Survey guidelines for Australia’s threatened non-flying mammals

Quokka

Setonix brachyurus

States and territories: Western Australia.

Regions: Mainland: restricted to two locations at Perup Forest Block, near Manjimup and Garden Island south of Perth (Hayward et al. 2005), and

Rottnest and Bald Islands off the south-western Western Australian coast (Menkhorst & Knight 2001).

Habitat: Mainland: forest habitats with dense wet ground-cover or swampy flats (Agonis species dominated swamps of northern jarrah forests) (Hayward et al. 2005).

Rottnest Island: wide range of semi-arid habitats, gardens, and in the vicinity of the township (Kitchener 1995).

Habit: Ground-dwelling.

Avg. body weight: 3600 g (males) and 2900 g (females) (Kitchener 1995).

Activity pattern: Mostly nocturnal: during hotter conditions in November animals converge at night around freshwater soaks (Kitchener 1995).

Diet: Herbivore: grasses, sedges, succulents and foliage of shrubs.

Breeding: Mainland: capable of breeding throughout the year (Kitchener 1995).

Rottnest Island: brief breeding season oestrus in January in mild years, March in hot years (Kitchener 1995).

Description

The quokka is a small macropod, which has a range restricted to south-western Western Australia. On Rottnest Island, quokkas are relatively abundant and common, but they are rare on the mainland, with populations isolated as a result of habitat fragmentation (see Alacs et al. 2003).

During winter local populations are widely dispersed, but during November when temperatures rise quokkas converge at night around permanent fresh water soaks that are used exclusively by a group of animals from the surrounding area (Kitchener 1995). Individuals are thought to form large groups that remain within territories (Kitchener 1995). Males form dominance hierarchies that are established according to body size and strength, which determine competitive ability to gain access to females in oestrus (Kitchener 1995). Males moving between females within the population create "runways" through the dense understorey of the habitat, and detection of these in combination with scat surveys can be used to identify the species’ presence at a locality (Hayward et al. 2005).

Survey methods

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

• 
  daytime searches for potentially suitable habitat resources, such as areas with a dense and moist understorey on the mainland and a variety of habitats on the offshore islands (description of the survey technique and recommended effort is outlined in Section 3.1), and
  
• 
  daytime searches for signs of activity, including runways, tracks and scats (description of the survey technique and recommended effort is outlined in Section 3.2); however, where the quokka occurs in sympatry with other macropods, scats may need to be collected and analysed using genetic techniques to distinguish between species. Scats should be collected from across the entire area from searches conducted during the day. Fresh pellets (less than one day old) should be frozen at –20 degrees celsius until DNA extraction can be undertaken as per the method used by Alacs and colleagues (2003). However, further advice should be sought from an expert regarding the appropriate collection process prior to the commencement of any field work.
  

For the purpose of detecting the presence of the quokka from a subject site, cage trapping is not considered necessary at the first stage of a detection survey. Should cage trapping surveys be considered necessary, a description of the recommended survey effort is provided in Section 3.3.9. Appropriate permission and licensing must be sought from the relevant Western Australian government organisation.

Similar species in range

Quokkas and their scats are similar in appearance to other small-medium sized macropods that may occur in sympatry in south-western Western Australia, such as the western brush wallaby, the tammar wallaby, the woylie Bettongia penicillata, and the western grey kangaroo. Scats of male quokkas cannot be distinguished from those of other similar sized macropods; however, the presence of scats or tracks in combination with runways made by male quokkas makes identification more positive.

References

Alacs, E., Alpers, D., de Tores P.J., Dillon, M. and Spencer, P.B.S. 2003. Identifying the presence of quokka (Setonix brachyurus) and other macropods using cytochrome b analyses from faeces. Wildlife Research 30: 41-47.

Hayward, M.W., de Tores, P.J., Dillon, M.J., Fox, B.J. and Banks, P.B. 2005. Using faecal pellet counts along transects to estimate quokka (Setonix brachyurus) population density. Wildlife Research 32(6): 503–507.
Kitchener, D.J. 1995. Quokka Setonix brachyurus. In Mammals of Australia (Ed. R. Strahan) pp. 401-403 (Reed Books: Sydney).
Sinclair, E.A. 2001. Microgeographic variation in two relict island populations of the quokka, Setonix brachyurus (Macropodoidae: Marsupialia), assessed by allozyme electrophoresis. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 84: 111-116.
Menkhorst, P. and Knight, F. 2001. A Field Guide to the Mammals Of Australia. (Oxford University Press: Melbourne).

