Banded Hare Wallaby (Lagostrophus fasciatus)

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Vulnerable.

Western Australia, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Vulnerable.

Breeding season

The species is nocturnal and may breed throughout the year, although breeding activity is commonly reported from February to August and peaks in autumn. Because dependent young may be present at any time, clearing risk remains year-round, with greater concern during the main breeding period.

Month values are ordered January to December. A value of 2 indicates peak or continuous concern, 1 indicates occurrence or elevated concern, and 0 indicates that the activity is not typical. The species is sedentary in the available descriptions, and no quantified dispersal period or home range is available.

• Breeding: Breeding may occur from February to August, with activity beginning in summer and peaking in autumn. Births have also been recorded throughout the year.
• Young in pouch or dependent: Young remain in the pouch for about six months and become independent at about nine to ten months. Since births can occur throughout the year, dependent young may be present in every month.
• Nocturnal movement and foraging: Animals shelter by day and forage at night throughout the year. They move between dense shrub shelter and more open feeding areas, using regular runways beneath shrubs.
• Drought and population pressure: Drought periods can reduce survival, reproduction and abundance. The supplied sources do not define particular calendar months for drought effects.
• Highest clearing risk: Clearing can harm sheltering adults, females and dependent young in any month because breeding and births are not confined to one season. Risk is highest from February to August, when breeding activity is most commonly reported, and dense shrub refuges should be checked before disturbance.

Identification

The banded hare wallaby is a small to medium macropod with a compact body, shaggy grey fur and conspicuous dark bands across the lower back and rump. It is generally encountered at night, while daytime animals are likely to be concealed in dense shrubs.

Adults have thick, long, shaggy grey fur, with some yellow and silver flecking, a greyish white underside and reddish tones on the flanks. The snout is short and usually hairless, and the sexes are alike in size and colour.

The most reliable visual feature is the series of transverse dark bands across the lower back and rump. Average adult mass is about 1.6 to 1.7 kg, head and body length is usually 400 to 450 mm, and tail length is about 350 to 400 mm.

Average adult mass: 1,600 to 1,700 g

Head and body: 400 to 450 mm

Tail: 350 to 400 mm

Sexual dimorphism: Males and females are not distinguishable by size or colour in the available descriptions.

Identification: Similar species

On Bernier and Dorre Islands, the species overlaps with the rufous hare wallaby and burrowing bettong. Banded hare wallabies are associated with dense Acacia scrub, whereas rufous hare wallabies are more associated with grassland habitats.

The rump bands separate the banded hare wallaby from other macropods where a clear view is obtained. Identification from tracks alone can be unreliable because tracks may be indistinguishable from those of other wallabies present on the islands.

Identification: Field signs and detection

Daytime searches should focus on regular runways through dense shrubs, tracks and scats. Repeated movement creates runways beneath the shrub canopy.

The species is nocturnal and shelters during the day, so spotlighting at dusk and early night is more suitable for direct observation than daytime searching. Calls, nests, tree hollows, burrows and eyeshine are not described in the supplied sources, and should not be used alone as identification criteria.

• Search dense Acacia scrub and other low, spreading shrubs for runways, tracks and scats.
• Use dusk or early-night observations, spotlighting or appropriately approved cage trapping where species confirmation is required.
• Treat mainland signs as significant and report them immediately to the relevant Western Australian government authority.

Distribution: Current range

The species formerly occupied a broad arc from south-western Western Australia through southern Australia. The last mainland record was in Western Australia in 1906, and the last South Australian specimen was collected in 1927. Current wild populations are restricted to two Shark Bay islands, with several conservation translocations elsewhere.

Wild populations occur on Bernier Island and Dorre Island in the Shark Bay region of Western Australia, about 50 to 60 km west of the mainland. On Dorre Island, animals are concentrated in the north, while on Bernier Island they are concentrated further south.

The species has also been translocated to Faure Island, Wadderin Sanctuary, Mount Gibson Wildlife Sanctuary and Dirk Hartog Island as part of conservation programs. These populations are managed in predator-free or predator-controlled settings and should not be assumed to occur outside known release areas without site-specific evidence.

Current wild strongholds: Bernier Island and Dorre Island, Shark Bay, Western Australia.

