Periphery populations can use habitat that differs significantly from core populations, as these regions often represent altered ecological pressures and resource availability. In this study, we assess the habitat use of the endangered Plains-wanderer (Pedionomus torquatus), in the periphery of the species’ known distribution. Grasslands are key habitat in the species’ core range, but these habitats are largely absent at the range edge. Between 2022 and 2024, 29 Plains-wanderers were tracked using VHF and GPS loggers to measure fine-scale habitat use in the western range periphery. The vegetation community used by Plains-wanderers in this region differed in overall composition compared to preferred habitat in the eastern core range, particularly in the absence of grasses. We reveal a novel vegetation association for the species, thereby extending the area of potential occupation to include a variety of open-plains vegetation associations at the range edge. Our findings show that periphery populations of Plains-wanderers exhibit greater ecological flexibility in habitat selection than previously recognised. As such, we suggest that the long-held notion that Plains-wanderers are exclusively 'grassland specialists' can be broadened.

Sea snakes (Elapidae: Hydrophiinae) are fully-aquatic, air-breathing snakes that live an energy-intensive lifestyle. They must dive through the water column to forage along the seafloor and return to the surface to breathe. However, our knowledge of the diving behaviours of sea snakes is limited due to the challenges of studying them in their spatially complex, three-dimensional environments. As a result, there are many knowledge gaps around their daily activity patterns and movements. To overcome this, advances in acoustic tracking technology provide new opportunities to quantify dive durations, dive depths and behaviours. This talk will report novel findings on diel, fine-scale movements and activity patterns of free-ranging individuals of two ecologically distinct sea snakes, Aipysurus laevis and Hydrophis elegans. Continuous tracking data was used to 1) visualise fine-scale habitat associations and movement patterns; and 2) characterize differences in diving behaviour by comparing dive durations, dive depths and dive shapes. The results from this study will aid ecological impact assessments by identifying species traits (i.e. dive limits) that increase their susceptibility to threats like incidental fisheries bycatch and climate change.

The frequency of extreme heat events has significantly increased in Australia over the last 100 years due to climate change. Desert ecosystems, which cover more than 70% of Australia, are particularly vulnerable to climate change. However, few studies have looked at the impact of extreme heat on desert mammals. Numbats (Myrmecobius fasciatus), which live in desert ecosystems, are the only strictly diurnal Australian marsupial, making them vulnerable to high temperatures. An increase in extreme heat may exceed the tolerable limits of numbats and/or reduce foraging time, leading to starvation or loss of body condition. This project uses accelerometers to investigate how extreme heat affects the behaviour and activity patterns of numbats during periods of extreme heat.

Accelerometers are a powerful tool for quantifying animal behaviour by measuring speed and movement patterns. Using accelerometers has been shown to be an effective method for understanding activity patterns and fine-scale behaviours in mammals, such as quolls, dingoes and kangaroo rats. During the 2023-2024 summer period, TechnoSmart Axy-5S accelerometer collars were fitted to seven numbats at Secret Rocks Reserve and 10 numbats at the Australian Wildlife Conservancy’s Mount Gibson Sanctuary. These collars measured changes in fine-scale behaviours and energy expenditure, and were compared to local weather station data to determine how heat influenced activity and behaviour. We found some changes in diel patterns of activity were unrelated to maximum temperature where numbats expended greater amounts of energy in the morning and afternoon, and used less energy in the middle of the day. However, we also found declines in energy expenditure above certain temperature thresholds. The future survival of this species relies on identifying how they are impacted by heat. This information will help to understand where the species may persist and guide translocation planning under a future changing climate.

Many Australian ecosystems and animal communities are adapted to and dependent on variable patterns of fire. The spatial extent, configuration and diversity of fire mosaics greatly influence animal movement decisions and capacity, as well as the distribution and abundance of key resources. The greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis) is a vulnerable marsupial with wild and reintroduced populations occurring across a diverse range of habitats. The absence of active fire management and alteration of historical fire regimes are major threatening processes, potentially interacting with the threats of feral predators and introduced herbivores. Fenced conservation reserves provide a unique opportunity to understand how bilbies respond to fire patterns in the absence of these interacting processes. We are conducting a before-after control-impact experiment describing the influence of prescribed fire on bilbies reintroduced to the semi-arid mallee. We have fitted GPS and VHF animal-borne devices to 24 individuals across six independent sites to test whether exposure to prescribed burning alters their survival, habitat use, and movement behaviour. We are analysing movement behaviours such as home range size, site fidelity, movement rate and habitat selection. The goal of this project is to expand the knowledge of bilby movement ecology within an understudied region, whilst also providing recommendations for future fire management of bilby habitat.