Movement patterns of honey possums, Tarsipes rostratus, in the Fitzgerald River National Park, Western Australia

2000 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 179 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. A. M. Garavanta ◽  
R. D. Wooller ◽  
K. C. Richardson

The movements of marked honey possums,Tarsipes rostratus, were studied using mark–recapture with pitfall traps in heathland on the south coast of Western Australia. Most individuals moved less than 30 m even over several months, with no evidence of marked dispersal. We suggest that this lack of mobility is associated with a detailed knowledge of the locations of those plants that supply all the species’ food. Males moved slightly further than females, possibly to search for mating opportunities and possibly because females exclude males from rich nectar sources. In consequence, the home ranges of males (1277 m2) were significantly larger, on average, than those of females (701 m2).

The Auk ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 117 (3) ◽  
pp. 748-759 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caleb E. Gordon

Abstract I used mark-recapture analysis and radio telemetry to characterize winter movement patterns of six grassland sparrows in southeastern Arizona. Mark-recapture data were generated by banding birds captured during repeated flush-netting sessions conducted on a series of 7-ha plots over three consecutive winters. This resulted in 2,641 captures of 2,006 individual sparrows of the six species. Radio telemetry was conducted concurrently on 20 individuals of four of these species. Recapture data and radio telemetry indicated that Cassin's Sparrow (Aimophila cassinii) and Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum) were the most sedentary, followed by Baird's Sparrow (Ammodramus bairdii), Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus), Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis), and Brewer's Sparrow (Spizella breweri). Grasshopper, Baird's, Savannah, and Vesper sparrows tended to remain within fixed home ranges during winter. With the exception of Savannah Sparrows, whose movement behavior varied among study sites, movement patterns remained constant within species across years and study sites despite radical fluctuations in the absolute and relative abundances of all species. Interspecific differences in movement pattern suggest that species in this system partition niche space according to the regional-coexistence mechanism. Abundances of the most sedentary species, Cassin's, Grasshopper, and Baird's sparrows, were poorly or negatively correlated with summer rainfall at the between-year landscape scale, whereas abundances of the more mobile Savannah, Vesper, and Brewer's sparrows were strongly positively correlated. This is consistent with the theoretical prediction that movement constrains large-scale habitat selection, favoring mobile species in fragmented environments.


2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 98
Author(s):  
Michael Hughes ◽  
Valériane Bérengier

This research note documents an observation of a wild western grey kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus) feeding on a dead silver gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae) at Lucky Bay in the Cape Le Grand National Park on the south coast of Western Australia. Published evidence suggests that this behaviour is not unique and could be widespread in Western Australia and further afield. We consider why the kangaroo may be feeding on the dead gull and possible implications for conservation programs relying on poison meat baits to control introduced species.


1989 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 207 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Lunney ◽  
T Leary

The study was carried out between June 1980 and Dec. 1984 in the Mumbulla State Forest. Ninety-nine individuals were caught in Eucalyptus forest that had been logged in 1979-80 and burnt in 1980. The population was discrete, occupying an area of about 500 ha near the centre of the forest. The repeated capture of 35 individuals enabled movement patterns to be determined. Females occupied small home ranges, and capture sites did not overlap with those of other females. Males did not have exclusive capture sites and the home ranges overlapped. Their movement patterns fell into two groups: explorer males and resident males. The largest movement of an explorer male was 1025 m in 24 h. With data pooled for all trapping periods, the observed range length was 79.5 plus or minus 8.2 m for females; 104.9 plus or minus 14.5 m for resident males and 720.7 plus or minus 93.5 m for explorer males; the average distance between captures was 49.3 plus or minus 2.8 m for females, 63.4 plus or minus 10.3 m for resident males and 481.8 plus or minus 106.1 m for explorer males. Suitable habitat, such as recently disturbed forest, may occur naturally only as disjunct and temporary patches, hence the ability to travel long distances enables this species to utilize these suddenly abundant and transient resources.


2021 ◽  
Vol 38 ◽  
pp. 172-192
Author(s):  
Shapelle McNee ◽  
Brenda Newbey ◽  
Sarah Comer ◽  
Allan Burbidge ◽  
◽  
...  

We investigated the response of the Western Bristlebird Dasyornis longirostris to fire in the Fitzgerald River National Park (FRNP), Western Australia, over a 34-year period. This species is a threatened Western Australian endemic restricted to a highly fire-prone habitat. Commencing in 1985, we surveyed for occurrence of Western Bristlebirds within the FRNP. Monitoring that was specifically focused on fire impacts began at Fitzgerald Track in November 1994 following a fire the previous month. That site had been surveyed in June and August 1994 before the fire. Fires in other recently surveyed locations in 1997–1998, 2000, 2008 and 2019 allowed for comparisons to be made following further monitoring of these sites. Many Bristlebirds survived a fire then relocated along or near the fire edge, usually in clusters of home ranges where suitable habitat was available. Bristlebirds gradually re-occupied burnt areas when these became suitable, often to home ranges occupied before the fire. There was a tendency for a home range to be occupied for >1 year. A change independent of fire could occur. Areas of vegetation of different fire ages were used by Bristlebirds for differing time periods. Sites in the lower-rainfall areas required longer periods of time for habitat to be recolonised by Bristlebirds and the maximum age of vegetation occupied by Bristlebirds varied between sites. For these reasons, generalised prescriptions are not appropriate, but fire management of individual patches of Bristlebird habitat in the FRNP can be guided by these findings, ensuring that unburnt refuge areas are both protected and retained, with the timing of management actions informed by knowledge of population response and habitat condition.


