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14 June 2022 The ranging, habitat selection, and foraging ecology of an endangered small desert mammal, the sandhill dunnart Sminthopsis psammophila
Joanna Riley, Brian Heterick, Matt R.K. Zeale, Jeff M. Turpin, Brynne Jayatilaka, Gareth Jones
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

The conservation of threatened species often requires an examination of home range, foraging preferences, and diet. We used radio tracking, global positioning system data loggers, and fecal pellet analyses to study the nocturnal ecology of an endangered desert mammal, the sandhill dunnart, Sminthopsis psammophila. Twenty-four individuals were tracked between 2015 and 2018. The mean home range area of S. psammophila was 70 ha (100% minimum convex polygon). Reproductive males had a mean home range of 148 ha, whereas the ranges of all other groups were comparatively smaller. Sminthopsis psammophila preferred dense, long unburned foraging habitats. There was no effect of weather (excluding extreme cold/rain) on nocturnal ranging behavior. Ants comprised a significant proportion of the diet of S. psammophila and S. hirtipes, whereas S. dolichura consumed a broader range of prey. By integrating foraging and dietary analyses, we provide new insights to improve the conservation management of one of Australia's least studied but most threatened marsupials.

Joanna Riley, Brian Heterick, Matt R.K. Zeale, Jeff M. Turpin, Brynne Jayatilaka, and Gareth Jones "The ranging, habitat selection, and foraging ecology of an endangered small desert mammal, the sandhill dunnart Sminthopsis psammophila," Journal of Mammalogy 103(5), 1141-1152, (14 June 2022). https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyac051
Received: 7 April 2021; Accepted: 2 May 2022; Published: 14 June 2022
KEYWORDS
Australia
desert
diet
foraging
GPS tracking
Habitat preferences
sandhill dunnart
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