DOCSLIB.ORG

Reaveley Mammal Fauna of the GSS FINAL

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Reaveley Mammal Fauna of the GSS FINAL MAMMAL FAUNA OF THE GNANGARA SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY STUDY AREA Alice Reaveley Department of Environment and Conservation March 2009 Mammal Fauna of the Gnangara Sustainability Strategy Study Area Alice Reaveley Department of Environment and Conservation Government of Western Australia Department of Environment and Conservation Gnangara Sustainability Strategy Taskforce Department of Water 168 St Georges Terrace Perth Western Australia 6000 Telephone +61 8 6364 7600 Facsimile +61 8 6364 7601 www.gnangara.water.wa.gov.au © Government of Western Australia 2008 March 2009 This work is copyright. You may download, display, print and reproduce this material in unaltered form only (retaining this notice) for your personal, non-commercial use or use within your organisation. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968 , all other rights are reserved. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to the Department of Conservation and Environment. This document has been commissioned/produced as part of the Gnangara Sustainability Strategy (GSS). The GSS is a State Government initiative which aims to provide a framework for a whole of government approach to address land use and water planning issues associated with the Gnangara groundwater system. For more information go to www.gnangara.water.wa.gov.au Gnangara Sustainability Strategy Contents Mammal Fauna of the Gnangara Sustainability Strategy Study Area.................................. 1 Executive Summary.............................................................................................................. 3 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 4 Historical Surveys ........................................................................................................... 5 Foundation Survey in Recent Times ............................................................................... 5 Other key surveys on the NSCP in recent times.............................................................. 7 Extant Mammal Fauna on the GSS ...................................................................................... 9 Species’ distribution, habitat preferences, changes over time and threats ......................... 10 Macropus fuliginosus, Western grey kangaroo............................................................. 10 Macropus irma, Western brush wallaby or black-gloved wallaby................................ 10 Tarsipes rostratus, noolbenger or honey possum .......................................................... 11 Isoodon obesulus, quenda or Southern brown bandicoot.............................................. 12 Rattus fuscipes, mootit or bush rat ................................................................................ 12 Hydromys chrysogaster, rakali or water rat .................................................................. 13 Tachyglossus aculeatus, echidna ................................................................................... 14 Trichosurus vulpecula, Common brushtail possum ...................................................... 14 Dasyurus geoffroii, chuditch or Western quoll ............................................................. 15 Cercartetus concinnus, mundarda or Western pygmy possum...................................... 15 Pseudomys albocinereus, noodji or ash-grey mouse..................................................... 16 Sminthopsis griseoventer, grey-bellied dunnart............................................................ 17 Bats ................................................................................................................................ 17 Threatened Taxa ................................................................................................................. 18 Extinctions and Threatening Processes .............................................................................. 19 Mammal Response to Habitat Loss/Fragmentation due to Urbanisation...................... 19 Mammal Response to Fire............................................................................................. 20 Mammal Response to Predation.................................................................................... 23 Mammal Response to Decline in Wetlands, Rainfall and Groundwater Levels ........... 25 Mammal Response to Phytophthora cinnamomi........................................................... 26 Mammal Response to Disease....................................................................................... 28 Mammal Response to Introduced Herbivores and Rodents .......................................... 29 Regional Context................................................................................................................ 30 Summary............................................................................................................................. 31 Management Recommendations for remaining native mammal species in the GSS study area....................................................................................................................... 32 Appendix ............................................................................................................................ 33 References .......................................................................................................................... 39 Mammal Fauna of the GSS 1 Gnangara Sustainability Strategy Tables Table 1. Results from the 1977-1978 survey of the Northern Swan Coastal Plain by Kitchener et al. (1978) for the Western Australian Museum .............................6 Table 2 Native mammal species (excluding bats) and introduced mammals recorded from the GSS study area (1990-2008)..................................................... 