Journal articles on the topic 'Mammals Victoria Ecology'
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1
Mckay, M. "Australian Mammalogy Reviews: Mammals of Victoria: Distribution, Ecology and Conservation." Australian Mammalogy 19, no. 1 (1996): 108. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/am96108.
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Wilson, BA, AR Bourne, and RE Jessop. "Ecology of Small Mammals in Coastal Heathland at Anglesea, Victoria." Wildlife Research 13, no. 3 (1986): 397. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9860397.
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Aspects of ecology and reproduction of small mammals in a heathland community near Anglesea were investigated in the field by means of mark-recapture trapping. Population size, animal movements and reproductive state were estimated. The floristic and structural habitat preferences were also determined. The most common species were Antechinus stuartii, A. minimus maritimus, Sminthopsis leucopus, Rattus fuscipes assimilis and R. lutreolus. For Antechinus the populations were maximal throughout February-June (A. stuartii) and December-June (A. minimus) inclusive. A marked decline in numbers of Antechinus during late winter and early spring was associated with the total loss of males from the population. The maximal numbers of animals (per hectare) were 21 (A. stuartii), 14 (A. m. maritimus), 14 (R. f. assimilis) 7 (R. lutreolus), and 8 (S. leucopus). Young were born to A. m. maritimus during August, and 1 month later to A. stuartii. R. f. assimilis bred during late winter and spring, and S. leucopus from September to November. None of the species showed an overall preference for any floristic or structural vegetation type. This study confirms male 'die-off' in A. m. maritimus. The data also indicate that the difference in breeding times of A. m. maritimus between Anglesea and Dartmoor, Vic., is due to climatic or habitat differences rather than to sympatry with A. stuartii.
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Wilson B, A., and J. Wolrige. "Assessment of the Diet of the Fox, Vulpes vulpes, in Habitats of the Eastern Otway Ranges, Victoria." Australian Mammalogy 21, no. 2 (1999): 201. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/am00201.
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The Eastern Otway Ranges, Victoria have highly diverse native mammal communities. Although the Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) has been recorded in the area the extent of its distribution and effects on native mammals are unclear. The aims of this study were to analyse the diet of the Red Fox in the study area, to compare the diet between seasons and habitats (woodland, forest, heathland) and to assess the diet in the habitat of the New Holland Mouse (Pseudomys novaehollandiae) which is endangered in Victoria. Fox scats collected monthly in each habitat were analysed to determine the composition of the diet and small mammal trapping was carried out in each habitat to determine potential small mammal prey species. Overall, mammals (42%) constituted the highest proportion in the fox scats and sixteen species, including nine native species were recorded. Large-sized native mammals including Swamp Wallaby (Wallabia bicolor) and the Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) constituted 60% of the mammal diet category. The occurrence of plant material was significantly different between seasons, being more abundant in winter. There was a significant difference in the frequency of large introduced mammals in the diet between seasons, with consumption being higher in winter. The occurrence of large, native mammalian prey increased from 15% in winter to 47% in autumn. The frequency of occurrence of the major dietary categories (plant material, invertebrates, reptiles, birds, mammals) was similar across habitats. Large introduced mammals occurred in higher proportions in the diet from woodland habitat. Small mammals were more numerous in scats of heathland and scats from the forest contained the highest abundance of medium-sized mammals. There was no evidence of the endangered New Holland Mouse in scats collected from habitat where a population of the species was present.
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Twyford, K. L. "Habitat Relationships of Small Mammals at Port Campbell National Park, Victoria." Australian Mammalogy 20, no. 1 (1998): 89. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/am97089.
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Habitat relationships of six species of small mammals was investigated in eight vegetation communities at Port Campbell National Park, Victoria. The dispersion of 317 trap captures over 10 months was used to assess the relationships of small mammals with different vegetation communities. Rattus fuscipes showed a strong affinity for dense, structurally complex vegetation, particularly a disused softwood plantation and to a lesser extent a closed-heath/low open-forest community. Captures of Rattus lutreolus were most frequent in the wetter communities which provided adequate cover, particularly the swamp community. A possible relationship between captures of this species and the abundance of sedge food resources is suggested. Antechinus swainsonii was captured in greatest numbers in tussock-grassland/low open-shrubland where dense ground cover was present. However, areas with dense mid-storey cover which were considered to be favourable habitat supported few individuals. Sminthopsis leucopus, although captured at low rates in only two communities, favoured more open vegetation than both A. swainsonii and A. minimus. The later species was captured rarely, but exclusively in open-heath, although more favourable habitat appeared to be present elsewhere in the Park. The low abundance of Mus musculus was attributed to a lack of habitat available at an early successional stage. A mammal species list for the Park of 15 species has been compiled based on trapping, incidental observations and indirect traces. Key areas for conservation of small mammals within the Park are identified.
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Bennett, AF, LF Lumsden, JSA Alexander, PE Duncan, PG Johnson, P. Robertson, and CE Silveira. "Habitat Use by Arboreal Mammals along an Environment Gradient in North-eastern Victoria." Wildlife Research 18, no. 2 (1991): 125. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9910125.
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A total of 1487 observations of nine species of arboreal mammal, Acrobates pygmaeus, Phascolarctos cinereus, Petauroides volans, Petaurus australis, P. breviceps, P. norfolcensis, Pseudocheirusperegrinus, Trichosurus caninus and T. vulpecula, were made during surveys of the vertebrate fauna of northeastern Victoria. Habitat use by each species was examined in relation to eight forest types that occur along an environmental gradient ranging from sites at high elevation with a high annual rainfall, to sites on the dry inland and riverine plains. Arboreal mammals were not evenly distributed between forest types. Three species (P. australis, P. volans and T. caninus) were mainly associated with moist tall forests; two species (P. norfolcensis and T. vulpecula) were primarily associated with drier forests and woodlands of the foothills; the remaining three species (A. pygmaeus, P. breviceps and P. peregrinus) occurred widely throughout the forests. The composition of the arboreal mammal assemblage changed along the environmental gradient, but species displayed gradual changes in abundance with forest type rather than marked discontinuities in distributional pattern. The highest overall frequencies of occurrence of arboreal mammals were in forests typically dominated by a mixture of eucalypt species. The position at first sighting of an animal, and the relative height in the forest stratum, were used to describe the micro-habitats utilised. In general, the microhabitats occupied by each species are consistent with the distribution of their known food resources.
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Burbidge, A. A., K. A. Johnson, P. J. Fuller, and R. I. Southgate. "Aboriginal knowledge of the mammals of the central deserts of Australia." Wildlife Research 15, no. 1 (1988): 9. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9880009.
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More than one-third of the terrestrial mammal species of the central deserts of Australia have vanished in the past 50 years. Few of these have been the subject of even preliminary scientific study, and data as basic as geographic range and preferred habitat are lacking for many species. Aborigines, many of whom lived traditionally in the central deserts until recently, still retain a profound knowledge of the mammals, but this knowledge, too, is fast disappearing. Aboriginal people living in communities scattered through and around the edges of the 1645 000 km2 of the study area, comprising the Great Sandy, Little Sandy, Tanami, Gibson and Great Victoria Deserts and the Central Ranges district, were shown museum skins and asked to provide information about local names, current and past status, and aspects of biology and ecology. Most species, including some thought to have become extinct early this century, persisted in the deserts until 30–50 years ago. New data are presented on former distribution and on the biology and ecology of many species. The mammal fauna of the central deserts was richer and more widespread than generally believed, but the area has suffered a massive and sudden loss of species, probably unparalleled in extent elsewhere in Australia.
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RICH, THOMAS H., and PATRICIA VICKERS-RICH. "Chapter 3: Diversity of Early Cretaceous Mammals from Victoria, Australia." Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 285 (June 2004): 36–53. http://dx.doi.org/10.1206/0003-0090(2004)285<0036:c>2.0.co;2.
