You won’t find the turtle frog on any of our money or the velvet worm on our coat of arms, but a national poll is looking to elevate these and other lesser-known Australian animals to prominence.
As part of National Science Week, ABC Radio National is calling on our help to choose Australia’s native fauna that is “often overlooked, underconserved, and underappreciated”.
With input from wildlife experts, conservation organisations, and social media, the network has curated a list of 10 native animals, each deserving of a little more love and attention.
The animals vying for the title of Australia’s Most Underrated Native Animal are:
- Dugong
- Ghost bat
- Giant cuttlefish
- Great desert skink
- Marsupial mole
- Palm cockatoo
- Rakali (water rat)
- Short-finned eel
- Turtle frog
- Velvet worm
While not as cuddly as a koala or as iconic as the kangaroo, these species all play vital roles in Australia’s ecosystems and face unique conservation challenges.
“We are trying to do the impossible here and rate what may be un-rateable, vote on what may be un-findable, but most of all, find out as much as we can about animals which live their entire lives outside the spotlight of popular consciousness,” said Dr Ann Jones from Radio National podcast What the Duck?!
“Australia is full of incredibly weird and wonderful creatures, far beyond the koalas and kangaroos and quokkas,” Jones said.
“It’s high time that we all know about the plasma-shooting velvet worm, roller-coaster swimming eels and the skinks that have bathrooms built into their homes.”
ABC’s underrated native animal project is the online initiative for National Science Week 2025, undertaken by ABC Science with funding through the federal government’s Inspiring Australia strategy.
Australians can find out more about the underdog animals and cast their vote here.
The winner will be announced live on air on ABC Radio National on Friday, August 15, from midday (AEST).
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