Long-nosed potoroo (Potorous tridactylus) behaviour and handling times when foraging for buried truffles
Karl Vernes A C and Peter Jarman BA Ecosystem Management, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia.
B Honorary Research Associate, School of Zoology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tas. 7001, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: kvernes@une.edu.au
Australian Mammalogy 36(1) 128-130 https://doi.org/10.1071/AM13037
Submitted: 5 November 2013 Accepted: 22 January 2014 Published: 12 March 2014
Abstract
Truffles represent an important food resource for many small mammals, but because most mycophagous mammals are difficult to observe in the wild, behavioural observations of mammals handling and consuming truffles are almost non-existent. Using camera traps, we observed the behaviour of long-nosed potoroos (Potorous tridactylus) foraging for buried truffles, and recorded the rate at which truffles were excavated and consumed. Potoroos excavated buried truffles rapidly (2.4 ± 0.2 s) with synchronous drawing strokes of their forepaws, then gathered the excavated truffles with forepaws and/or mouth and cleaned away adherent debris before consuming the truffle. When potoroos were unsuccessful at recovering a truffle, they spent significantly more time digging (4.8 ± 0.6 s) before giving up. Potoroos were successful at recovering a truffle in 76% of digging attempts, and once they had located a cache of buried truffles, achieved a rate of recovery of ~2.4 truffles per minute.
Additional keywords: hypogeous, marsupial, mycophagy, potoroid, sporocarp, Tasmania.
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