Register      Login
Wildlife Research Wildlife Research Society
Ecology, management and conservation in natural and modified habitats
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > WR > WR04111
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 32(8)

Mortality and survivorship of the quokka (Setonix brachyurus) (Macropodidae : Marsupialia) in the northern jarrah forest of Western Australia

Matt W. Hayward A B C D E , Paul J. de Tores B , Michael L. Augee A and Peter B. Banks A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.

B Department of Conservation and Land Management, Wildlife Research Centre, PO Box 51, Wanneroo, WA 6946, Australia.

C Department of Conservation and Land Management, Dwellingup Research Centre, Banksiadale Road, Dwellingup, WA 6213, Australia.

D Present address: Terrestrial Ecology Research Unit, Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, PO Box 77000, Port Elizabeth 6031, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa.

E Corresponding author. Email: hayers111@aol.com

Wildlife Research 32(8) 715-722 https://doi.org/10.1071/WR04111
Submitted: 8 November 2004  Accepted: 12 October 2005   Published: 20 December 2005

Abstract

The potential for the quokka (Setonix brachyurus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1830)), a threatened macropodid marsupial, to increase in abundance following the initiation of predator control was investigated by determining the cause of deaths of radio-collared individuals. Predation was identified as a major cause of death followed by road kills. The non-parametric Kaplan–Meier method modified for staggered entry of individuals was used to estimate survivorship. Although males and females were affected differently by each cause of mortality, their overall survivorship did not differ significantly. Individuals alive at the beginning of the 25-month study had a 61% chance of surviving to the end. This represented an 81% chance of surviving for 1 year. There was no significant difference in survivorship between adults and juveniles. Current rates of adult and juvenile survivorship should allow population recovery, although none has been evident. Pouch young mortality is hypothesised to have inhibited the anticipated quokka population increase since the initiation of predator control. The observed expulsion of pouch young by females when threatened may be a primary predator avoidance strategy.


Acknowledgments

This project was funded by the Western Australian Department of Conservation and Land Management and additional funds for fox baiting were provided by Alcoa World Alumina Australia Ltd. Approval for the project was provided by CALMScience Ethics Committee Approval Number CAEC 1/97 and trapping permits SF002928 and subsequent renewals. MWH thanks the Museum of Western Australia for providing access to their collection records, as well as numerous friends, family and volunteers who assisted in the field, notably Phil, Joan, Miffy and Mary Hayward, Doug Kimber, Anna Sherriff, Beth MacArthur, Kathy Himbeck, Marika Maxwell, Nick Valentine, Wazza Saunders and Darren Stephen. This paper has been improved by the reviews of Joan Hayward, Jenny Taylor, Elizabeth Jefferys, Barry Fox, Ian Abbott, Nicky Marlow, Gina Dawson and two anonymous reviewers.


References

AAP (1998). Youth charged for ‘quokka soccer’. The Newcastle Herald. p. 3, 08/12/1998.

Alacs E. (2001). Conservation genetics of the quokka, Setonix brachyurus. Ph.D. Thesis, Murdoch University.

Archer, M. , and Baynes, A. (1972). Prehistoric mammal faunas from two small caves in the extreme south-west of Western Australia. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 55, 80–90.
Banks P. B. (1997). Predator–prey interactions between foxes, rabbits and native mammals of the Australian Alps. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Sydney.

Burnet S. M. (1970). ‘Changing Patterns: an Atypical Autobiography.’ (Sun Books: Melbourne.)

Clevenger, A. P. , and Waltho, N. (2000). Factors influencing the effectiveness of wildlife underpasses in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. Conservation Biology 14, 47–56.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Collins L. R. (1973). ‘Monotremes and Marsupials – a Reference for Zoological Institutions.’ (Smithsonian Institution Press: Washington, DC.)

Cook, D. L. (1960). Some mammal remains found in caves near Margaret River. Western Australian Naturalist 7, 107–108.
de Tores P. J. (1994). Fox control manual – operational guidelines for control of the red fox, Vulpes vulpes, through the use of sodium monofluoroacetate or ‘1080’ on CALM managed estate and in other CALM programs. Western Australian Department of Conservation and Land Management, Perth.

de Tores P. J. (1999). Control and ecology of the red fox in Western Australia – prey response to 1080 baiting over large areas. CALMScience, Wildlife Research Centre, Department of Conservation and Land Management, Wanneroo, Western Australia.

Etienne, R. S. , and Heesterbeek, J. A. P. (2001). Rules of thumb for conservation of metapopulations based on a stochastic winking-patch model. American Naturalist 158, 389–407.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Gould J. (1863). ‘The Mammals of Australia.’ (Privately published: London.)

Harrison, S. (1991). Local extinction in a metapopulation context: an empirical evaluation. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 42, 73–88.
Hayward M. W. (2002). The ecology of the quokka (Setonix brachyurus) (Macropodidae: Marsupialia) in the northern jarrah forest of Australia. Ph.D. Thesis, Biological, Earth and Environmental Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney. http://www.library.unsw.edu.au/~thesis/adt-NUN/public/adt-NUN20030325.154836/index.html.

Hayward, M. W. (2005). Diet of the quokka (Setonix brachyurus) (Macropodidae: Marsupialia) in the northern jarrah forest of Western Australia. Wildlife Research 32, 15–22.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Kendall W. L., and Pollock K. H. (1992). The robust design in capture–recapture studies: a review and evaluation by Monte Carlo simulation. In ‘Wildlife 2001: Populations’. (Eds C. McCulloch and R. H. Barret.) pp. 31–72. (Noyes Publishing: New Jersey.)

Main, A. R. (1959). Rottnest Island: the Rottnest Biological Station and recent scientific research. Rottnest Island as a location for biological studies. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 42, 66–67.
Maxwell S., Burbidge A. A., and Morris K. D. (1996). ‘The Action Plan for Australian Monotremes and Marsupials.’ (Wildlife Australia: Canberra.)

Owen-Smith, N. (1993). Comparative mortality rates of male and female kudus: the costs of sexual size dimorphism. Journal of Animal Ecology 62, 428–440.
Squires N. (2003). Rare marsupials kicked to death in ‘quokka soccer’. The Telegraph. p. 3, 15/01/2003.

Stewart, D. W. R. (1936). Notes on marsupial damage in pine plantations. Australian Journal of Forestry 1, 41–44.
Thackway R. M., and Cresswell I. D. (1995). ‘An Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia: a Framework for Setting Priorities in the National Reserves System Cooperative Program.’ (Australian Nature Conservation Agency: Canberra.)

Twigg, L. E. , Eldridge, S. R. , Edwards, G. P. , Shakeshaft, B. J. , dePreu, N. D. , and Adams, N. (2000). The longevity and efficacy of 1080 meat baits used for dingo control in central Australia. Wildlife Research 27, 473–481.
Zar J. H. (1996). ‘Biostatistical Analysis.’ (Prentice-Hall Inc.: Upper Saddle River, NJ.)