Feral cats pose a significant threat to Australia's biodiversity, killing more than 1 million birds per day, according to recent estimates.
But birds are only their second favourite snack, with new research estimating Australian cats — both feral and domestic — are eating a total of 1.8 million native Australian reptiles every day.
Researchers collated the results of more than 80 cat dietary studies to answer the question: "How many reptiles are killed by cats in Australia?"
Spare a thought for the scientists — the true heroes of this story — who collected a whole lot of cat poop to better understand felines' impact on native species.
What should I read next?
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This is part of a new daily series featuring charts which tell a story. If you know of some data that fits the bill, we'd love to hear about it.
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