Survey guidelines for Australia’s threatened non-flying mammals

Eastern barred bandicoot (mainland)

Perameles gunnii unnamed subsp.

States and territories: Victoria.

Regions: Hamilton in north-western Victoria and reintroduced populations have been established at "Mooramong", Gellibrand Hill Park and Hamilton Community Parklands (Vic DCNR 1996).

Habitat: Grassland areas, including suburban gardens (Seebeck & Menkhorst 2008).

Habit: Ground-dwelling.

Avg. body weight: 975 g (Seebeck & Menkhorst 2008).

Activity pattern: Nocturnal.

Diet: Omnivore: invertebrates such as earthworms, insects and larvae, and bulbs and tubers (Seebeck & Menkhorst 2008).

Breeding: Breeding occurs throughout the year, with a peak between July and November, and litters comprising between one and five young (Seebeck & Menkhorst 2008).

Description

The mainland subspecies of the eastern barred bandicoot is known only from a few populations remaining around the Victorian town of Hamilton (Seebeck & Menkhorst 2008). The species had a former range that extended across much of Victoria and South Australia, but changes in land use, the introduction of feral predators, and possibly disease have caused the South Australian population to become extinct and the Victorian population to become functionally extinct (Todd et al. 2002).

The species’ decline in western Victoria has been well documented (Vic DCNR 1996). The species was restricted to about 3000 hectares in Hamilton in the early 1970s and at that time comprised approximately 3000 individuals. Both the spatial extent and size of that population declined rapidly such that by the beginning of the annual population monitoring program in 1989, 52 individuals were captured and by 1991 only three were captured (Vic DCNR 1996).

In 1988 eastern barred bandicoots from the remaining Hamilton population were used to found a captive breeding colony, based on recommendations from the species management plan (Brown 1987, revised in 1988). Captive-bred offspring have been released into semi-wild populations at "Mooramong", Gellibrand Hill Park and Hamilton Community Parklands, with extensive fox control management programs to reduce the effects of predation (Seebeck & Booth 1996; Vic DCNR 1996). By 1993 this reintroduced population, comprising up to 500 individuals, had provided a source for further reintroduction programs (Backhouse et al. 1995).

Survey methods

All known populations of the eastern barred bandicoot are currently managed and monitored in accordance with the requirements of the species’ recovery plan (Vic DCNR 1996). Should targeted surveys for this species be required, advice should be sought from relevant local community groups and government organisations including DCNR and the local council prior to the commencement of any field investigations. The survey techniques and recommended survey effort outlined for the eastern barred bandicoot in Tasmania provide a guide of suitable detection techniques.

Similar species in range

Within its currently restricted range on the mainland, the eastern barred bandicoot does not overlap in distribution with any other species of bandicoot.

References

Backhouse, G.N., Clark, T.W. and Reading, R.P. 1995. Reintroductions for recovery of the eastern barred bandicoot Perameles gunnii in Victoria, Australia. In ‘Reintroduction Biology of Australian and New Zealand Fauna’ (Ed. M. Serena) pp. 209–218 (Surrey Beatty and Sons, Chipping Norton: Sydney).

Brown, P.R. 1987. Draft Management Plan for the Conservation of the Eastern barred bandicoot, Perameles gunnii, in Victoria. Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research Technical Report Series No. 41. Department of Conservation, Forests and Lands: Melbourne.
Vic DCNR 1996. Eastern barred bandicoot Perameles gunnii. Flora and Fauna Guarantee Action Statement No. 04. Prepared by G. Backhouse and J. Crosthwaite (revised from first edition produced by J. Fisher and P. Norman (1991)). Department of Conservation and Environment: Melbourne.
Seebeck, J.H. and Booth, R. 1996. Eastern barred bandicoot recovery: the role of the veterinarian in the management of endangered species. Australian Veterinary Journal 73(3): 81-83.
Seebeck, J.H. and Menkhorst, P.W. 2008. Eastern barred bandicoot Perameles gunnii. In ‘The Mammals of Australia’ (Eds. S. Van Dyck and R. Strahan) pp.186-188 (Reed New Holland: Sydney).
Todd, C.R., Jenkins, S. and Bearlin, A.R. 2002. Lessons about extinction and translocation: models for eastern barred bandicoots (Perameles gunnii) at Woodlands Historic Park, Victoria, Australia. Biological Conservation 106: 211-223

Eastern barred bandicoot (Tasmania)

Perameles gunnii gunnii

States and territories: Tasmania.

Regions: Northern and eastern Tasmania.

Habitat: Open grassland and areas of agriculturally improved pasture (Seebeck & Menkhorst 2008).

Habit: Ground-dwelling and cryptic in thick grasses.

Avg. body weight: 800 g (Seebeck & Menkhorst 2008).

Activity pattern: Nocturnal.

Diet: Omnivore: invertebrates and tubers (Seebeck & Menkhorst 2008).

Breeding: Breeding occurs throughout the year but mostly between July to November, with litter size ranging from one to five (Seebeck & Menkhorst 2008).
Description

There are two subspecies of eastern barred bandicoot: Perameles gunnii gunnii from Tasmania and Perameles gunnii unnamed subspecies from the mainland (see previous species profile). The eastern barred bandicoot is distinctive, with three or four whitish bars across the rump. Whilst the Tasmanian subspecies has been separated from the mainland subspecies on the basis of morphological and genetic studies, the two may be indistinguishable in the field (Robinson 1995).

Breeding occurs throughout the year but the majority of births are recorded from July to November (Seebeck & Menkhorst 2008). One to five (usually two or three) young are born after 12 days’ gestation and are weaned when between three to five months old. After her young are independent, a female can conceive and produce a second litter in quick succession (Seebeck & Menkhorst 2008).

