No abstract

We have developed a technique to identify individual northern quolls (Dasyurus hallucatus) from their spot patterns using photographs taken by remote infrared cameras. We suggest a method for bait placement and camera set-up to optimise the identification of individual quolls. We compared two methods, which differed in the placement of the bait and number of photographs per trigger, to determine which produced the best images for the purposes of identification. When the bait was positioned so that quolls needed to reach to access it, and a greater number of images were taken per trigger, a higher percentage of individuals were successfully identified. Variation in bait placement did not significantly affect the amount of time the quolls spent around the cameras. The study concludes that individual northern quolls are identifiable from their spot patterns using remote cameras, and adjustments to bait placement and the number of photographs per trigger significantly improves the quality of the information that the cameras provide.

No abstract

The domestic cat (Felis catus) is an invasive exotic in many locations around the world and is thought to be a key factor driving recent mammal declines across northern Australia. Many mammal species native to this region now persist only in areas with high topographic complexity, provided by features such as gorges or escarpments. Do mammals persist in these habitats because cats occupy them less, or despite high cat occupancy? We show that occupancy of feral cats was lower in mammal-rich habitats of high topographic complexity. These results support the idea that predation pressure by feral cats is a factor contributing to the collapse of mammal communities across northern Australia. Managing impacts of feral cats is a global conservation challenge. Conservation actions such as choosing sites for small mammal reintroductions may be more successful if variation in cat occupancy with landscape features is taken into account.