Wombats Koala Possums Wallabies and Kangaroos: Diprotodontia

The arrival of Europeans and the animals they introduced (rabbits, red foxes, cats, sheep, cattle) significantly changed the habitats of some diprotodonts and put others in direct competition with these introduced animals for food. Hunting, clearing the land for farming, changing patterns of burning grassland, and economic development have put pressure on these animals, often forcing them into marginal habitats, reducing their range or fragmenting them into isolated populations.

About 25 percent of the species in this order are considered threatened or potentially in danger of extinction. Six species have gone extinct in recent years. However, three other species thought to be extinct have been found to be still alive, although considered Critically Endangered, facing an extremely high risk of extinction. The northern hairy-nosed wombat is also Critically Endangered, with possibly fewer than 100 individuals left in the wild. Its cousin, the southern hairy-nosed wombat, is Endangered, facing a very high risk of extinction, because of its limited range. On the other hand, the koala, once threatened with extinction in 1920, has been the target of successful conservation (though in some areas, koalas are dying or being relocated because of overcrowding).