Arid Recovery News

They eat what?!

Fri, 11 May 2012 03:00:00 GMT

The arid zone has lost approximately 60% of its small mammal population, and while although cannot be put down entirely to the fault of just one animal, it would be fair to say that feral cats have played a significant role. So, just exactly how much and what do they eat?

Since 1997, Arid Recovery has undertaken feral control for rabbits, cats and foxes. A number of soft jaw leg hold traps are situated around the external perimeter of the Arid Recovery Reserve in an attempt to ease the pressure on the fence. These traps, along with nocturnal spotlighting and baiting programs, provide us with an estimate of feral cats in the area and help to reduce the impacts they may have in the near vicinity of our Reserve. Each cat that has been caught, is humanely euthanized by a trained and licenced staff member or volunteer. Later the cat is dissected to examine its stomach contents.

In the 15 years of Arid Recovery over 1455 cats have been dissected, finding more than 3203 animals in their stomach contents. This includes 1204 insects, 1390 mammals, 97 birds and 512 reptiles. This averages out to approximately 2 small animals for every feral cat!

It is estimated the feral cat population of Australia is currently around the 15 million mark, and if each of these cats are eating 2 small animals each, that is 30 million individuals we lose EVERY DAY!

The annual small mammal and reptile trapping undertaken by Arid Recovery each year clearly indicates the impacts feral cats (and foxes) have on native wildlife, trapping 6 times more small mammals inside the feral free Reserve, than outside.

The photo below depicts a cat euthanised in the early days of Arid Recovery. Its stomach contains:

24 painted dragons
3 bearded dragons
3 striped skinks
2 earless dragons
1 mouse
1 zebra finch

The animals were predominantly undigested, which shows that this was all prey caught in the last 24 hours. Thirty four animals died to fill the belly of one feral cat, how many more before we make a national effort to put a stop to it?

Feral Cat Month

Tue, 01 May 2012 04:25:00 GMT

Unfortunately, while we and a number of small native mammals enjoy the green tinge to the arid zone, a predator has been lurking and taking advantage of the abundant food source. According to locals of Roxby Downs and Andamooka, sightings of feral cats around town have increased significantly over the last couple of months, sparking us here at Arid Recovery to declare May as “Feral Cat Month”.

In an attempt to help people realise the devastating effects of feral cats on the native environment, Feral Cat Month will offer Arid Recovery blog readers and Roxby Downs locals the chance to learn a little bit more about the feral animals of the area, particularly cats, and how they impact the environment.

“We understand that people enjoy the company of cats and that they can make great pets but they need to be looked after correctly. Cats need to be micro- chipped, registered, de-sexed and cannot be found wandering at large (ie. off their owners property), just the same as dogs,” said Volunteer and Community Coordinator, Hannah Spronk.

Arid Recovery are asking people to take a guess at how far spread feral cats are in Australia and estimate rough numbers that might be roaming around. Comment below or on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/AridRecovery , in just a couple of days we will release our figures, which might be surprising!

Postie Bash Preparations

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 04:07:00 GMT

The helmets have been polished and the bikes serviced in the preparation for the 2012 Roxby Downs Community Postie Bash and the Arid Recovery team are in practice!

Taking place for the first time last year, the Postie Bash was quite a hit and has had all spaces filled with more than 20 teams. This year the Arid Recovery team have decided to take part, entering their team, the Crash Bandicoots. With one experienced motorbike rider in the team, general manager Kylie Piper thought it was time to get serious and purchase a postie bike sooner rather than later, to allow the team a little time to practice for the big event.

Running on the weekend of 23rd and 24th of June, the Roxby Downs Community Postie Bash runs from Roxby Downs up the Borefield Road and Oodnadatta Track ending up at William Creek on Saturday evening. Along the way there are competitions, road blocks and pit stops aplenty to keep the dusty and bumpy ride interesting. Teams take part in fundraising for the months prior to the weekend with raffles, auctions, sausage sizzles and events spread throughout town. This Saturday Arid Recovery will be opening the gates at 4:30pm to allow the public through on a sunset tour and nocturnal spotlight, with all funds raised going towards the Postie Bash. All monies raised by all teams for the Postie Bash goes towards the Roxby Downs youth and health services.