Current state range: Western Australia.

Mainland historical range: An arc through south-western Western Australia, southern South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales, supported by historical and fossil records.

Island distance from mainland: About 50 to 60 km west of the Australian mainland.

Distribution: Populations and trend

The two island populations fluctuate with rainfall. Drought can reduce numbers substantially before later recovery, so a single survey result may not represent the population's longer-term condition.

The available estimates show a marked decline between earlier estimates and the 2009 estimate, although later surveys and modelling use different methods and census years.

Bernier and Dorre combined estimate: About 7,700 to 9,700 animals under drought or average rainfall conditions in earlier surveys.

Combined estimate in 2009: About 2,655 animals in DEC unpublished data cited by the recovery plan.

2016 survey estimates: About 2,790 on Bernier Island and 2,440 on Dorre Island.

Faure Island: About 300 animals were reported in 2017 after releases from 2004 to 2013.

Wadderin Sanctuary: About 30 animals were reported in 2020.

Distribution: Development context

The species is not expected to occur broadly across mainland Australia, but translocated populations may occur in fenced sanctuaries, conservation reserves and other managed sites. A mainland sighting or sign outside a known release site requires immediate confirmation by an appropriately qualified ecologist and consultation with Western Australian authorities where relevant.

Habitat: Vegetation and structure

Banded hare wallabies require dense, low shrub cover for daytime shelter and use more open areas at night for feeding. The strongest habitat descriptions are from Bernier and Dorre Islands, where dense Acacia scrub is associated with shelter and runways.

Preferred habitat includes dense Acacia ligulata scrub and other low, spreading shrub communities. The recovery plan also records dense thickets dominated by Acacia ligulata, Acacia coriacea, Alectryon oleifolius, Diplolaena dampieri and Ficus platypoda.

Historical accounts describe dense scrub on flats and near swamp margins, including thick Melaleuca vegetation. The species also formerly occupied areas of dense cover in south-western Australian Eucalyptus woodlands.

• Map and retain dense shrub thickets, particularly Acacia dominated vegetation, during site assessment.
• Inspect the margins of dense scrub, consolidated dunes and other areas where shrubs form continuous low cover.
• Record the width, continuity and condition of shrub cover because the supplied sources identify dense cover as the key habitat feature.

Habitat: Climate and landform

The current island habitat has a Mediterranean climate with warm conditions, moderate rainfall and distinct wet and dry seasons. The recovery plan records concentrations along consolidated dunes running along the islands and along west coast travertine.

No elevation limit is provided in the supplied sources. Habitat assessment should therefore rely on vegetation structure, shelter availability and known release or occurrence locations rather than elevation thresholds.

Climate description: Warm Mediterranean conditions with moderate rainfall and distinct wet and dry seasons.

Recorded landforms: Consolidated dunes and west coast travertine on Bernier and Dorre Islands.

Elevation limit: Not specified in the supplied sources.

Foraging habitat: Diet

The species feeds at night and uses both shrub communities and nearby open grassland. It browses and occasionally grazes, with food and moisture obtained mainly from vegetation and dew.

Banded hare wallabies mainly browse foliage and occasionally graze on grasses. Recorded food includes leaves, stems, flowers and other plant material.

Important food plants include Acacia ligulata, Acacia coriacea, Alectryon oleifolius and Diplolaena dampieri. Triodia grasslands are also used for grazing.

• Search for feeding habitat around dense Acacia and mixed shrub thickets, with adjacent open grass or Triodia areas.
• Treat shrub foliage, grasses and forbs as potential food resources when assessing habitat loss.
• Do not assume that open areas are unsuitable, because animals forage in open grassland at night.

Foraging habitat: Foraging behaviour

Individuals leave daytime shelter to forage at night and form regular runs beneath shrubs. They obtain hydration from dew and from the water content of food.

A home range size is not provided for this species. Avoid assigning a fixed foraging radius during impact assessment unless supported by site-specific tracking or other survey data.

Foraging period: Mostly at night.

Foraging modes: Browsing and occasional grazing.

Known home range: Not reported in the supplied sources.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

Banded hare wallabies breed seasonally but births may occur throughout the year. Dense shrub cover is the main habitat feature supporting daytime shelter for females, young and adults.

