Lesser bilby

Macrotis leucura

Blamed on foxes

IUCN status: Extinct

Last seen: Macrotis leucura were last seen in 1967 in Alice Springs near the edge of the Simpson Desert (IUCN 2023)

IUCN claim: “Predation from introduced feral cats and red foxes is considered to be the major cause of extinction, probably exacerbated by changes in fire regime.”

Studies in support

Lesser bilbies were last confirmed in Koonchera Dune and Alice Springs 21-26 and 47-57 years after foxes arrived, respectively (Wallach and Lundgren 2025).

Studies not in support

No studies

Is the threat claim evidence-based?

NA

Evidence linking Macrotis leucura to foxes. Last records of extirpated populations relative to earliest local records of foxes. Error bars show record uncertainty range. Predator arrival records were digitized from Fairfax 2019.
Evidence linking Macrotis leucura to foxes. Last records of extirpated populations relative to earliest local records of foxes. Error bars show record uncertainty range. Predator arrival records were digitized from Fairfax 2019.

References

Fairfax, Dispersal of the introduced red fox (Vulpes vulpes) across Australia. Biol. Invasions 21, 1259-1268 (2019).

IUCN Red List. https://www.iucnredlist.org/ Accessed June 2023

Wallach A.D., Lundgren E.J. (2025) Review of evidence that foxes and cats cause extinctions of Australia’s endemic mammals. BioScience. DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biaf046