra parvivipara which occurs near Streaky Bay and the ‘dinosaur ant’ Nothomyrmecia macrops found near Penong and Poochera. Creeks and seasonal wetlands are also home to native freshwater fish.

Some of Eyre Peninsula’s offshore islands are important for the survival of several threatened species such as the Southern Brown Bandicoot, the Greater Bilby, the Pearson Island Black-footed Rock-wallaby and the Greater Stick-nest Rat. Their survival is possible due to these islands being free of predators and competitors such as foxes, dogs, cats, goats and sheep.

Wildlife and roads

One of the best things motorists can do to avoid collisions with native animals on local roads is learn more about the typical behaviour of different species and the likely environmental conditions, such as time of day, that trigger certain animal behaviours around roads.

To learn more about avoiding owl roadkills click here (factsheet 723kb).
To learn more about avoiding kangaroos on the road click here.
To learn more about wedge-tailed eagles and the important role they play in cleaning up dead animals, see our wedge-tailed eagle fact sheet.

Further information about some of these native animals

Birds

Name: Hooded plover
Scientific name: Thinornis rubricollis
Regional status: Vulnerable
Related links:

Name: Malleefowl (Nganamara)
Scientific name: Leipoa ocellata
Regional status: Vulnerable
Related links:

Name: Southern emu-wren
Scientific name: Stipiturus malachurus intermedius
Regional status: Vulnerable

Wildlife

Name: Australian sea lion
Scientific name: Neophoca cinerea
Regional status: Vulnerable
Related links:

Name: Black-footed rock wallaby (Warru)
Scientific name: Petrogale lateralis
Regional status: Vulnerable

Name: Greater bilby
Scientific name: Macrotis lagotis
Regional status: Vulnerable

Name: Greater stick nest rat
Scientific name: Leporillus conditor
Regional status: Vulnerable

Name: Heath goanna
Scientific name: Varanus rosenbergi
Regional status: Vulnerable
Related links:

Help save the Heath Goanna fact sheet

Name: Sandhill dunnart
Scientific name: Sminthopsis psammophila
Regional status: Vulnerable

Name: Southern brown bandicoot
Scientific name: Isoodon obesulus obesulus
Regional status: Endangered

Name: Southern right whale
Scientific name: Eubalaena australis
Regional status: Vulnerable

Name: Yellow footed rock wallaby
Scientific name: Petrogale xanthopus
Regional status: Vulnerable

Field Guide to South Australian Fauna app

The South Australian Museum has a free Field Guide to South Australian Fauna app for Apple and Android devices available in the App Store or Google Play. Complete with more than 800 animals, including beautiful pictures, maps, sound effects and text, it is updated over time to include more species.

This exciting project, led by Alexis Tindall, has drawn on the expertise of talented researchers and is a collaborative project with other museums around the nation, funded by the Federal Government’s Inspiring Australia Science Communication grants.