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Lindenmayer, D. B., R. D. Incoll, R. B. Cunningham, M. L. Pope, C. F. Donnelly, C. I. MacGregor, C. Tribolet, and B. E. Triggs. "Comparison of hairtube types for the detection of mammals." Wildlife Research 26, no. 6 (1999): 745. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr99009.
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We compare detection rates of different species of mammals by three types of hairtubes in both the mountain ash forests of the central highlands of Victoria and a range of wet forest types at Tumut in southern New South Wales. The types of hairtubes were a small-diameter PVC pipe, a large-diameter PVC pipe and a newly constructed tapered hair funnel. Data were analysed for brown antechinus (Antechinus stuartii), bush rat (Rattus fuscipes), common wombat (Vombatus ursinus), swamp wallaby (Wallabia bicolor) and common and mountain brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula and T. caninus). The most effective hairtube type (i.e. the one yielding the highest number of detections) varied between species: small hairtubes forR. fuscipes, hair funnels for Trichosurus spp., and large hairtubes for V. ursinus and W. bicolor. For A. stuartii, the most effective hairtube type differed between the two study regions (hair funnels in Victoria and small hairtubes at Tumut). Detection by more than one hairtube type at a given plot was uncommon. Our findings have important implications for field surveys and how data gathered from such studies are interpreted. For example, if the aim of field survey is to detect a wide range of species then several types of hairtubes may need to be deployed.
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Bennett, Andrew F. "Biogeography and conservation of mammals in a fragmented forest environment in south-western Victoria." Austral Ecology 14, no. 3 (September 1989): 375–76. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-9993.1989.tb01446.x.
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Dexter, Nick, and Andy Murray. "The impact of fox control on the relative abundance of forest mammals in East Gippsland, Victoria." Wildlife Research 36, no. 3 (2009): 252. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr08135.
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Predation by European red foxes is believed to be the major cause of the extinction and decline of a large number of native medium-sized terrestrial mammals in Australia. We examined the impact of poisoning of foxes on the relative abundance of a group of medium-sized mammals in an experiment conducted in three large forest blocks in south-eastern Australia. The blocks consisted of paired sites, as follows: one site where poison baiting was used to control foxes (treatment site) and one where foxes were not controlled (non-treatment site). At all six sites, the population responses of a range of mammals were measured, and compared between treatment and non-treatment sites. The relative fox abundance, as indexed by bait-take, declined during the course of the study at treatment sites and to a lesser extent at non-treatment sites. The decline in bait-take at non-treatment sites was most likely due to treatment sites acting as ecological traps, so that reduced intra-specific competition attracted foxes from non-treatment to treatment sites, where they were subsequently poisoned. There was a significant treatment effect for the abundances of total mammals, long-nosed potoroos, southern brown bandicoots and common brushtail possums, with higher abundances at treatment sites than at non-treatment sites. Common ringtail possums increased in abundance during the course of the study, with no significant difference between treatment and non-treatment sites. There was no significant effect of time or treatment on the abundance of long-nosed bandicoots. The increase in the abundance of native mammals at treatment sites was most likely due to a lower predation pressure by foxes brought about by fox control, and the smaller increase in abundance in non-treatment blocks was likely due to the ecological-trap effect because of fox baiting at treatment sites. The present study demonstrated that broad-scale fox control can lead to increases in the abundance of native mammals in forested habitats, without recourse to aerial baiting or fences. The study also demonstrated that the influence of fox control on the fox abundance can extend well beyond the perimeter of the area baited.
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Coates, TD, and CJ Wright. "Predation of southern brown bandicoots Isoodon obesulus by the European red fox Vulpes vulpes in south-east Victoria." Australian Mammalogy 25, no. 1 (2003): 107. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/am03107.
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PREDATION by European red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) has been identified as at least partially responsible for local declines of populations of many small to medium-sized mammals in Australia and is listed as a ‘key threatening process’ under the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act, 1988 and the Federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, 1999. Foxes occur in large numbers throughout urban, suburban and rural areas where they opportunistically take carrion, small to medium-sized mammals, birds, insects and fruit (Menkhorst 1995; Marks and Bloomfield 1999). They also kill poultry and larger mammals such as macropod species and sheep (Menkhorst 1995). In many conservation areas, particularly in near-urban locations where fox densities are high, they are thought to pose a serious threat to biodiversity conservation (Menkhorst 1995; Friend et al. 2001; Mahon 2001).
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Stevens, Mike, John White, and Raylene Cooke. "Short-term impact of a mega-fire on small mammal communities during prolonged drought." Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria 124, no. 1 (2012): 61. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rs12061.
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Increased size, severity and frequency of wildfire is predicted as a consequence of prolonged droughts associated with climate change. In south-eastern Australia severe landscape-scale wildfires (mega-fires) have elicited a strong anthropocentric response due to the significant life and property impacts. However, the impact of mega-fires on fauna, habitat and subsequent management actions are poorly understood. Small mammals were surveyed to examine mega-fire impact using the post-2006 wildfire landscape of the Grampians National Park, Victoria, Australia. Long-term research sites were established with 9620 trap nights completed in autumn 2008 across thirty-six sampling units. Vegetation structure, floristics, fire severity, patch size and overall fuel hazard were measured to investigate correlations with changes in small mammal abundance.Two years post-wildfire, rapid resurgence of house mouse (Mus musculus) was detected, conversely the abundance of native small mammal species was severely impacted. No sampling category within the burnt perimeter provided superior refuge presenting potential conservation implications. A habitat vacancy model is introduced where small mammal recolonisation post-wildfire depends on a lack of isolation and connectivity of populations. Floristic and structural contributions of vegetation to higher overall fuel hazard areas are essential in maintaining diverse fauna assemblages. As such, prescribed burning or fire suppression tactics such as ‘patching out’ or ‘burning out’ require consideration when contributing to further reduction of complex habitat patches following fires.
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Friesen, T. Max, and Lauren E. Y. Norman. "The Pembroke Site: Thule Inuit Migrants on Southern Victoria Island." ARCTIC 69, no. 1 (March 1, 2016): 1. http://dx.doi.org/10.14430/arctic4545.
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This paper presents description and interpretation of the Pembroke site, the earliest known Thule Inuit occupation in the southeastern Victoria Island region, Nunavut. The site has 11 extant dwellings, including five heavy tent rings, five light semi-subterranean dwellings, and a <em>qalgiq </em>(large communal structure). The site’s economy revolved mainly around the acquisition of caribou, Arctic char, and lake trout, with minimal consumption of sea mammals. Radiocarbon dates, reinforced by artifact analyses, indicate an occupation around AD 1400. Based on several lines of evidence, including the extremely small artifact samples, the site is interpreted as having been occupied relatively briefly. It represents the first colonization of the region by Thule people, approximately 200 years after the initial Thule migration from Alaska into the eastern Arctic. Thus, it documents a second migration wave: an expansion of Thule peoples from their initially occupied territories to other, in some ways less optimal, regions
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Cooke, B. D. "Swamp wallaby (Wallabia bicolor) distribution has dramatically increased following sustained biological control of rabbits." Australian Mammalogy 42, no. 3 (2020): 321. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/am19037.
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Swamp wallabies have dramatically extended their distribution through western Victoria and south-eastern South Australia over the last 40 years. Newspaper reports from 1875 onwards show that on European settlement, wallaby populations were confined to eastern Victoria, including the ranges around Melbourne, the Otway Ranges and Portland District of south-western Victoria, and a tiny part of south-eastern South Australia. Populations contracted further with intense hunting for the fur trade until the 1930s. In the late 1970s, however, wallabies began spreading into drier habitats than those initially recorded. Possible causes underlying this change in distribution are discussed; some seem unlikely but, because wallabies began spreading soon after the introduction of European rabbit fleas as vectors of myxomatosis, the cumulative effects of releases of biological agents to control rabbits appear important. A caution is given on assuming that thick vegetation in high-rainfall areas provides the only habitat suitable for swamp wallabies, but, most importantly, the study shows how native mammals may benefit if rabbit abundance is reduced.
