The mammal fauna of the Peter Murrell Reserves, Tasmania, as revealed by truffle-baited camera-traps

Abstract

We conducted a camera-trapping study in the Peter Murrell Reserves, southeastern Tasmania, in October and November 2010 with the aims of (1 identifying what mammal species in the Reserves would be attracted to 'truffles' or truffle oil baits, and (2) investigating whether animals were more or less likely to visit baits in areas with different fire histories. We detected eight species of mammal in the Reserves; the most commonly detected mammal was the long-nosed potoroo ('Potorous tridactylus'), followed by the southern brown bandicoot ('Isoodon obesulus') and the eastern barred bandicoot ('Perameles gunnii'). There was no difference in visitation rates by the long-nosed potoroo to cameras in unburnt versus burnt sites, or to cameras baited with either truffles, truffle oil, or both truffles and oil. Mammals spent less time at each camera as the study progressed, possibly indicating a declining interest in the bait. Similar to a previous trapping study in the Reserves, our results indicate an abundance of small native marsupials, including several that are either rare or extinct on mainland Australia. However, camera-trapping failed to show the rodents revealed by trapping.