Recherche rock wallaby

Petrogale lateralis hacketti

States and territories: Western Australia.

Regions: Recherche Archipelago: Mondrain, Wilson and Combe Islands, southern Western Australia (Eldridge & Pearson 2008).

Habitat: Rock boulders, escarpments and cliff-lines.

Habit: Ground-dwelling.

Avg. body weight: 5000 g (Eldridge & Pearson 2008).

Activity pattern: Nocturnal/partly diurnal.

Diet: Herbivore: grasses, shrubs and forbs.

Breeding: Unknown.

Description

Taxonomy within Petrogale has been investigated over the past decade through a number of morphological, chromosomal and molecular genetic studies (see Eldridge et al. 2001; Campeau-Peloquin et al. 2001 for summaries). It is believed that this genus has undergone recent and rapid radiation (Eldridge & Close 1997). These survey guidelines follow the taxonomy used in Eldridge and Pearson (2008), which recognises:

• 
  P. l. lateralis
  
• 
  P. l. hacketti
  
• 
  P. l. pearsoni
  
• 
  the West Kimberley race, and
  
• 
  the MacDonnell Ranges race.
  

Like all rock wallabies, the Recherche rock wallaby inhabits areas associated with boulder outcrops and escarpments and shelters in caves, on rock ledges and among boulders during the day. Shelter sites form an essential part of a rock wallaby’s home range, but animals forage away from their shelter sites during the night (usually at only a short distance but for many species the distance is unknown). All rock wallabies are herbivores that feed on grasses, forbs and shrubs.

Survey methods

On the basis of previous surveys, the following survey techniques are recommended to detect the presence of the Recherche rock wallaby in areas up to 5 hectares in size:

• 
  daytime searches for potentially suitable habitat resources, such as shelters sites (caves, rock boulders and rock ledges) in suitable boulder pile, escarpment and cliff-line habitats (description of the survey technique and recommended effort is outlined in Section 3.3.11)
  
• 
  daytime searches for signs of activity, including tracks, scats and rock shelters worn smooth from resting (description of the survey technique and recommended effort is outlined in Section 3.3.11)
  
• 
  possibly the collection of predator scats, owl casts or remains, targeting predatory bird and mammal nests and dens (description of the survey technique and recommended effort is outlined in Section 3.2.3)
  
• 
  use of baited camera traps (description of technique and effort is outlined in Section 3.3.6)
  
• 
  observations for rock wallabies basking during the day, or becoming active at dusk, using binoculars from a location on the ground beneath suitable habitat or possibly from a helicopter according to the suggested survey technique and effort provided in Section 3.3.11 (minimising disturbance to animals to ensure wallabies do not fall).
  

The known range of the Recherche rock wallaby is restricted to the Recherche Archipelago (see Eldridge & Pearson 2008) where it does not overlap in distribution with other rock wallaby species. Should confirmation of the species’ identity be required, then cage trapping surveys (conducted according to the description and recommended survey effort provided in Sections 3.3.10 and 3.3.11) or genetic analysis of hair or tissue samples may need to be considered. These survey techniques can only be conducted with appropriate permission and licensing from relevant state or territory government organisations.

Similar species in range

No other rock wallaby species are known to occur in the restricted range of the Recherche rock wallaby.

References

Campeau-Peloquin, A., Kirsch, J.A.W., Eldridge, M.D.B. and Lapointe, F. 2001. Phylogeny of the rock-wallabies, Petrogale (Marsupialia: Macropodidae) based on DNA/DNA hybridisation. Australian Journal of Zoology 49: 463-486.

Eldridge, M.D.B. and Pearson. D.J. 2008. Black-footed Rock wallaby Petrogale lateralis. In ‘The Mammals of Australia’ (Eds. S. Van Dyck and R. Strahan) pp. 376-380 (Reed New Holland: Sydney).
Eldridge, M.D.B. and Close, R.L. 1997. Chromosome and evolution in rock-wallabies Petrogale (Marsupialia: Macropodidae). Australian Mammalogy 19: 123-135.
Eldridge, M.D.B., Wilson, A.C.C., Metcalfe, C.J., Dollin, A.E., Bell, J.N., Johnson, P.M., Johnston, P.G. and Close, R.L. 2001. Taxonomy of rock-wallabies, Petrogale (Marsupialia: Macropodidae). III. Molecular data confirms the species status of the purple-necked rock wallaby (Petrogale purpureicollis Le Souef). Australian Journal of Zoology 49: 323-343.