Habitat Utilization by Sympatric Red Kangaroos Macropus-Rufus, and Western Grey Kangaroos Macropus-Fuliginosus, in Western New-South-Wales

Abstract

Habitat utilisation by sympatric red kangaroos, Macropus rufus, and western grey kangaroos, M. fuliginosus, was monitored by aerial survey. Red kangaroos used floodplain and sandplain with equal intensity. Western grey kangaroos favoured floodplain and utilised woodland on both landforms relatively more than did red kangaroos. Movements of kangaroos between sandplain and floodplain paralleled changes in pasture condition. Red kangaroos responded to pasture growth, moving to sandplain immediately after rain. Western greys followed up to 3 months later, the increase in use of sandplain being weakly correlated (r = 0.70) to an increase in pasture biomass. There was no evidence of any temporal change in use of either woodland or open plain by either species.