Females normally produce one young at a time, although some produce two young in a year. A female may mate soon after giving birth, with embryonic diapause delaying development of the next embryo while the current young is suckling.

The supplied sources report a pouch period of about six months and independence at about nine to ten months. Drought may delay breeding, and most animals do not mate until about two years old, although breeding can begin earlier.

Breeding season: Breeding may occur from February to August, with births recorded throughout the year and a decline in birth frequency during the latter half of the year.

Litter size: Normally one young; some females produce two young per year.

Gestation: Unknown in the supplied sources.

Pouch period: About six months.

Independence: About nine to ten months.

Age at first breeding: Females may breed by the end of the first year and males at the beginning of the second year, although most individuals mate at about two years.

Lifespan: Up to six years has been reported.

Breeding habitat: Breeding habitat

Breeding habitat is expected to include dense shrub thickets that provide concealment during the day, particularly dense Acacia communities and other low, spreading shrubs. The sources do not describe a separate nest structure or a measured maternity shelter size.

Clearance of dense shrub cover during the breeding period may remove shelter used by females, pouch young and recently independent juveniles. Retain connected patches where practicable and inspect dense cover before disturbance.

• Prioritise dense shrub thickets for pre-clearance assessment, especially where runways, tracks or scats are present.
• Schedule clearing outside periods of known breeding activity where practicable, while recognising that births can occur throughout the year.
• Use an approved fauna spotter catcher and species-specific relocation procedure if an animal or dependent young is found during works.

Sheltering habitat: Day shelters

The species shelters in dense vegetation rather than documented burrows or tree hollows. Daytime shelter is a key habitat requirement and is also where signs such as runways are most likely to be found.

Animals shelter during the day in small groups among dense shrub thickets. Recorded shelter vegetation includes Acacia ligulata, Acacia coriacea, Alectryon oleifolius, Diplolaena dampieri and Ficus platypoda.

The species uses dense understorey vegetation beneath Acacia thickets and creates runs under shrubs through repeated movement. The sources do not provide dimensions for shelters, runways or any nest-like structure.

• Inspect dense, continuous shrub cover before clearing, including the vegetation beneath and between shrubs.
• Look for narrow runways, flattened vegetation, tracks and scats beneath or beside shrub thickets.
• Retain shelter patches and links to adjacent feeding areas where the project footprint allows.

Sheltering habitat: Shelter types not documented

The supplied sources do not report the use of burrows, tree hollows, caves, hollow logs or constructed nests by banded hare wallabies. Absence of these features should not be used to dismiss dense shrub habitat, which is the documented daytime refuge.

No shelter dimensions, roost dimensions or den sizes are available for this species.

Documented refuge: Dense shrub thickets and understorey vegetation.

Documented shelter group: Small groups during the day.

Shelter dimensions: Not reported.

Burrows, hollows and nests: Not described as shelter features in the supplied sources.

Threats: Predators and fire

The main risks are introduced predators, wildfire, drought and climate change, habitat loss and inappropriate development or recreation. These risks are amplified because the remaining wild populations are confined to small islands and translocated populations often occur in managed, predator-free sites.

Feral cats and red foxes are major threats. The species is also preyed on by wedge-tailed eagles and other raptors. Past translocation failures have been associated with feral cat predation, drought and livestock impacts.

Wildfire can remove dense shrub shelter and expose animals to predation. Predator control, fire planning and retention of unburnt dense vegetation are important at occupied or translocated sites.

• Control or exclude feral cats and foxes at managed populations in accordance with the site conservation plan.
• Protect dense shrub refuges from unnecessary fire and retain suitable unburnt shelter after planned burns.
• Assess temporary fencing, lighting, construction compounds and waste storage for features that could increase predator access.

Threats: Clearing, fragmentation and development

Clearing dense Acacia scrub or other low shrub thickets can remove daytime shelter, food plants and runways. Fragmentation may increase exposure to predators and reduce movement between shelter and feeding areas.

The recovery plan identifies inappropriate recreation and development as threats at island and translocated populations. Site access, construction activity and infrastructure should therefore be assessed around known or potential dense shrub habitat, not only around confirmed animal records.

