Fauna Spotters logo

Red-legged Pademelon (Thylogale stigmatica)

The red-legged pademelon is a small, short-tailed macropod of rainforest, vine thickets and adjacent wet sclerophyll forest in eastern Australia, from New South Wales to north Queensland, and in southern New Guinea. It depends on dense cover and rarely moves far from forest edges, so clearing, fragmentation, road construction and disturbance of retained rainforest can affect animals even where few are detected.

Conservation status

New South Wales, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Vulnerable.

Breeding season

The red-legged pademelon breeds throughout the year and has no seasonal migration. Activity shifts towards forest edges and open feeding areas after dark, while dense forest remains important during the day.

Months are January to December. The documents do not identify a distinct annual migration or a lower-risk clearing period.

  • Breeding: Mating, births and post-partum oestrus can occur throughout the year. Embryonic diapause may occur while the pouch is occupied.
  • Young: A single young remains in the pouch for about 6 to 7 months and is weaned at about 9 months, so dependent young may be present in any month.
  • Night-time edge foraging: Animals may leave forest cover after dark to feed on grasses and other vegetation. They usually remain within about 70 m of the forest edge.
  • Highest clearing risk: Risk is year-round because breeding is continuous and pouch young may be present in any month. Clearing of dense cover also removes daytime shelter regardless of season.

Identification

The red-legged pademelon is a compact, short-tailed wallaby with reddish legs and a grey-brown coat. It is shy, generally solitary and difficult to detect in dense rainforest, so absence during daytime searches is not evidence that the habitat is unused.

Adults have a slender body with short, soft fur. The back is grey to reddish grey, the flanks are rich red and the underparts are pale grey to white. The outsides of the legs are a distinctive rust red, while the tail is short, thick and grey-brown, with a length shorter than the body.

The face is usually grey at the muzzle and becomes more reddish towards the cheeks and ears. A pale, indistinct cheek stripe, a red bar below the cheek stripe and a faint horizontal stripe on the hip may be visible. Some animals have a broad, indistinct dark stripe from the head to the middle of the back.

Maximum body length: Up to 53.6 cm.

Sexual dimorphism: Males are larger and more muscular through the forelimbs and chest than females.

Identification: Distinguishing features

In southern parts of its range, compare it with the red-necked pademelon. The red-legged pademelon has a shorter tail, reddish legs and a less distinct facial and neck pattern. Red-necked pademelons have a more obvious reddish neck and shoulders.

Rainforest populations may be darker, and colour varies between populations. Identification should therefore use the combination of body shape, short tail, reddish legs, dense rainforest habitat and any visible cheek or hip markings.

Identification: Field signs and detection

Direct sightings are most likely at night, when animals may leave forest cover to feed near the forest edge. They may also be active during the day within forest, but are particularly difficult to see in dense vegetation.

The supplied documents do not provide diagnostic track, scat or call descriptions for this species. Spotter catchers should record direct sightings, fresh carcasses, consistent runways, feeding observations and any repeat use of forest edge or dense understorey. Spotlighting should be undertaken by trained personnel under the relevant project and animal ethics procedures.

Typical social pattern: Usually solitary in forest, with loose groups sometimes forming at nocturnal feeding areas.

Movement from cover: Rarely ventures more than about 70 m from the forest edge.

Distribution: Australian range

In Australia, the species occupies a discontinuous strip along the east coast from New South Wales through Queensland to Cape York. The available documents identify habitat strongholds and survey records, but do not provide a national population estimate or a measured population trend.

The Australian range extends from New South Wales through coastal and subcoastal Queensland to north Queensland and Cape York. The species also occurs in southern New Guinea, but Australian project assessments should treat the New South Wales and Queensland populations as the relevant management units.

In south-east Queensland, mapped suitable habitat was concentrated in central districts from the Bunya Mountains to the Conondale Range and Gympie, occurred along the Scenic Rim, and was more sparsely distributed elsewhere in the bioregion. The expert panel excluded the Great Sandy region from the mapped distribution in that assessment.

States recorded in the supplied documents: New South Wales and Queensland.

Major Australian bioregional areas identified: South-east Queensland, including the Bunya Mountains, Conondales, Gympie and Scenic Rim; north Queensland rainforest areas, including the Wet Tropics and Cape York.

Distribution: Strongholds and records

The species is associated with rainforest and vine forest remnants. The Mabi Forest on the Atherton Tableland supports red-legged pademelons as part of its forest-floor mammal community. Iron Range National Park is identified as a place where the Cape York form can be seen.