Advertising the Postie Bash and the fundraising efforts of the Crash Bandicoots on local radio, general manager Kylie Piper took part in a live broadcast ride down Richardson Place. Never having rode a motorbike it was an experience not just for her but those lucky enough to be in Roxby Downs at the time. “It was so much fun! I honestly thought I was going to fall off for a minute there when I came around the corner, but I held on,” said Ms Piper.

After fundraising efforts this weekend the Crash Bandicoot team will be getting stuck into practicing their motorbike skills in preparation for the weekend.

Experience the Reserve after dark!

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 04:29:00 GMT

You often hear the Arid Recovery staff speaking of their cheeky burrowing bettongs and their elusive bilbies, but have you ever actually seen one? Arid Recovery is offering Roxby Downs locals the opportunity to see these threatened species and help to raise money for the Roxby Downs Community Postie Bash.

The evening of Saturday April 28th, Arid Recovery is inviting you to take a look at what goes on behind the fence after dark. Usually receiving tourists on their sunset tours, Volunteer and Community Coordinator, Hannah Spronk, thought it was time that locals had the opportunity to experience some of the native wildlife.

With so many new people coming to town Arid Recovery thought it would be great for them to meet some of the critters we are always talking about. The staff have decided to enter a team called the Crash Bandicoots into the local Community Postie Bash and thought this event would be something different as a fundraiser for the local community.

The Arid Recovery gate will be opened for arrivals from 4:30pm- 5pm with the night wrapping up by approximately 9pm. Entry is just $10 and children under 12 are free.

Visitors will be able to take a tour through different vegetation types, making their way to the viewing platform to enjoy an outback sunset.

As it becomes dark the reserve begins to come alive, with critters climbing out from their homes. Visitors will have the opportunity to take part in a spotlight walk to the nocturnal hide where they will have the opportunity to spot the burrowing bettongs, hopping mice and even a shy bilby!

Visitors will need to wear enclosed shoes and long pants. A water bottle and torch will be handy and a keen eye is a must. A sausage sizzle will be available on the night for a gold coin. All proceeds will go towards the Roxby Downs Postie Bash raising money for youth and health services. For more information or to register your interest call (08) 8671 8282.

Kids club goes bettong spotting

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 02:37:00 GMT

Getting the kids off the couch and out of the house these holidays was the Arid Recovery Kids Club with a night of Bettong spotting last night. A group of 30 children between the ages of 5 and 12 trekked out to the Arid Recovery Reserve last night to learn a little bit more about the animals and plants of the arid zone.

First up was a nature trail, taking them through some of the different types of habitat we have at Arid Recovery, through stands of mulga trees that can live for hundreds and hundreds of years, and the mistletoe birds that have a very quick digestive system! Children learnt to tell the difference between a bettong and a bilby track and that a saltbush isn’t called so just because it can tolerate high salt levels, it also tastes salty too.

(Some of the Kids Club members on their sunset nature trail.)

After a sausage sizzle there were squeals of excitement, and a few of horror and surprise, as the bettongs began to emerge in search of some food. Although many children had visited the Reserve previously on school excursions and knew plenty about our cheeky little bettongs, it was the first time many had seen one in the flesh.

Armed with torches, it was time to take to the dunes on a nocturnal spotlight tour. Although we tried very hard to keep quiet, unfortunately we must have been a little too loud and scared off the elusive bilbies before we could see them. Some were lucky enough to spot a stick- nest rat as he bumbled away from the torches, there were even a few who spotted a couple of hopping mice before they quickly bounced off into the bushes.

Anyone taking out an Arid Recovery family membership will automatically have all children included in the Arid Recovery Kids Club. Membership of the Kids Club includes copies of Maccas Newsletter, free invitations to events and discounted birthday parties and more. If you would like to join up your children please call the Arid Recovery office on 08 8671 8282 for more information.

Bettongs and bilbies moving house

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 01:15:00 GMT

The effort to ensure our control is kept clear of not only feral cats, foxes and rabbits but bilbies and bettongs too continues. Acting as a ‘control’ the second expansion is an area where we have minimised the number of variables (such as feral and native species) that might be impacting. We can then compare data collected from here to other areas inside and outside the reserve.

Although feral proof, our cheeky bettongs and bilbies have managed to sneak their way in to the second expansion and make themselves at home. Compared to other areas within the reserve their population numbers are low, but we are still working hard to maintain the integrity of our control and remove all reintroduced species from there. Field Officer Anni Walsh has had the task of coordinating the ongoing trapping effort, experimenting with different techniques to determine the most successful.

