Abstract
Echidnas (Tachyglossus aculeatus) are found Australia-wide and appear to be remarkably well-adapted to the arid zone, yet nearly all echidna research has been conducted in temperate, tropical and alpine zones. This study investigated the home range and movement of echidnas in western New South Wales. Radio telemetry tracking was used to locate the echidnas daily during the study period (March-May 2018, November 2018, March-May 2019 and August 2019); the observed home range was 1.47± 1.21km2. This is over twice the reported home range of temperate environments (<0.65km2), suggesting that echidnas exhibit larger home ranges in arid zones. The home range of individual echidnas ranged from 0.02km2 to 3.56km2. Echidnas exhibited a small degree of overlap (6.6%± 19.8%) but this varied considerably between individuals (between 0 to 84.2% overlap.) Four out of the thirteen echidnas died during this study, likely due to the severe drought that occurred during the study. This study provides insight into the movement and home range of echidnas in arid zones, revealing that desert echidnas have large home ranges, probably dependent on the availability of resources.
Highlights
Over the past 200 years, Australian terrestrial mammals have suffered a population decline over 90% [1], over 30% have become extinct or face possible extinction, primarily due to land clearing and the introduction of exotic species [1, 2]
The home range of echidnas at Fowlers Gap is comparatively very large, being on average 1.27 km2, twice as large as home ranges that reported in semi-arid Western Australia (0.65 km2) [16]
The larger home range is likely due to the sparser resources in the arid zone compared to areas of higher rainfall, forcing echidnas to travel further to obtain sufficient resources [6]
Summary
Over the past 200 years, Australian terrestrial mammals have suffered a population decline over 90% [1], over 30% have become extinct or face possible extinction, primarily due to land clearing and the introduction of exotic species [1, 2]. Medium-sized mammals (344200g) have been the worst affected, with a 25% loss [2, 3]. One exception is the short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus), which has shown little to no range or population declines despite habitat loss and fragmentation [2]. Echidnas are not restricted by habitat, and they are found to readily utilise fallen logs and leaf litter for shelter when available, vegetation is not necessary, allowing them to survive outside of nature reserves [2].
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
