MAMMALS OF MARCHAGEE NATURE RESERVE

WA Museum Records and Supplements | Updated 1 decade ago

Introduction: The mammal survey of Marchagee Nature Reserve is part of an integrated survey of the Western Australian wheatbelt involving some 25 reserves. Because of this no attempt is made to record in these interim reports detailed measurements and summary observations on individual species.

Prior to our survey no information was available on the mammals of this Reserve. Our surveys were conducted between the following dates: 16-21 July 1975, 20-26 May 1976, and 26 September - 1 October 1976. The annotated list below includes mammals sighted, and those collected and lodged in the Western Australian Museum. Registration numbers of those collected are as follows: M13822-46 (July), M14540-6 (May) and M15427-32, M15434 (September).

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 Map 1 in Muir (this report). 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. The numbers of animals captured at each trapline are indicated in brackets.

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