Bridled Nailtail Wallaby
The bridled nail-tail wallaby (Onychogalea fraenata), also known as the bridled nail-tailed wallaby, bridled nailtail wallaby, bridled wallaby, merrin, and flashjack, is a vulnerable species of macropod. It is a small wallaby found in three isolated areas in Queensland, Australia, and whose population is declining. The total population of the species is currently estimated to be less than 1,100 mature individuals in the wild.
A female bridled nail-tail wallaby with a joey in its pouch at David Fleay Wildlife Park in Burleigh Heads, Queensland, Australia. Photo by and courtesy of Diver Dave.
This small wallaby is named for two distinguishing characteristics: a white "bridle" line that runs down from the back of the neck around the shoulders, and the horny spur on the end of its tail. Other key physical features include a black stripe running down the dorsum of the neck between the scapulae, large eyes, and white stripes on the cheeks, which are often seen in other species of wallabies as well.
The bridled nail-tail wallaby can grow to one metre in length, half of which is tail, and weighs 4–8 kg. Females are somewhat smaller than the males. The tail spur can be 3–6 mm long and partly covered in hair. Its purpose is unclear.
The "nail-tail" is a feature common to two other species of wallabies: the northern nail-tail wallaby and the crescent nail-tail wallaby (which was declared to be extinct in 1956).
At the time of European settlement of Australia, bridled nail-tail wallabies were common all along the East Australian coastline region to the west of the Great Dividing Range. Naturalists in the 19th century reported that the species ranged from the Murray River region of Victoria through central New South Wales to Charters Towers in Queensland.
The species declined in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with no confirmed sightings between 1937 and 1973, by which time it was believed to be extinct. After reading an article in a magazine about Australia's extinct species, a fencing contractor reported that there was an extant population on a property near Dingo, Queensland. This sighting was subsequently confirmed by researchers from the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, and the property eventually became Taunton National Park, a scientific nature reserve for the purpose of ensuring the ongoing survival and protection of this endangered species. The current range of this wallaby is less than 5% of its original range.
Since its rediscovery, the bridled nail-tail wallaby has been the target of private conservation efforts to re-establish viable populations. Captive breeding programs have allowed the establishment of three populations; two in State reserves located at Idalia and Taunton National Parks, and another on a private reserve, Project Kial, located near Marlborough in Central Queensland. The extant population is currently estimated to be less than 1,100 mature individuals in the wild.
Lithograph of Onychogalea fraenata from Vol. II of The Mammals of Australia by John Gould, 1863
In the early 1900s this species suffered dramatically from shooting, for its fur and because it was considered a pest. Current threats to the species include predation by introduced species such as feral cats and red foxes. Other threats include wildfires, prolonged drought, habitat destruction by the pastoral industry and competition for food from grazers, such as rabbits and domestic sheep.
Brush-Tailed Bettong
The woylie or brush-tailed bettong (Bettongia penicillata) is an extremely rare, small marsupial that belongs to the genus Bettongia. It is endemic to Australia. The two subspecies are B. p. ogilbyi and the now extinct B. p. penicillata. At the time of European colonisation, Brush-tailed Bettongs inhabited much of southern Australia, from Western Australia through to the western plains of the Great Dividing Range in New South Wales and southern Queensland. Two sub-species are recognised – the Brush-tailed Bettong (Bettongia penicillata penicillata) in eastern Australia and the Woylie (B. p. ogilbyi) in Western Australia. However, the historical geographical relationship of these sub-species is uncertain and their common names are used interchangeably.
Due to extensive range contraction and population decline, B. p. penicillata is now presumed extinct, whilst B. p. ogilbyi is restricted to three remnant populations in southwest Western Australia - Dryandra Woodland, Tutanning Nature Reserve and Perup Forest.
Conservation efforts have resulted in the establishment of a number of reintroduced populations including Australian Wildlife Conservancy's Karakamia, Scotia and Yookamurra sanctuaries.
The woylie is a small macropod, being only some 30 to 35 cm in body length, with a tail around 37 cm long, and weighing between 1.1 and 1.6 kg. The fur of this bettong is yellowish-brown in color with a patch of paler fur on its belly, while the end of its furry tail is dark-colored. It has little or no hair on the muzzle and tail. This species has a more slender build and larger ears than its relative, the burrowing bettong.
Bettongia ogilbyi (Woylie) - photo by and courtesy of Arthur Chapman.
