Will arboreal mammals use rope-bridges across a highway in eastern Australia?

2013 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ross L. Goldingay ◽  
David Rohweder ◽  
Brendan D. Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Camera Traps ◽  
Brushtail Possum ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Pseudocheirus Peregrinus ◽  
The Common ◽  
Common Brushtail Possum ◽  
Squirrel Glider ◽  
Road Crossing ◽  
Ringtail Possum

Artificial structures designed to promote road-crossing by arboreal mammals are increasingly being installed in Australia but there is a limited understanding of their usefulness. We studied five 50–70-m-long rope-bridges (encompassing three designs) erected across the Pacific Highway, a major freeway in eastern Australia. Native arboreal mammals showed a willingness to explore these structures, being detected by camera traps on four rope-bridges. The vulnerable squirrel glider (Petaurus norfolcensis) crossed on one rope-bridge at least once every 4.5 weeks over a 32-week period. The feathertail glider (Acrobates pygmaeus), common ringtail possum (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) and the common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) were detected on one of two rope-bridges that extended under the freeway at creek crossings. The feathertail glider was detected on all three rope-bridge designs. Our results suggest that rope-bridges have the potential to restore habitat connectivity disrupted by roads for some arboreal mammals. Further research is needed to refine the design and placement of rope-bridges as well as to determine whether these structures promote gene flow.

Age of road-killed common brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) and common ringtail possums (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) in an urban environment

2009 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 137 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Giffney ◽  
T. Russell ◽  
J. L. Kohen
Keyword(s):  
Population Ecology ◽  
Tooth Wear ◽  
Brushtail Possum ◽  
Trichosurus Vulpecula ◽  
Pseudocheirus Peregrinus ◽  
Declining Populations ◽  
Age Trends ◽  
The Common ◽  
Common Brushtail Possum ◽  
Ringtail Possum

Road-associated mortality has been identified as having major ecological effects on small, fragmented and declining populations. Both the common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) and common ringtail possum (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) appear to be in decline in some regions across their natural ranges. Urban populations may be an exception; however, little is known of their population ecology. This study investigates age trends in a subset of road-killed brushtail and ringtail possums collected along eight northern Sydney roads between March 2004 and March 2006. From a total of 591 recorded road-killed possums, 86 were collected for use in this study (36 brushtails, 50 ringtails). Age was estimated using tooth wear patterns on cleaned skulls. Both species showed trends associated with age, and younger possums of both species were more likely to be killed on roads than older animals. Male-biased dispersal of subadult possums is considered a major contributing factor to the over-representation of young brushtail possums in this road-kill sample.

Diet of the tiger quoll (Dasyurus maculatus)

1995 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 341 ◽  
Author(s):  
CA Belcher
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Prey Species ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
European Rabbit ◽  
Brushtail Possum ◽  
Important Prey ◽  
The Common ◽  
Common Brushtail Possum ◽  
Ringtail Possum

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.

The use of nest boxes by arboreal marsupials in the forests of the Central Highlands of Victoria

2003 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 259 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. B. Lindenmayer ◽  
C. I. MacGregor ◽  
R. B. Cunningham ◽  
R. D. Incoll ◽  
M. Crane ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brushtail Possum ◽  
Nest Box ◽  
Nest Boxes ◽  
Arboreal Marsupials ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Mountain Ash ◽  
The Common ◽  
Central Highlands ◽  
Leadbeater's Possum ◽  
Ringtail Possum

The results are reported of a nest-box study conducted in two locations in the mountain ash (Eucalyptus regnans) forests of the Central Highlands of Victoria (south-eastern Australia) to compare usage of different nest-box designs located at different heights in trees. A total of 96 nest boxes was established using a rigorous experimental design – two regions (Powelltown and Toolangi State Forests), two forest age classes (20-year post-logging regrowth and 60-year fire- and salvage-logging regrowth), two nest-box designs (large boxes with large entrance holes and small boxes with small entrance holes), and two heights at which nest boxes were attached to trees (3 m and 8 m above the ground). The study entailed setting out four nest boxes at each of 24 sites to meet the design criteria. Evidence of occupancy by vertebrates was recorded in a total of 19 of 96 boxes on 11 of 24 sites site during regular inspections over more than three years. Thirteen boxes were used by Leadbeater's possum (Gymnobelideus leadbeateri), six by the mountain brushtail possum (Trichosurus cunninghami) and seven by the common ringtail possum (Pseudocheirus peregrinus). The common ringtail possum and mountain brushtail possum were seen only in high–large boxes but Leadbeater's possum used all but the low–large boxes. There was evidence of spatial dependence in usage patterns, with all four boxes at a given site showing signs of eventually being occupied. Only two nest boxes located in mountain ash forest regenerating after the 1939 wildfires were occupied. Relatively limited use of nest boxes supports concerns about the use of a nest box over large scales and long timeframes as an effective recovery tool for species threatened by the loss and subsequent shortage in the numbers of naturally occurring hollows.