9 Appendices Appendix 1: Occurrence of mammal species on the Northern Swan Coastal Plain and the broad periods of time in which they have been recorded. ........................33 Appendix 2 Current threatening processes presumed to affect extant mammal species in the GSS study area................................................................................36 Mammal Fauna of the GSS 2 Gnangara Sustainability Strategy Executive Summary In total, 33 native mammal species and 9 introduced mammal species have been recorded from the Northern Swan Coastal Plain (NSCP) of Western Australia since settlement of the Swan River Colony in 1829. By the 1970’s, over half of the 33 native mammal species that historically occurred across the NSCP were locally extinct, and all species had declined in distribution and abundance since they were first recorded by the early surveyors (Kitchener et al. 1978). Following a comprehensive fauna survey of the NSCP by the WA Museum in 1977-78, twelve of the original 33 native mammal species, which includes 9 non-volant and 3 bat species, could still be confirmed as persisting. Today, in 2008, ten non-bat mammal species are still reliably recorded as occurring in the Gnangara Sustainability Strategy (GSS) Study Area, which covers a large proportion of the NSCP. The reasons for mammal decline are many and varied. No single attribute can be blamed for their downfall, with a more likely scenario being a combination of factors, some of which commenced before the arrival of the first settlers (Abbott 2008), but most of which were an interaction of threatening processes initiated by the land clearing to establish the Swan Colony. Interestingly, the decline and disappearance of mammals from the NSCP contrasts with other vertebrate assemblages in the same area, such as the reptiles, which have remained relatively intact in the face of cumulative threatening processes (Storr et al. 1978). Mammal Fauna of the GSS 3 Gnangara Sustainability Strategy Introduction The Northern Swan Coastal Plain (NSCP) refers to the area north of the Swan River and south of Moore River. The Indian Ocean forms the western boundary and the Darling Scarp forms the eastern boundary. Within this NSCP, the Gnangara Sustainability Strategy (GSS) study area covers a large proportion of the NSCP, approximately 2,200 km 2, with Gingin Brook as the northern limit and Ellen Brook as the eastern limit. The following review refers to the NSCP rather than the GSS study area as the comparative list of fauna surveys have taken place both within and just outside of the GSS study area. The NSCP experiences a Mediterranean climate with a hot dry summer extending from October to April and a mild wet winter from May to September (Seddon 1972). The landform units of the NSCP include the broad geomorphological systems of the Quindalup, Spearwood and Bassendean dunes with the youngest in the west and the oldest in the east. Landforms with heavier soils, such as the Pinjarra Plain and Yanga are present to lesser degrees in the east and south east. Most fauna studies have concentrated on the Quindalup, Spearwood and Bassendean dune systems. Vegetation complexes on the NSCP include Banksia woodland, proteaceous heathland, coastal scrub, Jarrah ( Eucalyptus marginata ) forest, Tuart ( Eucalyptus gomphocephala ) forest, and Melaleuca spp./Eucalyptus rudis wetlands and damplands. Historical records indicate the mammal assemblage of the GSS study area was species rich, consisting of approximately 33 species (Kitchener et al. 1978). However, more recent survey suggests that mammals have suffered a high extinction rate, with relatively few species
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Reptile-Like Physiology in Early Jurassic Stem-Mammals
    bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/785360; this version posted October 10, 2019. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission. Title: Reptile-like physiology in Early Jurassic stem-mammals Authors: Elis Newham1*, Pamela G. Gill2,3*, Philippa Brewer3, Michael J. Benton2, Vincent Fernandez4,5, Neil J. Gostling6, David Haberthür7, Jukka Jernvall8, Tuomas Kankanpää9, Aki 5 Kallonen10, Charles Navarro2, Alexandra Pacureanu5, Berit Zeller-Plumhoff11, Kelly Richards12, Kate Robson-Brown13, Philipp Schneider14, Heikki Suhonen10, Paul Tafforeau5, Katherine Williams14, & Ian J. Corfe8*. Affiliations: 10 1School of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK. 2School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK. 3Earth Science Department, The Natural History Museum, London, UK. 4Core Research Laboratories, The Natural History Museum, London, UK. 5European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble, France. 15 6School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK. 7Institute of Anatomy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. 8Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. 9Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. 10Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. 20 11Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Zentrum für Material-und Küstenforschung GmbH Germany. 12Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Oxford, OX1 3PW, UK. 1 bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/785360; this version posted October 10, 2019. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission. 13Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK. 14Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
    [Show full text]
  • Can Kangaroos Survive in the Wheatbelt?
    Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4 Volume 31 Number 1 1990 Article 4 1-1-1990 Can kangaroos survive in the wheatbelt? Graham Arnold Follow this and additional works at: https://researchlibrary.agric.wa.gov.au/journal_agriculture4 Part of the Biodiversity Commons, Environmental Monitoring Commons, and the Other Animal Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Arnold, Graham (1990) "Can kangaroos survive in the wheatbelt?," Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4: Vol. 31 : No. 1 , Article 4. Available at: https://researchlibrary.agric.wa.gov.au/journal_agriculture4/vol31/iss1/4 This article is brought to you for free and open access by Research Library. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4 by an authorized administrator of Research Library. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Can kangaroos survive in the wheaibelt? mm mmmm By Graham Arnold, Senior Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO Division of Wildlife and Ecology, Helena Valley One of the costs of agricultural development in Western Australia over the past 100 years has been the loss of most of the native vegetation and, consequently, massive reductions in the numbers of most of our native fauna. Thirteen mammal species are extinct and many bird and mammal species are extinct in some areas. These losses will increase as remnant native vegetation degrades under the impact of nutrients washed and blown from farmland, from the invasion by Western grey kangaroo grazing weeds and from grazing sheep. on pasture in the early morning. Even kangaroos are affected.
    [Show full text]
  • Encouraging Possums
    Encouraging Possums Keywords: possums, mammals, habitat, management, nest boxes Location: southwest Author: Emma Bramwell Possums are delightful and appealing creatures, with THE SEVEN SPECIES their soft downy fur and large innocent eyes. Some may be as small as a mouse while others are the size of a domestic • Honeypossum Tarsipes rostratus cat. The honey possum is the smallest of the Western The western ringtail and common brushtail possums are Australian possums, and is endemic to (occurring only in) two of the most commonly seen native animals around urban the lower southwest, in heaths with a rich diversity of areas in the southwest of Western Australia. The common nectar-producing plants. brushtail possum in particular has adapted to urban Mainly nocturnal, the honey possum sleeps during the development, and readily takes up residence in human day in hollow stems or abandoned bird nests, emerging at dwellings. With careful planning and management, people night to feed on the nectar and pollen that exclusively make can live harmoniously with these creatures and enjoy the up its diet, probing flowers with its long, pointed snout and close proximity of wildlife. brush-tipped tongue. In colder weather the honey possum becomes torpid (semi-hibernates). The honey possum has no obvious breeding season. WHAT IS A POSSUM? Most young are produced when pollen and nectar are most abundant, and females usually raise two or three young at a A number of small to medium-sized, tree-climbing time. Australian marsupial species have been given the common Provided large areas of habitat are retained, the honey name of possum.
    [Show full text]
  • Local Population Structure of a Naturally Occurring Metapopulation of the Quokka (Setonix Brachyurus Macropodidae: Marsupialia)
    Biological Conservation 110 (2003) 343–355 www.elsevier.com/locate/biocon Local population structure of a naturally occurring metapopulation of the quokka (Setonix brachyurus Macropodidae: Marsupialia) Matt W. Haywarda,b,c,*, Paul J. de Toresb,c, Michael J. Dillonc, Barry J. Foxa aSchool of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia bDepartment of Conservation and Land Management, Wildlife Research Centre, PO Box 51 Wanneroo, WA6946, Australia cDepartment of Conservation and Land Management, Dwellingup Research Centre, Banksiadale Road, Dwellingup, WA6213, Australia Received 8 May 2002; received in revised form 18 July 2002; accepted 22 July 2002 Abstract We investigated the population structure of the quokka (Setonix brachyurus) on the mainland of Western Australia using mark– recapture techniques. Seven previously known local populations and one unconfirmed site supporting the preferred, patchy and discrete, swampy habitat of the quokka were trapped. The quokka is now considered as locally extinct at three sites. The five remaining sites had extremely low numbers, ranging from 1 to 36 individuals. Population density at these sites ranged from 0.07 to 4.3 individuals per hectare. There has been no response to the on-going, 6 year fox control programme occurring in the region despite the quokkas’ high fecundity and this is due to low recruitment levels. The remaining quokka populations in the northern jarrah forest appear to be the terminal remnants of a collapsing metapopulation. # 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Population structure; Predation; Reproduction; Setonix brachyurus; Vulnerable 1. Introduction The Rottnest Island quokka population fluctuates around 5000 with peaks of 10,000 individuals (Waring, The quokka (Setonix brachyurus Quoy & Gaimard 1956).
