Seasonal-Variation in the Ranging Behavior of the Platypus (Ornithorhynchus-Anatinus) on the Goulburn River, Victoria

Abstract

Radio-telemetry was used to study the effects of changing reproductive condition and water levels on the ranging behaviour and activity patterns of adult male platypuses in the Goulburn River, Victoria. Home-range size varied greatly between individuals, from 2 . 45 to 15 . 45 ha, but differences in the body weight of individuals did not account for this variability. There was no correlation between the number of burrows used by males and their body size or home-range length. Changing river levels or the animal's breeding condition did not appear to affect the duration of activity periods, which remained constant throughout the study. All radio-tracked animals foraged in a submerged backwater area during high-water conditions, suggesting that platypuses are opportunistic in their habitat usage and may avoid fast-flowing water if calmer areas are available. Although the home ranges of adult males overlapped extensively during the non-breeding period, there was evidence of spatial separation during the breeding season, when animals occupied separate core areas. In addition there appeared to be some temporal separation between adult males during the breeding season. During this period there was greater variation in the times at which animals emerged from their burrows, and some animals became diurnal.