Eastern Pygmy Possums

Cercartetus nanas

Bob Jones 11 December 2014

• Gazetted under Threatened Species 2001.• Conservation status in NSW: Vulnerable 2014.

• Feeds largely on nectar and pollen collected from banksias, eucalypts and bottlebrushes; an important pollinator of heathland plants such as banksias; soft fruits are eaten when flowers are unavailable.

• Depends on Heath-leaved Banksia (Banksia ericifolia) flowers for cold season food source.

• Also feeds on insects throughout the year.

Pygmy Possums (Burramyidae)

Shelter and Nests• Shelters in tree hollows, rotten stumps, holes in the ground, abandoned bird-nests, Ringtail Possum dreys or thickets of vegetation, (e.g. grass-tree skirts); nest-building appears to be restricted to breeding females; tree hollows are favoured but spherical nests have been found under the bark of eucalypts and in shredded bark in tree forks.

Nest Box Program: Shelter, Breeding plus Wildlife Cameras for Monitoring

Ku-ring-gai Catchment Areas

Field Exploration for Suitable Habitat

Results: Where in Ku-ring-gai ?

• Only found Eastern Pygmy Possums at 2 widely-separated areas of extensive Banksia ericifolia thicket in the Cowan catchment side.

• Not found between these 2 areas in suitable habitat after several months (though 1 reported).

• Not found at 5 widely separated remnant Banksia ericifolia thicket areas of the Lane Cove Valley catchment after several months (locally extinct ?).

• Accessible suitable habitat not located in Middle Harbour catchment after some exploration.

Area 1 – Cowan Catchment

Area 1 – Site 1

Pygmy possum climbs branch and then leaps from branch to branch – see videos on Facebook and You Tube.

Area 1 – Site 2

Bogul/Bush Rat (Rattus fuscipes)

Area 2 – Cowan Catchment

Area 2 – Site 1

Eastern Pygmy Possum

Eastern Pygmy Possum

Bogul/Bush Rat (Rattus fuscipes)

Area 3 – Lane Cove Catchment

Around 98% burnt Nov 2013

Even remnant affected by fire

Large number of triggers and ...

...green leaf in nest box...one to watch further as

it regenerates...

Area 4 – Cowan Catchment

Long-nosed Bandicoot

Area 5 – Lane Cove Catchment

Glider Eye-shine spotted

Honey-peanut butter baiting to bring down gliders from canopy: Sugar Glider

Honey peanut-butter baiting

Black Rat (Rattus rattus)

Area 6 – Lane Cove Catchment

Honeyeaters

Ringtail Possum (Pseudocheirus peregrinus)

Swamp Wallaby (Wallabia bicolor) in Lane Cove Valley

Black Rats eat almost all peanut butter: even inside near hole, but...

Deterred from nesting area by small hole ?

Middle Harbour Exploration Areas

Middle Harbour Exploration Results

Previous Areas Lane Cove Catchment

Management Measures• Liase with fire-management authorities to limit burning of old Banksia ericifolia thickets, burn frequency > 6 years, high-intensity burns.

• Maintain and enhance connectedness between such thickets, change of fire regime, replanting, provision of more nest boxes.

• Eradicate Black Rats then reintroduce Boguls (Rattus fuscipes) to such thickets in Lane Cove catchment prior to pygmy possum release.

Future Directions 2015• Address management issues.• Southern Brown Bandicoot at existing sites.• Yellow-bellied and Squirrel Gliders on tapped Red Bloodwood trees with honey vanilla bait.

• Greater Glider in Lane Cove Valley follow up.• JV with Australian Wildlife Conservancy, NP&WS.

• New nest box designs with smaller holes.• Nest box rat-proof testing with peanut butter.

• Members walks, tours and spotlighting.• Schools outreach program.

Blue Gum High Forest ProgramLong-nosed Bandicoot in BGHF in Lane Cove catchment with nest