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Brush-tailed Phascogale

BIRD: linking the biodiversity community

Categories: Marsupials | Vulnerable fauna

The Brush-tailed Phascogale (Phascogale tapoatafa), also known as the Tuan, is a small, nocturnal, arboreal, carnivorous marsupial. It is a uniform deep grey on the head, back and flanks, light grey to pale cream underneath with large naked ears and a conspicuous, black 'brushy' tail. There are two sub-species in Australia: P. tapoatafa tapoatafa, occurrs in southern Australia, P. tapoatafa pirata, in the north.

Contents 1 Habitat and ecology 2 Threats 3 Management actions 4 See also:

[edit] Habitat and ecology

The Brush-tailed Phascogale inhabits open dry foothill forest with little ground cover, typically associated with box, ironbark and stringybark eucalyptus. It now has a fragmented distribution, to the east and north-east of Melbourne, central Victoria around Ballarat, Heathcote and Bendigo; north-eastern Victoria from Broadford to Wodonga; the Brisbane Ranges north-east of Geelong; and far western Victoria from Mt Eccles to Apsley. The Brush-tailed Phascogale is a shy, cryptic species that occurs in low densities and forages over a very large home range (female 20–70 ha, males 100 ha) which means only small populations can exist in quite large areas of habitat.

Brush-tailed Phascogales are primarily arboreal, and forage for their diet, which is predominantly large insects, spiders and centipedes, on the trunks and major branches of rough-barked eucalypt trees, fallen logs and amongst litter on the forest floor. Eucalypt nectar may be taken when ironbarks or boxes are flowering.

Hollows in dead or live trees provide preferred den sites, although nests constructed under flaking bark, or in tree stumps are sometimes used but provide a less secure substitute against predators in areas where hollows are scarce. Mating occurs in late autumn - early winter and males die after the breeding season at an age of about one year old. Females give birth to about six young from mid June to early August.

[edit] Threats

Clearing and fragmentation of preferred habitats combined with changes to the forest structure through timber and firewood cutting, grazing and previous gold mining has impacted upon habitat values. A reduced abundance of hollows limits breeding opportunities and increases exposure to predation from foxes and cats.

The loss of hollow-bearing trees from Victorian native forests has been listed as a potentially threatening process on Schedule 3 of the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988, largely because of the dependence of many vertebrates (including a number of rare species) on this habitat for shelter and nesting.

[edit] Management actions

In the South West, actions are focused on key habitats at Wombat Forest (Yandoit Block), Hepburn Regional Park, Dunach Nature Conservation Reserve, Clunes State Forest, Mt Beckworth Scenic Reserve Mount Buangor State Park, Mount Cole Forest, Grampians National Park, Pyrenees State Forest, Lal Lal - Bungal Historic Area, Lal Lal State Forest, Brisbane Ranges National Park and Ararat Regional Park - Dunneworthy Block.

Grampians National Park, Lal Lal – Bungal, Lal Lal Forest

Assess habitat characteristics and/or condition & site for survey

Identify preferred translocation site in Grampians NP.

Brisbane Ranges National Park –

Survey - Meredith to Steiglitz and determine current status. Input from Geelong Field Naturalists to assist with surveys from 2007.

Mt Buangor State Park - North West, Mount Cole Forest - Grazing Right Track

Protect habitat from fire and ensure that prescribed burning does not remove prime phascogale habitat.

Roadsides managed by Strathbogie Shire (North East Region) and Vic Roads

Erect/maintain signs to restrict or discourage access

Consult with DSE prior to conducting roadworks.

Ararat Regional Park - Dunneworthy

Conduct 3 surveys over a 10 year period, every 3-4 years

Ensure that prescribed burning does not remove prime phascogale habitat

Partnerships: Statewide: DSE, Parks Victoria, University of Melbourne. SW Region: University of Ballarat, Geelong Field Naturalists Club, Field Naturalists Club of Victoria, North East Region: Strathbogie Shire,

[edit] See also:

• Searching for the Brush-tailed Phascogale April 2010-Watch the video clip
• Flora & Fauna Guarantee Action Statement No.79 -link to DSE pdf (209 KB)
• Current projects for threatened species & their habitats
• Surveys
• Record sightings
• Threatened species A-Z

This BIRD page is brought to you by the South West Integrated Flora & Fauna Team. Feel free to edit, but please take care to preserve the integrity of the data. For example, listed management actions are derived from FFG Action Statements and the Actions for Biodiversity Conservation database administered by DSE and should not normally be changed without prior discussion. SWIFFT does not warrant the accuracy or completeness of information on this page and any person using or relying upon such information does so on the basis that the SWIFFT shall bear no responsibility or liability whatsoever for any errors, faults, defects or omissions in the information.

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