Use of tall wooden poles by four species of gliding mammal provides further proof of concept for habitat restoration
Ross L. Goldingay A C , Brendan D. Taylor A B and Jonathan L. Parkyn A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, PO Box 157, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia.
B Current address: Sandpiper Ecological Surveys Pty Ltd, PO Box 401, Alstonville, NSW 2477, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: ross.goldingay@scu.edu.au
Australian Mammalogy 41(2) 255-261 https://doi.org/10.1071/AM18008
Submitted: 17 February 2018 Accepted: 25 May 2018 Published: 10 July 2018
Abstract
Tall wooden poles (glide poles) and rope canopy-bridges are frequently installed along new highways in Australia to maintain population connectivity for gliding mammals. Knowledge of the use of these structures is rudimentary. We monitored two pairs of glide poles and a canopy-bridge over three years at Port Macquarie, New South Wales. The sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps) and the squirrel glider (Petaurus norfolcensis) were collectively detected on 12–18% of nights on the pole pairs compared with 1% on the rope-bridge. The feathertail glider (Acrobates frontalis) was detected on 3% of nights on the pole pairs compared with 0.2% on the rope-bridge. The yellow-bellied glider (Petaurus australis) was detected twice on one pole. Our results demonstrate that gliding mammals readily use glide poles. Further research is needed to resolve whether glide poles can mitigate the barrier effect of the road canopy gap.
Additional keywords: glide poles, rope canopy-bridge.
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