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Bennett, AF. "Microhabitat use by the long-nosed potoroo, Potorous tridactylus, and other small mammals in remnant forest vegetation, south-western Victoria." Wildlife Research 20, no. 3 (1993): 267. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9930267.
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Microhabitat use by the long-nosed potoroo, Potorous tridactylus, and six other species of small mammal was studied in remnant forest vegetation in south-western Victoria, Australia. Throughout its geographic range, P. tridactylus is consistently associated with dense vegetation in the ground and shrub strata. However, at a local scale, captures of P. tridactylus were not clearly associated with a particular floristic group, and were not strongly correlated with any structural feature of the vegetation. Rather, individuals utilised a range of sites of differing floristic composition and vegetation density. Dense cover provided diurnal shelter and protection from predators, whereas food resources were most abundant in adjacent more open areas. The use of vegetation mosaics or ecotones that allow the inclusion of contrasting microhabitats within an individual home range appears to be characteristic of potoroids in temperate environments. Such mosaics may result from topographic or edaphic variation, or from sera1 successional stages in vegetation following disturbance. Of the other small mammals, the bush rat, Rattus fuscipes, and the brown antechinus, Antechinus stuartii, favoured floristic groups that provided dense low cover. Captures of the swamp rat, Rattus lutreolus, were clumped, and centred on several sites along the forest edge on impeded drainage where potential foods were common. The long-nosed bandicoot, Perameles nasuta, and the southern brown bandicoot, Isoodon obesulus, were uncommon and clear microhabitat preferences were not displayed. The house mouse, Mus musculus, was of transient occurrence, mostly during autumn, and no obvious habitat preference was apparent. The quality and availability of microhabitats in remnant vegetation, together with landscape structure, are important in ensuring the persistence and conservation of small mammals in fragmented landscapes.
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Lavazanian, E., R. Wallis, and A. Webster. "Diet of powerful owls (Nixox strenua) living near Melbourne, Victoria." Wildlife Research 21, no. 6 (1994): 643. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9940643.
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The diet of powerful owls (Ninox strenua) living at Christmas Hills, 35 km north-east of Melboume, was examined by analysis of 686 regurgitated pellets collected over two years. Mammalian prey was found in 89%, insects in 13%, vegetation in 11% and birds in 10% of the pellets. Of the mammals, common ringtail possums occurred most frequently in the pellets over the year. There was no seasonal difference in the frequency of occurrences of common ringtail possums and sugar gliders in pellets. However, common brushtail possums were more likely to be taken in spring than in the other seasons. More adult common ringtail possums were taken as prey than were other age classes over the year, except in summer when high numbers of young were consumed by the owls.
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Evans, KM, and A. Bunce. "A comparison of the foraging behaviour of the eastern pygmy-possum (Cercartetus nanus) and nectarivorous birds in a Banksia integrifolia woodland." Australian Mammalogy 22, no. 1 (2000): 81. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/am00081.
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The foraging behaviour of a non-flying mammal, the eastern pygmy-possum (Cercartetus nanus) and nectarivorous birds was compared in a Banksia integrifolia woodland at Wilson's Promontory National Park, Victoria, Australia. Exclusion experiments performed previously in this woodland indicate that both non-flying mammals and nectarivorous birds are important pollinators of B. integrifolia (Cunningham 1991: Oecologia 87: 86-90). In this study it is shown that C. nanus and nectarivorous birds employ different foraging tactics. Nectarivorous birds tended to move further between trees (Χ = 8.16 ± 1.06 m) than C. nanus (Χ = 5.64 ± 0.75 m), although these differences were not significant. Nectarivorous birds were attracted to trees with a significantly larger number of inflorescences (Χ = 36.55 ± 2.84) than C. nanus (Χ = 18.65 ± 2.95), and visited a significantly greater number of inflorescences per tree (Χ = 4.24 ± 0.35) than C. nanus (Χ = 2.33 ± 0.22). Although the two pollinator groups were attracted to banksia plants by different cues, once in the plants they visited an equal proportion of the available inflorescences.
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Laidlaw, W. Scott, and Barbara A. Wilson. "Habitat utilisation by small mammals in a coastal heathland exhibiting symptoms of Phytophthora cinnamomi infestation." Wildlife Research 33, no. 8 (2006): 639. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr05080.
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Phytophthora cinnamomi is a soil-inhabiting ‘water mould’ that is pathogenic to many native plant species in Australia, and has been shown to alter plant species abundance and richness, as well as the structure of vegetation in sclerophyllous vegetation. This study investigated the effects of P. cinnamomi-induced vegetation disturbance and habitat degradation on microhabitat associations of small mammals in a coastal heathland in southern Australia. Seven small mammal species were trapped in a P. cinnamomi-infested heathland community over four years. Trap stations were classified into three disease classes (non-diseased, active disease and post-disease) and structural and floristic aspects of the vegetation were recorded at each station. The mean number of species captured was greatest in non-diseased areas and least in post-disease areas. The total capture frequency of small mammals was lower in post-disease areas except where they were covered by thick stands of tall tea-tree (Leptospermum sp.). Combined small mammal captures were associated with thick vegetation and floristic factors. Captures of Antechinus agilis, Rattus fuscipes, Rattus lutreolus and Sminthopsis leucopus were greatest in non-diseased vegetation and were less frequent in areas of diseased vegetation. A. agilis and R. fuscipes captures were correlated with a floristic factor associated with non-diseased vegetation, while R. lutreolus was associated with structural factors, preferring thick vegetation. The impact on Cercartetus nanus and Isoodon obesulus could not be assessed owing to low captures of these species. Modification of vegetation structure and floristics associated with P. cinnamomi infestation is having a significant impact on the habitat utilised by the small mammal communities in the area. This impact highlights the need to identify and protect those areas that remain free of P. cinnamomi infestation. Continued spread of the pathogen will reduce the area of suitable small-mammal habitat able to support the diverse communities of the eastern Otway Ranges, Victoria, Australia.
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Moro, D. "The Distribution of small mammal species in relation to heath vegetation near Cape Otway, Victoria." Wildlife Research 18, no. 5 (1991): 605. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9910605.
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A trapping study of small mammals within heath communities near Cape Otway was conducted during April-August 1989. The purpose was to describe the distribution patterns of several small mammals in relation to a floristic and structural description of the vegetation. Two species of rodent (Rattus lutreolus, R. fuscipes), two species of dasyurid (Antechinus stuartii, A. minimus) and one species of bandicoot (Isoodon obesulus) were trapped frequently enough for statistical analysis. A. stuartii was trapped significantly more often in the Heathy Open-forest than in the Closed Heath community, in contrast to A. minimus and R. lutreolus, which were captured significantly more often in Closed Heath. There was no significant difference in the distributions of R. fuscipes and I. obesulus between communities. Within the Closed Heath community only R. fuscipes displayed significant distribution patterns between sub-communities. In the Heathy Open-forest the distribution of captures among sub-communities varied significantly for both species of Antechinus and for R. lutreolus. Floristic and structural cues, as well as ground cover, were associated with the spatial distribution of dasyurid and rodent species. Bandicoot dispersion was associated only with vertical vegetation diversity. The importance of interspecific avoidance in contributing to the observed distribution patterns of both dasyurid and rat species cannot be dismissed.
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Howse, Lesley, and T. Max Friesen. "Technology, Taphonomy, and Seasonality: Understanding Differences between Dorset and Thule Subsistence Strategies at Iqaluktuuq, Victoria Island." ARCTIC 69, no. 5 (April 10, 2017): 1–15. http://dx.doi.org/10.14430/arctic4640.
