The Long-tailed Planigale is listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, large population, occurrence in many protected areas, lack of major threats, and because (if declining) it is unlikely to be declining at nearly the rate required to qualify for listing in a threatened category.

The Long-tailed Planigale is endemic to Australia, where it has been recorded mainly across the northern part of the country. It also occurs in the north-eastern corner of South Australia.

The Long-tailed Planigale is abundant within its range. Populations decline with heavy livestock grazing pressure and intensive agriculture, such as in the south-eastern part of the species’ range (Fisher 2001, Fisher and Baker 2023). There is no estimate of density, total population size or trends.

Long-tailed Planigales are one of the smallest marsupials. They are found mainly on cracking clay grasslands. The diet includes a wide range of invertebrate species and small vertebrates. They shelter mostly in cracks in the soil.

Females give birth to between four and eight young and adults may live to breed in more than one season (Fisher and Baker 2023).

There appear to be no major threats to the Long-tailed Planigale. Intensification of pastoralism reduces the abundance of this species (Fisher 2001). Introduced Cats (Felis catus) and Red Foxes (Vulpes vulpes) probably take some (Murphy et al. 2019, Stobo-Wilson et al. 2021), but this species is smaller than preferred mammal prey size for these predators (Woolley et al. 2019), and the cracking clay soils in which it lives may provide secure shelter sites from some predators.

Long-tailed Planigales occur in many protected areas.