Records of the Mammal Survey Group of Victoria, 1966-80, on the Distribution of Terrestrial Mammals in Victoria

1982 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 177 ◽  
Author(s):  
JWF Hampton ◽  
AE Howard ◽  
JBJL Poynton

Records collected by the Mammal Survey Group of Victoria between 1966 and 1980 have been used to map the distributions of 48 species of mammals in Victoria. Data were collected by trapping, spotlighting and chance encounters. On the basis of these records, 11 species were widespread: these are Tachyglossus aculeatus, Omithorynchus anatinus, Antechinus stuartii, Trichosurus vulpecula, Pseudocheirus peregrinus, Macropus giganteus and M. fuliginosus, Wallabia bicolor, Hydromys chrysogaster, Rattus fuscipes, Mus musculus and Vulpes vulpes. Eleven species were very restricted: these are Antechinus minimus, Perameles gunnii, Cercartetus lepidus, Gymnobelideus leadbeuteri, Macropus robustus, Pseudomys apodemoides, P. shortridgei, P. fumeus, P. novaehollandiae, Mastacomys fuscus and Notomys mitchelli. The other 26 species have distributions between these two extremes.

2008 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 395 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. B. Lindenmayer ◽  
C. MacGregor ◽  
A. Welsh ◽  
C. Donnelly ◽  
M. Crane ◽  
...  

The response of terrestrial mammals and arboreal marsupials to past burning history as well as a year prior to, and then for 4 years after, a major wildfire in 2003 at Booderee National Park, Jervis Bay Territory was quantified. The present study encompassed extensive repeated surveys at a set of 109 replicated sites stratified by vegetation type and fire history. It was found that most species exhibited significant differences in presence and abundance between major vegetation types. Detections of long-nosed bandicoot (Perameles nasuta) increased significantly in all vegetation types surveyed, in both burnt and unburnt areas. Temporal patterns in captures of three species of small mammals (bush rat (Rattus fuscipes), swamp rat (Rattus lutreolus) and brown antechinus (Antechinus stuartii)) showed a trend for lower numbers of captures on burnt sites compared with unburnt sites. Three species of arboreal marsupials, common ringtail possum (Pseudocheirus peregrinus), greater glider (Petauroides volans) and common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula), were moderately common and all showed marked differences in abundance between vegetation types. Whereas P. peregrinus and P. volans exhibited a temporal decline between 2003 and 2006, T. vulpecula exhibited a general increase from 2003 levels. However, arboreal marsupial responses did not appear to be directly fire related.


1973 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 303 ◽  
Author(s):  
JC Rodger ◽  
RL Hughes

The reproductive tracts of males from eight species of Australian marsupial were examined (Macropus eugenii, Potovous tridactyhs, Sminthopsis crassicaudata, Antechinus stuartii, Pseudocheirus peregrinus, Trichosurus vulpecula, Isoodon macrourus, and Perameles nasuta). The prostate glands of these species were found to be of two shapes, carrot-like or heart-like. From one to three pairs of Cowper's glands were observed; these were mostly bulbous in shape but some were kidney-shaped. Both prostate and Cowper's glands were tubular in structure with the glandular tubules lined by a simple columnar epithelium. The glandular tubules of Cowper's glands were of much larger diameter than those of the prostate. The prostate glands were segmented, and this segmentation was usually shown by variations in the height and staining reactions of the tubular epithelium and in the volume of connective tissue between glandular tubules. Differences in microanatomy between pairs of Cowper's glands were far less than those between prostate segments. Mucosubstance appeared to be the major contribution of the prostate to the seminal plasma. This mucosubstance was mainly neutral, with glycogen largely absent. The present results indicate that the Cowper's glands secrete mucus but that various glands also contributed lipid and glycogen.


1987 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 163 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Lunney ◽  
B. Cullis ◽  
P. Eby

This study of the effects of logging on small mammals in Mumbulla State Forest on the south coast of New South Wales included the effects of a fire in November 1980 and a drought throughout the study period from June 1980 to June 1983. Rattus fuscipes was sensitive to change: logging had a significant impact on its numbers, response to ground cover, and recapture rate; fire had a more severe effect, and drought retarded the post-fire recovery of the population. The three species of dasyurid marsupials differed markedly in their response to ground cover, canopy cover, logging and fire. Antechinus stuartii was distributed evenly through all habitats and was not affected by logging, but fire had an immediate and adverse effect which was sustained by the intense drought. A. swainsonii markedly preferred the regenerating forest, and was not seen again after the fire, the failure of the population being attributed to its dependence on dense ground cover. Sminthopsis leucopus was found in low numbers, appeared to prefer forest with sparse ground cover, and showed no immediate response to logging or fire; its disappearance by the third year post-fire suggests that regenerating forest is inimical to the survival of this species. Mus musculus showed no response to logging. In the first year following the fire its numbers were still very low, but in the next year there was a short-lived plague which coincided with the only respite in the 3-year drought and, importantly, occurred in the intensely burnt parts of the forest. The options for managing this forest for the conservation of small mammals include minimising fire, retaining unlogged forest, extending the time over which alternate coupes are logged and minimising disturbance from heavy machinery.


