Victorian Naturalist
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The Victorian Naturalist Volume 135 (3) June 2018 Published by The Field Naturalists Club of Victoria since 1884 Research Report (Malacostraca: Decapoda) of the Pilliga Scrub in northern Roger E, Laffan SW and Ramp R (2007) Habitat selection inland New South Wales. The Victorian Naturalist 128, by the Common Wombat (Vombatus ursinus) in a dis- 96–105. turbed environment: implications for the conservation of a Murphy MJ (2014) Roost caves of the Eastern Horseshoe ‘common’ species. Biological Conservation 137, 437–449. Bat Rhinolophus megaphyllus Gray, 1834 (Chiroptera: Rhi- Roger E, Laffan SW and Ramp R (2011) Road impacts a nolophidae) in the Pilliga forest in northern inland New tipping point for wildlife populations in threatened land- South Wales, Australia. Australian Zoologist 37, 117–126. scapes. Population Ecology 53, 215–227. Murphy MJ (2016) Survey of the reptiles and amphibians of Skerratt LF, Skerratt JHL, Banks S, Martin R and Handasyde Yarrigan National Park in the Pilliga forest of northern in- K (2004) Aspects of the ecology of common wombats land New South Wales. Australian Zoologist 38, 147–160. (Vombatus ursinus) at high density on pastoral land in Vic- Murphy MJ and Shea M (2013) Survey of the terrestrial and toria. Australian Journal of Zoology 52, 303–330. freshwater molluscan fauna of the Pilliga forest area in Triggs B (2009) Wombats (2nd edn) (CSIRO Publishing: northern inland New South Wales, Australia. Molluscan Collingwood) Research 33, 237–253. Turbill C and Ellis M (2006) Distribution and abundance of O’Connor L (2017) Are we in wombat territory? Coonamble the south-eastern form of the greater long-eared bat Nyct- Times, Wednesday 30 August 2017, p. 6. ophilus timoriensis. Australian Mammalogy 28, 1–6. Paull DC and Date EM (1999) Patterns of decline in the na- tive mammal fauna of the north-west slopes of New South Wales. Australian Zoologist 31, 210–224. Ramp D, Caldwell J, Edwards, KA, Warton D and Croft DB (2005). Modelling of wildlife fatality hotspots along the Received 18 January 2018; accepted 6 March 2018 Snowy Mountain Highway in New South Wales, Australia. Biological Conservation 126, 474–490. Distribution of the Australian Water-rat Hydromys chrysogaster in Victoria: findings from community-based sightings and live-trapping surveys Geoff Williams1 and Melody Serena1,2 1Australian Platypus Conservancy, PO Box 22, Wiseleigh, Victoria 3885 2Corresponding author Email: [email protected] Abstract The distribution of Australian Water-rats in Victoria was examined by analysing 1022 records obtained from 2000–2017 and data collected incidentally in Platypus live-trapping studies. Water-rats were sighted in all Victorian river basins apart from the Lake Corangamite basin (which is dominated by saline lakes) and the very dry Mallee and Millicent basins in far western Victoria. Sightings occurred in a wide variety of habitats, including rivers (26% of records), creeks (25%), coastal habitats and estuaries (19%), natural and man-made lakes and reservoirs (18.5%), wetlands and morasses (7%), irrigation channels (4%) and sites lacking substan- tial surface water in the immediate vicinity (0.5%). The mean (or average) frequency of Water-rat captures in the western half of Victoria was significantly greater than the corresponding combined values for Melbourne and eastern Victoria. Mean Water-rat capture frequency in and near Melbourne was also significantly greater than that in south-eastern Victoria. (The Victorian Naturalist 135 (3), 2018, 71–83) Keywords: amphibious mammal, Australian native rodent, Rakali, habitat use, mortality factors Introduction The Australian Water-rat or Rakali Hydromys (notably the floating water fernAzolla filicu- chrysogaster is the largest and arguably most loides) also can contribute to the diet (Wool- specialised Australian rodent in terms of its lard et al. 1978). In addition, Water-rats have tooth structure and other physical features been documented to feed opportunistically (Watts and Aslin 1981). Weighing as much as on terrestrial prey, such as House mice Mus 1275 grams (McNally 1960), Water-rats feed musculus during a mouse plague; cannibal- mainly in the water on fish, insects, crusta- ism also can occur (Woollard et al. 1978). ceans, waterbirds, molluscs and (to a lesser ex- The Water-rat’s ability to swim efficiently and tent) frogs and turtles; selected aquatic plants capture aquatic prey is facilitated by having Vol 135 (3) 2018 71 Research Report documented to travel 3.1 km along a stream channel in just 5.5 hours (Gardner and Serena 1995), and at least 3.0 km (though possibly 4.5 km) overnight across dry land to reach a man- made dam (Vernes 1998). In contrast to most Australian rodents, Water-rats are commonly