RESEARCH ARTICLE Can remote infrared cameras be used to differentiate small, sympatric mammal species? A case study of the black-tailed dusky antechinus, Antechinus arktos and co- occurring small mammals in southeast Queensland, Australia a1111111111 a1111111111 Emma L. Gray1*, Todd E. Dennis2, Andrew M. Baker1 a1111111111 a1111111111 1 School of Earth, Environmental and Biological Sciences, Science and Engineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Qld, Australia, 2 School of Biological Sciences, Science Faculty, a1111111111 University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand *
[email protected] OPEN ACCESS Abstract Citation: Gray EL, Dennis TE, Baker AM (2017) Can remote infrared cameras be used to differentiate The black-tailed dusky antechinus (Antechinus arktos) is an endangered, small carnivorous small, sympatric mammal species? A case study of marsupial endemic to Australia, which occurs at low population density along with abundant the black-tailed dusky antechinus, Antechinus sympatric populations of other small mammals: Antechinus stuartii, Rattus fuscipes and arktos and co-occurring small mammals in southeast Queensland, Australia. PLoS ONE 12(8): Melomys cervinipes. Using A. arktos as a model species, we aimed to evaluate the effec- e0181592. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal. tiveness of infrared digital camera traps for detecting and differentiating small mammals and pone.0181592 to comment on the broad applicability of this methodology. We also sought to understand Editor: Mathew S. Crowther, University of Sydney, how the detection probabilities of our target species varied over time and characterize their AUSTRALIA activity patterns. We installed 11 infrared cameras at one of only three known sites where A. Received: April 13, 2017 arktos occurs for five consecutive deployments.