We are well aware that our bettongs love the smell of peanut butter and will happily wander into a cage trap in the pursuit of peanut butter goodness. But our bilbies are a little more difficult. Earlier in the year our interns utilised burrow traps, targeting areas where there was known bilby activity. In an attempt to utilise the particularly inquisitive nature of our bettongs, a trial one way gate was installed, in the hope that they would use this to remove themselves from the second expansion to other areas of the reserve.

Surprisingly we got lucky, and caught footage with our remote cameras of a bilby investigating this new contraption installed near his home. As can be seen from the photographs below, he almost goes through with it, getting half way into the one way gate before becoming shy and retreating. Night after night, our footage has shown the same bilby returning but unfortunately never following through and crossing over to the other side of the fence. So, the quest to clear all bettongs and bilbies from the second expansion continues!

The bilby checking out the one way gate (circled in red on the left).

Although he got himself halfway in, he unfortunately turned around and didn't go through.

Easter Bilbies Preparations

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 04:27:00 GMT

We all know Easter is just around the corner and Easter Bilby has been working hard at the Arid Recovery Reserve, preparing for his big weekend of chocolate egg deliveries ahead!

Although there is some debate as to exactly where and when the concept of Easter Bilby originated, the business name was registered in 1991 by the Foundation for Rabbit-Free Australia. Whilst many of the children of Roxby Downs will now happily tell you the difference between a feral rabbit and a native endangered bilby, we want to spread the message further. For years now Australians have made Christmas their own, donning shorts rather than scarves and decorating a branch of eucalypt, it is now time to do the same for our Easter.

Rabbits first came to Australia with the First Fleet with 24 rabbits released on the mainland at a property near Geelong in 1859. These rabbits of course spread quickly to cover the landscape. In just 18 months one pair of rabbits can turn into 184, displaying their exponential breeding and giving rise to the saying “breeding like rabbits”. Unfortunately these huge numbers have decimated areas of Australia, causing vegetation loss, soil degradation and most likely contributing to the local extinctions of some species, including the Greater Bilby.

By celebrating Easter in Australia with an Easter Bilby rather than Bunny, we hope to raise awareness of the devastating impacts feral rabbits have had across the country and the plight of our endangered Greater Bilby. So this Easter rather than chomping down on a chocolate bunny, how about purchasing a chocolate Easter Bilby? Sales of chocolate bilbies from Darrell Lea help to support the Save the Bilby bund and chocolate bilbies purchased from Haigh’s support the Foundation for Rabbit-Free Australia.

Support the Arid Recovery bilbies and the fight for an arid zone free of rabbits by adopting a bilby from the Reserve. A special offer available until Friday 6^th, for just $50 you can adopt a bilby from the Arid Recovery Reserve and receive an adoption certificate, complimentary one year membership and a small plush bilby toy. Check out the Get Involved tab on our website to adopt.

Can dingoes save our threatened native species?

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 03:34:00 GMT

In late January we raised a few hackles with an update on our dingo study and the role they play in the arid zone. We ended up with a mix of opinions from pastoralists and conservationists from far and wide. Now we raise the question, can the dingo save our native species?

Some scientists believe that dingoes play a role in protecting native species and restoring the balance of our ecosystem. It has been found that in some areas where dingoes are found, threatened species are still surviving, giving rise to the theory that dingoes play a part in protecting some threatened native species.

It is assumed that in these areas where small populations of threatened species are existing with dingo populations, that there are also feral species such as cats and foxes, which are being kept under control by the higher order predator, the dingo. The introduction of feral cat and fox predators has meant the small mammal population has taken a beating, being prime easy prey compared to species such as kangaroos which have now reached very high numbers in some areas.

We would like to hear what you think. Can dingoes save a native species? Are there any other solutions out there to help us protect our threatened and endangered Aussie critters?

Click on the photo below to follow the story by the ABC recently covering this topic.

One for the Road

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 00:36:00 GMT

Snakes are something we understand to be part of the job working for Arid Recovery but it isn’t every day you find one like this!

Earlier this week ecologist Helen Crisp and Pest and Maintenance Officer Tyson Brown travelled to the far north of the Reserve and discovered this in the middle of the Borefield Road. An unfortunate Mulga snake, probably seeking some shelter and somewhere to hide came across a discarded beer can and went in head first. With his head stuck in there and unable to get out, the snake unfortunately died like this.

