Southern Mount Lofty Ranges Biological Survey MAMMALS D. M. Armstrong1 INTRODUCTION Of the 31 species of native mammals known to reside the wider region of the Ranges and adjacent plains may in the Southern Mount Lofty Ranges (SMLR) at the only be recorded infrequently in the study region. commencement of European settlement in 1836, only 22 can now be confirmed as currently resident within Of the exotic species introduced to the region, nine the region (Table 26). These consist of nine species of have established wild or feral populations (Table 26). marsupials, three rodent species, nine bat species and The remaining exotic species, including sheep, cattle, one monotreme (the Echidna). The status of the horses, some other domestic stock species and Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is uncertain with domestic dogs, which remain largely under the control only a few records in the last 10 years, all of which are of their owners, will not be discussed here. unverified. Of the eight confirmed extinct species, seven are marsupials and one is eutherian (placental). The majority of current information for this summary The Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) has been of mammals was derived from the “Biological Survey introduced to the region and become naturalised. Table of SA” surveys (refer Methods section for surveys and 26 lists resident extinct and extant native and quadrats). Recording of “tracks and traces” at each introduced taxa. survey quadrat provided the bulk of records of some species, in particular, Western Grey Kangaroo Long (1999) included several other species as (Macropus fuliginosus), Echidnas (Tachyglossus occurring within the region. Examination of the aculeatus), Fox (Vulpes vulpes), and Rabbit supporting information associated with these records (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Although it is not possible to and lack of any additional records from the recent positively distinguish between Western Grey surveys led to them being disregarded as resident Kangaroos and Euros based on tracks alone, it is within the region. The species, which could not be assumed most tracks were those of Western Grey substantiated were: Little Pygmy Possum (Cercartetus Kangaroos. Euros have a very restricted distribution in lepidus), Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus the SMLR and specific habitat requirements. giganteus), Red Kangaroo (Macropus rufus), Sugar Glider (Petaurus breviceps) and Silky Mouse Spotlighting was essential in obtaining records of (Pseudomys apodemoides). Some of these species may Common Brushtail (Trichosurus vulpecula ), and have been occasional inhabitants or vagrants and are Common Ringtail Possums (Pseudocheirus discussed further below. Similarly, examination of peregrinus). Opportunistic records, many in the form records associated with several bat species records of road kills, collected while travelling between survey excluded three more species from those included in quadrats during the survey, provided important Long (1999). These were the Queensland Long-eared additional data for the larger species. Hair-tube Bat (Nyctophilus bifax), the Greater Long-eared Bat analysis provided limited information. Other sources (Nyctophilus timoriensis) and the Inland Forest Bat of information were South Australian Museum records, (Vespadelus baverstocki). A further three species published references and interviews with local included by Reardon and Butler (2001) as occurring in landholders. 1 Biodiversity Survey and Monitoring Section, Science & Conservation Directorate, Department for Environment and Heritage, GPO Box 1047, Adelaide 5001 129 Table 26. Summary of extinct and current resident mammals in the SMLR survey region, ordered by Family. Table includes only species considered resident (either extant or extinct) – vagrants and occasional visitors are tabled separately. Introduced species are preceded by an asterisk. Extinct status applies to SMLR region only Remaining Conservation Statuses are for South Australia (as per National Parks and Wildlife Act) Species Status Common Name Biological Survey S A Quadrat Opportune Museum ACROBATIDAE Acrobates pygmaeus Extinct Feathertail Glider BOVIDAE *Capra hircus Feral Goat BURRAMYIDAE Cercartetus concinnus Western Pygmy Possum CANIDAE Canis lupus dingo Extinct Dingo *Vulpes vulpes Fox CERVIDAE *Cervus dama Fallow Deer DASYURIDAE Dasyurus viverrinus Extinct Eastern Quoll Phascogale tapoatafa Extinct Brushtailed Phascogale# Sminthopsis murina Common Dunnart Sminthopsis crasicaudata Fat-tailed Dunnart Antechinus flavipes Yellow-footed Antechinus FELIDAE *Felis catus Cat LEPORIDAE *Oryctolagus cuniculus Rabbit *Lepus capensis Brown Hare MACROPODIDAE Macropus eugenii ssp. eugenii Extinct Tammar Wallaby Macropus robustus