• Avoid clearing dense shrub patches where practicable, particularly patches connected to known occupied habitat or release areas.
• Complete habitat and sign searches before clearing, and inspect the retained edge for runways, tracks and scats.
• Control access, vehicle movements and night lighting near occupied habitat during construction.

Threats: Drought and climate change

Drought is associated with marked population declines and can reduce survival and reproduction. The modelling study used drought events approximately once every 6.25 years, with a 50 per cent reduction in survival and reproduction in the model.

Climate change is expected to increase uncertainty through reduced rainfall, more frequent high temperatures and storms, and increased fire risk. Project impacts that reduce shrub cover or moisture availability may add to these pressures.

Modelled drought frequency: About once every 6.25 years in the population model.

Modelled drought effect: A 50 per cent reduction in survival and reproduction.

• Consider drought conditions when interpreting survey results, because abundance can vary substantially between rainfall phases.
• Avoid concentrating disturbance in the remaining dense refuges during dry periods.
• Include fire, heat and reduced rainfall in project risk assessments for occupied or translocated populations.

Threats: Disease, livestock and hydrology

Disease or parasites are identified as a risk for captive populations in the recovery plan, but no specific disease risk for construction sites is described in the supplied sources.

Livestock impacts contributed to a failed translocation, and the habitat descriptions include flats and swamp margins. The supplied sources do not establish a project-specific hydrology threshold, but changes to wet areas, shrub moisture or access by livestock should be assessed where those features occur.

• Use site biosecurity and animal handling procedures at captive, translocation and fenced sanctuary sites.
• Prevent livestock access to occupied conservation habitat where livestock impacts are identified in the site management plan.
• Seek specialist advice before altering drainage, wet areas or water availability near known habitat, because species-specific hydrology thresholds are not provided.

Survey methodology: 1. Habitat and sign searches

Survey for the banded hare-wallaby must focus on dense shrub habitat and nocturnal activity. The species is currently known from Bernier and Dorre Islands, with translocated populations also established at managed sites, so mainland records require prompt verification and reporting.

Survey dense Acacia ligulata scrub and other low, spreading shrub communities first. The species shelters in dense vegetation by day and uses runways through the understorey.

Search during daylight for dense shelter habitat, runways, tracks and scats. Tracks may be indistinguishable from those of other wallabies on Bernier Island.

Record the location, extent and condition of each suitable shrub patch, including links between patches and nearby open foraging areas.

Key shelter habitat: Dense Acacia ligulata scrub or other low and spreading shrubs

Typical activity period: Nocturnal

Foraging habitat: More open grassland and shrub margins at night

• Walk representative habitat strata and inspect the base and edges of dense thickets for runways, scats and other signs.
• Treat signs alone as provisional where other macropods occur, and use direct observation, spotlighting or trapping for confirmation.
• Collect predator scats, owl casts or remains where this can help confirm the species or identify predation pressure.

Survey methodology: 2. Dusk and early-night observations

Conduct observations at dusk and early night at potential resource sites, including watering points where present. This timing matches the species’ nocturnal activity pattern.

Use quiet observation and avoid repeated entry into dense shelter patches, which can disturb animals and reduce detection.

Recommended timing: Dusk and early night

Diet relevant to survey habitat: Grasses, shrubs and forbs

• Position observers where open ground, shrub margins and runways can be watched without blocking movement routes.
• Record the start and finish time, weather, moon and wind conditions, observer position, habitat type and all animals detected.
• Use a spotlight survey where signs or habitat indicate that the species may be present.

Survey methodology: 3. Spotlighting

Spotlight suitable dense shrub habitat, adjacent open foraging areas and established runways. Spotlighting is recommended for confirming animals where signs cannot be assigned confidently.

The supplied guideline does not state a fixed number of nights, hours, transect length or spotlighting area for this species. Set effort through a stratified survey design and document the coverage achieved.

Guideline status: Spotlight surveys are recommended, but the supplied species profile does not specify a fixed effort level

Detection limitation: The species may be concealed in dense understorey during the day

• Use consistent transects or fixed observation points so repeat surveys can be compared.
• Move slowly and scan both dense cover and open areas at the shrub edge, because animals shelter in thickets during the day but forage in more open habitat at night.
• Record each detection with a GPS location, time, habitat description, behaviour and, where possible, an estimate of group size.
• Do not rely on spotlighting alone when dense vegetation, weather or access conditions are likely to reduce detection.

