Download MAMMALS OF MAYHEM ISLAND

Mammals of Mayhem Island
04/ 11/ 02
MAMMALS OF MAYHEM ISLAND
Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus)
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Description: 7 - 14 kg. Stocky, large, teddy bear- like, no tail, large round
head, distinct black naked nose, large oval furry ears. Grey-brown fur. Bright
yellow eye-shine. Rear-opening pouch. Known for its distinctive grunts,
bellows and screams.
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Habitat: Sclerophyll forest and woodland.
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Distribution: Ranges and plains east and west of the Great Dividing Range
watershed in a broad band from Chillagoe area and Townsville in the north to
the Grampians in the south. Scattered populations further west in QLD, NSW,
VIC and SA.
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Behaviour: Arboreal, nocturnal, agile climber, mostly solitary. The lack of a
tail in an arboreal climbing mammal is unusual.
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Diet: Almost exclusively eucalypt leaves, from preferred eucalypt species.
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Breeding: Breeding females rear a single young annually (assuming
conditions allow) which remains in the pouch for 6 months, then it is carried
by the mother until independent at about 12 months.
Greater Glider (Petaurus volans)
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Description: 900 - 1700 g. Cat size. Largest gliding marsupial. Large round
ears. Long, fluffy, untapered tail which is noticeably longer than the headbody length and is not prehensile. Underparts pale to whitish. Upper parts
dark brown. Brilliant white- yellow eye-shine.
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Habitat: Wet sclerophyll forest. Requires large tree hollows for shelter.
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Distribution: Ranges and coastal plains from Mossman (Qld) through to
Victoria.
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Behaviour: Nocturnal, mostly solitary.
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Diet: Exclusively eucalypt leaves and buds.
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Breeding: Nests in hollow branches. Single young carried in pouch until 4
months then left in nest or carried on back of mother until independent at 9
months.
 2002 TAFE NSW – Ecoguiding Project
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Mammals of Mayhem Island
04/ 11/ 02
Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula)
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Description: 1.5 - 4 kg. Stoutly built, cat size. Upperparts are uniform silvergrey with dirty, cream underparts. Long oval ears and a black, moderately
prehensile tail that is slightly bushy with a narrow naked area on the underside
along the latter half.
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Habitat: Most treed environments and urban areas. Anywhere which provides
daytime shelter.
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Distribution: Widely distributed in Eastern Australia. Also in south-west and
north of Western Australia and top-end of Northern Territory.
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Behaviour: Arboreal and terrestrial. Solitary and nocturnal. Territorial and
aggressive.
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Diet: Eats a wide variety of leaves, buds, fruits, shoots and flowers from
various trees and shrubs. Also eats eggs and nestlings of birds.
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Breeding: Nests in tree hollows, also roof spaces of buildings. Single young
is born in autumn and carried in the pouch for 16 - 20 weeks. It is then carried
on the mother’s back for 4 - 8 weeks and weaned at 5 - 7 months of age.
Common Ringtail Possum (Pseudocheirus peregrinus)
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Description: 660 - 900 g. Upperparts are greyish with a rufous tinge (mostly
along the sides) and a grey-white belly. Ears are short with a white patch
behind. Tail is short- furred, tapering and prehensile with the latter third white.
Tail often carried coiled. Short rounded ears.
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Habitat: Open and closed forests and coastal scrub.
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Distribution: Cape York to south-east South Australia and Tasmania.
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Behaviour: Social and nocturnal. Agile climber.
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Diet: Leaves, flowers, nectar and fruits mostly of eucalypts.
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Breeding: Nests in tree hollows (north) or in a spherical drey (south), a nestlike structure of shredded bark, leaves and twigs. Rears two young. Young
are in the pouch for 6 - 7 weeks and are weaned at 6 months. Two litters may
be reared in one year.
 2002 TAFE NSW – Ecoguiding Project
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Mammals of Mayhem Island
04/ 11/ 02
Sugar Glider (Petaurus breviceps)
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Description: 90 - 150 g. Squirrel- like. Upperparts ash-grey with a midline
blackish stripe from between the eyes to the mid-back. Gliding membrane
edged with black. Underparts pale grey to creamy yellow. Tail grey with
black terminal quarter.
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Habitat: Wet and dry sclerophyll forests and woodland.
