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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 33(3)

Dry-season use of space, habitats and shelters by the short-eared rock-wallaby (Petrogale brachyotis) in the monsoon tropics

Wendy R. Telfer A B and Anthony D. Griffiths A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A School for Environmental Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT 0909, Australia.

B Corresponding author. Email: wendy.telfer@cdu.edu.au

Wildlife Research 33(3) 207-214 https://doi.org/10.1071/WR05032
Submitted: 18 March 2005  Accepted: 20 March 2006   Published: 31 May 2006

Abstract

It is widely recognised that the use of fixed diurnal shelters by rock-wallabies greatly affects their ecology. However, the details of how shelters and surrounding habitats are used, and how similar these characteristics are across rock-wallaby species, remain scarcely understood. The dry season home range, and use of habitats and den sites, of the short-eared rock wallaby (Petrogale brachyotis) were examined at Litchfield National Park, Northern Territory, Australia. We radio-tracked 10 individuals on foot to locate diurnal shelters, and with fixed towers to determine their nocturnal positions. P. brachyotis used a range of rock piles and outcrops for dens, and showed a strong preference for rocky habitats and adjacent woodland. On average, animals used four dens within outcrops, as well as more exposed resting sites. Individual rock-wallabies sometimes shared dens, but there appeared to be male–male intolerance of simultaneous use of dens. Mean home range in the dry season was 18.3 ha, and there was no significant difference in home-range area between sexes. Use of space by P. brachyotis was very similar to that reported for another tropical rock-wallaby species, P. assimilis, and many behavioural traits were also similar to those found in other species of Petrogale.


Acknowledgments

Funding for this study was provided by the Hermon Slade Foundation, the Key Centre for Tropical Wildlife Management and an Australian Postgraduate Award Scholarship. We thank B. Rankmore, J. Smith, J. McCartney and the Litchfield National Park staff for assistance. We also thank the many volunteers, in particular V. Curran, for help with radio-tracking. D. Bowman, M. Ward and three anonymous reviewers gave useful comments on the manuscript. Approval for this work was granted from the Charles Darwin University Animal Ethics Committee.


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