Ep.3 Tiny Trackers, Big Impact on Understanding Bilby Behaviour

Описание: We're burrowing into the nocturnal world of the Macrotis Lagotis better known to Australians as the Bilby, a small desert dwelling marsupial native to Australia.
Since the 19th century, Bilby numbers have been in a sharp decline caused by land-use conversion and competition for food sources with other species. As a result there is thought to be less than 10,000 bilbies in the wild.
With the objective of learning more about the behaviour of bilbies so they can be reintroduced into their natural habitats, scientists from UNSW Sydney and Taronga Conservation Society Australia have used a large sanctuary at Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo – part of the temperate zone in Australia – to better understand their habitat requirements
Joining me today is my guest, Dr Kate Cornelsen from the Centre for Ecosystem Science at UNSW who was the lead author of a study into Bilby behaviour.

Taronga Conservation Society Australia
https://taronga.org.au/

Links to relevant papers:
Cornelsen et al. (2022). Telemetry tails: a practical method for attaching animal-borne devices to small vertebrates in the field. Wildlife Research 49(5) 399-414 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1071/WR21107 - Includes a detailed description of the VHF and GPS attachment method for bilbies and bandicoots and some considerations for its use in the field..

Cornelsen et al. (2024). Digging deeper: habitat selection within the home ranges of a threatened marsupial. Animal Behaviour 212 149-174 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.202... - Application of GPS devices to improve knowledge on the ecology and behaviour of threatened greater bilbies.

Links to data processing software mentioned:
QGIS (open-source GIS software): https://www.qgis.org/en/site/

R (open-source coding software): https://cran.r-project.org/
R Studio (User-friendly interface for R - free version): https://posit.co/downloads/

Links to Dr Kate Cornelsen social media:
Instagram: @kate_cornelsen
X: @kate_cornelsen