Surveys for arboreal mammals, Long-Footed Potoroo and Spiny ...

DSE Survey Program
Greater Glider and Yellow-bellied Glider (and other nocturnal
vertebrates)
DSE conducted surveys on the nights of 21 January, 5 February and 12 March.
Personnel involved were Tony Mitchell (all surveys), Stephen Henry (all surveys),
Lucy Clausen (5 February) and Jonathon Ricciardello (5 February). Barry Vaughan
(VicForest Regional Manager, East Gippsland) accompanied the survey team on 5
February.
Methods
The surveyors operated in pairs. The selected transects were at least one km
long. Each transect was walked slowly by the surveyors and the trees surveyed
with 50 watt portable spotlights. Animals were located by sighting or sound
(either call or movement). Both surveyors checked the identity of a sighting or
call. Locations were recorded by GPS and in a notebook.
Greater Gliders are fairly sedentary and are generally readily detected by their
bright eyeshine in a spotlight.
Yellow-bellied Gliders are much more difficult to see but have loud calls. However
they are very mobile and it can be difficult to distinguish different individuals
based on calls unless the calls are detected more or less simultaneously. Thus
counts of individuals were conservative.
Other species detected were also recorded.
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