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This paper examines differences between Late Dorset and Thule Inuit subsistence economies at the Bell site on Victoria Island, Nunavut. This location is relatively unusual in the eastern Arctic region because local subsistence was based largely on caribou and fish, rather than the sea mammals that dominate in most other regions. For both periods, animal bone samples are quantified in terms of taxonomic frequencies, element (body part) distributions, seasonality, prey demography, and bone modifications such as cutting, burning, and gnawing. A comparison between the periods indicates many broad similarities in subsistence, but some subtle differences suggest that the Thule had a more focal and specialized economy, with a slightly different seasonal profile.
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Norman, F. I. "Preliminary investigation of the bycatch of marine birds and mammals in inshore commercial fisheries, Victoria, Australia." Biological Conservation 92, no. 2 (February 2000): 217–26. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0006-3207(99)00055-5.
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Williams, Richard J., Carl-Henrik Wahren, Arn D. Tolsma, Glenn M. Sanecki, Warwick A. Papst, Bronwyn A. Myers, Keith L. McDougall, Dean A. Heinze, and Ken Green. "Large fires in Australian alpine landscapes: their part in the historical fire regime and their impacts on alpine biodiversity." International Journal of Wildland Fire 17, no. 6 (2008): 793. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wf07154.
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The fires of summer 2003 in south-eastern Australia burnt tens of thousands of hectares of treeless alpine landscape. Here, we examine the environmental impact of these fires, using data from the Bogong High Plains area of Victoria, and the Snowy Mountains region of New South Wales. Historical and biophysical evidence suggests that in Australian alpine environments, extensive fires occur only in periods of extended regional drought, and when severe local fire weather coincides with multiple ignitions in the surrounding montane forests. Dendrochronological evidence indicates that large fires have occurred approximately every 50–100 years over the past 400 years. Post-fire monitoring of vegetation in grasslands and heathlands indicates that most alpine species regenerate rapidly after fire, with >90% of species present 1 year after fire. Some keystone species in some plant communities, however, had not regenerated after 3 years. The responses of alpine fauna to the 2003 fires were variable. The core habitat (closed heathland) of several vulnerable small mammals was extensively burnt. Some mammals experienced substantial falls in populations, others experienced substantial increases. Unburnt patches of vegetation are critical to faunal recovery from fire. There was, however, no evidence of local extinction. We conclude that infrequent extensive fires are a feature of alpine Australia. For both the flora and fauna, there is no quantitative evidence that the 2003 fires were an ecological disaster, and we conclude that the flora and fauna of alpine Australia are highly resilient to infrequent, large, intense fires.
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Mansergh, I. M., and J. Scotts D. "Aspects of the life history and breeding biology of the Mountain Pygmy-possum (Burramys parvus), (Marsupialia: Burramyidae) in alpine Victoria." Australian Mammalogy 13, no. 2 (1990): 179. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/am90018.
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From February 1982 to November 1989, a trapping and captive breeding program was undertaken to examine the life history of the vulnerable Mountain Pygmy-possum (Burramys parvus), the only Australian mammal restricted to the alpine and subalpine region. During the active season (Oct.-Apr.) over 38 000 trapnights in the habitat throughout Victoria yielded over 900 individual B. parvus captured on over 3 800 occasions. Burramys parvus is a polyoestrous species (mean cycle period of 20.3 days) and produces supernumerary young, up to twice the number of available teats (4). In the wild, breeding is highly synchronised to spring and a single litter is carried p.a. (x = 3.6; mode = 4). Whilst B. parvus retains the capacity to produce a second litter, this is a rare event in the wild and would be selected against as there would be insufficient time to obtain fat reserves for hibernation. At birth and independence the sex ratio of the cohort is at parity, yet at any time the sex ratio of the B. parvus population is always biased toward females due to differential survival of the sexes (at breeding I M: 4-6 F). In autumn, females that would survive winter were on average > 12 % heavier than those not retrapped. One female was at least 11 years old whilst the oldest male recorded was 4 years. Burramys parvus is the longest lived small terrestrial mammal known. Aspects of the life histo ry are discussed in the context of adaptions to the alpine environment and are compared to other small mammals in the habitat and in other cold climates, and to other small marsupial diprotodonts.
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Steele, William K., and Michael A. Weston. "The assemblage of birds struck by aircraft differs among nearby airports in the same bioregion." Wildlife Research 48, no. 5 (2021): 422. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr20127.
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Abstract ContextBird–aircraft collisions impose an economic cost and safety risk, yet ecological studies that inform bird hazard management are few, and to date no study has formally compared species’ strike profiles across airports. In response to strike risks, airports have implemented customised management on an airport-by-airport basis, based on the assumption that strike risk stems from prevailing local circumstances. We tested this assumption by comparing a decade of wildlife–aircraft strikes at three airports situated in the same bioregion (likely to have similar fauna) of Victoria, Australia. AimTo compare the assemblage of wildlife struck by aircraft at three major airports in the same bioregion. MethodStandardised wildlife strike data were analysed from three airports (Avalon, Melbourne and Essendon Airports), in the Victorian Volcanic Plains bioregion, central Victoria, Australia. Ten discrete 1-year sampling periods from each airport were compared, spanning the period 2009–19. Bird data were comparable, and data on mammals were considered less reliable, so emphasis was placed on birds in the present study. ResultsIn total, 580 bird strikes were analysed, with the most commonly struck species being Australian magpie (Cracticus tibicen; 16.7%), Eurasian skylark (Alauda arvensis; 12.2%), Australian pipit (Anthus australis; 12.1%), masked lapwing (Vanellus miles; 5.9%), nankeen kestrel (Falco cenchroides; 5.0%), house sparrow (Passer domesticus; 4.8%), welcome swallow (Hirundo neoxena; 4.3%) and tree martin (Petrochelidon nigricans; 4.0%). The assemblage of birds struck by aircraft over the decade of study differed between airports. The most commonly struck species drove the assemblage differences between airports. Conclusions and implicationsIn the present study system, airports experienced discrete strike risk profiles, even though they are in the same bioregion. The airports examined differed in terms of air traffic movement rates, aircraft types, landscape context and bird hazard management effort. Given that strike risks profiles differ among airports, customised management at each airport, as is currently the case, is supported.
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Bilney, Rohan J., Raylene Cooke, and John White. "Change in the diet of sooty owls (Tyto tenebricosa) since European settlement: from terrestrial to arboreal prey and increased overlap with powerful owls." Wildlife Research 33, no. 1 (2006): 17. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr04128.
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The current diet of the sooty owl (Tyto tenebricosa) was determined by analysing freshly regurgitated pellets collected beneath their roosting sites in East Gippsland, Victoria. Comparisons were then made with: (i) prehistoric and historic diet from bone deposits found in cave roosts, and (ii) diet of a sympatric owl species, the powerful owl (Ninox strenua). Sooty owls consumed a large array of terrestrial mammal species before European settlement, but only three terrestrial species were detected in their current diet, a reduction of at least eight species since European settlement. To compensate, sooty owls have increased their consumption of arboreal prey from 55% to 81% of their diet. Arboreal species are also a major component of the powerful owl diet and this prey shift by sooty owls has increased dietary overlap between these two species. Predation by foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and other feral species is likely to have reduced the amount of terrestrial prey available to sooty owls since European settlement. Investigation of changes in the diet of sooty owls may offer a unique monitoring system for evaluating the ability of fox-control strategies to influence increases in numbers of critical-weight-range mammals.
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Berry, Lainie. "Predation rates of artificial nests in the edge and interior of a southern Victorian forest." Wildlife Research 29, no. 4 (2002): 341. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr01022.
