Going to ground: implications of ground use for the conservation of an arboreal marsupial
Bronte E. Van Helden, Paul Graeme Close, Barbara Ann Stewart, Peter Speldewinde, Sarah J. Comer
Abstract
Bronte E. Van Helden, Paul Graeme Close, Barbara Ann Stewart, Peter Speldewinde, Sarah J. Comer
Abstract
On the basis of previous observations, the critically endangered western ringtail possum (Pseudocheirus occidentalis) has been described as strictly arboreal. Using motion-sensing cameras placed in bushland remnants and residential gardens, we demonstrate that the species uses the ground during its nocturnally active period. To acknowledge that ground use may make the species more susceptible to terrestrial predators than previously thought, we propose that the species should not be described as ‘strictly’ arboreal.
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On the basis of previous observations, the critically endangered western ringtail possum (Pseudocheirus occidentalis) has been described as strictly arboreal. Using motion-sensing cameras placed in bushland remnants and residential gardens, we demonstrate that the species uses the ground during its nocturnally active period. To acknowledge that ground use may make the species more susceptible to terrestrial predators than previously thought, we propose that the species should not be described as ‘strictly’ arboreal.
Key concepts: Arboreal locomotion, Marsupial, Monotreme, Endangered species, Biology, Ecology, Mammal, Predation