Survey methodology: 4. Cage trapping and confirmation

Cage trapping may be used to confirm identity where observation and signs are inconclusive. It is a supplementary method, not a substitute for habitat assessment or nocturnal searches.

Use a mixture of fruit, peanut butter and rolled oats for bait, as specified in the survey guideline.

Suggested bait: Fruit, peanut butter and rolled oats

Guideline limitation: The species profile does not specify a fixed number of traps or trap nights

• Obtain the required wildlife research or trapping authority before setting traps.
• Use traps, checking intervals, weather limits and welfare procedures required by the relevant state or territory authority and the project fauna management plan.
• Avoid trapping during conditions that expose animals to heat, cold, rain or prolonged stress.
• Release captured animals at the capture point unless an authorised relocation plan has been approved.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

• Use a stratified design that samples all suitable dense shrub communities and their connected open foraging areas within the disturbance footprint and nearby retained habitat.
• Record survey dates, start and finish times, methods, locations, weather, personnel, effort, habitat condition, detection results and survey limitations.
• Obtain further expert advice before surveying a suspected mainland population, because the supplied guideline was designed for Bernier and Dorre Islands.
• Report any suspected mainland record immediately to the appropriate Western Australian or other relevant state or territory wildlife authority.
• Submit confirmed records and negative survey results, where requested, to the relevant state or territory wildlife database and include them in the project environmental records.
• Retain photographs, GPS files, field sheets, trap records and identification evidence so the record can be audited.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise

Treat dense shrub habitat as the primary constraint on works. The species has a restricted distribution, depends on thick cover for daytime shelter and has experienced declines associated with drought, introduced predators, wildfire and unsuitable development or recreation.

Primary habitat feature: Dense shrub thickets used for daytime shelter

Known disturbance risks: Wildfire, introduced foxes and cats, inappropriate development or recreation, drought and climate-related extremes

• Avoid clearing dense Acacia ligulata scrub and other low, spreading shrub thickets wherever practicable.
• Retain continuous thickets, shrub edges, runways and links to open foraging areas rather than leaving isolated small patches.
• Keep construction compounds, access tracks, laydown areas, lighting and noise away from retained shelter habitat where practicable.
• Do not assume that open ground is unused habitat, because the species forages in more open areas at night.
• Set site-specific exclusion zones around retained thickets and movement routes using the survey results, impact assessment and advice from the relevant wildlife authority; the supplied documents do not prescribe a fixed buffer.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and planning

• Check the current EPBC Act listing and determine whether the proposed action is likely to have a significant impact on the species or its habitat, including whether an EPBC referral is required.
• Check state or territory wildlife, threatened species, animal ethics, translocation and clearing requirements before survey, trapping, handling or relocation.
• Confirm the applicable Western Australian requirements where work occurs in the species’ known range or affects a translocated population.
• Prepare a fauna management plan that identifies habitat to retain, survey methods, exclusion zones, clearing sequence, stop-work triggers, authorised handlers, injured-animal procedures and reporting responsibilities.
• Use a qualified ecologist and an appropriately authorised fauna spotter catcher for works that may affect occupied habitat.

Before habitat disturbance: Timing, staging and site preparation

Breeding information: Births recorded throughout the year; breeding may extend from February to August

Young produced: One to two young per year

• Schedule works outside periods of highest expected activity where practicable, but do not rely on seasonal timing alone because births have been recorded throughout the year.
• Recognise that breeding may occur from February to August and that females generally produce one to two young per year.
• Stage clearing so that retained dense habitat remains available and connected while works proceed.
• Complete the pre-clearance survey close enough to the clearing date to reflect current occupancy, using nocturnal searches and confirmation methods where required.
• Mark no-go areas, dense thickets, runways, watering points and other habitat features before machinery enters the site.
• Install and maintain exclusion fencing where it can keep animals out of the work area without blocking access to retained habitat or creating a predator trap.
• Control access by people, vehicles, domestic animals and machinery, and keep food waste and other attractants out of the work area.