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Predation rates of nests at human-induced habitat edges may be greater than in forest interior due to differences in predator assemblages and predator activity. I compared the predation rates on 192 artificial nests containing plasticine eggs placed in forest edge and interior sites at Bunyip State Park, Victoria. The nest-predation rates at the forest edge sites were significantly greater (mean = 52–58%) than that at the forest interior sites (mean = 30–39%). The relative rates of predation by birds compared with mammals were significantly greater at forest edge sites (mean = 78–94%) than at forest interior sites (mean = 36–67%). Higher rates of nest predation at forest edges appeared to be due to greater densities of avian predators such as the grey shrike-thrush (Colluricincla harmonica), and/or lower abundances of small mammals. However, biases towards certain predator types may mask real, or create false, patterns in predation rates of artificial nests. A better understanding of how predators respond to artificial nests compared with natural nests is required. Until then, results of predation studies that use artificial nests should be interpreted with caution.
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Archer, M., R. Arena, M. Bassarova, K. Black, J. Brammall, B. Cooke, P. Creaser, et al. "The Evolutionary History and Diversity of Australian Mammals." Australian Mammalogy 21, no. 1 (1999): 1. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/am99001.
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Palaeodiversity and relationships of all groups of Australian mammals are reviewed. The fossil record spanning this time is of variable quality. 'Dark Ages' about which nothing is known in terms of Australian mammal evolution include the late Triassic to late Jurassic, late Cretaceous to late Paleocene and middle Eocene to middle Oligocene. Very little is known about the early Cretaceous and late Miocene. The late Oligocene to middle Miocene record documents the highest levels of biodiversity known for the continent, comparable to that which characterises the lowland rainforests of Borneo and Brazil. Order Monotremata spans at least the last 110 million years and includes four families. The enigmatic Ausktribosphenos from 115 million-year-old sediments in Victoria may represent an archaic monotreme, specialised peramurid or previously undocumented order of mammals but is unlikely to represent a placental as suggested in the initial description. Order Microbiotheria is represented in the early Eocene (~55 mya) by two genera similar in morphology to early Eocene taxa from Argentina. Order Peramelemorphia spans the early Eocene to Holocene and includes at least five families. Order Dasyuromorphia spans at least the late Oligocene to Holocene and includes at least three families. Other dasyuromorphian-like marsupials are indeterminate in terms of family-level affinities. Order Notoryctemorphia spans the early Miocene to Holocene with one family. Order Yalkaparidontia spans the late Oligocene to middle Miocene with one genus. Order Diprotodontia spans the late Oligocene to Holocene, represented throughout by three major groups: Phalangerida (eight families), Vombatomorphia (seven families) and Macropodoidea (at least three families). A possible placental condylarth (Tingamarra) has been recorded from the early Eocene. An archaeonycteridid bat (Australonycteris) is known from the early Eocene. Among bats, the late Oligocene to middle Miocene is dominated by rhinolophoids, many of which have European, Asian and African affinities. Mystacinids, megadermatids, hipposiderids and molossids are well-represented in the Oligocene to Miocene deposits. Vespertilionids are uncommon in the Oligocene to Miocene but become more diverse in the Pliocene to Holocene. Emballonurids and rhinolophids appear for the first time in the Plio-Pleistocene. Pteropodids are unknown prior to the Holocene. Murids span the early Pliocene to Holocene. In the oldest assemblage at Riversleigh, one undescribed lineage resembles archaic forms otherwise only known from the fossil records of Africa and Eurasia.
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Belcher, CA. "Diet of the tiger quoll (Dasyurus maculatus)." Wildlife Research 22, no. 3 (1995): 341. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9950341.
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The diet of the tiger quoll (Dasyurus maculatus) in East Gippsland, Victoria, was investigated by systematically collecting scats from two latrines between December 1990 and May 1993. From the analysis of these scats, the tiger quoll was found to be a predator of vertebrate prey, largely dependent on mediumsized mammals (500 g to 5 kg). The most important prey species were the European rabbit, the common brushtail possum and the common ringtail possum. Other prey included Antechinus species, bush rats, echidnas, macropods, wombats, birds, invertebrates and reptiles. Some variation in diet occurred between seasons, due to seasonal availability of prey. A shift in diet detected between years was attributed to the variation in rainfall and the effect this had on prey species abundance. Significant differences in diet were found between adult and subadult tiger quolls. Subadult quolls consumed significantly more small mammals, ringtail possums, invertebrates and reptiles and significantly fewer rabbits than did adult quolls. Further analysis of the tiger quolls' diet, by estimating the mass contribution of prey taxa to the diet, revealed that medium-sized prey contributed more than 80% of the biomass of prey consumed.
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Fairbridge, D., R. Anderson, T. Wilkes, and G. Pell. "Bait uptake by free living brush-tailed phascogales Phascogale tapoatafa and other non-target mammals during simulated buried fox baiting." Australian Mammalogy 25, no. 1 (2003): 31. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/am03031.
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Field trials were undertaken in box-ironbark woodland at Puckapunyal Military Area (PMA) in central Victoria between January 2000 and April 2001 to assess bait uptake by the brushtailed phascogale (Phascogale tapoatafa) and other small mammals during simulated fox baiting exercises. The systemic marker Rhodamine B was used in non-toxic fox baits (Foxoff®) to detect non-target bait consumption. The trials demonstrated that free-living brush-tailed phascogales, yellow-footed antechinus (Antechinus flavipes), sugar gliders (Petaurus breviceps) and common brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) were capable of accessing non-toxic fox baits buried under 10 cm of sand. Rhodamine B markings were detected in six (15%) of 40 P. tapoatafa captured during the study period. The implications of these results and future research needs are discussed.
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Bennett, AF, and BJ Baxter. "Diet of the Long-Nosed Potoroo, Potorous-Tridactylus (Marsupialia, Potoroidae), in Southwestern Victoria." Wildlife Research 16, no. 3 (1989): 263. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9890263.
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The diet of the long-nosed potoroo, Potorous tridactylus, in south-western Victoria, was investigated by the microscopical identification of faecal remains. P. tridactylus is omnivorous: the main component of the diet was fungi, and other important items included hard-bodied arthropods, vascular plant tissues, seeds and fleshy fruits. There was a seasonal switch in the relative proportions of the main dietary components between the autumn-winter and spring-summer periods of the year. During autumn and winter, the main components were fungi and seeds. In spring and summer, fewer fungi were eaten and the proportions of arthropods, plant tissues, fleshy fruit and flowers in the diet increased. Identification of fungal spores revealed the presence of at least 50 species in the diet, most of which have a hypogeal fruiting habit. Hypogeal fungi form ectotrophic mycorrhizal associations with forest trees and are important in the health and productivity of forests. They lack active mechanisms for spore dispersal and are dependent upon mycophagous animals. The role of mycophagous small mammals, such as P. tridactylus, in the health of forest ecosystems may be more important than previously recognised.
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Kirkwood, R., P. Dann, and M. Belvedere. "A comparison of the diets of feral cats Felis catus and red foxes Vulpes vulpes on Phillip Island, Victoria." Australian Mammalogy 27, no. 1 (2005): 89. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/am05089.
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THE introduction of feral cats (Felis catus) and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) to Australia in the 1800s had a profound impact on resident ecosystems. Both predators colonised successfully and now are distributed across most of mainland Australia (Saunders et al. 1995; Abbott 2002). They consume mainly ground-dwelling mammals (Coman 1973; Croft and Hone 1978; Jones and Coman 1981; Lapidge and Henshall 2002; Hutchings 2003), but where these are scarce, birds, reptiles, insects and human refuse may become important dietary components (e.g., Bubela et al. 1998; Paltridge 2002). Although they prey on similar species, when compared at the same location differences in diet between the predators are evident (Triggs et al. 1984; Catling 1988; Risbey et al. 1999).
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Cunningham, R. B., D. B. Lindenmayer, C. MacGregor, S. Barry, and A. Welsh. "Effects of trap position, trap history, microhabitat and season on capture probabilities of small mammals in a wet eucalypt forest." Wildlife Research 32, no. 8 (2005): 657. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr04069.
