Based largely on advice and supporting information provided by the Australian Platypus Conservancy, the platypus’s conservation status in Australia was upgraded to “Near Threatened” in 2014 (Woinarski et al. 2014). This status has also applied internationally since 2016 (see IUCN Red Data List). In both cases, the status was determined using criteria that were defined by the IUCN in 2001 and continue to be employed to assess the conservation status of animals across the world (Woinarski et al. 2014).
The platypus’s “Near Threatened” listing was applied on the grounds that an overall decline in numbers has occurred and – although the trend is poorly defined and inconsistent across the platypus’s range – may potentially approach 30% of total population size over three platypus generations (estimated as a period of 21 years) if current threats are not adequately addressed.
Some other animals that are listed as “Near Threatened” in Australia include the Daintree ringtail possum, southern hairy-nosed wombat, Bennett’s and Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroos, heath mouse, dugong, southern elephant seal and southern right whale.
The platypus is listed as “Vulnerable” in Victoria and as “Endangered” in South Australia. In the other states and territories across its range (including Queensland, New South Wales, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory) it is officially deemed to be “Common” or the equivalent.
Photo courtesy of P. Hitch
LITERATURE CITED
Woinarski JCZ, Burbidge AA and Harrison PL (2014) The Action Plan for Australian Mammals 2012. CSIRO Publishing: Collingwood VIC.