SYDNEY, Australia — Australia's bushfires have burned more than half the known habitat of 100 threatened plants and animals, including 32 critically endangered species, the government said Monday. But the government's Department of the Environment and Energy on Monday issued a preliminary list of threatened species of plants, animals and insects which have seen more than 10 percent of their known habitat affected. Sally Box, the department's Threatened Species Commissioner, said the survey results were just a first step in understanding the potential impact of the bushfires on Australia's wildlife. The threatened by the fires included 272 plant, 16 mammal, 14 frog, nine bird, seven reptile, four insect, four fish and one spider species, the department said. Of the 32 critically endangered species impacted by the fires, most were plants though they also included frogs, turtles and three types of bird.

Source: Philippine Star January 20, 2020 03:22 UTC