ISSUE #3 – WINTER 2019 THE MAHOGANY GLIDER The mahogany glider is one of Australia’s most threatened mammals and Queensland’s only listed endangered glider species. Named for its mahogany-brown belly, this graceful glider has two folds of skin, called a patagium, which stretch A mahogany glider, Petaurus gracilis, venturing out at the Hidden Vale Wildlife Centre. between the front and rear legs. These act as a ‘parachute’ enabling the animal to glide distances of and the Hidden Vale Wildlife Centre is manipulate their patagium in order to 30 metres in open woodland habitat. one of just a few locations authorised land safely. Their long tail is used for mid-air for breeding. Breeding is undertaken The Centre recently received funding stabilisation. as an insurance against extinction. to purchase additional structures The Centre regularly exchanges They look similar to sugar or squirrel including climbing ropes and nets, gliders with other authorised gliders, however mahogany gliders ladders and ‘unstable’ branches to locations to ensure genetic are much larger. They are nocturnal, simulate the movement of small trees. diversity in captive populations. elusive and silent, making research on We are also planning to introduce free-ranging animals very difficult. We encourage our mahogany gliders a range of glider-suitable feeding to develop and display their normal Mahogany gliders appear to be enrichment, such as whole fruits, range of behaviours. That is why we monogamous and will actively mark puzzle-feeders, or feed in a hanging have set up one half of their enclosure and defend their territory. They use log. We hope that our gliders will not with climbing structures in the form hollows in large eucalypt trees, lined only breed well, but will also become of ‘stable’ branches, while the right with a thick mat of leaves, as dens. fit and healthy contributors to the half is left relatively ‘blank’. This total captive population. There are around 25 mahogany encourages them to glide, build up gliders in captivity Australia-wide, their core strength and learn how to – Andrew Tribe and Dalene Adam proportions in parts of eastern heading for the threatened species list Australia, and bounties were offered in Queensland? Where is the point of for their scalps. Tamworth Pasture no return? What does it take to keep Protection Board alone paid bounties a declining species off the threatened SNAPSHOT on 78,938 rufous bettong scalps in species list? just 1897. Across New South Wales, This is not the end of the story for the over three million potoroids were rufous bettong and other potoroids. killed between 1883 and 1920. With The Hidden Vale Project team has a severe decline in numbers, most started a proactive research and RUFOUS bounties were discontinued by the monitoring program aiming to answer 1920s, coinciding with the species these questions and more. BEttONG falling prey to foxes. We are undertaking surveys across Red foxes were introduced to Scientific Name Spicers Peak Station, Hidden Vale Australia in the late 1800s and their and Thornton View nature refuges to Aepyprymnus rufescens spread has resulted in the decline determine distribution and abundance of multiple mammal species – small Distribution of rufous bettong and other species, potoroids are no match for this active as well as habitat associations Eastern Australia, North predator. Even when potoroids can and condition. Recurrent predator Queensland to northern New avoid foxes, the rapid development scat surveys and content analysis South Wales. Distribution and of remaining woodland habitat has is giving us an understanding of abundance severely reduced served as a hurdle to their recovery. predation pressures. A PhD student and extinct through some of The most recent threat is land is investigating predator avoidance its former range. use intensity, especially housing training. Further research projects development. Our researchers are planned, including investigating Habitat have shown that out of 12 mammal potoroid roles as ecosystem engineers, Open grassy woodland and species in a study in south-east and keeping species off threatened forest (with tall native grasses) Queensland, rufous bettongs were species lists, with rufous bettongs as a the first to disappear in fragmented case study. With the aim to conserve Conservation Status landscapes, as farms were subdivided and improve the status of potoroids, Qld – Least Concern and landscapes were developed for we also need to answer some NSW – Vulnerable housing. basic ecological questions, where information is lacking. Victoria – Extinct Nearly all species in the family Potoroidae are now either threatened Research projects and volunteering or extinct across some or all of their opportunities are available with these Rat-kangaroos, potoroos and range. This predicament increases and other projects, as well as other bettongs belong to the Potoroidae their intrinsic scientific importance, species, and other habitats. Please family, collectively known as potoroids. and conservation of all remaining All modern potoroids are