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Distribution: Widely distributed from the northern part of NT through Cape
York, south through NSW to southern VIC and eastern SA.
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Behaviour: Nocturnal, arboreal, can glide up to 90 m. Most live in social
groups of up to 7 adults and their young.
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Diet: Arthropods, nectar, pollen, manna, sap from certain eucalypts and gum
produced by acacias.
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Breeding: Nests in tree hollows. Usually rears two young. These remain in the
pouch for about 10 weeks, suckled in the nest until 15 weeks and are
independent at about 17 weeks. Two litters may be reared in one year.
Feathertail Glider (Acrobates pygmaeus)
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Description: 10 - 14 g. Smallest gliding mammal in the world. Small mouse
size. Uniform grey upper parts and whitish underparts. Tail is distinctive and
unique in Australia being two dimensional and almost hairless except for a
fringe of long stiff hairs on either side giving it a feather-like appearance.
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Habitat: Cool temperate and tropical eucalypt forests of high species
diversity. Prefers wet and old growth forests over dry or regenerating ones.
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Distribution: Eastern Australia.
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Behaviour: Nocturnal. Moves rapidly through the tree canopy. Finely
serrated adhesive pads under their feet allow adhesion to smooth surfaces,
even vertical glass windows.
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Diet: Nectar, manna, small arthropods.
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Breeding: Nests colonially in a spherical leaf nest in a tree hollow. Two
litters of 3-4 young may be raised per year. Young leave the pouch at about 9
weeks, but continue to be suckled in the nest until independence at about 14
weeks.
 2002 TAFE NSW – Ecoguiding Project
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Mammals of Mayhem Island
04/ 11/ 02
Eastern Pygmy Possum (Cercartetus nanus)
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Description: 15 - 38 g. Upperparts grey- fawn, underparts pale grey-white.
Mostly naked, carrot-shaped, prehensile tail which can be very swollen at the
base. Ears large and rounded.
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Habitat: Wet and dry sclerophyll forest, subalpine woodland, coastal banksia
woodland and wet heath.
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Distribution: Western slopes, mountain ranges and coastal plains from southeast Queensland to south-east South Australia and Tasmania.
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Behaviour: Nocturnal and arboreal. Shelters in spherical nest of bark and
leaves in tree hollows.
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Diet: Nectar, pollen, arthropods and fruit. They possess a brush-tipped
tongue.
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Breeding: Two litters of 3 - 4 young can be raised per year. Young leave the
pouch at about 4 – 5 weeks, but continue to be suckled in the nest until 8 - 9
weeks old.
Brown Antechinus (Antechinus stuartii)
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Description: 18 - 60 g. Light chocolate brown above, paler brown below.
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Habitat: Moist habitats in rainforest, sclerophyll forest, woodland and heath.
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Distribution: Ranges and coastal plains from south-east Qld to southern NSW
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Behaviour: Mostly nocturnal. A terrestrial and arboreal carnivore. Gleans
prey from leaf- litter and tree trunks.
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Diet: Invertebrates: mostly beetles, spiders and cockroaches.
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Breeding: Mating is highly synchronised to a two-week period, after which all
males die. Copulation lasts up to 12 hours. Males mate once before they die,
but females mate several times before giving birth about 30 days later in a
male- free population.
 2002 TAFE NSW – Ecoguiding Project
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Mammals of Mayhem Island
04/ 11/ 02
Common Planigale (Planigale maculata)
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Description: 6 - 12 g. Half the size of a house mouse. Uniform rufousbrown to cinnamon above, sometimes with tiny dull spots, pale yellowish- grey
below, white under chin. Flattened head and tapered muzzle.
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Habitat: Dense sedgeland and scrub along edges of flood plains, also sand
dunes, sclerophyll forests and rainforests.
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Distribution: North Kimberley, Arnhem Land and east coast from Cape York
to Upper Hunter River, NSW.
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Behaviour: Terrestrial, nocturnal. Hunts amongst leaf litter and crevices.
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Diet: Small vertebrates and invertebrates, especially crickets and
grasshoppers. Eats more than their own body weight per day. Its tiny size
belies its audacious ferocity. One was observed “riding” on the back of a
hopping grasshopper that was larger than it while it was in the process of
killing the grasshopper.
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Breeding: Commonly two or more litters of 5-12 young per year raised in a
small grass nest.
 2002 TAFE NSW – Ecoguiding Project
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