In the south-east Queensland systematic survey, the species was recorded only twice: a freshly dead juvenile at Yarraman State Forest and an animal crossing a road at Mount Mothar State Forest. The low number of records was considered to reflect poor detectability in preferred habitat rather than necessarily low abundance.

South-east Queensland records in the CRA survey: Two records during the survey, including one freshly dead juvenile and one road-crossing observation.

South-east Queensland model accuracy: The expert habitat distribution map was rated medium accuracy.

Distribution: Population information

No national population size, density estimate or quantified population trend is provided in the supplied documents. The species is listed as least concern by the Australian Museum source, is not listed under the EPBC Act in the project information, and is listed as vulnerable in New South Wales.

Habitat: Habitat types

Red-legged pademelons require dense vegetation for shelter and are concentrated in rainforest and vine forest. They may use adjacent wet sclerophyll forest, vine thickets, swamp margins and open feeding areas, but remain close to cover.

Preferred habitat includes tropical and subtropical rainforest, lowland rainforest, vine forest, vine thickets and wet sclerophyll forest. In south-east Queensland the species was described as largely confined to the interior of vine forests and rainforests.

Animals may feed at forest edges, including on pasture or other open habitat, particularly at night. These open areas are supplementary foraging sites rather than a substitute for dense forest shelter.

Habitat: Vegetation and structure

Dense understorey and continuous or near-continuous cover are important habitat features. The south-east Queensland expert model used grouped remnant vegetation types 6a, 6b, 6c and 7 to represent potential habitat, although the supplied extract does not describe each of those units in sufficient detail to apply them nationally.

For clearing assessments, inspect the interior of rainforest and vine forest, dense edge vegetation, gullies, thickets and connected cover rather than assessing only canopy condition. Retain links between forest patches where practicable, because the species has a small home range and rarely moves far from cover.

Habitat: Climate and elevation

The documents describe a broad latitudinal range from New South Wales to Cape York and use tropical and subtropical rainforest habitats. They do not provide a reliable elevation limit or a quantified temperature or rainfall threshold for the species.

Foraging habitat: Food and feeding sites

The red-legged pademelon feeds mainly on plant material in forest and at nearby edges. It forages under cover by day and can move into open areas after dark, but usually remains close to the forest edge.

The diet includes leaves, fallen leaves, fruit, seeds, ferns, herbs, native grasses and fungi. The supplied south-east Queensland account also records fruit and leaves as major diet components.

In northern rainforest, little grass may be eaten because food is available within the forest. The animal may take climbing monocotyledons, ferns and dicotyledonous herbs, as well as fruit such as figs and Burdekin plum. In southern areas it may graze native or introduced grasses beyond the forest edge.

Foraging habitat: Foraging behaviour

Animals forage in forest cover during the day and night, with a deeper rest period around midday to mid-afternoon. They may emerge onto grass or other open habitat from the forest edge after dark.

For project inspections, check dense forest-floor cover, edge vegetation and adjoining grassed areas within about 70 m of the forest edge. This distance is a field guide from the species account, not a substitute for a site-specific habitat assessment.

Home range: About 1 to 4 ha, with a south-east Queensland estimate of about 2.5 ha.

Distance from forest edge: Individuals rarely venture more than about 70 m from forest edge.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

Breeding can occur in any month, so suitable dense cover may contain pouch young or recently independent young throughout the year. The species needs secure rainforest or vine forest shelter close to its feeding areas.

Females give birth to a single young after a short gestation. A post-partum oestrus occurs, and mating can take place 2 to 12 hours after birth. Embryonic diapause may occur while the pouch is occupied.

A female can therefore be reproductively active while carrying a dependent young. Continuous breeding means that clearing risk cannot be confined to a single breeding season.

Breeding season: Throughout the year.

Litter size: One young.

Gestation: About 28 to 30 days.

Pouch period: About 6 to 7 months, with one source giving about 6.5 months.

Weaning: About 9 months.

Age at maturity: Females about 11 months; males about 15 months.

Breeding habitat: Breeding habitat requirements

Breeding habitat is expected within dense rainforest, vine forest and wet sclerophyll cover used for daytime shelter. The available documents do not describe a nest or den structure, because young develop in the pouch.