    [Show full text]
  • Breeding Patterns for Western Brush Wallaby (Notamacropus Irma) in the Southern Jarrah Forest
    Breeding patterns for western brush wallaby (Notamacropus irma) in the southern jarrah forest. Wayne, A.F., Read, E., Maxwell, M.A., Ward, C.G. Biodiversity and Conservation Science Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions Brain Street Manjimup, 6258, Western Australia February 2021 Introduction The western brush wallaby (Notamacropus irma) is a medium-sized macropod endemic to south-western Australia. At 7 - 10 kg (Morris and Christensen 2008), it is listed as least concern under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Woinarski and Burbidge 2016), but it is listed as a priority four species at the State level by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCDBCA (Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions)21) . It occurs in a wide range of habitats including open forest and woodland (Woinarski and Burbidge 2014). The western brush wallaby is unusual amongst macropods, being generally solitary except during breeding (Algar 1986; Bamford and Bamford 1999; Christensen 1995). Relatively little is known about the Western Brush Wallaby given its cryptic habit and the difficulties experienced in capturing individuals using conventional trapping techniques. In particular, there is little information available on reproduction for the species (Woinarski et al. 2014). While the gestation period for western brush wallaby is not known to us, we estimate it to be about 30 days given the gestation period of the sympatric large macropods Tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii, 29.3 days) and western grey kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus, 30.6 days) and the average for Macropodidae being about 32 days (Hume et al. 1989). Pouch life in the Macropodidae varies greatly between species but is typically 150 – 320 days and the juveniles of larger kangaroo species may spend many months getting in and out of the pouch (Hume et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Platypus Collins, L.R
    AUSTRALIAN MAMMALS BIOLOGY AND CAPTIVE MANAGEMENT Stephen Jackson © CSIRO 2003 All rights reserved. Except under the conditions described in the Australian Copyright Act 1968 and subsequent amendments, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, duplicating or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Contact CSIRO PUBLISHING for all permission requests. National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry Jackson, Stephen M. Australian mammals: Biology and captive management Bibliography. ISBN 0 643 06635 7. 1. Mammals – Australia. 2. Captive mammals. I. Title. 599.0994 Available from CSIRO PUBLISHING 150 Oxford Street (PO Box 1139) Collingwood VIC 3066 Australia Telephone: +61 3 9662 7666 Local call: 1300 788 000 (Australia only) Fax: +61 3 9662 7555 Email: [email protected] Web site: www.publish.csiro.au Cover photos courtesy Stephen Jackson, Esther Beaton and Nick Alexander Set in Minion and Optima Cover and text design by James Kelly Typeset by Desktop Concepts Pty Ltd Printed in Australia by Ligare REFERENCES reserved. Chapter 1 – Platypus Collins, L.R. (1973) Monotremes and Marsupials: A Reference for Zoological Institutions. Smithsonian Institution Press, rights Austin, M.A. (1997) A Practical Guide to the Successful Washington. All Handrearing of Tasmanian Marsupials. Regal Publications, Collins, G.H., Whittington, R.J. & Canfield, P.J. (1986) Melbourne. Theileria ornithorhynchi Mackerras, 1959 in the platypus, 2003. Beaven, M. (1997) Hand rearing of a juvenile platypus. Ornithorhynchus anatinus (Shaw). Journal of Wildlife Proceedings of the ASZK/ARAZPA Conference. 16–20 March.
