The influence of lures and relative opportunity for capture on catches of brushtail possums, Trichosurus vulpecula

Abstract

Three experiments were made to increase catches of brushtail possums during a live-trapping study. The study population had a significant excess of females, but they were less trappablethan males. The use of a lure increased the totalnumber of possum catches, but neither a single lurenor daily changes of lure increased the proportionof the population captured each month. There wasno difference in catching efficiency between two different types of live-catch trap, but one had muchless bait removal and rodent interference. Increasing trap density by one-third increased numbers ofpossum captures, but only in proportion to thenumber of extra traps, and did not increase themonthly proportion of the population captured.There was evidence of competition for traps, particularly among males. Trap success was greatlyreduced by rainfall; rain, however, had the samerelative impact on traps set with plain bait or withbait and lure. The experimental manipulations allapparently affected recapture rates, and not probabilities of initial capture. Further study of behavioural responses towards traps is needed. © 1987 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.