The Vertebrate Fauna of Jenolan Karst Conservation Reserve: Final

4.2.5 Native arboreal and ground mammals
The productive soils and tall forests of JKCR provide good habitat for a range of mammals. Thirty-six
native mammal species (not including bats which are addressed separately below) are known from
JKCR, including nine species listed as threatened under NSW or federal legislation, though up to
eleven species are now lost from the reserve.
The current surveys recorded 18 species of native arboreal and ground mammals, including ten during
systematic censuses (site spotlighting, nocturnal call playback), seven during targeted censuses (hairtube
sampling, infra-red camera trapping) and the remainder observed opportunistically. Arboreal
mammals are abundant within the forests of JKCR. Greater gliders were found to be particularly
plentiful, being recorded during 80 per cent of site spotlighting censuses. The highest recorded
abundance occurred on Gingkin Spur where 13 greater gliders were recorded along a 200 metres
transect. Other species detected by spotlighting include common brushtail possum (present at 40 per
cent of sites), common ringtail possum (30 per cent), sugar glider (20 per cent) and feathertail glider
(five per cent). The common brushtail possum was also recorded at 50 per cent of infra-red camera
trapping sites and 86 per cent of hair-tube sampling sites.
The native arboreal and ground mammal fauna
of JKCR is typical of upland areas of the Blue
Mountains. It shares much in common with the
adjacent Kanangra-Boyd NP and the southwest
Blue Mountains NP. Both these areas also
have abundant arboreal mammals, particularly
greater gliders, and yellow-bellied gliders
occurring in the gullies. Of the ground mammal
fauna, like much of the southern and central
tablelands, wombats are also common.
Macropods and other ground-dwelling native
mammals are typically poorly sampled by the
standard set of systematic survey techniques
Eastern grey kangaroos. Photo N. Williams
used and many of the records are from infra-red
camera trapping and incidental observations.
Camera traps detected numerous native ground mammals including: the swamp wallabies (present at
80 per cent of surveyed sites), common brushtail possum (50 per cent), eastern grey kangaroo (30 per
cent), red-necked wallaby (30 per cent), bush rat (30 per cent) and brown antechinus (20 per cent).
Swamp wallaby were also detected at 14 per cent of hair-tube sampling sites. Eastern grey kangaroos
are abundant in cleared grassy areas, with red-necked wallabies and swamp wallabies more often
observed in forested habitats.
Of the threatened species that have been recorded from the reserve, half are only known from subfossil
remains in sooty owl pellets from Nettle Cave (Morris et al. 1997). These animals are presumed
to have been lost since European occupation. This is an alarming level of small mammal extinction
that is likely typical of all of eastern Australia. It is mirrored almost exactly in similar owl deposits from
Gippsland, Victoria (Bilney et al. 2010). In both locations the broad-toothed rat, southern brown
bandicoot, smoky mouse and numerous other small to medium mammals have declined to extinction.
These deposits reveal an interesting pattern of small mammal decline due to environmental and
human impacts. All threatened species, including those that are now presumed extinct, are discussed
in further detail in section 5, and more information on the sooty owl pellet analysis can be found in
section 9.
During the current surveys, brush-tailed rock-wallabies were observed near the Grand Arch and on
Lucas Rocks and their scats were found well inside Nettle and Arch caves. Common wallaroos were
the most infrequently recorded macropod, with only one incidental record from the current survey and
four other records from the Atlas of NSW Wildlife. This species prefers rocky slopes, which are difficult
to access, though it is considered this species is likely to exist naturally in low numbers in this reserve
(N. Williams pers. comm.). Spotted-tailed quolls are typically infrequently seen during systematic fauna
surveys. However, during the current survey two animals were observed, one at a picnic area and the
other on the road. Discussions with local staff revealed that quolls are seen with some regularity
around the reserve. This is unusual for this region where spotted-tailed quoll have declined in many
areas (DECC 2007). The brush-tailed phascogale has been reported from JKCR from two separate
locations (near Binda Bush cottages and Burmah Road precinct) by two separate observers, but was
not detected during the BSP surveys. This species is very distinctive and not easily confused with
other species. It is extremely rare in the region, so much so that DECC (2007) list it as regionally
32
The Vertebrate Fauna of Jenolan Karst Conservation Reserve