While at first you may giggle, we have all seen the horrible photos of wildlife, particularly sea birds and animals, with beer rings, plastic bags and old fishing line caught around their throats and legs, eventually killing them. The same goes for our wildlife here in the arid zone. Careless people throwing their rubbish out the window thinking there is plenty of space and not many people to harm are wrong. Some may give a shudder as a snake slithers across the road, but they play an integral role in our ecosystem, keeping small mammal numbers (and pest species) populations under control.

An Arid Recovery Baby

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 02:46:00 GMT

There was much cooing into buckets earlier this week as the Arid Recovery staff discovered a new addition to the family.

Undertaking some pit fall trapping work this week the staff were excited to find one morning they had captured more small mammals than usual. Once small mammals have been processed we place them into large buckets with water and some seed for the rest of the day.

Before heading back out in the late afternoon all the animals are returned to their bags to be released at the same site they were caught. Field officer Anni Walsh, was slightly surprise to discover there was more than just one Forrest Mouse in the bag. Upon closer inspection ecologist Helen Crisp was able to determine there were four small babies in the bag with their mother. Left overnight with plenty of food and water, the mother Forrest Mouse was quite content to look after her babies in the warmth and security of a catch bag.

Rather than prolonging the inevitable, staff released the small family back into the wild late the next evening. Finding a digging that would provide her with shelter, she was protected with vegetation and left alone with the four small additions to her family.

One of the small babies attempting to attach itself for suckling to its mother.

A land of flooding rains

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 06:01:00 GMT

Although usually well known for our hot, dry and dusty days, this week the arid zone around Roxby Downs and further afield in South Australia received a good soaking.

It began last Sunday with a quick downpour which saw our Field Maintenance Officer Tyson Brown heading out to the reserve for a quick fence check, making sure rain and wind had not done any damage. Before making it even half way around the reserve, the rains came again, making roads to boggy and wet to trek back into town. Stuck at the ATCO (the Reserve base camp) for a night was enjoyable, especially with these cute little Trilling Frogs (Neobatrachus centralis) coming out to play.

Tuesday saw a slight break in the weather allowing us to get Ecologist Helen Crisp out to the reserve with supplies of food and fuel for the week. Although not everyone’s cup of tea, Arid Recovery staff are well prepared for event such as this. One of their priorities whilst out there is to undertake fence checks regularly, to ensure there are no wash outs or damage which may allow feral cats, foxes and rabbits into the feral free zones.

Although it may seem hard to believe, Trilling Frogs are actually the most abundant vertebrate of this area, hiding buried up 2 metres below the surface. Adapted to remain in hibernation for years without surfacing, they wait for large rainfalls, such as those the region has just experienced, before surfacing.

Of course, not only frogs but huge numbers of insects come out with rain, providing them with a smorgasbord of options. They will quickly lay their eggs which will hatch and mature at a rate faster than your average amphibian before they burrow down into the soil again, forming a coating over its skin to protect it from dehydration.

Check out more photos on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/AridRecovery

A total of nearly 70mm of rain was recorded over 5 days at the Arid Recovery Reserve. For more information about rainfall in the area and across the arid zone of South Australia check out a map at http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/awap/rain/index.jsp?colour=colour&time=latest&step=0&map=totals&period=week&area=sa

Bilby Trapping

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:53:00 GMT

In the first week of February the Arid Recovery Internship students participated in targeting Bilbies for relocation from the second expansion to other areas of the reserve. Generally Bilbies are rather trap shy, and don’t often go for the peanut butter bait balls set in cage traps that are more appropriated for the eager and social Bettongs.

The interns traipsed through sand dunes on the hunt for Bilby burrows, keeping a keen eye for signs of Bilby tracks and diggings. Once a Bilby burrow was located it was time for some manual labour, with the burrow traps needing to be dug deep into the burrow to ensure a secure capture.

Photo 1: Intern Anni digging in a burrow trap.

The following morning the interns got up bright and early to check the burrow traps before the sun had risen, hopeful that the traps were a success! Wondering around in the dark, guided by a GPS and the light of their head torch, the interns found their burrow traps with a timid Bilby tucked away in the corner. “Discovering a Bilby in a burrow trap is incredibly rewarding, they don’t often go for traps, so to find one is a big deal!” exclaims Arid Recovery intern Katy Read, “It’s a great rush to know that the burrow trap has been a success!”

Photo 2: Intern Katy placing a burrow trap.