    [Show full text]
  • Post-Release Monitoring of Western Grey Kangaroos (Macropus Fuliginosus) Relocated from an Urban Development Site
    animals Article Post-Release Monitoring of Western Grey Kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus) Relocated from an Urban Development Site Mark Cowan 1,* , Mark Blythman 1, John Angus 1 and Lesley Gibson 2 1 Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Wildlife Research Centre, Woodvale, WA 6026, Australia; [email protected] (M.B.); [email protected] (J.A.) 2 Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Kensington, WA 6151, Australia; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +61-8-9405-5141 Received: 31 August 2020; Accepted: 5 October 2020; Published: 19 October 2020 Simple Summary: As a result of urban development, 122 western grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus) were relocated from the outskirts of Perth, Western Australia, to a nearby forest. Tracking collars were fitted to 67 of the kangaroos to monitor survival rates and movement patterns over 12 months. Spotlighting and camera traps were used as a secondary monitoring technique particularly for those kangaroos without collars. The survival rate of kangaroos was poor, with an estimated 80% dying within the first month following relocation and only six collared kangaroos surviving for up to 12 months. This result implicates stress associated with the capture, handling, and transport of animals as the likely cause. The unexpected rapid rate of mortality emphasises the importance of minimising stress when undertaking animal relocations. Abstract: The expansion of urban areas and associated clearing of habitat can have severe consequences for native wildlife. One option for managing wildlife in these situations is to relocate them.
    [Show full text]
  • Cercartetus Concinnus Western Pygmy-Possum
    MAMMAL Cercartetus concinnus Western Pygmy-possum AUS SA AMLR Endemism Residency Adelaide region.7 - - V - Resident Post-1983 AMLR filtered records confined to Cleland CP, Cox Scrub CP, Scott CP, Mount Billy CP, Mount Magnificent CP, and vegetation blocks under Heritage Agreement around Inman Valley and Newland Head CP.3 One pre-1983 AMLR filtered record, near Inman Valley.3 Also recorded from near Mount Barker (1957) and Reynella (1945).1 Habitat Found in mallee heath and dry sclerophyll forest, especially where there is an undergrowth of shrubs such as Banksias, Grevilleas, Callistemons and Melaleucas. In mallee and woodland restricted to shrubby areas.1,6 Photo: © Julia Bignall Conservation Significance Mainly arboreal and nocturnal (Smith 1995). During the The AMLR distribution is disjunct, isolated from other day rests in hollows or among the leaves of 2 extant occurrences within SA. Within the AMLR the Xanthorrhoea spp. (Smith 1995). species’ relative area of occupancy is classified as ‘Extremely Restricted’. Relative to all AMLR extant Within the AMLR the preferred broad vegetation 3 species, the species' taxonomic uniqueness is groups are Mallee and Heathy Woodland. classified as ‘Very High’.3 Biology and Ecology Description Young are born in most months. Some reproductively Small nocturnal marsupial, fawn or reddish-brown active males are probably present at all times of the above, white below and a finely-scaled, naked tail.6 year. Females can rear two or three litters in close 8 Adults on average weigh 13 g. Adapted for climbing succession. and forages at night both on the ground and in shrubs and trees (Smith 1995).
    [Show full text]
  • Flora and Vegetation Values Of
    FLORA, VEGETATION AND FAUNA ASSESSMENT OF THE FLAT ROCKS WIND FARM SURVEY AREA Prepared for: Moonies Hill Energy Prepared by: Mattiske Consulting Pty Ltd November 2010 Mattiske Consulting Pty Ltd MHE1001/113/2010 MATTISKE CONSULTING PTY LTD TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1. SUMMARY .............................................................................................................................................. 1 2. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................... 2 2.1 Climate .................................................................................................................................................. 2 2.2 Regional Vegetation .............................................................................................................................. 3 2.3 Clearing of Native Vegetation ............................................................................................................... 3 2.4 Rare and Priority Flora .......................................................................................................................... 4 2.5 Declared Plant Species .......................................................................................................................... 4 2.6 Threatened Ecological Communities (TECs) ........................................................................................ 5 2.7 Local and Regional Significance ..........................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Husbandry Guidelines for Feathertail Gliders
    Husbandry Guidelines for (Photo: Luke Hogan, 1996) Feathertail Gliders Acrobates frontalis & Acrobates pygmaeus (Mammalia: Acrobatidae) Date By From Version 2012 Tom Patterson WSI Richmond v 1 Husbandry Manual for the Feathertail Glider DISCLAIMER These husbandry guidelines were produced by the compiler/author at TAFE NSW Western Sydney Institute, Richmond College, N.S.W. Australia as part assessment for completion of Certificate III in Captive Animals, Course number 18913. Since the husbandry guidelines are the result of student project work, care should be taken in the interpretation of information therein. In effect, all care taken but no responsibility is assumed for any loss or damage that may result from the use of these guidelines. Care has been taken to acknowledge the correct ownership of work. Should It is offered to the ASZK Husbandry Manuals Register for the benefit of animal welfare and care. Husbandry guidelines are utility documents and are ‘works in progress’, so enhancements to these guidelines are invited. 2 Annual Cycle of Maintenance Breeding Torpor Exhibit Change Replace Scrub Replace Soil Decrease Pest Collect Scrub Leaf nesting Nest (if applicable) food Control Faecal (1) (2) Litter materials Boxes (Torpor) Samples January February March April May June July August September October November December Note: (1) Northern populations – most likely all Acrobates frontalis, (2) Southern populations – most likely all Acrobates pygmaeus. All maintenance cycle should be used as a guide only. These tasks are noted at a minimum, but should be done as required. Record keeping, weights, observations and environmental enrichment should occur all year round OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY RISKS OH&S hazards can include anything that may be seen as a potential risk to you as a keeper or a member of the public.