1995 ◽  
Vol 46 (5) ◽  
pp. 853 ◽  
Author(s):  
NS Barrett

Movement patterns were studied on a 1-ha isolated reef surrounding Arch Rock in southern Tasmania. Short-term movements were identified from diver observations, and interpretation of long-term movements involved multiple recaptures of tagged individuals. Visual observations indicated that the sex-changing labrids Notolabrus tetricus, Pictilabrus laticlavius and Pseudolabrus psittaculus were all site-attached, with females having overlapping home ranges and males being territorial. In the non-sex-changing labrid Notolabrus fucicola and in the monacanthids Penicipelta vittiger and Meuschenia australis, there was no evidence of territorial behaviour and 1-h movements were in excess of the scale of the study. The long-term results indicated that all species were permanent reef residents, with most individuals of all species except M. australis always being recaptured within a home range of 100 m × 25 m or less. Only 15% of individuals of M. australis were always recaptured within this range category. The natural habitat boundary of open sand between the Arch Rock reef and adjacent reefs appeared to be an effective deterrent to emigration. The use of natural boundaries should be an important consideration in the design of marine reserves where the aim is to minimize the loss of protected species to adjacent fished areas.


2009 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 422 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. E. Moseby ◽  
J. Stott ◽  
H. Crisp

Control of introduced predators is critical to both protection and successful reintroduction of threatened prey species. Efficiency of control is improved if it takes into account habitat use, home range and the activity patterns of the predator. These characteristics were studied in feral cats (Felis catus) and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in arid South Australia, and results are used to suggest improvements in control methods. In addition, mortality and movement patterns of cats before and after a poison-baiting event were compared. Thirteen cats and four foxes were successfully fitted with GPS data-logger radio-collars and tracked 4-hourly for several months. High intra-specific variation in cat home-range size was recorded, with 95% minimum convex polygon (MCP) home ranges varying from 0.5 km2 to 132 km2. Cat home-range size was not significantly different from that of foxes, nor was there a significant difference related to sex or age. Cats preferred habitat types that support thicker vegetation cover, including creeklines and sand dunes, whereas foxes preferred sand dunes. Cats used temporary focal points (areas used intensively over short time periods and then vacated) for periods of up to 2 weeks and continually moved throughout their home range. Aerial baiting at a density of 10 baits per km2 was ineffective for cats because similar high mortality rates were recorded for cats in both baited and unbaited areas. Mortality was highest in young male cats. Long-range movements of up to 45 km in 2 days were recorded in male feral cats and movement into the baited zone occurred within 2 days of baiting. Movement patterns of radio-collared animals and inferred bait detection distances were used to suggest optimum baiting densities of ~30 baits per km2 for feral cats and 5 per km2 for foxes. Feral cats exhibited much higher intra-specific variation in activity patterns and home-range size than did foxes, rendering them a potentially difficult species to control by a single method. Control of cats and foxes in arid Australia should target habitats with thick vegetation cover and aerial baiting should ideally occur over areas of several thousand square kilometres because of large home ranges and long-range movements increasing the chance of fast reinvasion. The use of temporary focal points suggested that it may take several days or even weeks for a cat to encounter a fixed trap site within their home range, whereas foxes should encounter them more quickly as they move further each day although they have a similar home-range size. Because of high intra-specific variability in activity patterns and home-range size, control of feral cats in inland Australia may be best achieved through a combination of control techniques.


Author(s):  
George Montopoli ◽  
Nick Visser ◽  
Hank Harlow

In 1994 and 1995, a high abundant winter snowfall at higher elevations appeared to result in long distance movement patterns by yellow-bellied marmot (Marmota flaviventris) over snow to lower, snowfree elevations where food was more available. As the snow melted and food became abundant, the marmots return to higher altitudes. In 1996, we continued to investigate the potential for migrational movements, by studying two study sites at different elevations in the North Fork of Cascade Canyon. Four marmots at each site were implanted with intraperitoneal tracking transmitters. Of eight marmots that were equipped with intraperitoneal transmitters, six demonstrated significant movements of greater than 0.5 km, one did not, and one most likely died as a result of predation before any movement could be observed. Of the six that demonstrated significant movements within the canyon, only one moved distances greater than 1 km. Marmots, after emerging from hibernation, migrated down canyon to snowfree areas as they become available. With progressive snow melt, most marmots move upward to higher elevations, but not to the extent originally expected. Instead, they moved to the first available habitat where food was obtainable, and other (dominant) marmots accepted their presence. This movement is exhibited in both males and females, yearlings and adults, and melanistic and normal colored marmots.


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