Retain dense understorey and avoid isolating small rainforest remnants from nearby cover. Before clearing, inspect dense forest-floor vegetation and use qualified fauna personnel to manage any animals encountered.

Sheltering habitat: Daytime refuge

The species shelters in dense vegetation rather than in documented hollows, burrows or communal roosts. Maintaining ground cover, understorey and connected forest edge is therefore central to reducing disturbance risk.

Red-legged pademelons remain in or close to dense forest cover and use the interior of rainforest and vine forest for daytime shelter. They rarely move far from the forest edge, but their small home ranges include distinct daytime forest areas and smaller night-time feeding areas.

The supplied documents do not identify a standard den, nest, hollow or burrow, or provide a refuge diameter or minimum patch size. Do not assume that a patch is unused because no resting animal is visible.

Home range: About 1 to 4 ha.

Typical distance from forest edge: Rarely more than about 70 m.

Sheltering habitat: Shelter features to retain

Retain dense understorey, vine thickets, fallen vegetation and connected ground-level cover where safe and permitted. Avoid unnecessary removal of edge vegetation adjoining rainforest, because animals use forest cover by day and nearby open areas for nocturnal feeding.

The species is generally solitary in forest. Loose aggregations may occur at night in open feeding areas, so nocturnal observations should not be treated as evidence that only the immediate observation point is used.

Threats: Clearing and fragmentation

The main project risks are loss of dense rainforest and vine forest, fragmentation, road mortality and disturbance of animals using narrow forest edges. Predation and changed fire or hydrological conditions may add pressure where they reduce cover or increase exposure.

Clearing rainforest, vine forest, wet sclerophyll forest and dense edge vegetation removes shelter, feeding sites and parts of small home ranges. The species' discontinuous distribution is linked to its dependence on dense vegetation for shelter.

Fragmentation reduces the amount of connected cover and can separate daytime refuges from nocturnal feeding areas. Maintain links between retained forest patches and avoid creating isolated strips or narrow remnants where practicable.

Threats: Roads and construction

Road mortality is a direct risk where animals cross between forest and night-time feeding areas. One south-east Queensland survey record was an animal crossing a road, and a freshly dead juvenile was found at another survey site.

Before clearing, map forest edges, likely crossing points and adjoining grass or pasture. Use staged clearing, fauna spotter catcher supervision and temporary speed controls where project risk assessment identifies active crossings.

Threats: Predators, fire and hydrology

The supplied species account identifies dingoes, large pythons and foxes as predators. Fox predation is identified for the southern part of the range. Domestic dogs and cats should also be controlled around work areas as general construction hygiene where they are present.

The supplied documents do not quantify the effects of altered fire regimes or hydrology on this species. Fire, drainage, groundwater change and altered flood patterns should nevertheless be assessed where they could remove rainforest edge cover, dry wet forest or increase the frequency of severe disturbance.

Threats: Survey and response implications

Low detection rates should not be interpreted as absence. The species is difficult to see in its preferred habitat, and the south-east Queensland survey recorded only two animals despite targeted fauna surveys.

Use habitat assessment, camera or spotlighting records where appropriate, road-kill searches and repeat observations alongside direct searches. Stop work and seek fauna advice if a live animal, pouch young or carcass is found in the clearing footprint.

Survey methodology: 1. Nocturnal spotlighting

Red-legged pademelons are shy, difficult to detect and closely associated with dense rainforest, vine forest and wet sclerophyll cover. Survey effort should focus on retained dense vegetation, forest edges and likely movement routes, and should be planned by a suitably qualified ecologist under the relevant state survey requirements.

Use spotlighting as a targeted detection method in dense rainforest, vine forest, wet sclerophyll forest and along retained forest edges.

Survey at night when animals are active, walking slowly through suitable habitat and checking the forest floor, dense understorey and edge vegetation.

Use repeated searches in suitable habitat rather than relying on a single visit, because the species is shy and difficult to see in dense cover.

Reported home range: About 1 to 4 ha

Reported distance from forest edge: Rarely more than 70 m

Survey evidence in the CRA survey: The species was recorded incidentally during the systematic survey, including an animal crossing a road at Mt Mothar State Forest and a freshly dead juvenile at Yarraman State Forest.

  • Record the date, start and finish times, weather, observers, route, survey area, spotlight type and search conditions.
  • Search forest edges and open areas adjoining dense cover after dark, because animals may move out to feed while remaining close to shelter.

