Spatial and Temporal Use of Habitat by the Red-necked Pademelon, Thylogale thetis (Marsupialia : Macropodidae)

Abstract

Use of habitat by 10 red-necked pademelons was studied by radio-tracking in an area of rain forest that adjoined pasture. They consistently moved at nightfall to pasture, where they grazed until their return to the rain forest shortly before daybreak. The time of movement between habitats was highly predictable and varied seasonally with changes in daylength. Nocturnal and diurnal range areas are described within the total area occupied by each individual. They rarely moved from the forest edge more than 70 m onto pasture or 500 m into rain forest. Animals were not nocturnal and travelled widely through the rain forest by day, seeking food and sites for basking. The nocturnal and diurnal partitioning of habitat is seen as a strategy for exploiting the rich food resource of pasture while maximizing the probability of avoiding predators.