During habitat disturbance: Daily controls and machinery coordination

Use a controlled clearing sequence with the fauna spotter catcher directing machinery. The aim is to prevent animals being crushed, trapped or driven into unsafe habitat, while retaining dense cover and movement routes.

• Hold a daily pre-start briefing with the supervisor, machine operators, ecologist and fauna spotter catcher.
• Confirm the approved clearing boundary, exclusion zones, escape routes, weather limits, emergency contacts and stop-work triggers before work starts.
• Use the fauna spotter catcher to inspect the next work area and direct the operator through each clearing step.
• Clear progressively towards retained habitat, where a safe and unobstructed route exists, rather than surrounding animals with machinery.
• Keep machinery at low speed near dense shrubs, runways, logs, rocks and other potential shelter sites.
• Stop work if an animal is seen, if an unidentified macropod enters the work area, if the spotter catcher loses sight of the active clearing face or if conditions make detection unreliable.
• Do not resume until the authorised fauna personnel have inspected the area and released the work zone.

During habitat disturbance: Handling animals and habitat features

• Do not allow untrained workers to chase, catch, handle or relocate a banded hare-wallaby.
• Keep people, vehicles, dogs and machinery away from the animal while the authorised handler assesses the situation.
• Use only handling, restraint, transport and release procedures approved by the relevant authority and the project fauna management plan.
• Relocate an animal only when authorised and only to suitable nearby retained habitat, with dense shelter and a safe route away from active works.
• Do not move an animal across roads, into isolated vegetation or into habitat occupied by predators or livestock.
• Treat injured, heat-stressed, orphaned or otherwise compromised animals as wildlife emergencies and transport them to an appropriately qualified veterinarian or wildlife carer under the approved procedure.
• Inspect dense thickets, runways and the immediate clearing face before removal of vegetation, and do not disturb occupied shelter unnecessarily.
• Do not infer that a site is unoccupied because no animal is visible during daylight.

During habitat disturbance: Stop-work, records and escalation

• Stop work immediately for a confirmed or suspected banded hare-wallaby in the active clearing area, an injured animal, a dependent young, an unexpected mainland record, a breach of an exclusion zone or evidence of fire or predator activity affecting retained habitat.
• Notify the project environmental officer and relevant wildlife authority when a listed animal is found or when the approved fauna procedure cannot be followed.
• Record the date, time, GPS location, habitat, animal condition, photographs, people involved, action taken, release location and outcome for every encounter.
• Record all clearing areas searched, fauna observations, incidents, injuries, mortalities, relocations, exclusion-zone breaches and daily weather conditions.
• Report any suspected mainland occurrence immediately to the appropriate government authority, as required by the survey guideline.

After habitat disturbance: Post-clearance checks

Post-clearance work must confirm that no animal remains trapped in the work area and that retained thickets remain functional. Continue controls until the site is stable and the environmental officer has closed the fauna risk.

• Inspect the cleared area, retained shrub edges, temporary fencing, access tracks and any pits or trenches before the site is left unattended.
• Check for trapped, injured or dead animals, damaged runways, blocked movement routes and new predator access points.
• Remove or cover artificial hazards such as open trenches, pipes and pits, and provide escape measures where they cannot be closed immediately.
• Complete a final fauna inspection after each staged clearing event and after overnight shutdowns where animals could enter the work area.
• Do not remove exclusion fencing until the environmental officer confirms that machinery, pits and other hazards no longer pose a risk.

After habitat disturbance: Monitoring and reporting

• Monitor retained dense shrub habitat and connected open foraging areas for signs, runways and nocturnal activity after construction and during the period specified in the fauna management plan.
• Repeat spotlighting or other approved surveys where clearing has altered shelter, access, fire risk or predator exposure.
• Compare post-work observations with the pre-disturbance survey, using the same locations and methods where practicable.
• Report mortalities, injuries, unexpected detections, habitat loss, rehabilitation failures and control breaches to the relevant regulator and project approval authority.
• Update the state wildlife database and project spatial records with confirmed observations and management outcomes.