Survey methodology: 2. Diurnal habitat and sign inspection

Inspect dense vegetation during the day for tracks, droppings, feeding sign, runways and locations where the animal could shelter.

Walk slowly through vine forest, rainforest margins, wet gullies and dense understorey, checking areas that connect retained patches.

Use sign searches to supplement, not replace, nocturnal searches, because the available survey material identifies the species as particularly difficult to see.

Primary south-east Queensland habitat: Interior of vine forests and rainforests

Additional habitat: Wet sclerophyll forest, vine thickets and moist habitat around swamps

Diet items reported: Leaves, fruit, ferns, native grasses and fungi

  • Map dense vegetation, forest edges, narrow vegetation links, drainage lines and any access routes used by the species.
  • Record the location and type of each observation or sign record with a GPS position and photograph where practical.
  • Treat a road crossing, carcass or other incidental record as evidence of use even if no live animal is detected.

Survey methodology: 3. Camera and targeted movement monitoring

Use motion-sensing cameras where dense vegetation, narrow forest edges or repeated tracks make direct observation difficult.

Place cameras on likely movement routes, at gaps in dense cover and beside retained vegetation links, without clearing additional cover to install them.

Run cameras for a period suited to the project risk and local approval conditions, and record the deployment period and detection effort so that non-detection can be interpreted.

  • Keep cameras close to dense cover and forest edges because the species generally remains near shelter.
  • Use cameras to test whether animals move between the impact area and retained habitat before works begin.
  • Review images for the species, other macropods, domestic dogs, foxes and other predators that may affect fauna management.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

Set the final effort, survey timing and any trapping or camera requirements through the project ecologist, approval conditions and the current state fauna survey guidance.

Do not use live trapping unless it is specifically justified, approved and supervised by an appropriately authorised person, because the supplied survey documents do not provide a species-specific trapping protocol for this pademelon.

  • Survey all dense rainforest, vine forest, wet sclerophyll forest, vine thickets, swamp margins and connected forest edges that may be disturbed or used for access.
  • Complete nocturnal searches and targeted daytime sign inspections before clearing, with repeat visits where habitat is extensive, connected or difficult to inspect safely.
  • Record all observations, sign, carcasses, camera detections, non-detections, survey routes, effort, weather and habitat descriptions.
  • Submit validated records to the relevant state wildlife database and provide records required by the project approval or land manager.
  • Report the species under its accepted scientific name, Thylogale stigmatica, and retain photographs or other evidence for verification.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Avoid and minimise habitat loss

The main pre-clearance risk is removal or fragmentation of dense shelter and the connected forest edges used for feeding and movement. Avoiding these areas is preferable to relying on relocation after clearing.

Retain intact rainforest, vine forest, wet sclerophyll forest, vine thickets and dense understorey wherever practicable.

Retain connected vegetation between forest patches and avoid creating isolated strips or narrow gaps through dense cover.

Keep disturbance away from forest edges and nearby open feeding areas where the species may move at night.

Reported movement association: Animals generally remain in or close to dense cover and rarely venture more than 70 m from the forest edge

Reported home range: About 1 to 4 ha

  • Map and fence no-go areas around retained dense vegetation before machinery enters the site.
  • Use existing cleared areas for compounds, access tracks, stockpiles and turning areas where practicable.
  • Do not clear more vegetation than the approved footprint, and do not remove cover outside that footprint for convenience.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Confirm approvals and plan the works

Check the current Commonwealth and state conservation listings before works start, because the supplied project information identifies the species as not listed under the EPBC Act and vulnerable in New South Wales.

Obtain any state wildlife permits, scientific licences, relocation approvals and animal welfare permissions required for the work, survey or handling.

Confirm whether the proposed action requires an EPBC Act referral and document the decision in the project file.

  • Prepare a fauna management plan that identifies habitat to retain, survey methods, stop-work triggers, authorised personnel, handling limits, release sites and incident reporting.
  • Stage clearing so that animals can move towards retained habitat rather than being surrounded by works.
  • Schedule the highest-risk clearing outside periods of heavy rain or unsafe night access, and avoid starting clearing when a fauna spotter catcher cannot inspect the work area safely.
  • Brief all operators on the species, its habitat, the no-go areas and the requirement to stop when directed by the fauna spotter catcher.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Prepare the site

Complete a pre-clearance inspection of all dense habitat, forest edges, access routes and proposed work areas before clearing.

Mark retained vegetation, movement links, exclusion zones and any habitat features requiring inspection or staged removal.