1997 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 737 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ross L. Goldingay ◽  
Robert J. Whelan

The distribution and abundance of small terrestrial mammals were assessed in forest adjacent to powerline easements at three different sites in New South Wales. At each site, four transects of 300 m length extended into the forest from the edge of the easement. The abundances of two native species (Antechinus stuartii, Rattus fuscipes) did not differ significantly with distance from the easement but abundances differed markedly among sites. Mammals were captured in only one easement where dense vegetation was present. Feral carnivores, which may mediate edge effects on small mammals, were surveyed by using hair-sampling tubes. Cats and dogs were detected only 50–200 m inside the forest. Foxes were not detected by hair-tubes but were observed on two easements. These results suggest that powerline easements may not create edge effects in eucalypt forest for some native mammal species, although further studies are needed to determine the generality of this conclusion. We recommend that easement management should be more benign to native mammals, given the ubiquity of this form of habitat fragmentation. Promotion of dense vegetative cover and habitat linkages within easements could achieve this.


2003 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen J. Marsh ◽  
Ian R. Wallis ◽  
William J. Foley

The paucity of evidence on eucalypt browsing by common brushtail and common ringtail possums suggests that ringtails preferentially eat foliage from trees within the subgenus Monocalyptus. In contrast, brushtails eat less eucalypt foliage than do ringtails and prefer trees from the subgenus Symphyomyrtus. Trees from these subgenera differ in their defensive chemicals. Both contain tannins but it appears that only the symphyomyrts synthesise formylated phloroglucinol compounds (FPCs). We fed possums foliage from several individual Eucalyptus rossii and E. consideniana, both monocalypts, to avoid the confounding factor of FPCs, and examined the effects of blocking tannins by dipping foliage in polyethylene glycol (PEG). Ringtails and brushtails differed in their abilities to eat foliage from these eucalypts. The ringtails ate much more than did the brushtails and showed a small (about 10%) but significant increase in feeding in response to PEG. The brushtails were reluctant to eat foliage from either eucalypt species but doubled their intake when leaves were coated with PEG. Even so, they still did not eat enough to meet maintenance requirements for energy and nitrogen. Neither ringtails nor brushtails preferred foliage from any individual E. rossii tree, suggesting that all trees were equally defended. However, brushtails preferred foliage from some E. consideniana to others. Monocalypt tannins are clearly important barriers to feeding in brushtail possums, but further research with higher doses of PEG will confirm whether they are the only deterrent chemicals in monocalypt foliage.


1979 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 151 ◽  
Author(s):  
GR Friend

Before, during and after a clearing operation for pine plantation establishment, small mammals were trapped on ridges which were to be cleared of all vegetation, and in adjacent gullies which were to be permanently retained under native forest. Rattus fuscipes was the most abundant native species on all grids throughout the study, while R. lutreolus, Antechinus stuartii and A. swainsonii were in low abundance. Clearing in early summer, the breeding season in most of these species, resulted in an acceleration and accentuation of population turnover. Some juveniles and subadults may have moved from the ridges during clearing, while breeding adults remained and probably perished. Populations of R. fuscipes on ridge areas were drastically reduced by clearing and windrowing, but subadults recolonized the affected areas within 1-2 months. Results for the other three native species were inconclusive, due to the few individuals captured at any time during the study. The exotic species Mus musculus began to invade immediately following windrow burning.


1978 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 75 ◽  
Author(s):  
GR Friend

In Gippsland, Victoria, in pine plantations and the adjacent native eucalyptus forest, mammal population was estimated by the usual methods and by analysis of ffaeces of predators. Predators were fox (Vulpes vulpes), feral cat (Felis catus), dog and dingo. Prey species found in faeces included 1 monotreme, 18 marsupial and 10 placental mammals, including the predators. Remains of cattle and sheep were found, presumably eaten as carrion. Remains of plants, or of animals other than the groups noted, were not required to be identified for the purpose of the study, nor were prey species attributed to each species of predator.


1987 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 275 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Lunney ◽  
E Ashby

A population of the white-footed dunnart Sminthopsis leucopus was studied from 1981 to 1983 in a forest that had been logged in 1979, burnt in 1980, and was drought-affected throughout the study. S. leucopus bred in this disturbed habitat but did not persist when the vegetation regrew and became dense. Pouch young were present in August, September and October 1981. There was no evidence of polyoestry in the field, although breeding potential may have been suppressed by a combination of the drought and habitat change. There were few brown antechinus Antechinus stuartii present at any time. The population of the bush rat Rattus fuscipes increased as its preferred habitat of dense vegetation grew. An irruption of the house mouse Mus rnusculus in autumn 1982 coincided with a brief respite from the drought. The differing responses of these species to the same set of environmental conditions illustrates that no one management option in such forests will be optimal for all species of small mammals. The conclusion drawn here for the conservation of S. leucopus in forests subject to woodchip logging and fire is to stagger the forestry operations to ensure that not all parts of the forest are covered with dense regrowth at any one time.


1978 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 305 ◽  
Author(s):  
GC Suckling ◽  
A Heislers

[See also FA 39, 2088] A 2-yr trapping study was made on (a) Rattus fuscipes, (b) Antechinus stuartii, (c) Mus musculus and (d) A. swainsonii in mature eucalypt forest, a narrow stream-side strip of eucalypt forest, and in 3 pine plantations, 8, 22 and 42 yr old. In each area (a) and (d) were largely and (c) always confined to dense native vegetation along streams, whilst (b) was more frequent along streams than on slopes. More animals were found away from streams in young pine plantations than in other forest types.


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