In Tasmania the eastern barred bandicoot can occur in native grasslands, grassy woodlands and forests, and areas of pastoral development where there are patches of dense ground cover, often composed of weeds (Driessen et al. 1996, Seebeck and Menkhorst 2008). They also commonly occur in suburban areas and rural towns (M. Driessen pers. comm.). The distribution of the eastern barred bandicoot was originally associated with the native grasslands of the midlands and east coast, but the species is now locally extinct in these areas (Mallick et al. 1997). The species’ range has probably been extended into the wetter south-eastern, north-eastern and north-western parts of the state as a result of land clearance of wet forests for agriculture in these areas (Driessen et al 1996). Clearing of forest for crops and pastures provides suitable ground cover and foraging habitat for the eastern barred bandicoot (Mallick et al. 1997, Seebeck et al. 1990). This ability to adapt to changes in the landscape has led to population densities of around eight animals per hectare being recorded in Tasmania, which indicates that this subspecies is relatively more secure than its Victorian counterpart (Seebeck & Menkhorst 2008).

Survey methods

On the basis of previous surveys, the following survey techniques are recommended to detect the presence of the eastern barred bandicoot in areas up to 5 hectares in size:

• 
  daytime searches for potentially suitable habitat resources, such as areas with open grassland in proximity to refuge and shelter sites (description of the survey technique and recommended effort is outlined in Section 3.1)
  
• 
  daytime searches for signs of activity, including tracks, scats, nests and conical foraging holes (description of the survey technique and recommended effort is outlined in Section 3.2), however, because the eastern barred bandicoot occurs in sympatry with the southern brown bandicoot Isoodon obesulus (another EPBC Act listed species), direct detection techniques should target sites with signs of foraging to distinguish between the bandicoot species
  
• 
  collection of predator scats, owl casts or remains, targeting predatory bird/mammal nests/dens (description of the survey technique and recommended effort is outlined in Section 3.2)
  
• 
  soil plot surveys conducted according to the description of the technique and the recommended effort provided in Section 3.3.2
  
• 
  hair sampling device surveys conducted according to the description of the survey technique and recommended effort provided in Section 3.3.7, given that the eastern barred bandicoot is included among those species known to be distinguishable from hair samples (see Table 2)
  
• 
  community liaison is a good technique for locating unknown populations. This been useful in detecting the mainland subspecies in the Hamilton area of Victoria
  
• 
  spotlight surveys conducted according to the description of the technique and the recommended effort provided in Section 3.3.3
  
• 
  cage trapping surveys conducted according to the description of the technique and the recommended effort outlined in Section 3.3.10
  
• 
  baited camera traps using universal bait (description of the survey technique and recommended effort is outlined in section 3.3.6).
  

Catling and colleagues (1997) note that both cage trapping and hair sampling surveys were disappointingly unsuccessful at detecting medium-sized mammals, especially in terms of the time and effort that they required. Given this result, it is recommended that cage trapping and/or hair sampling surveys be conducted to distinguish between bandicoot species in a staged detection process, with initial detection effort focussed on searches for signs and soil plot surveys. Baited camera traps may be worth investigating as a more time-effective means of detecting this species.

Similar species in range

The eastern barred bandicoot is distinguished from the sympatric southern brown bandicoot by its smaller size and white stripes on its rump.

References

Driessen, M.M., Mallick, S.A. and Hocking, G.J. 1996. Habitat of the Eastern barred bandicoot, Perameles gunnii, in Tasmania: an analysis of roadkills. Wildlife Research 23: 721-727.

Hocking, G.J. 1990. Status of bandicoots in Tasmania. In ‘Bandicoots and Bilbies’ (Eds. J.H. Seebeck, P.R. Brown, R.L. Wallis and C.M. Kemper) pp. 61-66 (Surrey Beatty and Sons: Sydney).
Mallick, S.A., Hocking, G.J. and Driessen, M.M. 1997. Habitat requirements of the eastern barred bandicoot, Perameles gunnii, on agricultural land in Tasmania. Wildlife Research 24: 237-243.
Mallick, S.A., Hocking, G.J. and Dreissen, M.M. 1998. Road-kills of the eastern barred bandicoot (Perameles gunnii) in Tasmania: an index of abundance. Wildlife Research 25(2): 139-145.
Mallick, S.A., Driessen, M.M. and Hocking, G.J. 2000. Demography and home range of the eastern barred bandicoot (Perameles gunnii) in south-eastern Tasmania. Wildlife Research 27: 103-115.
Robinson, N.A. 1995. Implications from mitochondrial DNA for management to conserve the eastern barred bandicoot (Perameles gunnii). Conservation Biology 9:114-125.
Seebeck, J.H. 1979. Status of the barred bandicoot in Victoria Perameles gunnii: with a note on husbandry of a captive colony. Wildlife Research 6: 255-264.
Seebeck, J.H. and Menkhorst, P.W. 2008. Eastern barred bandicoot Perameles gunnii. In ‘The Mammals of Australia’ (Eds. S. Van Dyck and R. Strahan) pp.186-188 (Reed New Holland: Sydney).
Seebeck, J.H., Bennett, A.F. and Dufty, A.C. 1990. Status, distribution, and biogeography of the eastern barred bandicoot, Perameles gunnii in Victoria. In ‘Management and Conservation of Small Populations’ (Eds. T.W. Clark and J.H. Seebeck) pp.47-76 (Chicago Zoological Society, Brookfield: Illinois).