Euro Macropus fuliginosus Western Grey Kangaroo MURIDAE Rattus fuscipes Bush Rat Rattus lutreolus Swamp Rat Hydromys chrysogaster Water Rat *Mus musculus House Mouse *Rattus rattus Black Rat *Rattus norvegicus Brown Rat ORNITHORHYNCHIDAE Ornithorhynchus anatinus (Status Platypus in SMLR is uncertain) PERAMELIDAE Isoodon obesulus Vulnerable Southern Brown Bandicoot Macrotis lagotis Extinct Greater Bilby PHALANGERIDAE Trichosurus vulpecula Proposed Common Brushtail Possum Rare (Draft Schedules) PHASCOLARCTIDAE *Phascolarctos cinereus (native to Rare Koala SA but introduced to SMLR) POTOROIDAE Bettongia lesueur Extinct Burowing Bettong# Bettongia penicillata Extinct Brushtailed Bettong# PSEUDOCHEIRIDAE Pseudocheirus peregrinus Common Ringtail Possum 130 Species Status Common Name Biological Survey S A Quadrat Opportune Museum TACHYGLOSSIDAE Tachyglossus aculeatus Short-beaked Echidna VESPERTILIONIDAE Chalinolobus gouldii Gould’s Wattled Bat Chalinolobus morio Chocolate Wattled Bat Nyctophylus geoffroyi Lesser Long-eared Bat Vespedelus darlingtoni Large Forest Bat Vespedelus regulus Southern Forest Bat Vespedelus vulturnus Little Forest Bat MOLOSSIDAE Mormopterus spp.@ Southern Freetail Bats Tadarida australis White-striped Freetail Bat EMBALLONURIDAE Saccolaimus flaviventris Yellow-bellied Sheathtail Bat @Formerly Mormopterus planiceps, now incorporated in Mormopterus spp., “a species complex which includes forms soon to become species in SA” (Robinson et al. 2000). # Extinct in SMLR and formerly SA but reintroduced to SMLR or other parts of SA. NATIVE MAMMALS WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN Wallaby (Macropus eugenii ssp. eugenii) on an island (OR ARE) OCCASIONAL INHABITANTS OF off the coast of New Zealand. Five species still THE SMLR occurring elsewhere in South Australia have a State Although discounted as being formerly or currently conservation rating and two species have a National 1 resident in the region, the following mammals may conservation rating (Table 27). have occurred on the region’s periphery and have been occasional inhabitants of the SMLR: The South Australian Museum (SAM) records are the • Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat (Lasiorhinus primary source of information on the extinct mammals latifrons) of the SMLR. It is therefore no coincidence that the The recorded distribution of this species seems to authors of the few significant references available, be peripheral to the Mount Lofty Ranges rather Wood Jones (1925) and Finlayson (1953) and Aitken than within the region and Hunwick (2002) (1986) held the title of Honorary Curator of Mammals considers it may have been an occasional visitor. at the SAM and Aitken (1986) was Curator of • Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) Mammals at the SAM. Aitken (1986) includes this species as having occurred in the region. It is likely to have been The previous status and distribution of mammals now peripheral to the region. extinct within the region is impossible to determine • Red Kangaroo (Macropus rufus) with any accuracy, due to the speed with which they Hunwick (2000) states: “The SMLR are on the disappeared. Their demise was so rapid that even southern edge of the range for the Red Kangaroo. species once regarded as common across much of the southern parts of the state are almost unrepresented in It would seem to be an occasional inhabitant depending on local conditions rather than on a the records of the South Australian Museum. long-term resident.” However, most of the extinct mammals appear to have disappeared from the SMLR at the same time - in the • Southern Bentwing Bat (Miniopterus bassanii), early 1900’s. Wood Jones (1925) repeatedly refers to previously the Common Bentwing Bat species as having been common about 20 years prior to (Miniopterus schreibersii) southern form (Reardon the time of his writing. Whilst land clearing and pers. comm), likely to be a vagrant visitor habitat modification was extensive in the region by this • Western Broad-nosed Bat ( Scotorepens balstoni ) time, a great deal was still intact by current day likely to be peripheral to the study region standards. It seems more likely that these factors • Southern Myotis (Myotis macropus)- likely to be would have created a more gradual process of peripheral to the study region. extinction. The mystery of their relatively sudden disappearance at a time when the Dingo is believed to Further details of the above three bat species are have also been locally extinct, is most likely explained contained in the “Discussion” below. by the arrival of the Fox in the region at some time in the previous decade. EXTINCT MAMMAL TAXA IN SMLR All of the eight resident native mammals that have 1 disappeared from the SMLR still exist in some form in The National threatened