MAMMALS OF BUNTINE AND NUGADONG RESERVE

WA Museum Records and Supplements | Updated 10 years ago

Introduction: The mammal survey of Nugadong (NR), East Nugadong (ENR), Nugadong Forestry (NFR), and Buntine (BUR) reserves is part of an integrated survey of the mammals of the Western Australian wheatbelt involving 25 reserves (Kitchener 1976). Mammal surveys of 10 of these reserves have previously been published by us in earlier parts of this publication series. At conclusion of these separate reports information on each species and the relationships between the mammal assemblages and the size of reserves and their habitat variety will be reported upon. Because of this no attempt is made in these reports to record detailed measurements and summary observations on individual species.

Prior to our surveys there was no information available on the mammals of these reserves. Our surveys were conducted during the following dates: 27 August-6 September 1972, 17-25 May 1973 for BUR; 9-22 June 1975, 27 April-4 May 1976; 15-21 November 1976 for the three Nugadong Reserves. The annotated list below includes mammals sighted, and those collected and lodged in the Western Australian Museum. Registration number of those collected are as follows: M9509-43 (spring 1972), MI0267-87 and M18503 (autumn 1973), M13428-59, M13629-97 and M15990-2 (winter 1975), M14549-56 (autumn 1976) and M15993-M16000 (spring 1976).

The types of traps, the manner of positioning small mammal traps as standard traplines, and the bait used are described in Kitchener and Chapman (1976). Sites where traplines were deployed are shown in Figs 3-6 in Muir (this publication). The trapping effort is detailed in Appendix 1. Weight was recorded for all specimens, and body measurements recorded for those specimens made into study skins. All females were dissected and their reproductive organs examined in situ. Stomach contents were identified where possible. The numbers of animals captured at each trapline are indicated in brackets in the annotated list.

Detailed descriptions of vegetation, soil and litter at each trapline are presented in Muir (this report). These data are summarised in Appendix 2.