The temporal characteristics of feeding activity in free-ranging tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii Desmarest)

Abstract

The feeding behaviour of four tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii Desmarest) inhabiting a bush pasture ecotone in the Rotorua district of North Island, New Zealand, is described. Feeding activity, monitored by feeding sounds, was crepuscular. Mastication effort, as daily eating time corrected for metabolic body weight and weight-related change in tooth surface area, was similar to that of the red kangaroo, a species of greater equivalent dry-matter intake. Grazing events were significantly longer than browsing events, and feeding events longer than 100 sec comprised 66.5% of total feeding activity. Grazing on farm pasture took place only at night during fine weather in visits that averaged 6.5 h. The number of feeding events longer than 100 sec taking place within the forest were significantly increased at night and were reduced during periods of adverse weather. Overall, temporal spacing of feeding events did not differ significantly by day and night but there was a significant overall negative correlation between log-converted feeding-event duration and interfeed intervals for all animals, particularly with feed events of less than 100 sec duration. This differed from that obtained in laboratory studies and may be due to grouping of feeding events according to spatial distribution of food sources.