    [Show full text]
  • Aussie Animals Aussie Reptiles Photos & Prese
    S SSIE ANIMALS TION AU AUSSIE RE RESENTA PTILES PHOTOS & P KOALAS & PYTHONS QUOKKAS LIZARDS We are one of the few places in & KOALAS & CROCS Australia where you have the opportunity to HOLD a Koala for a The Quokka is a small macropod about the size of a domestic cat and it Australia is home to the world’s most amazing collection of lizards, great souvenir photo. For a small is found in Western Australia. Though they resemble rodents, Quokkas dragons and monitors. Camouflage is their key to survival, so take additional cost, you will have a are actually marsupials, like kangaroos and wallabies. your time and try to find them. memory to last a lifetime. Or for Everyone one loves a Koala! Whether they are eating, sleeping or just Crocodiles have been part of the Australian eco- something on the “scaly side”, have a looking adorable, they are Australia’s most loved animal. Over millions system for millions of years. Here you will find photo with a large python. (extra cost) of years, the Koala’s diet has evolved to one that is exclusively of Freshwater Crocodiles which are mainly found eucalyptus leaves. in inland river systems. The larger and more aggressive Saltwater or Estuarine Crocodile NOCTURNAL WALLABIES & WOMBATS found in coastal river systems, can be seen at Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures. WONDERS TOUR Did you know that Australia has over 70 2.00pm Join our Wildlife Keeper for species of macropods, ranging from the a short guided walk through the new tiny Musky Rat Kangaroo to the giant Red PIONEERING HISTORY Nocturnal Wonders exhibit learning Kangaroos seen in the Outback? Meet, pat Kuranda Koala Gardens is operated about Bilbies, possums and gliders.
    [Show full text]
  • An Assessment of the Non-Volant Mammal
    AN ASSESSMENT OF THE NON-VOLANT 1 MAMMAL FAUNA OF THE AREA BETWEEN DAWESVILLE AND BINNINGUP, SOUTHERN SWAN COASTAL PLAIN Western Grey Kangaroo – Photo: B Hyder Report prepared for: Environmental Protection Authority October 2009 Bridget Hyder and John Dell, Department of Environment and Conservation 1 This report only covers non-flying mammals; bats are included in a separate report (Bullen 2009) INTRODUCTION The Western Australia Museum (How 1978) documented the vertebrate and aquatic fauna of the northern Swan Coastal Plain between the Swan and Moore Rivers and evaluated the impact of the first 150 years of European settlement on the indigenous fauna. That study concluded that the impact of settlement had been most pronounced on the mammalian fauna. Reviewing all available data, How and Dell (1993) later stated that at the time of European settlement 16 species of non-volant (non-flying) native mammals were known from the Swan Coastal Plain and many of these species had subsequently decreased in abundance and distribution. The status of many of these species is continuing to decline as a direct result of vegetation clearing and some of these species are now absent from many parts of the Swan Coastal Plain where habitat loss and modification has been most severe. The Museum survey documented mammals of the northern Swan Coastal Plain. However, in comparison little information is currently available on the status of mammals on the southern Swan Coastal Plain. The purpose of this report is to examine the current status of non-volant mammals on that part of the southern Swan Coastal Plain from Dawesville to the Leschenault Estuary, hereafter called the Dawesville to Binningup study area.
    [Show full text]