Going to ground: implications of ground use for the conservation of an arboreal marsupial
Bronte E. Van Helden A C , Paul G. Close A , Barbara A. Stewart A , Peter C. Speldewinde A and Sarah J. Comer A B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A School of Agriculture and Environment, Faculty of Science, The University of Western Australia, Albany, WA 6330, Australia.
B Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, South Coast Region, WA 6330, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: bronte.vanhelden@research.uwa.edu.au
Australian Mammalogy 42(1) 106-109 https://doi.org/10.1071/AM18053
Submitted: 10 December 2018 Accepted: 2 March 2019 Published: 18 April 2019
Abstract
On the basis of previous observations, the critically endangered western ringtail possum (Pseudocheirus occidentalis) has been described as strictly arboreal. Using motion-sensing cameras placed in bushland remnants and residential gardens, we demonstrate that the species uses the ground during its nocturnally active period. To acknowledge that ground use may make the species more susceptible to terrestrial predators than previously thought, we propose that the species should not be described as ‘strictly’ arboreal.
Additional keywords: behaviour, habitat use, Pseudocheiridae, threatened species.
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