Over a three day trapping period a total of two Bilbies and three Bettongs (who often share burrows with the Bilbies), where captured in the burrow traps. Arid Recovery intern student Anni Walsh quotes, “We’ve really honed in on our skills of identifying Bilby traps and suitable active burrows, its great!”

Photo 3: The finished product- a burrow trap ready to go.

In it to win it!

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:47:00 GMT

You gotta be in it to win and you wouldn’t want to miss the opportunity of winning this one! Arid Recovery have launched their Annual Trapping Competition, open to anyone and everyone. The prize you ask? Getting up close and personal with some very cute threatened species.

Arid Recovery are offering two lucky people the chance to take part in an evening of annual trapping. Starting at 5pm they will be taken out to the reserve where they will have the opportunity to get hands on with some of the critters caught that day, including stripe- faced dunnarts, hopping mice and small geckoes.

Once the animals have been released you will be treated to a BBQ dinner whilst enjoying one of the beautiful desert sunsets Roxby Downs has to offer. The night then continues with bilby netting, an exciting task where winners will have the chance to meet one of Australia’s flagship threatened species.

“Bilby netting has proven to be an effective method to capture trap- shy bilbies,” explains Arid Recovery ecologist Helen Crisp. “As the name suggests it involves chasing after bilbies without much more than a hand net and spotlight, which can make for an eventful night.”

The two winners will be drawn on Saturday 18th of February at the Roxby Downs Market day at 11am, live on RoxFM. Participants will need to be available on Tuesday 21st from 5:00pm onwards for the prize evening. Entry forms can be found at the bottom of this blog and emailed through to volunteer@aridrecovery.org.au or dropped into the Arid Recovery office. Entry forms are also available from the Roxby Downs Visitor Information Centre and RoxFM.

Competition entry form

The Dingo Project

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:51:00 GMT

The topic of dingoes can raise a few hackles in the arid zone of Australia. There are a number of different opinions as to when this dog arrived, if it should be classed as native and what role it plays in the current ecosystem.

Stretching over 5600 kilometres is the dog fence tracks just north of Roxby Downs and is incorporated into the fence line of the Arid Recovery Reserve. The dog fence marks the boundary between sheep grazing country to the south and cattle to the north. With the reintroduced native species thriving inside the reserve the staff of Arid Recovery wanted to take the next step in returning the ecosystem to pre- European settlement state, and investigate the role a top order predator would play.

In 2007 the “Dingo Project” began within one of the newest expansions to the north of the reserve. In an attempt to investigate how top order predators may control introduced species, a number of cats and foxes were released into the fenced project area along with a male and female pair of dingoes.

The collaring of these dingoes enabled the researchers to track their movements and the ways in which they impacted the feral species populations. The study found that the control of cat and fox populations by dingoes was through predation with all the foxes and half the cats of this study killed by the dingoes.

The project is continuing, increasing in scope from focusing on the role dingoes play as top order predators of feral species. For more information about the study, please see the link below.

http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijeco/2012/250352/

How to become a scientist

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:47:00 GMT

The Arid Recovery Reserve is buzzing with the launch of a new bettong behavioural study- and you can be involved! There is a scientist within us all and we would like to give all our volunteers, members, tourists and school children a chance to be involved in the science we undertake.

Anyone lucky enough to have been out to the reserve and had the chance to see our threatened Burrowing Bettong will know they are quite social creatures. We at Arid Recovery want to find out more about the interactions between Burrowing Bettongs and what it all means and this is where you come in.

As part of the project a number of individuals will be marked with coloured ear tags so that tourists and others visiting the reserve in the late evening will be able to identify individuals and how they interact with one another. Burrowing Bettongs will also be radio collared, offering educational groups to the reserve the unique opportunity to radio track a real animal, finding out where they hide during the day and who they are living with.

“This project is going to provide everyone, particularly the local community, with a fantastic opportunity to be involved in science. Hopefully it might get people asking a few more questions about the world around them and increase their involvement,” quotes Hannah Spronk, Volunteer and Community Coordinator.

The project has been kick started with some generous funding through the Optus Regional Community Grants. “Thanks to the Optus Regional Community Grants we will be able to start this project off on the right foot,” agrees Hannah.

For more information on the Burrowing Bettong Behavioural Project or to find out how you can be involved contact the office on (08) 8671 8282 or email volunteer@aridrecovery.org.au