Kokerbin Nature Reserve Desktop Fauna ... - Wheatbelt NRM

Kokerbin Nature Reserve
Desktop Fauna Assessment
4.2.1 Mammals
Thirty one mammal species are expected to occur in the Kokerbin Nature Reserve
area including 21 native and 10 introduced species (see Table 4). This list includes
four species of high conservation significance and seven species considered locally
significant (LS, see Chapter 5).
The conservation significant Black-flanked Rock-wallaby (Petrogale lateralis
lateralis) has been recorded at Kokerbin Nature Reserve. This species inhabits caves
and rock crevices within Kokerbin Rock (M. Griffiths, pers. obs.).
The Chuditch (Dasyurus geoffroyi) is a species of conservation significance occurring
in the forests and woodlands of the Perth Hills with recent records from near Westdale
(J. Turpin pers. obs.) and Northam (M. Griffiths pers. obs. 2009), with other records
from Beverley and near Kauring (NatureMap, 2009). The Chuditch can cover large
areas and occupies a large home range and so may occur in the area as a vagrant.
The Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) and Tammar Wallaby (Macropus
eugenii) formerly occurred across much of the region and still persist in small and
isolated populations in the Wheatbelt. Both species have also been included as they
have the potential to occur in the area.
The majority of mammal species expected in the Kokerbin Nature Reserve are small
mammals (dunnarts, Western Pygmy Possum, native rodents), the Short-beaked
Echidna, several bat species and several introduced species.
Many native mammal species recorded in the Kokerbin Nature Reserve area occur in
small and fragmented populations as a result of large scale habitat clearance. The
small size of the Kokerbin Nature Reserve may reduce the number of species
expected, as larger mammal (requiring large home ranges), habitat specialists
(occurring in specific habitat types) or species occurring in low numbers may be
unable to persist in the reserve, particularly in the long-term.
Table 4: Mammals expected at Kokerbin Nature Reserve. Species recorded in the
region by the Western Australian Museum (WAM) or at Kokerbin Nature Reserve
(KNR) are indicated as well as species recorded on the Nature Map database and in
Literature (LIT).
Family and Species
Name
Common Name
Nature
Map
WAM KNR Status
Tachyglossidae
Tachyglossus aculeatus Echidna X
Dasyuridae
Dasyurus geoffroii Chuditch (Western Quoll) X Sch 1
Sminthopsis crassicaudata Fat-tailed Dunnart X LS
Sminthopsis dolichura Little Long-tailed Dunnart X X LS
Sminthopsis gilberti Gilbert’s Dunnart X X LS
Phalangeridae
Trichosurus vulpecula subsp. v Common Brush-tail Possum X LS
Burramyidae
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