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Behavioural mechanisms of microhabitat selection and competition among three species of arid zone dasyurid marsupial
Author(s) -
MOSS G. L.,
CROFT D. B.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
australian journal of ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1442-9993
pISSN - 0307-692X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1442-9993.1988.tb00997.x
Subject(s) - interspecific competition , marsupial , competition (biology) , ecology , arid , biology
Behavioural mechanisms that may facilitate ground surface microhabitat separation of the Australian arid zone dasyurids, Sminthopsis crassicaudata , Planigale gilesi and P. tenuirostris , were investigated in a terrarium under conditions identical to summer and winter conditions. Controlled introduction and removal experiments showed that in the presence of S. crassicaudata on the ground surface, both P. gilesi and P. tenuirostris exhibit changes in their general behaviour along with an absence of surface activity and a significant decrease in the percentage of total time spent active. This is accompanied by an increase in the frequency of active bouts less than 30 s in duration and a decrease in the frequency of bouts of greater than 30 s duration. These results suggested avoidance of S. crassicaudata at the surface by the planigales, and that behavioural interference could be a mechanism maintaining the spatial and temporal use of microhabitat of these carnivorous species. This study supports much of the indirect evidence suggesting that interspecific competition is an important factor influencing the structure of dasyurid communities.