High possum mortality on urban roads: implications for the population viability of the common brushtail and the common ringtail possum

2009 ◽  
Vol 57 (6) ◽  
pp. 391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracey C. Russell ◽  
Catherine A. Herbert ◽  
James L. Kohen
Keyword(s):  
Brushtail Possum ◽  
Vehicle Collisions ◽  
Young Males ◽  
Road Kill ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Pseudocheirus Peregrinus ◽  
Live Trap ◽  
The Common ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Ringtail Possum

Animal–vehicle collisions impact wildlife populations and in the northern suburbs of Sydney, both the common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) and the common ringtail possum (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) are killed in large numbers. Over a two-year period almost 600 road-killed possums were observed from 217 road surveys covering over 7800 km, equating to 5.45 possums per week over the 36-km study area. Surveys were conducted along roads where the environment ranged from low-rise suburban to continuous sclerophyll forest. Significantly more ringtail possums were observed as road-kill, outnumbering brushtail possums by almost three to one. No sex bias was found amongst road-killed ringtail possums; however, seasonal trends and weight fluctuations were significant, with both males and females being at their lowest weights during the autumn breeding season. For brushtail possums a bias towards young males was observed. Sex and weight of road-killed brushtail possums were comparable to live-trap data from a previous study in the same location. In areas of such high possum mortality, wildlife managers may need to take action to mitigate possum road-kill.

Morphology and Function of the Digestive-Tract in New Guinean Possums

1993 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 85 ◽  
Author(s):  
ID Hume ◽  
E Jazwinski ◽  
TF Flannery
Keyword(s):  
Brushtail Possum ◽  
Nitrogen Levels ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Gastric Contents ◽  
Pseudocheirus Peregrinus ◽  
Selective Retention ◽  
The Common ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
Common Brushtail Possum ◽  
And Function

The digestive tracts of preserved specimens of six species of New Guinean pseudocheirid (ringtail) possums (body mass 148-1250 g) and four species of New Guinean phalangerids (cuscuses) (730-2400 g) were compared. A preliminary study on Australian common ringtail possums (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) suggested that, within certain limits, data from preserved material were applicable to fresh specimens. The New Guinean ringtails were primarily folivorous, but the diet of the two smallest species contained more non-leaf material and was of higher quality, on the basis of higher (P<0.05) nitrogen levels in their gastric contents. Like P. peregrinus, New Guinean ringtail possums selectively retain fine feed particles and bacteria in their caecum, and may also be caecotrophic. The New Guinean phalangerids are less specialised in their diets, taking a wide range of leaves, bark and fruits. There was no evidence for caecotrophy or selective retention of bacteria in their caecum, but there was evidence for selective retention of fine feed particles. In the latter characteristic they differ from the Australian phalangerid Trichosurus vulpecula (the common brushtail possum).

Effect of Fire on the Availability of Hollows in Trees Used by the Common Brushtail Possum, Trichosurus Vulpecula Kerr, 1792, and the Ringtail Possum, Pseudocheirus Peregrinus Boddaerts, 1785.