The woylie once inhabited more than 60% of the Australian mainland, but now occurs on less than 1%. It formerly ranged over all of the southwest of Eastern Australia, most of South Australia, the northwest corner of Victoria, and across the central portion of New South Wales. It was abundant in the mid-19th century. By the 1920s, it was extinct over much of its range. As of 1992, it was reported only from four small areas in Western Australia. In South Australia, a several populations have been established through reintroduction of captive-bred animals. As of 1996, it occurred in six sites in Western Australia, including Karakamia Sanctuary run by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, and on three islands and two mainland sites in South Australia, following the reintroduction program and the controlling of foxes. Today, this species lives mostly in open sclerophyll forest and Malee eucalyptus woodlands with a dense low understorey of tussock grasses. However, this versatile species is also known to have once inhabited a wide range of habitats, including low arid scrub or desert spinifex grasslands.
In 1863, Gould mentioned it was "abundant in all parts of the colony". As late as 1910, the species was said to be very abundant in the Australian southwest. Decline seems to have been caused by a number of factors, including the impact of introduced grazing animals, land clearance for agriculture, predation by introduced red foxes, and possibly, changed fire regimens. As a result, this species suffered localized extinctions throughout its range, and was very endangered by the 1970s.
Subsequent conservation efforts concentrated on controlling the introduced red fox and reintroducing woylies from expanding populations to fox-free sites in its former range. Stable populations have been established in places such as Venus Bay, St Peter Island, Wedge Island, Shark Bay, and Scotia Sanctuary. As a result of these efforts, the woylie population rose to sufficient numbers that it was taken off the threatened species list in 1996. The population expanded with new, wild-born joeys being recorded and survived several drought years in the early 2000s. The total population of this species rose to 40,000 in 2001.
However, a sudden population crash occurred in late 2001, and in just five years in most areas, the woylie population dropped to only 10-30% of its pre-2001 numbers. The IUCN Red List also revised the woylie as critically endangered.
The exact cause of this rapid population crash remains uncertain, although researcher Andrew Thompson has found two parasite infestations in woylie blood. Predation and habitat destruction were also suggested as contributing to the recent decline of the species.
As of 2011, the global population is estimated to be less than 5,600 individuals. It is said to be "on the brink of extinction."
"It is believed the woylie population peaked a decade ago at more than 250,000, but numbers have since declined by about 90 per cent." However, despite these losses woylies continue to thrive as small localized populations in fox- and cat-free sanctuaries, including a population at Wadderin Sanctuary in the central Western Australian wheatbelt established in 2010.
Western Barred Bandicoot
The western barred bandicoot (Perameles bougainville fasciata), also known as the marl, is a small species of bandicoot found in Australia. It was once widespread across southern Australia from Western Australia to central New South Wales. Western Barred Bandicoots became extinct on the mainland by the 1940s, and it is now found only on Bernier, Dorre and Faure islands in Shark Bay, Western Australia, and in captive populations on the mainland including at Barna Mia in Dryandra Woodland.
Western Barred Bandicoots are the smallest species of bandicoot, weighing approximately 220 g. Animals are lightly built, have a long, pointed snout, large erect ears and a short tail that is sometimes lost in fights with other members of their species. The fur is a light grey-brown, with two or three dark bars running across the hindquarters. The chin, underbelly and feet are white.
The Western Barred Bandicoot is much smaller than its relative the eastern barred bandicoot (Perameles gunnii).
Eastern Barred Bandicoot (Perameles gunnii), Poimena Reserve, Austin's Ferry, Tasmania. Phoot by and courtesy J J Harrison
It measures about 1.5 feet (46 cm) in length. It is a solitary and crepuscular hunter, eating insects, spiders, and worms and occasionally tubers and roots. When the bandicoot feels threatened, it typically leaps into the air and then burrows to safety.
(
1830).
Perameles myosuros Wagn. [now known as Perameles bougainville Quoy and Gaimard, 1824, common name western barred bandicoot] Retrieved from
http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-146236462
Plains Mouse
Known as the ‘pallyoora’ in the Western Desert language of Australia, the plains mouse (Pseudomys australis) is one of the largest remaining rodent species in Australia’s arid zone. The stocky plains mouse has grey to grey-brown fur on the upperparts and cream or white underparts. The bi-coloured tail follows the same colouration pattern as the body, being grey-brown on top and cream or white on the underside, although some individuals can have an entirely white tail and feet. The plains mouse has long ears and a rounded snout, and its tail is generally shorter than, or equal in length to, the head and body together. Weight 30 - 50 g.
