Movement Patterns of the White-Footed Dunnart, Sminthopsis Leucopus (Marsupialia: Dasyuridae), in a Logged, Burnt Forest on the South Coast of New South Wales.

Abstract

The study was carried out between June 1980 and Dec. 1984 in the Mumbulla State Forest. Ninety-nine individuals were caught in Eucalyptus forest that had been logged in 1979-80 and burnt in 1980. The population was discrete, occupying an area of about 500 ha near the centre of the forest. The repeated capture of 35 individuals enabled movement patterns to be determined. Females occupied small home ranges, and capture sites did not overlap with those of other females. Males did not have exclusive capture sites and the home ranges overlapped. Their movement patterns fell into two groups: explorer males and resident males. The largest movement of an explorer male was 1025 m in 24 h. With data pooled for all trapping periods, the observed range length was 79.5 plus or minus 8.2 m for females; 104.9 plus or minus 14.5 m for resident males and 720.7 plus or minus 93.5 m for explorer males; the average distance between captures was 49.3 plus or minus 2.8 m for females, 63.4 plus or minus 10.3 m for resident males and 481.8 plus or minus 106.1 m for explorer males. Suitable habitat, such as recently disturbed forest, may occur naturally only as disjunct and temporary patches, hence the ability to travel long distances enables this species to utilize these suddenly abundant and transient resources.