Install exclusion fencing where it can direct animals towards retained habitat without trapping them between the fence and machinery.

  • Use a suitably qualified fauna spotter catcher to inspect the clearing footprint immediately before disturbance.
  • Check beneath dense ground cover, around logs and rocks, beside drainage lines and at forest edges where an animal may shelter during the day.
  • Keep machinery, spoil, fuel and construction materials out of retained habitat and out of the likely movement corridor.
  • Confirm a nearby release area before any animal is handled, and obtain landholder or manager approval for that area.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Daily controls and machinery coordination

Clearing should proceed slowly, in small work areas, with continuous communication between the fauna spotter catcher and machinery operators. Stop work whenever an animal or unexpected habitat risk is identified.

Inspect the active work area each day before machinery starts, including dense cover, forest edges, access tracks and any area disturbed the previous day.

Use a fauna spotter catcher who can see the active work face and communicate directly with each machine operator.

Clear progressively towards retained habitat, leaving an open escape route and avoiding rapid isolation of dense vegetation patches.

  • Maintain exclusion fencing and no-go markers throughout the work period, and repair them immediately if damaged.
  • Stop machinery when the fauna spotter catcher calls a stop, when visibility is lost, or when an animal enters the active work area.
  • Do not allow machinery to reverse, swing or continue clearing while the spotter catcher is outside the operator's line of communication.
  • Recheck the work area after breaks, overnight shutdowns, heavy rain or any change in the clearing sequence.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Habitat feature handling

Inspect dense understorey, fallen timber, rocks, ground hollows and swamp margins before they are disturbed.

Retain logs, rocks, dense ground cover and other shelter features within retained habitat wherever practicable.

Avoid pushing cleared vegetation into retained forest edges, drainage lines or release areas.

  • Do not use broadscale grading to remove ground cover before the spotter catcher has inspected it.
  • Move suitable logs and coarse woody debris into retained habitat only when this can be done safely and without crushing fauna.
  • Treat culverts, drains and excavations as fauna hazards, check them daily and provide safe escape routes where they are not fully covered or fenced.
  • Do not assume that the absence of a visible animal means dense habitat is unoccupied.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Animal encounters and stop-work triggers

Stop work immediately if a red-legged pademelon is seen, injured, trapped, dead or suspected to be within the active work area.

Allow the fauna spotter catcher to assess the animal and decide whether it can move away without intervention.

Handle the animal only when necessary, and only under the authority and conditions of the relevant permit, licence and project fauna management plan.

  • Keep workers, dogs and machinery away from the animal and reduce noise and movement around it.
  • Allow an uninjured animal to leave towards nearby retained habitat when the fauna spotter catcher confirms that the route is safe.
  • If capture is required, use an authorised and trained person with species-appropriate equipment and minimise handling time, heat and noise.
  • Relocate an uninjured animal only to suitable nearby retained habitat approved in advance by the ecologist or land manager, and record the release location.
  • Take an injured animal to a veterinarian or authorised wildlife carer as soon as practicable, following the relevant state wildlife and animal welfare requirements.
  • Treat a carcass, repeated sighting, animal unable to move away, animal entering an excavation, or loss of the planned escape route as a stop-work trigger until the fauna spotter catcher has cleared the area.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Records and incident reporting

Maintain a daily fauna clearance record for each work area and each clearing shift.

Record live sightings, sign, carcasses, captures, relocations, injuries, releases, failed escapes, stop-work events and interactions with machinery.

  • For every record, note the date, time, GPS position, habitat, animal condition, action taken, authorised personnel and destination if relocated.
  • Photograph the animal or evidence where this can be done without additional disturbance.
  • Notify the project environmental officer and the relevant regulator or land manager of reportable incidents within the timeframe set by the approval.
  • Update the clearing map after each shift to show completed areas, inspected areas, retained habitat and unresolved risks.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Post-clearance checks

Post-clearance work must confirm that animals have not been left in isolated remnants, excavations or construction compounds. Retained habitat and movement links must remain protected for the duration of the project.

Inspect each cleared area, retained edge and temporary access route after clearing and before the area is released to construction.

Check excavations, drains, trenches, stockpiles, temporary fencing and machinery laydown areas for trapped or injured fauna.

Complete a final search of remaining dense vegetation adjacent to the cleared footprint, particularly where clearing has narrowed a forest edge.

