Dryococelus australis
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
The Lord Howe Island stick insect faces extinction primarily due to the introduction of black rats in 1918, which devastated the population by consuming eggs, juveniles, and adults. The species was thought extinct for over 80 years until a small population was rediscovered on Ball's Pyramid in 2001. Ongoing threats include the extremely limited population size, restricted habitat range, and vulnerability to environmental catastrophes on the isolated rocky outcrop.
Habitat
Originally inhabited the forests of Lord Howe Island, feeding on native vegetation including Melaleuca howeana. The surviving population exists on Ball's Pyramid, a 562-meter tall volcanic stack, where they shelter under a single Melaleuca shrub and feed on its leaves.