Although thought to be extinct in New South Wales, in 2016:
Extinct mouse resurfaces in state’s west
March 24, 2016: UNSW
University of New South Wales scientists find a female Pseudomys Australis, commonly known as the plains mouse, at the UNSW Fowlers Gap research station near Broken Hill. (Supplied: UNSW Fowlers Gap Arid Zone Research Station)
A big-eared native mouse declared extinct in NSW after not being seen for more than 80 years has been found at the UNSW Fowlers Gap Arid Zone Research Station near Broken Hill.
A young female of the species Pseudomys australis – commonly known as the plains mouse – was caught by UNSW scientists surveying for small mammals on the property, which is the only research station in the arid zone of NSW.
“It was very exciting to come across an animal we thought had gone for good in this state,” says UNSW biologist Dr Keith Leggett, who found the mouse with his UNSW Science honours student, Thanuri Welaratne.
“NSW has a dreadful record of extinctions of native mammals, and the reappearance of the plains mouse shows the benefit of carefully maintaining the conservation areas we have at Fowlers Gap,” says Dr Leggett, who is director of the research station.
The identity of the native mammal was confirmed by scientists including UNSW biologist Associate Professor Mike Letnic, who has caught them in the South Australian desert where they still occur in small numbers.
“The plains mouse is quite distinctive looking. It is one of the largest rodents in the arid zone and has relatively big ears and big feet,” says Associate Professor Letnic.
Native rodents play an important role in the Australian ecosystem, but since European settlement many species have declined dramatically in numbers and range, or become extinct.
“The decline is thought to be largely due to introduced predators such as red foxes and feral cats – particularly in areas where foxes flourished because they had lots of rabbits to feed on,” says Associate Professor Letnic.
“Overgrazing by sheep, cattle, kangaroos and goats has also probably contributed to the reduction in native rodents by degrading their habitats.
“The plains mouse in particular has disappeared from huge areas of the continent, so the find at Fowlers Gap is very unusual and great news.
“It may suggest they are recovering due to a decrease in the number of rabbits following the introduction of the calicivirus in the late 1990s. Fowlers Gap also has very few foxes, due to intensive controls on their numbers there,” says Associate Professor Letnic.
Dr Leggett and his colleagues have been surveying for small mammals at the research station for the past six years. Captures are recorded and then the animals are quickly released back into the wild.
Last year, a suspected male plains mouse was found in the same ungrazed conservation area of the property by UNSW Emeritus Professor Terry Dawson and Dr Steve McLeod of the NSW Department of Primary Industry, but it was not formally identified.
“This second capture and positive identification confirms their existence at Fowlers Gap, which is a pretty big deal,” says Dr Leggett.
The last recorded sighting of the plains mouse in NSW listed in the Atlas of Living Australia was in 1932, from the Liverpool Plains.
Fowlers Gap is used by scientists from UNSW and other local and international institutions for a wide range of studies on birds, kangaroos, reptiles, other flora and fauna, soil conservation and groundwater management. Some areas of the 39,000-hectare property have been continuously monitored for 50 years, providing a unique ecological record that earned the station a place on the Register of the National Estate in 1996. Artists are also attracted to the dramatic landscape at the station, which has several artists’ retreats.
Pseudomys australis. Photo by and courtesy of Peter Halasz
Western Quoll
The western quoll (Dasyurus geoffroii) is Western Australia's largest endemic mammalian carnivore. One of the many marsupial mammals native to Australia, it is also known as the chuditch in Western Australia (from Noongar djooditj); chuditch serves as both the singular and plural form. Other common names include atyelpe or chilpa (from Arrernte), kuninka (from Western Desert language); idnya (Adnyamathanha people of the Flinders Ranges) and the archaic western native cat. The species is currently classed as near-threatened.
The western quoll is about the size of a domestic cat. It is coloured a rufous brown and has 40–70 white spots on its back with a creamy white underside. Its spots actually help diminish its outline from the moon at night when hunting. It has five toes on its hind feet and granular pads. The head and body are about 36 cm to 46 cm in length, and the tail is around 22 cm to 30 cm. With large eyes and pointed ears, it is well adapted for nocturnal life. The black brush on its tail extends from halfway down to the tip. Males typically weigh around 1.3 kg, and females 0.9 kg. The longest they are likely to live is four years.