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In this study, we use data drawn from a series of trapping events on four 0.5-ha trapping grids surveyed in the wet eucalypt forests of central Victoria, south-eastern Australia, to identify relationships between capture probabilities and several factors of interest for three species of small mammals that are common throughout the forests of this region: the agile antechinus (Antechinus agilis), the dusky antechinus (Antechinus swainsonii) and the bush rat (Rattus fuscipes). The design of our study – four regular trapping grids – generated spatio-temporal data with binary responses and many covariates. We used powerful and relatively new statistical methodology to deal with the spatio-temporal dependence patterns in the data – analytical problems that are common in trapping data such as these modelled here. Although A. agilis, A. swainsonii and R. fuscipes are among the best studied mammals in Australia, our data analysis produced new perspectives on their probability of being captured. In particular, we quantified how capture probability is affected by trap position within a trapping grid, day of capture in a sequence of trapping days, history of trap occupancy over time by different species and sexes of those species, time of the year or season, and microhabitat attributes. Our insights are discussed in terms of their consequences for trapping protocols that might be applied in the field.
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Goldingay, Ross L. "Gliding performance in the yellow-bellied glider in low-canopy forest." Australian Mammalogy 36, no. 2 (2014): 254. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/am14006.
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Knowledge of the gliding performance of gliding mammals is fundamental to understanding how these species have adapted to their environment and is of increasing relevance to their conservation. I describe aspects of the glide performance of the yellow-bellied glider (Petaurus australis) based on 22 glides of 17 individuals within 20–30-m-high open forest in western Victoria. Gliders launched into a glide from a horizontal branch that was, on average, 2.8 m below the top of a tree, 5.2 m out from the main trunk and 18.5 m above the ground. Gliders landed on the trunks of trees 5.8 m above the ground. The mean horizontal glide distance was 25.2 ± 1.5 m (s.e.) (range = 19–45 m), producing a glide ratio (horizontal distance/height dropped) of 2.0 and a glide angle of 27.3°. These values are similar to those reported for other gliding petaurids in low-canopy forest. This knowledge should be used to guide the management of habitat connectivity for yellow-bellied gliders.
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Durant, Rebecca, Gary W. Luck, and Alison Matthews. "Nest-box use by arboreal mammals in a peri-urban landscape." Wildlife Research 36, no. 7 (2009): 565. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr09058.
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Context. Nest boxes provide important nesting, denning and shelter sites for many fauna species worldwide, but we know little about the factors that influence the suitability of nest boxes for particular species. Such information is crucial in urban landscapes where natural hollows are scarce. Aims. The aim of this study was to record the use of nest boxes by sugar gliders (Petaurus breviceps), squirrel gliders (P. norfolcensis) and other fauna in a peri-urban landscape in northern Victoria and examine factors at multiple spatial scales that may influence nest-box use. Methods. We monitored the use of 102 nest boxes over three seasons in 2006. Attributes that may influence nest-box occupancy were measured at five different spatial scales: (i) landscape; (ii) the habitat beyond 20 m of the nest box; (iii) the habitat within 20 m of the nest box; (iv) the tree that the nest box was located in; and (v) the nest box. Key results. At the landscape scale, topography influenced nest-box occupancy with squirrel gliders using boxes in flat or gully areas, and sugar gliders using boxes in gully, mid-slope or ridge areas. For habitat beyond 20 m of the nest box, sugar gliders were more likely to occupy boxes with a higher density of surrounding nest boxes and a higher density of residential dwellings. Within 20 m of the nest box, boxes occupied by sugar gliders were more likely to occur in areas with a higher density of acacia shrubs and lower density of hollow-bearing trees, whereas the presence of acacia did not influence nest-box use by squirrel gliders. At the scale of the nest-box tree, boxes occupied by sugar gliders were more likely to be on smaller trees (based on height and diameter) and on box (e.g. red box Eucalyptus polyanthemos) species. The only nest-box characteristic to have a strong relationship with occupancy was date of establishment, with longer established boxes more likely to be occupied. Conclusions. Our study demonstrates that various factors influence nest-box use at different scales and nest boxes remain an important conservation and management tool in heavily modified landscapes. Implications. Land managers and groups should be aware that nest boxes may help to alleviate some of the negative impacts of the loss of hollow-bearing trees in low density urban areas, but nest-box use will vary depending on landscape context, habitat factors, box design, and the ecological traits of the target species. Each of these factors must be considered to maximise the conservation benefits of nest-box programs.
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Riley, Joanna, Jeff M. Turpin, Matt R. K. Zeale, Brynne Jayatilaka, and Gareth Jones. "Diurnal sheltering preferences and associated conservation management for the endangered sandhill dunnart, Sminthopsis psammophila." Journal of Mammalogy 102, no. 2 (April 1, 2021): 588–602. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyab024.
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Abstract Dasyurids are small mammals that can conserve energy and water by using shelters that insulate against extreme conditions, prevent predation, and facilitate torpor. To quantify the diurnal sheltering requirements of a poorly known, endangered dasyurid, the sandhill dunnart, Sminthopsis psammophila, we radiotracked 40 individuals in the Western Australian Great Victoria Desert between 2015 and 2019. We assessed the effect of habitat class (broad habitat features), plot-level (the area surrounding each shelter), and shelter characteristics (e.g., daily temperature ranges), on shelter selection and sheltering habitat preferences. Two hundred and eleven diurnal shelters (mean of 5 ± 3 shelters per individual) were located on 363 shelter days (the number of days each shelter was used), within mature vegetation (mean seral age of 32 ± 12 years postfire). Burrows were used on 77% of shelter days and were typically concealed under mature spinifex, Triodia spp., with stable temperature ranges and northern aspects facing the sun. While many burrows were reused (n = 40 across 175 shelter days), spinifex hummock shelters typically were used for one shelter day and were not insulative against extreme temperatures. However, shallow scrapes within Lepidobolus deserti hummock shelters had thermal advantages and log shelters retained heat and were selected on cooler days. Sminthopsis psammophila requires long-unburned sheltering habitat with mature vegetation. Summer fires in the Great Victoria Desert can be extensive and destroy large areas of land, rendering them a key threat to the species. We conclude that the survey and conservation of S. psammophila requires attention to long-unburned, dense lower stratum swale, sand plain, and dune slope habitats, and the tendency of S. psammophila to burrow allows the species to survive within the extreme conditions of its desert environment.
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Tucak, Phil. "Current Therapy in Medicine of Australian Mammals. Larry Vogelnest and Timothy Portas, editors.2019. CSIRO Publishing, Clayton South, Victoria, Australia. 796 pp. $168.00 hardcover. ISBN: 9781486307517." Journal of Wildlife Management 84, no. 2 (October 29, 2019): 390. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.21779.
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Cripps, Jemma K., Jenny L. Nelson, Michael P. Scroggie, Louise K. Durkin, David S. L. Ramsey, and Linda F. Lumsden. "Double-observer distance sampling improves the accuracy of density estimates for a threatened arboreal mammal." Wildlife Research 48, no. 8 (2021): 756. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr19136.
