
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Viggers, K. L. 
A1  - Lindenmayer, D. B. 
T1  - A population study of the mountain brushtail possum (<emph type="2">Trichosurus caninus</emph>) in the central highlands of Victoria
JF  - Australian Journal of Zoology
JO  - Aust. J. Zool.
Y1  - 2000
VL  - 48
IS  - 2
SP  - 201
EP  - 216
KW  - 
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO99040 
N2  - Life-history attributes are described for the mountain brushtail possum (Trichosurus caninus) in mountain ash (Eucalyptus regnans) forest at Cambarville in the central highlands of Victoria, south-eastern Australia. The population was trapped on a regular basis between 1992 and 1995. Population density of T. caninus at Cambarville was high (2.3 animals ha&#8211;1). The adult sex ratio was female-biased (1.4 : 1) and the age class structure differed between sexes. There were more adult females than males in very old age classes (those animals assigned to Age Classes 7&#8211;9 and exceeding an estimated 10 years of age), whereas there were more males in the young adult cohorts (Age Classes 3 and 4). The breeding season was restricted to March&#8211;April, when a single young was produced. A second young was not produced if the first was lost. The survival of young from birth to emergence from the pouch showed strong between-year variation (30&#8211;80%). Sex ratios at birth were strongly male-biased (average = 2.6 : 1) but female young were far more likely to survive to advanced back-young stage. Breeding success of females at Cambarville was not influenced by the presence of semi-independent young from a previous year remaining in the natal territory. There was some evidence of senescence in breeding success among females in older age cohorts (Age Classes 7&#8211;9) and these animals did not successfully rear young. Many animals were trapped repeatedly at the same place, whereas others ranged over a much wider area (up to 3 ha). There was also considerable overlap between individuals in the spatial location of the areas where they were trapped. 
ER  -

