Heading for greener pastures? Defining the foraging preferences of urban long-nosed bandicoots
Nelika K. Hughes A B D and Peter B. Banks A C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia.
B Current address: Australian Wildlife Conservancy, 33 Scenic Drive, Manly, NSW 2095, Australia.
C Current address: School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
D Corresponding author. Email: nelika@unsw.edu.au
Australian Journal of Zoology 58(6) 341-349 https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO10051
Submitted: 25 July 2010 Accepted: 9 January 2011 Published: 14 February 2011
Abstract
The impact of urbanisation is delayed for many species, as populations that manage to survive the initial loss of habitat gradually decline throughout the urban–bushland mosaic. Yet many species’ chances of persistence within urban areas can be increased through relatively simple management techniques, and an understanding of how remnant populations use the interface between urban and natural landscapes is therefore crucial to their long-term management. Here we examine the habitat preferences of a semi-urban population of long-nosed bandicoots (Perameles nasuta) that inhabits a matrix of urban open lawn and dense native heath macrohabitats. We radio-tracked animals in these two distinct macrohabitats and compared the microhabitat features between core and peripheral areas of home ranges. Core and peripheral areas did not differ in their characteristics for either macrohabitat; however, individuals showed a high level of fidelity to distinct foraging patches. We then related microhabitat features to an index of foraging activity using generalised linear modelling and found that diggings were more abundant in areas with moist, soft soils close to cover. Soil softness and moisture were experimentally increased via artificial watering on selected sites. After only 10 days there were significantly more diggings on watered than non-watered sites. Thus, bandicoots appear to be a matrix-sensitive species, using some open grass areas of the matrix but requiring the vegetation cover of remnant bush. We suggest, however, that artificial watering and additional cover may be one way to increase foraging opportunities to make this, and other semi-urban, populations matrix-occupying, and thus facilitate bandicoot persistence in the urban mosaic.
Additional keywords: bandicoot, foraging preferences, microhabitat selection, Perameles nasuta, radiotelemetry, urban wildlife.
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