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Abstract ContextDetermining population size or density is often fundamental for wildlife conservation. For nocturnal species, indices are commonly used in place of abundance estimates, with spotlighting indices (e.g. sighting rate per km) being prevalent. Distance sampling is a collection of techniques that provide estimates of wildlife abundance from line-transect data, by correcting raw counts for imperfect detection. These methods have rarely been used to assess the abundance of nocturnal arboreal mammals. AimsTo develop and evaluate a method for estimating the abundance and density of nocturnal arboreal mammals using double-observer distance sampling, and to apply the approach to a survey of the southern greater glider (Petauroides volans) in the Strathbogie Ranges, Victoria, Australia. MethodsTwo observers, 15–20 min apart, surveyed 25 randomly located 500 m transects, and recorded greater gliders using spotlights and binoculars. Densities and abundances were derived from the line-transect data by using mark–recapture distance sampling (MRDS) models and were compared with conventional distance sampling analysis (CDS). Key resultsUsing the double-observer approach, we estimated an overall density of 0.96 gliders ha−1 (95% CI 0.60–1.50), giving a population estimate of 24 575 greater gliders across the Strathbogie Ranges (25 865 ha, 95% CI 15 620–38 661). The corresponding estimates for the study area derived using CDS applied to either both observers’ observations or to the first observer’s observations only, were 87% and 53% respectively, of the MRDS estimate. The analysis confirmed that the probability of detection of gliders along the transect line was less than one, justifying the use of the double-observer method to obtain accurate estimates of abundance. ConclusionsThe low detectability of greater gliders means that uncorrected spotlight counts will underestimate abundance, as will CDS. The double-observer method corrects for the negative bias associated with raw counts, enabling more accurate estimation of abundance for survey, monitoring and management purposes. ImplicationsWe recommend that double-observer distance sampling is adopted as a standard technique for estimating the abundance of greater gliders. The double-observer method potentially has wider relevance for assessing population size of other arboreal mammals, providing the assumptions of the approach can be met.
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TORY, M. K., T. W. MAY, P. J. KEANE, and A. F. BENNETT. "Mycophagy in small mammals: A comparison of the occurrence and diversity of hypogeal fungi in the diet of the long-nosed potoroo Potorous tridactylus and the bush rat Rattus fuscipes from southwestern Victoria, Australia." Austral Ecology 22, no. 4 (December 1997): 460–70. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-9993.1997.tb00697.x.
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Mansergh, I., B. Baxter, D. Scotts, T. Brady, and D. Jolley. "Diet of the Mountain Pygmy-possum, Burramys parvus (Marsupialia: Burramyidae) and other small mamma ls in the alpine environment at Mt Higginbotham, Victoria." Australian Mammalogy 13, no. 2 (1990): 167. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/am90017.
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The diets of Burramys parvus, Rattus fuscipes and Antechinus swainsonii in Podocarpus lawrencei heathland in alpine Victoria during the non-winter period were determined from analysis of 264 faecal pellets. Both frequency of occurrence and mean percentage composition of dietary items in the samples were determined; the Iatter being used to assess the diet. We found B. parvus to be an omnivore concentrating on insec ts. It eats a variety of foods but the Bogong Moth (Agrolis infusa) is heavily exploited (31 % of the composition of faecal samples) especially by females during the breeding season (46 %). Other components of the diet are other invertebrates, predominantly insects (32 %) and vegetative material (16 %). Seasonal differences in the composition of the diet of B. parvus were due to the exploitation of fruit in the non-breeding season. No differences in diet were observed between age-classes and the sexes but females are sedentary in food resource-rich habitats, whilst when not breeding, males occur in areas of poorer food resources. Circumstantial evidence suggests that during facultative hibernation a major dietary component of B. parvus may be seeds, cached from the previous summer-autumn. The diet of R. fuscipes consists mainly of insects (12 %) and the largest vegetative component was seeds (10.1 %). Fungi were found in 53 % of faecal samples of R. fuscipes but could not be quantified as a percentage composition of diet. The species is classified as a selective omnivore. The diet of A. swainsonii consisted of 68 % in sec ts, 10.4 % of insect setae and worms with the major vegetative component (5.2 %) being soft fruits. Burramys parvus, relative to the other small mammals with which it cohabits, has become a specialist in exploiting the abundant and rich food resource of Bogong moths.
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Rich, Thomas H., Katarzyna J. Piper, David Pickering, and Sean Wright. "Further Ektopodontidae (Phalangeroidea, Mammalia) from southwestern Victoria." Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology 30, no. 1 (January 2006): 133–40. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03115510608619349.
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Wilson, BA. "The Ecology of Pseudomys novaehollandiae (Waterhouse, 1843)." Wildlife Research 18, no. 2 (1991): 233. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9910233.
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The distribution, habitat preferences and population ecology of Pseudomys novaehollandiae in the Eastern Otways, Victoria, were studied from 1985 to 1989. The species has a patchy distribution and was captured at only four sites in heathy woodland-open forest. The population density of the species was low (0-3.1 ha-1) and the breeding season was from spring to summer. The vegetation on two trapping grids was classified into five floristic groups. Four small mammal species (Rattus lutreolus, Antechinus stuartii, Mus musculus and P. novaehollandiae) exhibited preferences for different floristic groups. There was evidence that P. novaehollandiae interacted, or competed, with M. musculus in one floristic group. Pseudomys novaehollandiae preferred two floristic groups which had high floristic diversity. Within these groups the species was associated with low dense vegetation cover. The decline of populations of P. novaehollandiae in this study is likely to be related to post-fire successional changes in the vegetation: either to loss of plant species diversity, or to loss of particular species or to low vegetation cover. Strategic burning of small areas within the preferred floristic vegetation is recommended to maintain a mosaic of suitable successional ages for the conservation of this endangered species.
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Harrison, Lee, Kylie Soanes, and Rodney van der Ree. "An evaluation of pipe traps for the capture of small arboreal mammals." Australian Mammalogy 40, no. 2 (2018): 301. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/am17014.
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Optimal wildlife survey techniques should maximise detectability or capture rates of target species and minimise potential harm to animals. We compared the effectiveness of Elliott and PVC pipe traps for the capture of small arboreal mammals in the Victorian Central Highlands and found that pipe traps were less effective at capturing small arboreal mammals than Elliott traps.
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Woinarski, JCZ. "The Vertebrate Fauna of Broombush Melaleuca-Uncinata Vegetation in Northwestern Victoria, With Reference to Effects of Broombush Harvesting." Wildlife Research 16, no. 2 (1989): 217. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9890217.
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The vertebrate fauna of broombush Melaleuca uncinata vegetation in north-western Victoria was assessed by censusing in marked quadrats, trapping and wide-ranging observations. Most species of vertebrates known to occur in mallee shrublands in Victoria we recorded in broombush (those recorded included four amphibian, 42 reptile, 126 bird and 18 mammal species). This high diversity resulted from a substantial variation in vertebrate (particularly reptile and bird) species composition between broombush of differing ages (0-80 years). Some floristic variation between broombush stands and the local presence within these stands of particular plant species (notably Triodia irritans and Banksia ornata) also added to vertebrate species diversity. Locally, broombush patches were characteristically simple in structure and of low floristic diversity. Bird species diversity and density were low (<3 individuals per ha). Broombush is being harvested at an accelerating rate in Victoria. The effects of this industry on vertebrates generally are minor. No vertebrate species is restricted to broombush, and most vertebrate species recorded in this survey were found in harvested areas. Nonetheless, broombush is an important habitat for several species (e.g. Ctenophorus pictus, Ctenotus uber, C. brooksi, Leipoa ocellata, Pachycephala rufogularis, Psophodes nigrogularis, Drymodes brunneopygia, Cercartetus lepidus and Notomys mitchelli). Information on the ecology of most species of vertebrates living in the mallee is very limited, and some species may be affected by broombush cutting through a decrease in area of habitat of suitable age.
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Mayamba, Alex, Bram Vanden Broecke, Herwig Leirs, Brian E. Isabirye, Robert M. Byamungu, Alice Nakiyemba, Moses Isabirye, et al. "Fitness of the pestiferous small rodent Mastomys natalensis in an agroecosystem in Mayuge district, Lake Victoria Crescent, Uganda." Mammalia 84, no. 4 (March 26, 2020): 344–53. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/mammalia-2019-0101.