small, contact us if you would like to get forms is a prime consideration compact, densely furred animals with involved! in all states and territories where short (“T-rex”) forearms and well- they occur. Special reserves have – Megan Brady developed muscular hind limbs with been established for some of the large hind feet. They also have well- threatened species. The rufous developed claws on their forelimbs bettong is still considered to dig for roots and hypogean “common” in Queensland, (underground) fungi. although considering All of this digging plays an important historical numbers, this role in cycling nutrients and moving may be an argument in fungal spores. For example, research semantics. has shown that seedlings grow better So what is to become in soil dug up by a potoroid. Potoroids of the rufous bettong have also been shown to move as landscapes mycorrhizal fungi onto new host trees. continue to be The mycorrhizal fungi spores join with fragmented and the tree (e.g. Eucalypts), increasing urban sprawl root surface area and mineral uptake, continues to in a mutualistic relationship that encroach on benefits both fungi and tree. habitat? Loss of potoroids across a landscape Could may thus have wide reaching it be implications for ecosystem health. Unfortunately, the importance of potoroids was not always understood. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, potoroids were considered an Image above by Ben Nottidge. agricultural pest, being in ‘plague’ Image to the left by Mellisa Mayhew. OF TOAD RESEARCH IS IMPORTANT! Tetsu Masaki counting tadpoles as part of the scoop–count When it comes to testing the best methods to reduce technique. cane toad populations, timing and rainfall is everything. Earlier this year, all four waterbodies in the Hidden Vale billabong were drying out and there was no water in the creek. The dry conditions impacted some animals. It also presented RESEARCH an opportunity to capture adult toads coming to those four SPOTLIGHT waterbodies and minimise their breeding. In this study, mostly undertaken by University of Queensland master’s student Tetsu Masaki, we used three types of traps: an aquatic funnel trap for tadpoles, and pitfall and light traps for adult toads. The funnel traps (illustrated bottom right) had an attractant inside, called a BufoTab. Tadpoles enter through the funnel and are captured inside. A grid of 100 pitfall traps, consisting of 150 millimetre pipes Photograph buried 40 centimetres deep, were used to trap toads. of the density We also used light traps. These involved positioning a of tadpoles in some UV light to attract insects, in turn attracting toads. These locations. toads were captured after entering a one-way ‘gate’ into a container below the UV light. The aim of this project was to determine the effectiveness of combining different types of traps for controlling an established population of cane toad (Bufo marinus or Rhinella marinus). A scoop-count tadpole technique was used to estimate tadpole numbers before and after trapping. Tadpole population estimates indicated that the number of tadpoles had decreased as a result of trapping in the four waterbodies. Great news! Diagram illustrates the workings of the tadpole funnel trap. The traps caught 6,585 tadpoles and 179 adult cane Side view toads. On average, 11 cane toads were caught each day, with indications that there are still toads around the billabong and in the nearby creek. The light traps were not successful and the funnel traps were only marginally better. Improvements to the design of the funnel and light traps, and more suitable installation locations would maximise capture. Results from this study indicate that using different types of traps targeting different life stages of the cane toad can reduce their local abundance, Tadpoles swim through the large openings at the top but timing is everything. of the trap, attracted by a bait. They find it difficult to swim back out the narrow funnel and become trapped. – Peter Murray Hidden Vale Wildlife Centre’s Chief Veterinarian Andrew Tribe, and Research Manager Julia Hoy attended the Zoo and Aquarium Association’s Learning & Development Workshops, held at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo, in early May. They met colleagues from zoos throughout Australia and New Zealand and provided an update on the research projects currently underway and planned for the future at the Centre. This was an important opportunity to establish closer links with similar organisations and facilities. The Rosewood Fine Congratulations to Arts Society visited the Centre Luis Buchan on 12 May with 21 of their artists. who received the The Society will be featuring an Centre’s first award Endangered Australian Wildlife class at for Volunteering this year’s Rosewood Show (28-29 June). Excellence. Luis has done an amazing job Spicers Hidden Vale Retreat is sponsoring establishing the Hidden prizes in the Fine Arts Classes 2 & 4. Vale Herbarium. He The winning entries will be exhibited has a Certificate III in in the Wildlife Centre after Conservation and Land the Show.