Often confused with eastern quoll, it differs in possessing a first toe on the hind foot and a darker tail. It does share a white-spotted brown coat and a long tail with both the eastern quoll and northern quoll.
A western quoll (chuditch) in enclosure at Caversham Wildlife Park, Western Australia. Phoot by and courtesy of S J Bennett.
Once found across 70% of the Australian continent, the western quoll is now confined to south-western corner of Western Australia. This perhaps was due to European settlement in the late 1780s as their range dramatically declined after this event. It currently inhabits wet and dry sclerophyll forests, including contiguous Jarrah Forest and mallee. These areas consist of open forest, low open forest, woodland, and open shrub. On occasion they are recorded in the WA Wheatbelt and Goldfields regions, and by the 1930s disappeared completely from Swan Coastal Plain and surrounds.
As a result of its carnivorous feeding habits, the western quoll has a large home range. These territories often share rock ledges and other open spaces. This serves to mark territory and for other social functions. Males spread out over about 15 square kilometres and typically overlap with several female ranges, about three to four square kilometres each. Although males share their large territories with smaller female territories, females do not cross theirs with other females. Most female home ranges contains around 70 hollow log dens and 110 burrows.
A solitary, mostly terrestrial nocturnal predator, the western quoll is most active around dusk (crepuscular) when it hunts. It moves swiftly on the ground, climbs efficiently, and may dig or occupy existing burrows. During the day it seeks refuge in hollow logs or earth burrows as dens, and saves energy by lowering its body temperature in its sleep.
The western quoll is at the top of the food chain, and depends on resource abundance and a healthy ecosystem. Being a carnivore, the western quoll feeds on large invertebrates and any small animal it can. This includes lizards, birds, frogs, spiders, insects, and small mammals; the largest it will eat is the size of a bandicoot or parrot. They hunt mostly on the ground, but will climb a tree to grab a bird's egg. A bite to the back of the head kills their larger prey. It possesses an ability to obtain most of its water from its food, which is especially handy for survival during a drought.
As seasonal breeders, western quolls mate between late April to July, and have a peak in June. During this time, the western quoll tends to take up large areas of habitat, and females aggressively defend their territory of 55-120 ha. Interestingly, male and female quolls meet up only to mate. Although there are occasional cases when more young are produced than can be nursed, most litters range from two to six. There is a gestational period of 16 to 23 days which is followed by the young living in their mother's shallow pouch. After another seven to fifteen weeks, the young outgrow the pouch and are left in the den while the female forages for food. Weaned at 23 to 24 weeks, western quoll are independent at 18 weeks and are sexually mature at one year of age. The young disperse in November before taking up their own territories.
Catton, Charles & Stone, Sarah. (1790). Spotted tapoa tafa Retrieved from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-135939144
The western quoll has declined due to several factors. Land clearing, inappropriate fire regimes, use of pesticides by surrounding farmers, grazing by stock and feral herbivores, illegal shooting, accidental drowning in water tanks, being hit by motor vehicles, entanglement in barbed wire fencing, and poisoning are all responsible for their disappearances. Feral cats have a massive impact; both predation and competition narrow room for the western quoll. As more land became less suitable for living in, the western quoll is forced to move elsewhere.
AWC (Australia Wildlife Conservancy) protects this species at Paruna Sanctuary using a comprehensive feral predator control program, which sees feral cat and fox numbers controlled using trapping and baiting.
There have been ongoing attempts to re-establish the western quoll in parts of its former range. A five-year trial re-introduction of western quoll to the Flinders Ranges in South Australia began in April 2014. Despite the loss of about a third of the first release population (mostly due to predation by feral cats), most of the surviving females bred and sixty joeys were born. As of May 2016, a final release of 15 quolls from Western Australia was carried out in the Flinders Ranges, with a total population of 150. About half of this population was born locally. Monitoring of the population is planned for an additional two years. FAME (Foundation for Australia's Most Endangered Species Ltd.) is also looking into returning the western quoll to this region.
Breeding programs have and will definitely increase their numbers. This was conducted successfully in the Perth Zoo when the quolls were bred in captivity and released.
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n at their December bushcare morning when staff of the Royal Botanic Gardens undertook collection of seeds from the critically endangered Grevillea caleyi.