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AbstractA 2.5-year study was conducted to understand the fitness of Mastomys natalensis in an agroecosystem in relationship with environmental predictors. The study was conducted in Mayuge district, in the Lake Victoria Crescent zone in Eastern Uganda. Fitness was measured in terms of survival, maturation and capture probability and estimated using multi-event capture-recapture models. Survival rates were higher after high rainfall in the previous month and increased with increasing population density of the animals. Maturation rate, on the other hand, showed no significant association with any predictor variables, while capture probability was significantly associated with sex of the animals, with higher capture probability for males. The results demonstrate that the fitness of M. natalensis in an agroecosystem is dependent on rainfall, sex and current population density. The aforementioned results were associated with increasing vegetation which provides cover for animal nesting and abundant food for the animals during rainfall periods and thus increased survival, high mobility in males in search for mates thus exposing animals to high chances of being captured and increased prey saturation at high population density resulting in high animal survival. These results have important implications for the timing of management strategies, i.e. control efforts should be enforced during the rainfall seasons to prevent high population buildup in the succeeding seasons.
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Goldingay, Ross L. "Population monitoring of an urban gliding mammal in eastern Australia." Australian Mammalogy 40, no. 2 (2018): 214. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/am17029.
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Long-term monitoring is an important element of species conservation. This study describes changes in the size of a squirrel glider (Petaurus norfolcensis) population over a 10-year period. The population occupied a 45-ha forest remnant within the urban area of Brisbane. Gliders were tagged from 25 nights of trapping during 2006–08 and from 16 nights of trapping in 2015. Population modelling was used to estimate adult population size. This suggested the adult population comprised 30–40 individuals at the beginning and end of the 10-year period. It reached a peak of 70 individuals in mid-2007. These data suggest that the study area contains a small population that is prone to interannual variation but there was no evidence of it being in decline. Survival estimates during 2006–08 were equivalent to those estimated for a larger population in Victoria. Population monitoring should be continued to determine how resilient this population is to population decline and to investigate factors that may cause decline. This study provides an example of an approach that could be used to monitor threatened populations of the squirrel glider.
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Kean, John. "Observing Mondellimin, or when Gerard Krefft ‘saved once more the honour of the exploring expedition’." Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria 121, no. 1 (2009): 109. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rs09109.
Full textAbstract:
The Victorian government’s expedition to the Murray river in 1857 was distinguished by the quality of images generated by its principals. Guided by the unifying vision of alexander Humboldt, William Blandowski and Gerard Krefft examined the relationship between the australians and their environment. Blandowski initiated a productive engagement with the local nyeri nyeri that yielded an unsurpassed collection of vertebrate animals endemic to the Murray-Darling Basin. Despite Blandowski’s reckless leadership and Krefft’s simmering resentment of his commander, the expedition resulted in irreplaceable data. The immediacy of Krefft’s observations offer a glimpse of mammals that have subsequently plummeted to extinction, as well as providing unique evidence of the interaction between the indigenous australians and their environment. Krefft’s images illuminate one of australia’s richest and most diverse regions at the moment of pastoral incursion. Both men were intensely aware that they had the opportunity of observing a world that was changing irrevocably in front of their eyes.
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Zimmer, Heidi C., Vivienne B. Turner, Jaimie Mavromihalis, Josh Dorrough, and Claire Moxham. "Forb responses to grazing and rest management in a critically endangered Australian native grassland ecosystem." Rangeland Journal 32, no. 2 (2010): 187. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj09069.
Full textAbstract:
Worldwide, temperate grasslands have been extensively cleared for agriculture and urban expansion and the ‘Natural Temperate Grassland of the Victorian Volcanic Plain’ in south-eastern Australia has recently been listed as critically endangered. Because of land clearing, these grasslands now occupy <1% of their original distribution and much of the remaining grassland continues to be grazed by livestock. Although forbs (wildflowers) constitute most of the floristic richness in natural grasslands, few experimental studies have focused on their responses to strategic livestock grazing and rest. This paper reports on the outcomes of five grazing and rest management regimes imposed for 4 years at three sites on the Victorian Volcanic Plain. Seasonal grazing and rest management regimes resulted in significantly different native and exotic forb frequencies, but not richness. Native perennial and exotic annual forb frequency was higher when management incorporated grazing and rest periods (14 and 16% deviance explained), particularly with spring rest from grazing. However, the most important influence on native perennial and exotic annual and perennial forb frequency (46, 58 and 41% deviance explained) and native perennial and exotic annual species richness (62 and 35% deviance explained) was site. Differences among the three sites included soil, rainfall, size of remnant, presence of small burrowing mammals, management history and consequent species assemblages. Despite differences among sites, the results indicate that native perennial forb frequency may be increased using management regimes that incorporate both grazing and rest. However, targeted management may be necessary to reduce exotic annual forbs, also promoted by grazing with seasonal rest.
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Newell, GR, and BA Wilson. "The Relationship Between Cinnamon Fungus (Phytophthora Cinnamomi) and the Abundance of Antechinus Stuartii (Dasyuridae: Marsupialia) in the Brisbane Ranges, Victoria." Wildlife Research 20, no. 2 (1993): 251. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9930251.
Full textAbstract:
The Brisbane Ranges include areas of National Park, water catchment and freehold land that have a history of infection with the pathogen P. cinnamomi since the late 1960s. A systematic survey of the small-mammal fauna of the Brisbane Ranges National Park and the Geelong and District Water Board catchments in relation to the pathogen was carried out in 1987. A. stuartii was the only species trapped regularly. The volume of vegetation to a structural level of 60 cm was significantly lower at sites where P. cinnamomi was present. The abundance of A. stuartii was also significantly lower at sites infected with P. cinnamomi, and a significant relationship is shown between the capture rate of A. stuartii and the volume of vegetation present up to 40 cm above ground level. This work indicates a possible association between P. cinnamomi and populations of A. stuartii, and the relationships between the pathogen, habitat quality and small-mammal distribution are discussed. These findings have implications for public land management and management of fauna in areas prone to infection with P. cinnamomi.
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Menkhorst, PW, BW Weavers, and JSA Alexander. "Distribution, Habitat and Conservation Status of the Squirrel Glider Petaurus-Norfolcensis (Petauridae, Marsupialia) in Victoria." Wildlife Research 15, no. 1 (1988): 59. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9880059.
Full textAbstract:
The results of a trapping and spotlighting survey in Victoria of the squirrel glider, Petaurus norfolcensis, coupled with examination of historical records showed that the species is restricted to the Riverine Plains, Northern Uplands and northern slopes of the Western Highlands. Within these regions squirrel gliders inhabit remnant woodlands or open-forests which have mature or mixed-age stands of more than one eucalypt species, or riparian open-forests of Eucalyptus camaldulensis. The mixed-species stands which support squirrel gliders invariably include gum-barked and high nectar-producing species including some which flower in winter. The riparian open forests typically contain mature Acacia dealbata which may provide an important winter carbohydrate source. The squirrel glider was often the only arboreal mammal detected at a site; if another species was present it was usually the common brushtail possum, Trichosurus vulpecula. Other petaurids rarely occurred at the same site. We suggest that in Victoria the ecological tolerance of the squirrel glider is narrow 'and that the species should be considered vulnerable because most of its habitat has been cleared for farming. Commercial exploitation of timber and grazing of stock in much of the remaining habitat places further stress upon the small, fragmented populations of this species.
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Beilharz, Lisa V., and Desley A. Whisson. "Habitat selection by two sympatric rodent species in an alpine resort." Australian Journal of Zoology 64, no. 5 (2016): 327. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/zo16078.
Full textAbstract:
Conservation of small mammal species relies on an understanding of their habitat use. We used trapping surveys and telemetry to examine habitat selection and use by the broad-toothed rat (Mastacomys fuscus mordicus) and the bush rat (Rattus fuscipes) in an alpine resort in Victoria. M. fuscus occurred at low numbers, nesting in subalpine wet heathland and foraging in that habitat as well as small patches of disturbed woodland. In contrast, R. fuscipes was more common and nested in woodlands. Although foraging primarily in woodlands, R. fuscipes also foraged in all other available habitats. Both species showed strong selection for woodland fragments within ski runs. Although highly disturbed, these habitats may provide important habitat and connectivity between less disturbed and larger habitat patches.