Context. The eastern bettong (Bettongia gaimardi) and the long-nosed potoroo (Potorous tridactylus) are mycophagous marsupials regarded as both keystone species and ecosystem engineers. Despite Tasmania being a refuge for these declining species, their niche partitioning is poorly understood.Habitat loss and fragmentation are major threats to global biodiversity, especially for wide-ranging apex carnivores. The Persian leopard (Panthera pardus saxicolor) is an endangered species. Although populations of Persian leopards are declining, the species remains widely distributed across large areas of Iran.

Aims. This study aimed to determine habitat suitability for Persian leopards in the Khaeiz and Sorkh protected area of south-western Iran and to identify the most significant factors influencing their habitat use/selection and spatial distribution.

Methods. We performed species distribution modelling in two stages: First, we ran the model with three abiotic predictors: slope; aspect; and distance from water resources. In the second stage, modelling was conducted using three ecological predictors: caracal distribution; wild goat distribution; and livestock distribution. Ensemble modelling was applied based on five replicates of eight SDMs (species distribution models; GLM, CTA, FDA, GBM, ANN, MARS, RF and MaxEnt).

Key results. We observed only minor differences in habitat suitability between the abiotic and ecological models. Habitat suitability for Persian leopards was higher in steeper areas, close to water resources and near the distribution of caracals, livestock and wild goats. The ecological model predicted 2.03% (329 ha) more suitable habitat than the abiotic model did.

Conclusions. Most habitat suitability models focus on abiotic variables, but we found that ecological variables offer similar predictive power for determining the habitat suitability of Persian leopards.

Implications. Habitat suitability models for Persian leopards can be used to guide conservation and management decisions. They are also useful indicating where conflicts between predators and humans may occur.

Context. Habitat loss and degradation are major drivers of biodiversity loss worldwide. In particular, wetland environments are being removed and degraded faster than any other terrestrial habitat on earth. The loss and degradation of wetlands has been particularly pronounced in south-eastern Australia.

Aims. Here we investigated the impact of habitat loss and degradation on the Data Deficient glossy grass skink (Pseudemoia rawlinsoni), a species that predominantly favours wetland vegetation in south-eastern Australia.

Methods. We established artificial cover-object (roofing tiles) survey grids in paired remnant and disturbed sites at six locations across Victoria, Australia, and surveyed for skinks between November 2021 and April 2022.

Key results. Sites at which glossy grass skinks occur are characterised by tall dense vegetation, with a high cover of matted biomass. Thermal profiles within these complex vegetation structures remain much cooler during hot days, and warmer during cold nights, than external temperatures. Nearby disturbed sites (i.e. grazed or mowed areas within dispersal distance of remnant sites) are generally devoid of skinks, have very low and structurally simple (open) vegetation, and have thermal regimes that offer lizards no respite from high summer temperatures. We found that roofing tiles are an effective way to survey for glossy grass skinks; even on cool cloudy days, the temperature of tiles, and the lizards sheltering beneath them, are often much higher than ambient temperatures.

Conclusions. These findings implicate habitat loss and degradation as having a substantial negative impact on glossy grass skink presence and abundance; skinks largely avoid disturbed areas, even at sites immediately adjacent to remnant habitat. This may be driven not simply by the removal of tall and dense vegetation structures, but the consequent loss of the optimal thermal buffer afforded by such structures.

Implications. Our study emphasises the threat that habitat loss and degradation pose to wetland species in Australia, and throughout the world.