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

Abstract

State Forests of me southwestern slopes of New South Wales were surveyed for ground dwelling mammals utilizing hair baps (42 sites), small mammal traps (11 sites), nocturnal searches (253 sites), scat and animal sign observations, opportunistic observations and records from unpublished studies in me region.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 Potaoo Potorous sp. and Smoky Mouse Pseudomys fumeus was found in Bago and Maragle State Forests. Hair tube trapping (1 170 large baps 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 ...