Here we describe the analyses conducted for the conducted for the article Macpherson et al. (in prep) Down the rabbit hole: den use by a reintroduced mesopredator reveals how invasive species structures can facilitate establishment.
Recovery efforts for threatened species are increasingly applying reintroductions as a tool to reverse biodiversity loss, with habitat suitability being a crucial driver in their outcomes. Practitioners must ensure recipient sites contain suitable habitat for the target species, which can be evaluated by monitoring the post-release movement and habitat selection of founders, to enable adaptive management as well as identify potential habitat for future reintroductions.
We conducted habitat assessments on diurnal dens used by three cohorts of reintroduced eastern quolls (Dasyurus viverrinus) at a conservation-fenced haven to identify habitat features which might be important to their establishment.
Interestingly, the majority of founders denned in abandoned rabbit warrens, suggesting the importance of such refugia for shelter and rearing offspring. Further, nearly half of these dens were being actively used when assessed 5–7 years after their initial use by eastern quolls, demonstrating the longevity of warrens in the landscape. Rather than being destroyed, such invasive species structures could be taken advantage of to facilitate native species’ recovery.