Fungal consumption by marsupials in southern Tasmania

Title
Fungal consumption by marsupials in southern Tasmania
Publication Date
2025-02-10
Author(s)
Elliott, Kelsey
Driessen, Michael M
Vernes, Karl
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1635-9950
Email: kvernes@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:kvernes
Elliott, Todd F
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9304-7040
Email: tellio20@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:tellio20
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
CSIRO Publishing
Place of publication
Australia
DOI
10.1071/PC24085
UNE publication id
une:1959.11/69939
Abstract

In Australia, many mycophagous (fungus feeding) mammals that disperse fungal spores are extinct or threatened throughout much of their historic range. Using live-trapping, we collected scats from eastern bettongs (Bettongia gaimardi), long-nosed potoroos (Potorous tridactylus), brush-tailed possums (Trichosurus vulpecula), eastern barred bandicoots (Perameles gunnii) and southern brown bandicoots (Isoodon obesulus) at two sites in southern Tasmania. Microscopic analysis of scats revealed that all species in this study consumed fungi (over 24 fungal taxa), and the composition varied between some species and sites. This study highlights the need for additional research to gain insight into the ecological implications of spore dispersal by native marsupials.

Link
Citation
Pacific Conservation Biology, 31(2), p. 1-6
ISSN
2204-4604
1038-2097
Start page
1
End page
6
Rights
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

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