Demography and home range of the eastern barred bandicoot (Perameles gunnii) in south-eastern Tasmania

摘要

We used live-trapping to study the demography and movement of two populations of the eastern barred bandicoot, Perameles gunnii, in south-eastern Tasmania from 1992 to 1996. Densities were 0.35–2.35 animals ha–1. Sex ratios were male-dominated on Grid I and female-dominated on Grid II. The average body weight for sexual maturity was 700g for males and 680g for females, while the lowest recorded weight for a breeding female was 570g. Perameles gunnii was sexually dimorphic, with males having a greater body weight and pes length than females. Recruitment was 25.4–32.1%, residence 46.7–100.0%, and emigration 16.5–25.5% of the population. Three juveniles were recruited to the Grid I population, 55 to Grid II, with a steady decline in the number of juveniles recruited to Grid II over the four years of the study. Breeding occurred year-round. Mean litter size was 2.53, with 78.2% of all litters having either 2 or 3 young. Mean longevity for male and female P. gunnii was 7.91 and 10.54 months, respectively. Home ranges of males (4.29 ha) were significantly larger than those of females (2.34 ha), although this may represent a significant underestimate due to the small width of our grids (200m) relative to the home-range area. There was only moderate overlap (19.3%) between home ranges of males and females. The overlap between male/male home ranges (4.4%) was significantly less than the overlap between female/female home ranges (15.8%). Perameles gunnii carried both ticks and fleas, with flea infestation being significantly higher on Grid I than on Grid II.