visible during the day (Watts and Aslin 1981) and are relatively large with distinctively white-tipped tails. This means that opportunistic sightings of the species can be used as a cost-effective technique to help map where Water-rats occur. The main aim of this study was to summarise where Water-rat sightings were recorded in Fig. 1. A Water-rat or Rakali consuming food at Lake Victoria in the period from 2000–2017. This in- Wendouree. Photo Carolyn Hall. formation was then used to address the follow- ing questions: (1) Does the frequency of Water- an elongated, streamlined body with small rat sightings vary regionally across Victoria? external ears that can be flattened tightly against (2) How does regional variation in Water-rat the skull, broad hindfeet with partial webbing sightings compare with regional variation in between the toes, water-repellent fur, a thick Water-rat live-trapping captures? In addition, and well-furred tail, and a blunt, otter-like the types of habitat where Water-rats were ob- muzzle furnished with dense whiskers (Watts served and factors contributing to Water-rat and Aslin 1981) (Fig. 1). mortalities are described. Menkhorst (1995) reported that Water-rats are widespread in Victoria, occupying saline Methods environments (such as beaches in Port Phillip Records of sightings Bay) as well as rivers, creeks, irrigation chan- We recorded pertinent details (locality, date nels and natural and man-made lakes. Though and, in the case of carcasses, the cause of death the Water-rat is unable to thermoregulate effi- if this was evident) of 804 first-hand reports of ciently at water temperatures below 20o C (Fan- Water-rat sightings occurring in Victoria from ning and Dawson 1980), the species occurs 2000–2017 (including 247 sightings reported up to an altitude of at least 1500 m in Mount from 2000–2009 and 557 sightings reported Buffalo National Park. Menkhorst (1995) also from 2010–2017). The standard criteria forac - noted that Water-rats often occur at sites where cepting a sighting record normally consisted dense vegetative cover occurs at the water’s either of photographic evidence or confirma- edge in the form of thick grass, riparian scrub tion that the animal in question had a white- or reed beds. Similarly, results of live-trapping tipped tail and otherwise conformed to the and radio-tracking studies carried out in south- expected size, appearance and behaviour of a western Western Australia indicate that Water- Water-rat. In practice, less than 2% of all sub- rats are most likely to utilise habitats character- mitted sighting records (N = 12) were excluded ised by low-growing dense vegetation on water on the grounds that they were of question- banks (Speldewinde et al. 2013) or by stable able validity or involved a different species be- banks and substantial vegetation growing in ing seen (mainly either a smaller rat lacking a and near water (Smart et al. 2011). Studies in white-tipped tail or Common Ringtail Possum both Western Australia and Queensland have Pseudocheirus peregrinus). To augment sample concluded that Water-rats prefer to forage in size, 118 Water-rat records obtained in Victoria relatively shallow water bodies, less than about from 2000 to 2017 and held independently by 2 m deep (Harris 1978; Speldewinde et al. the Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) were also 2013). The species is appropriately character- included in the study (ALA website). We also ised as active and mobile: Water-rats have been confirmed that the ALA database contained all 72 The Victorian Naturalist Research Report Fig. 2. Victorian river basins as defined for the purposes of this study. The Murray River marks the north- ern border of Victoria from Basin E to Basin F inclusive. Basins = Campaspe (A), Loddon (B), Avoca (C), Wimmera-Avon (D), Mallee (E), Mitta Mitta (F), Kiewa (G), Ovens (H), Broken (I), Goulburn (J), Bunyip (K), Yarra (L), Maribyrnong (M), Werribee, including Little River (N), Moorabool (O), Barwon (P), Lake Co- rangamite (Q), Otway Coast (R), Hopkins (S), Portland Coast (T), Glenelg (U), Millicent (V), Far East Gipps- land (W), Snowy (X), Tambo (Y), Mitchell (Z), Thomson (AA), Latrobe (BB), and South Gippsland (CC). 1= Melbourne, 2 = Echuca, 3 = Port Phillip Bay. relevant records held by the Victorian Biodiver- Little Murray River) were grouped according sity Atlas as of 30 June 2017. to whether they occurred in or west of Echuca With three exceptions, the names and bound- (‘Murray West’) or east of Echuca (‘Murray aries of river basins used in the current analy- East’). Sightings recorded in the Gippsland sis are as defined by Department of Water Re- Lakes or other saline coastal localities (includ- sources Victoria (1989). The exceptions are: (1) ing Port Phillip Bay and Western Port) were the Murray