Translocation of endangered animals is common, but success is often variable and/or poor. Despite its intuitive appeal, little is known with regards to how individual differences amongst translocated animals influence their post-release survival, growth, and reproduction. We measured consistent pre-release responses to novelty in a familiar environment (boldness; repeatability=0.55) and cortisol response in a group of captive-reared Tasmanian devils, currently listed as "Endangered" by the IUCN. The devils were then released at either a hard- or soft-release site within their mothers' population of origin, and individual growth, movement, reproduction (females only), and survival across 2-8 months post-release was measured. Sex, release method, cohort, behavior, and cortisol response did not affect post-release growth, nor did these factors influence the home range size of orphan devils. Final linear distances moved from the release site were impacted heavily by the release cohort, but translocated devils' movement overall was not different from that in the same-age wild devils. All orphan females of reproductive age were subsequently captured with offspring. Overall survival rates in translocated devils were moderate (∼42%), and were not affected by devil sex, release method, cohort, release weight, or pre-release cortisol response. Devils that survived during the study period were, however, 3.5 times more bold than those that did not (effect size r=0.76). Our results suggest that conservation managers may need to provide developmental conditions in captivity that promote a wide range of behaviors across individuals slated for wild release.

Bat carcasses from two wind farms in Tasmania (2002Á2010) were assessed to determine the species, sex, age, reproductive state, morphometrics, presence of food in the gastrointestinal tract, and evidence of spatial and seasonal patterns. Thirty-eight of the 54 carcasses were Gould's wattled bats, with another 14 likely to be, and two Vespadelus sp. All but two were adults, with an equal ratio of females and males. None were actively breeding when found, and five of the six bats tested, had not been recently feeding. Mortalities predominantly occurred in autumn, with a small difference between sites. There was no pattern in the location of carcasses. There appear to be particular ecological, morphological and behavioural characteristics associated with bat collision risk*tree roosting bats with high wing aspect ratios that forage in the open air at high altitude appear to be susceptible. Seasonal patterns may be associated with specific behaviours.

Linen thread was built into radio-collars as a weak-link to trial its effectiveness at ensuring that radio-collars did not remain indefinitely on animals if they were not recaptured. Eighty percent of collars with weak-links broke or degraded, resulting in the collars dropping off within 12–45 days. This method may be useful for short-term studies of some species of mammal that are difficult to recapture in order to remove collars.

Summary Mature trees and forests contain structural features such as tree hollows, large coarse woody debris and large spreading crowns that provide critical habitat for a wide range of species. These features can take hundreds of years to develop and require careful management to ensure their continued availability. Managing these features requires spatial mapping layers to facilitate landscape‐scale management. This paper outlines how a map of mature forest habitat was developed for Tasmania, Australia. The map was produced using spatial data on vegetation type, mature crown density and senescence, a global layer of forest loss data derived from satellite imagery, a database on timber harvest plans and a spatial layer on the extent of fire. The relationship between mapped mature habitat availability (high, medium, low or negligible) and tree hollow availability in wet forest areas was explored, complementing a similar published study in dry forests. The number of large trees likely to have hollows significantly increased with mapped mature habitat availability, although there was considerable variation and overlap between map categories. Data from a fauna locality database and two radio‐tracking studies showed that three of the vertebrate hollow‐using species examined (Swift Parrot, Common Brushtail Possum and the Tasmanian Long‐eared Bat) and nest records of a species reliant on large tree crowns (the Wedge‐tailed Eagle) were all more likely to occur in areas of higher mapped mature habitat availability. It is concluded that this map reflects the relative availability of tree hollows, is ecologically meaningful and will be useful when managing mature forest habitat at large spatial scales, but the variable accuracy of the map at fine scales needs to be taken into account.