A survey of ground-dwelling mammals inhabiting forests of the southwestern slopes, New South Wales

Abstract

State Forests of the southwestern slopes of New South Wales were surveyed for ground-dwelling mammals utilizing hair traps (42 sites), small mammal traps (11 sites), nocturnal searches (253 sites), scat and animal sign observations, opportunistic observations and records from unpublished studies in the region. A total of 13 indigenous and 10 exotic ground-dwelling mammal species were identified. No threatened species were encountered, although some evidence suggesting the presence of a Potoroo Potorous sp. and Smoky Mouse Pseudomys fumeus was found in Bago and Maragle State Forests. Hair tube trapping (1 170 large traps for an average of 18 nights each and costing 226 person hours) revealed the presence of nine species/genera. Swamp Wallabies Wallabia bicolor, were the most commonly detected species. Small mammal trapping in swampy environments of Bago and Maragle State Forests (1 100 trap nights costing 52 person hours) detected the presence of Bush Rat Rattus fuscipes, Dusky Antechinus Antechinus swainsonii and Brown Antechinus Antechinus stuartil. Rattus fuscipes proved to be abundant in some localities. Records made by nocturnal survey (253 sites costing 306 person hours) revealed 14 ground-dwelling mammal species, notably Long-nosed Bandicoot Perameles nasuta. All the techniques were judged to be of value for broad forest surveys as no technique covered all species. Hair trapping had the greatest limitations in this study but is still of value if the method is used as a preliminary technique.