1989 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 449 ◽  
Author(s):  
GB Inions ◽  
MT Tanton ◽  
SM Davey
Keyword(s):  
High Intensity ◽  
Nature Reserve ◽  
Brushtail Possum ◽  
Burnt Area ◽  
Eucalyptus Marginata ◽  
Tree Hollows ◽  
Open Forest ◽  
Pseudocheirus Peregrinus ◽  
The Common ◽  
Ringtail Possum

Characteristics of trees used for shelter during the day by brushtail and ringtail possums were identified in a study in open forest dominated by Eucalyptus marginata and E. calophylla in the Perup Fauna Nature Reserve, SW Western Australia. The effect of high-intensity fire on the availability of trees used by the possums was studied by comparing a burnt area (36 ha) with an unburnt area (22 ha) one and 32 months after the fire. Suitable hollows were used by possums regardless of the species, condition, height or size of the tree. Hollows deeper than 1 m were used significantly more frequently than shallow ones. Hollows of suitable size appear to develop in E. marginata when trees reach a mean age of about 300 yr, and in E. calophylla when trees reached a mean age of about 200 yr. The average age of trees inhabited by possums could be as high as 500 yr for E. marginata and 400 yr for E. calophylla. About 3 trees/ha were used by possums for diurnal refuge; the distribution of these trees was random. Fire of high intensity (1000-1400 kW/m) destroyed 38% of the trees previously inhabited by possums; the damage to other inhabited trees was related to their condition and the intensity of fire. In the longer term, high-intensity fire increased the rate of formation of hollows by direct excavation or by providing new sites for fungal and termite infestation. Thirty-two months after the fire, the average age of trees containing suitable hollows was estimated to be about 100 yr less than before the fire because of the destruction of older trees and the formation of new hollows, or the deepening of existing ones, in younger trees.

An inland population of the common ringtail possum (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) at Black Rock Ridge, New South Wales: a preliminary ecological assessment

2013 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 236 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. Kerle ◽  
C. Kimmorley ◽  
J. M. Old
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Risk Of Predation ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Pseudocheirus Peregrinus ◽  
The Common ◽  
Ringtail Possum

The common ringtail possum (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) is considered abundant throughout its distribution in eastern Australia but appears to be declining at a regional level in inland New South Wales. Previous studies of the common ringtail possum in south-eastern Australia have focussed on coastal populations and little is known about the ecology of inland populations. In south-western Australia studies of the closely related western ringtail possum (Pseudocherius occidentalis) have found that coastal populations differ from inland populations, particularly in their nesting behaviour. In this preliminary study of an inland population of the common ringtail possum at Black Rock Ridge in central west New South Wales population density has been estimated and the habitat and nesting preference assessed. Up to one ringtail per hectare and 4.5 ringtails per spotlight hour were recorded. Tree hollows appeared to be the preferred nest site, with possums seen entering hollows during spotlighting and no dreys being located. Threats to common ringtail possums at Black Rock Ridge include the isolation of the remnant ridge vegetation within an extensively cleared landscape and the associated change in fire regimes. Within this landscape there has been an extensive reduction in available habitat, and an overall lack of habitat connectivity has placed ringtail possums at an increased risk of predation.

The use of nest boxes in urban natural vegetation remnants by vertebrate fauna

2005 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 509 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Harper ◽  
Michael A. McCarthy ◽  
Rodney van der Ree
Keyword(s):  
Brushtail Possum ◽  
Indigenous Species ◽  
Nest Box ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
Nest Boxes ◽  
Common Myna ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Pseudocheirus Peregrinus ◽  
Acridotheres Tristis ◽  
The Common

Nest boxes are routinely installed as a substitute for natural tree hollows to provide den and nest sites for a range of hollow-utilising fauna. We installed 120 nest boxes in 20 patches of indigenous vegetation (remnants) across the urban/suburban landscape of Melbourne, south-eastern Australia, and investigated their use by indigenous and exotic vertebrate species over a period of 12 months. Nest-box use was dominated by the common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula), the common ringtail possum (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) and the common myna (Acridotheres tristis), an aggressive introduced bird. We found that brushtail and ringtail possums utilised nest boxes all year round but more frequently in cooler months (May–August). Common mynas dominated nest-box use during spring/summer, potentially reducing the availability of this resource to indigenous species. We found evidence that the probability of a nest box being occupied by either species of possum was greater in remnants with abundant possum populations. Brushtail possums preferred thick-walled pine nest boxes over thin-walled plywood nest boxes, most likely owing to differences in their thermal insulation properties. Although considerable economic costs would be involved in using nest boxes as a long-term substitute for hollow-bearing trees, nest boxes may provide a temporary hollow resource until hollow-bearing trees are recruited in urban remnants.

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