The next time you’re out in the Geelong region and are lucky enough to come across an Australian painted snape, a grey-tailed tattler or a common bent-wing bat, it’s interesting to know that they are all on a threatened species.
The State Wide Integrated Flora and Fauna Teams (SWIFFT) have added new data to a comprehensive list of all known records of fauna in the City of Greater Geelong which are considered threatened, near threatened or extinct.
The keen-eyed bushwalker who comes across an unusual looking bird or animal can now check if it’s on the threatened fauna list for the region of Geelong.
The list currently exceeds 100 species including the swift parrot found in Ocean Grove and the Yarra pygmy perch, a small native fish found in the Waurn Ponds Creek.
“This is an excellent resource we can use to broaden the community’s understanding of the animals we need to look out for and protect to maintain our biodiversity in the region,” city services general manager William Tieppo said.
The list covers birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates. Each animal is classified with a conservation status of near threatened, vulnerable, endangered, critically endangered, regionally extinct and extinct in the wild.
For those who think they’ve spotted a sooty oystercatcher or a fairy tern, make sure to check the list, as they may be in the presence of rare fauna.
The list is available online at www.swifft.net.au/cb_pages/threatened_fauna_greater_geelong_city.php
