Australia's rarest mammal is widely considered to be Gilbert's Potoroo (Potorous gilbertii), a tiny, rabbit-sized marsupial thought extinct until its rediscovery in 1994, with its tiny wild population now surviving in protected areas in southwestern Western Australia, alongside other critically endangered contenders like the Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat.
Gilbert's potoroo is the world's rarest marsupial. The species had been thought to be extinct since the early 1900s until rediscovered at Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve on the mainland in 1994.
First recorded in 1840 by the collector John Gilbert, from whom it takes its scientific name, Gilbert's Potoroo was once thought to be extinct. Today, it holds the critical distinction of being the world's rarest marsupial and Australia's rarest mammal.
More than 80% of our plants, mammals, reptiles and frogs are unique to Australia and are found nowhere else in the world. Some of our Australian animals are very well known like kangaroos, dingos, wallabies and wombats and of course the koala, platypus and echidna.
Tasmanian Devil
It is one of Australia's most unique and endangered species. The Tasmanian Devil is approximately 70 - 110 centimetres long, has a large head and weak hind legs. You can recognise the marsupial by its black fur with white accents.
The Vaquita (Phocoena sinus), a small porpoise from the Gulf of California, is widely considered the world's rarest animal, with only around 10 individuals left, pushed to extinction by illegal gillnet fishing for other species like the totoaba. Other contenders for rarest include the Northern White Rhino (only two females remain) and the elusive Saola (Asian Unicorn), though population numbers for many extremely rare animals are uncertain.
After 65,000 votes, Australia has spoken — the rakali has been crowned Australia's most underrated native animal!
Top 10 Cutest Aussie Animals
The axolotl, Ambystoma mexicanum, is a type of salamander that doesn't go through metamorphosis. Salamanders are amphibians that, like frogs and newts, start off living in the water. Salamanders usually go through a process called metamorphosis to become adults – like a tadpole transforming into a frog.
Most scientists believe the chimpanzee is the “smartest animal in the world,” behind humans.
The vaquita is the most endangered cetacean in the world. With as few as around 10 left, the species will become extinct without a fully enforced gillnet ban throughout their entire habitat.
It's rare to see a quokka without a big 'smile' on their face! This, along with their friendly and endearing personalities, has earned them a reputation as the happiest animal in the world.
Extinction of thylacine. On 7 September 1936 the last known thylacine died at Beaumaris Zoo in Hobart. The thylacine had been granted protected status just two months before. It is estimated there were about 5,000 thylacines in Tasmania at the time of European settlement.
1. Northern White Rhinoceros (2 Individuals) The Northern White Rhino is the rarest animal on earth. It stands on the brink of extinction, with only two females remaining at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya.
Australia's largest terrestrial predator is the Dingo, a native canine that acts as an apex predator, managing herbivore populations and benefiting ecosystem health, though the marine saltwater crocodile is the continent's largest overall reptile predator, while the extinct Thylacoleo carnifex (marsupial lion) was Australia's largest-ever mammalian predator.
The platypus
Ornithorhynchus anatinus, is a unique Australian species. Along with echidnas, platypus are grouped in a separate order of mammals known as monotremes, which are distinguished from all other mammals because they lay eggs. The platypus and echidna have both survived by occupying ecological niches.
Not all axolotls are pink! In fact, almost all wild axolotls are brown, except for some that are born with a genetic condition that makes them pinkish white.
One way to absolve his crime. A different form, a different time. This suggests that when, before being erased from reality in the series finale, Bill gives a message that when reversed says "A-X-O-L-O-T-L! My time has come to burn!
Australia is home to a remarkable array of wildlife, many of which are found nowhere else on Earth. However, numerous species are currently facing critical threats and are classified as endangered.
14 of the world's cutest animals you can find on our tours
The quokka is a small marsupial native to Western Australia, often called the “world's happiest animal” because of its adorable, smiling face.
8 of Australia's most dangerous animals
Australia is full of weird facts, including having more kangaroos than people, the world's longest golf course (850+ miles!), pink lakes, a "Dingo Fence" longer than the Great Wall of China, and unique wildlife like the venomous male platypus and egg-laying mammals (platypus & echidna). Kangaroos and emus can't walk backward, symbolizing progress, while the continent hosts the oldest rainforest (Daintree) and is the only one without active volcanoes.
Rarest animals in the world