  • Record the inspection date, personnel, area checked, methods used, results and any corrective action.
  • Remove or make safe fauna traps such as open pipes, uncovered pits, unsecured fencing and deep-sided temporary drains.
  • Keep no-go fencing in place until the environmental officer confirms that construction will not affect the retained habitat.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Monitoring and maintenance

Monitor retained rainforest, vine forest, wet sclerophyll forest and connected edges for continued use by the species where the project approval or risk assessment requires monitoring.

Use repeat spotlighting, sign searches or motion-sensing cameras at retained habitat and movement links, using the same locations and effort where practical so results can be compared.

Inspect retained vegetation after storms, fire, weed control and construction changes to confirm that shelter and connectivity remain functional.

  • Maintain exclusion fencing, fauna underpasses or other approved fauna measures until the site is stabilised and the environmental officer authorises their removal.
  • Control vehicle access, lighting, noise, domestic dogs and other disturbances near retained dense habitat.
  • Investigate any post-clearance carcass, repeated animal displacement or loss of vegetation link and apply additional controls.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Reporting and offsets

Provide the final fauna report to the client, regulator and land manager as required by the approval and fauna management plan.

Include cleared and retained areas, survey effort, all detections, incidents, handling and relocation records, monitoring results, breaches and corrective actions.

Apply any approved offset, restoration or habitat protection requirement where residual impacts remain after avoidance and mitigation.

  • Submit verified species records to the relevant state wildlife database and retain the source photographs, coordinates and field sheets.
  • Document whether the project retained connected dense habitat and whether monitoring supports continued use by the species.
  • Do not close out fauna controls until all approval conditions and outstanding incidents have been addressed.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Restore dense habitat and connectivity

Rehabilitation should rebuild dense shelter and reconnect retained forest rather than creating open plantings alone. The target condition is habitat that supports daytime cover and short movements to nearby feeding areas.

Replant cleared edges and narrow gaps with locally appropriate rainforest, vine forest and wet sclerophyll species consistent with the pre-clearing community and approved rehabilitation plan.

Use dense, structurally diverse planting with ground, shrub and canopy layers so that the site develops continuous shelter.

Reconnect retained patches, gullies and forest edges with planted links wherever the project has created a gap.

Habitat target: Rainforest, vine forest, wet sclerophyll forest and dense vine thicket cover

Reported movement association: The species rarely ventures more than 70 m from forest edge

Reported home range: About 1 to 4 ha

  • Prioritise rehabilitation within about 70 m of retained forest edges where this restores the species' likely movement zone.
  • Use local provenance plants where required by the land manager or approval, and protect new plantings from grazing and trampling.
  • Retain natural regeneration where it is healthy and compatible with the rehabilitation objective.
  • Do not rely on grass-only revegetation because the species depends on dense vegetation for shelter.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Reinstate shelter and manage threats

Retain or reinstate logs, leaf litter, dense ground cover and other natural shelter features within rehabilitated areas where safe and consistent with the approved design.

Control weeds that suppress rainforest and vine forest regeneration or reduce dense understorey cover.

Manage foxes, feral dogs and other introduced predators in accordance with approved control programmes and state requirements.

  • Keep stock, construction vehicles and unauthorised people out of rehabilitation areas until vegetation is established.
  • Use fire planning that protects rainforest, vine forest and wet gullies from inappropriate fire, while following the land manager's ecological fire requirements.
  • Do not install nest boxes as a substitute for dense ground and understorey shelter, because the supplied documents do not identify nest-box use by this species.
  • Keep drainage works from drying or isolating moist forest edges and swamp-associated cover.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Monitor rehabilitation success

Monitor plant survival, weed cover, understorey density, connectivity and use by red-legged pademelons at intervals set by the approval and rehabilitation plan.

Use repeat cameras, spotlighting and daytime sign searches at the same rehabilitation sites and nearby retained habitat so trends can be compared.

Continue monitoring until the site meets the approved vegetation and fauna performance criteria, not merely until planting is complete.

  • Measure survival and growth of plantings, closure of gaps, persistence of ground cover and condition of movement links.
  • Record red-legged pademelon detections, other macropod use, predator activity and any barriers or hazards created by the rehabilitation works.
  • Replace failed plants, repair erosion, remove weeds and modify fencing or drainage where monitoring shows that shelter or movement has not been restored.
  • Report monitoring results, failures and corrective actions to the project environmental officer, land manager and regulator where required.

Sources