
Tasmania's Threatened Fauna Handbook offers the most comprehensive account of the State's threatened fauna.
Disclaimer: This Handbook is presented as originally published in 1999. Please note that since then, new species have been listed; other species have changed in status; and some distributional and management information has been updated. In addition to this, the
Commonwealth Endangered Species Protection Act 1992 has been replaced by the
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Please be aware of these changes when using this document. The Handbook should be used as a starting point for threatened fauna assessments and specific information should be checked against other resources on this website. It is planned that an updated copy of the Handbook will be on the website in the near future.
The Handbook is divided into three Sections:
Section I: LocationsSection II: Animal ProfilesSection III: Habitat TypesAppendixSection I: Locations
This section identifies where threatened species occur according to site information from a 1:25 000 mapsheet (TASMAP series). Known localities and areas containing potential habitat are detailed. Where a 1: 25 000 map is not available a 1: 100 000 TASMAP sheet or topographical map (e.g. Macquarie Island topographical map) is included. In some cases site details are not specific, because they are unknown (e.g. extinct species or never listed), inappropriate (e.g. species is mobile), or to ensure protection or confidentiality of a sensitive site (e.g. cave entrances). A reference guide to the mapsheets of Tasmania is provided in the front of Section I including some explanatory notes.
Section II: Animal Profiles
Section II contains concise information about every threatened animal, either as an individual species profile, or as a grouping of similar species, e.g. burrowing crayfish, or as a threatened ecosystem, e.g. the Great Lake, caves, etc. Every profile contains information on the species' conservation status, identifying features, distribution, habitat, biology, important locations, key threats, management recommendations, and other ways to help. Additional information including references, organisations to contact, diagnostic illustration, and a distribution map are also provided. A list of mapsheets will enable easy cross-reference between sections.
Management recommendations for species affected by commercial forestry operations are not detailed. Forest Practices Officers are provided with recommendations according to the Forest Practices Board's computer 'Expert System' based on the Threatened Fauna Manual for Production Forests in Tasmania (1998 revised version, Forest Practices Board, Hobart). These recommendations vary according to the species and type of forestry operation being undertaken and may change according to site, new information or when specialist advice is needed for sensitive species or zones.
Section III: Habitat Types
This section is a quick reference guide on how to recognise broad habitat types and to identify which threatened animals they potentially may contain. This section may be useful if your region is not well surveyed or covered by mapsheets, or if you are intending to rehabilitate or restore native habitats to naturally encourage threatened species into the area. You may manage land adjacent to a known threatened species site which has never been surveyed and therefore you can either undertake your own conservation surveys or be responsible in your activities.
Appendix
A complete list of fauna species on Tasmania's
Threatened Species Protection Act 1995 and the Commonwealth
Endangered Species Protection Act 1992 is provided. This list is under constant review and may change at any time. For easy reference the appendix contains the scientific name for every species and common names where they exist.
To download the entire handbook, please click on the link below.