Spatial organization of a riparian population of the carnivorous marsupial Dasyurus geoffroii

Abstract

Radiotracking and live‐trapping were used to describe spacing patterns of Dasyurus geoffroii along the Murray River in Western Australia. Both sexes are essentially solitary, and occupy numerous dens which define stable core areas. Female core areas typically showed little or no mutual overlap, suggesting that females are intrasexually territorial. As an exception to this, a non‐dispersing daughter may share her mother's core area and successfully rear young there. Transient females were rarely encountered, and vacant female core areas were eventually occupied by juveniles known to have been born on the study area. Male core areas were much larger than those of females, and overlapped broadly with those of other males as well as females. In captivity, females deposit scent by cloacal dragging in response to odours left by foreign conspecifics, and both sexes tend to defecate at sites already containing faeces. In the wild, faecal aggregations occurred throughout the areas used by Dasyurus, but were especially well developed in places where animal movements were likely to be concentrated, such as paths and river crossing points.

Home range and spatial organization of the marsupial carnivore, Dasyurus maculatus maculatus (Marsupialia: Dasyuridae) in south‐eastern Australia

“…Soderquist (1995) found greater female phascogale overlap when females were related and Oakwood (1997Oakwood ( , 2002 found that female northern quolls had exclusive core areas with some overlap in foraging areas. Scent marking has also been recorded in western quolls, northern quolls and brush-tailed phascogales, and it is believed to assist in territory marking and communication of reproductive status (Serena & Soderquist, 1989;Soderquist, 1995;Oakwood, 1997Oakwood, , 2002.…”

“…Tasmanian devils and eastern quolls of both sexes were found to be non-territorial, with extensively overlapping home ranges (Guiler, 1970;Godsell, 1983). Female western quolls, northern quolls and brush-tailed phascogales displayed intrasexual territoriality, while males occupied larger home ranges that overlapped extensively both with other males and with females (Serena & Soderquist, 1989;Soderquist, 1995;Oakwood, 1997Oakwood, , 2002.…”

“…In the family Dasyuridae, comprising > 60 species of insectivores and carnivores, information on home range and spatial organization is available for six species: the eastern quoll Dasyurus viverrinus, western quoll (or chuditch) D. geoffroii, northern quoll D. hallucatus, Tasmanian devil Sarcophilus harrisii, brush-tailed phascogale Phascogale tapoatafa and brown antechinus Antechinus stuartii (Guiler, 1970;Godsell, 1983;Serena & Soderquist, 1989;Lazenby-Cohen & Cockburn, 1991;Soderquist, 1995;Oakwood, 1997Oakwood, , 2002. The brown antechinus was found to be gregarious, with males and females nesting communally and having overlapping home ranges (Lazenby-Cohen & Cockburn, 1991).…”

“…The brown antechinus was found to be gregarious, with males and females nesting communally and having overlapping home ranges (Lazenby-Cohen & Cockburn, 1991). The other species were found to be solitary (Guiler, 1970;Godsell, 1983;Serena & Soderquist, 1989;Soderquist, 1995;Oakwood, 1997Oakwood, , 2002. Tasmanian devils and eastern quolls of both sexes were found to be non-territorial, with extensively overlapping home ranges (Guiler, 1970;Godsell, 1983).…”

Metabolic, ventilatory and hygric physiology of the chuditch (Dasyurus geoffroii; Marsupialia, Dasyuridae)

“…However, since European settlement the distribution of the chuditch has contracted dramatically to the south-west of Western Australia (Morton et al 1989) and it is now classified as "near threatened" (IUCN 2008). Chuditch are nocturnal and den in hollow logs or burrows during the day (Serena and Soderquist 1989).…”