Supporter eNews

Restoring the lost functions of extinct species

Monday, August 19, 2024

Tragically, more than 40 Australian mammal species have been lost since European settlement, and with them, the vital underground ecosystems many of those species established through their burrows.   

More than 50 species at a time can make use of burrows and dens, which means if one burrowing species becomes locally extinct, their loss will impact many other species that rely on that burrow for shade, shelter and protection – particularly after bushfires.   

Thanks to significant funding from a three-year WIRES Research Grant, a team of ecologists at Charles Sturt university recently installed dens and burrows in the semi-arid Mallee region of Victoria. They were fabricated using high quality materials to keep the temperature stable and were inaccessible to feral cats and foxes.

The team established 30 new burrows and have been monitoring them with hidden cameras over a four month period. So far they’ve witnessed 57 species regularly using the burrows, including 40 bird species, 10 reptiles and three diurnal (active during the day) mammals!   

Their monitoring has shown increased activity in and around the burrows during the heat of the day, suggesting many animals were making full use of the shaded, cooler area. The team are now monitoring how useful the burrows are for the species active at night.

A big thank you for helping to make sure this vital habitat and species protection is taking place!

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