*BLACK (SWAMP) WALLABIES*
Matthew Wood did his PhD study at Deakin University of the Red-Neck and the Black Wallabies in the Grampians. Project Title: Habitat use and potential for competition in sympathetic populations of Red-necked Wallabies and Black Wallabies.
The Black Wallaby, Wallabia bicolor, was first reported in the Grampians in March 1979 and has since established populations to become widespread throughout most of the Park. The presence of the Black Wallaby in the Grampians may have some serious implications for existing populations of Red-necked Wallabies, Macropus rufogriseus, through interspecific competition.
In the Winter 1998 edition of the FOGG Newsletter, readers will recall the article by Matt Wood, Deakin University PhD student, setting out his plans to research the “Habitat use and potential for competition in sympathetic populations of Red-necked and Black Wallabies.” Hard pressed as he was with his project, Matt gave us the following report on his progress.
To date I have caught and attached radio collars to a further six Red-necked Wallabies (3 males & 3 females) and four Black Wallabies (3 males and 1 female). I am still trying to catch another two female Black Wallabies to collar and radio-track for the coming winter and summer.
Over the last 12 months data collection has been conducted on a monthly basis focusing on radio-tracking, vehicle surveys and pellet counts. Seasonal home range locations of radio-tracked wallabies have been recorded for eight Red-necked Wallabies (4 males & 4 females) and six Black Wallabies (3 males & 3 females). These wallabies have recently been caught using a tranquiliser gun so that their collars could be removed and attached to another group of wallabies so that further data can be collected in the forthcoming year.
Hopefully I’ll be lucky next month.
Vehicle surveys have been conducted at least six times per month since July 1998 along a 12.5 km section of road selected to sample the different habitats within the study site. These surveys will continue until May 2000. The data will be analysed to determine the density of wallabies in each habitat.