After habitat disturbance: Ongoing controls and offsets

• Maintain predator exclusion, baiting or other approved fox and feral cat controls where these form part of the managed site.
• Prevent new livestock access, uncontrolled recreation, rubbish accumulation and activities that damage dense shrub cover.
• Manage fire risk in accordance with the approved reserve, sanctuary or project fire plan, recognising wildfire as a listed threat.
• Apply any approved offset, restoration or conservation payment requirements and link them to measurable habitat and population outcomes.

Rehabilitation actions: Restore shelter and food habitat

Rehabilitation should recreate dense, connected shelter habitat rather than only planting open ground. It should also reduce predator, fire and weed risks and be assessed against habitat condition and species use.

Preferred shelter vegetation: Dense Acacia ligulata scrub and other low, spreading shrubs

Food resources: Acacia species, other shrubs, forbs and grasses

• Re-establish dense Acacia ligulata and other locally appropriate low, spreading shrub communities identified in the site assessment.
• Use local provenance seed or plant material where available and protect new plantings from grazing, browsing and vehicle damage.
• Design plantings as connected thickets with sheltered edges and nearby open areas suitable for nocturnal foraging.
• Retain and reinstate natural runways through shrub cover where they are compatible with erosion and safety requirements.
• Do not create isolated planting islands surrounded by cleared ground where a connected habitat configuration can be achieved.

Rehabilitation actions: Reinstate habitat structure

• Retain suitable fallen timber, dense ground cover and other natural shelter features identified during the ecological assessment.
• Use natural habitat features rather than installing nest boxes, because the supplied documents describe shrub thickets as the species’ shelter and do not recommend nest boxes for this species.
• Keep drainage, erosion and access works from cutting through thickets or blocking movement between shelter and open foraging habitat.
• Design any water points or wet areas so they do not create entrapment hazards, concentrate predators or remove surrounding shrub cover.
• Use predator-proof fencing only where it is part of an approved conservation design, and inspect it for gaps and entanglement risks.

Rehabilitation actions: Manage weeds, predators and fire

• Control weeds that suppress Acacia regeneration or reduce dense understorey cover, using methods approved for the site and nearby fauna.
• Maintain approved fox and feral cat control, because introduced predators are a documented threat and have contributed to failed translocation attempts.
• Manage livestock access and grazing pressure so that recovering thickets are not opened up or damaged.
• Apply the site fire plan to reduce the chance of a single wildfire affecting all retained or restored habitat, while avoiding fire regimes that remove dense shelter.
• Inspect restored areas after fire, drought, storms and predator-control failures, and repair fencing or replace failed plantings promptly.

Rehabilitation actions: Monitor success

Documented drought effect: Population estimates may fall by as much as 75% before recovery

Translocation guidance: The 2020 modelling recommends ongoing demographic and genetic monitoring of translocated populations

• Set success measures for shrub survival, percentage of the rehabilitation area with dense shelter, connectivity to retained habitat, runway formation, predator-control performance and evidence of nocturnal use.
• Use repeat daytime habitat assessments and nocturnal spotlight surveys at fixed locations, with the same effort and seasonal timing where practicable.
• Record rainfall and drought conditions because populations can decline substantially during drought and recover after rainfall.
• Use genetic monitoring for translocated or isolated populations where required by the conservation program, noting the documented risk of bottlenecks and inbreeding.
• Continue monitoring until the restored area provides persistent dense cover and is demonstrably used or connected to occupied habitat.

Sources

• WESTERN BARRED BANDICOOT Perameles bougainville, BURROWING BETTONG Bettongia lesueur and BANDED HARE-WALLABY Lagostrophus fasciatus NATIONAL RECOVERY PLAN, Australian Government DCCEEW: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/shark-bay-marsupials.pdf
• Lagostrophus fasciatus (banded hare-wallaby) - Animal Diversity Web, animaldiversity.org: https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Lagostrophus_fasciatus/
• Banded hare-wallaby (Lagostrophus fasciatus), NESP Threatened Species Recovery Hub: https://www.nespthreatenedspecies.edu.au/media/h0rapffv/4-1-6-2-banded-hare-wallaby-report_v6.pdf
• Survey guidelines for Australia's threatened mammals, Australian Government DCCEEW: https://www.agriculture.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/survey-guidelines-mammals.pdf