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Red-tailed Phascogale (Phascogale calura)

The Red-tailed Phascogale is a small, mostly arboreal carnivorous marsupial now restricted to scattered woodland remnants in the southern wheatbelt of Western Australia. It may shelter or breed in hollows, logs, grass tree skirts and stumps, so retained vegetation and hollow-bearing trees need checking before clearing. The species is Vulnerable under the Commonwealth EPBC Act, Vulnerable in Victoria and Endangered in South Australia.

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Vulnerable.

Victoria, Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988: Vulnerable.

South Australia, National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972: Endangered.

Breeding season

Red-tailed Phascogales mate in winter, usually in July. Births are expected about 28 to 30 days later, with young weaned before the end of October. Timing may vary between years and locations within the species' restricted range in south-western Western Australia.

Breeding mode: Sexual reproduction. Mating is usually in July, during winter.

Gestation: 28 to 30 days.

Litter size: Up to 13 young, with an average litter size of 7.

Weaning: Young are weaned before the end of October.

Age at maturity: Not recorded.

Breeding and nest sites: Females use tree hollows and hollow logs. Other nesting and refuge sites include grasstree skirts, stumps, bark crevices and suitable hollow limbs.

Breeding frequency: Not recorded. Females may produce two to three litters during their lives.

Breeding timing is expected to vary between years and regions, and local breeding activity should be checked during pre-clearing surveys rather than assumed from the calendar alone.

  • Winter mating: Mating usually occurs in July, and males become reproductively senescent after the first year.
  • Births and nesting: Births are expected about 28 to 30 days after July mating, with females using hollows and other sheltered nesting sites.
  • Dependent young: Young remain dependent through late winter and spring and are weaned before the end of October.
  • Nocturnal and arboreal activity: Red-tailed Phascogales are mainly nocturnal and use both tree canopy and ground habitat throughout the year.
  • Highest clearing risk: The highest risk is from July to October, when mating, nesting, births and dependent young may be present in hollows, logs and other refuge sites.

Identification: Appearance and measurements

The Red-tailed Phascogale is a small, nocturnal dasyurid with a distinctive reddish brown tail base and a black-haired tail tip. It is mostly arboreal but also spends substantial time feeding on the ground.

The fur is ash grey above and cream below. The ears are large, thin and reddish. The tail is up to 14.5 cm long, reddish brown at the base and finished with a brush of long black hair.

Males are larger than females and may reach 12.2 cm in head and body length and 68 g. Females may reach 10.5 cm and weigh about 48 g.

Activity: Mainly nocturnal, although individuals can emerge during the day.

Locomotion: Arboreal, with regular movement on the ground.

  • Main field feature: rusty or reddish fur at the base of the tail.
  • The tail is longer than the head and body and has a black, bushy tip.
  • The animal is small enough to be overlooked during daytime clearing inspections.

Identification: Calls and similar species

No reliable call or echolocation feature is available for field identification. Echolocation is not a feature of this species.

The Brush-tailed Phascogale, Phascogale tapoatafa, also occurs in south-western Western Australia, but the ranges are largely discrete. Check the red fur at the tail base and obtain expert confirmation where the identification is uncertain. Hair samples can be used for positive identification when the sample and location information are adequate.

Diagnostic feature: Red or rusty fur at the base of the tail.

  • Record the exact location, habitat, date, time and collection method with any hair sample.
  • Do not rely on a brief view of a dark, fast-moving animal at night.

Identification: Field signs

Daytime searches should focus on potential nest sites and nearby ground signs. Useful observations include scratches on tree trunks, tracks and scats near hollow-bearing trees and hollow logs.

There is no dependable whitewash, stain or odour sign described for this species. Treat any small mammal nest, scat or track as unconfirmed unless supported by a camera image, capture, hair identification or other expert determination.

  • Hollow-bearing trees and hollow logs with fresh disturbance around entrances.
  • Scratches on trunks or bark near likely nesting trees.
  • Tracks and scats on the ground below or close to potential nest sites.
  • Camera images or other records showing the red tail base.

Distribution: Current range

The current wild range is in south-western Western Australia, particularly the central and southern wheatbelt. Historical records extend across several other Australian states and the Northern Territory, but the species is now presumed extinct in the Northern Territory and locally extinct in New South Wales.

Extant populations occur in isolated remnants of native vegetation across the southern wheatbelt of Western Australia. The range extends roughly from the area near Beverley south and east through the wheatbelt, with records towards Hyden, Newdegate, Bremer Bay and Fitzgerald River National Park.

The species is associated with parts of the Avon Wheatbelt, Jarrah Forest, Mallee and Esperance Plains bioregions. The current climatic range receives about 300 to 600 mm of annual rainfall, with other assessments giving 350 to 600 mm for the present region.

Current extent of occurrence: About 9,440 km², based on records from 1995 to 2007.

Current area of occupancy: About 1,775 km² using 5 km² grid cells and records from 1995 to 2007.

  • Known areas include Dryandra State Forest, Highbury State Forest, Boyagin, Tutanning, Dongolocking and other wheatbelt reserves.
  • Records occur on nature reserves, national parks, state forests, water reserves, Crown reserves and some private woodland remnants.
  • Small isolated reserves can support populations, but retained corridors assist movement between remnants.

Distribution: Historical range and state context

Before agricultural expansion, the Red-tailed Phascogale was widespread across much of Western Australia and extended east to the Murray Darling basin in New South Wales. Historical records also came from the southern Northern Territory, south-eastern South Australia and north-western Victoria.

For project screening, records in New South Wales, the Northern Territory, South Australia and Victoria should be treated as historical or population-specific unless current local records confirm otherwise. The Northern Territory population is presumed extinct, and the species is locally extinct in New South Wales.

  • Commonwealth: Vulnerable.
  • Victoria: Vulnerable. Check whether the relevant listing applies to a historical population or occurrence before applying site controls.
  • South Australia: Endangered. Confirm the relevant population and locality under South Australian legislation.
  • Western Australia: current stronghold. The species is also assigned Priority 4 in Western Australia, a non-statutory DBCA category for rare and near threatened species that need monitoring.

Distribution: Site scale and connectivity

A site can fall within the known range even when the species has not been recorded locally for many years. Populations have been found again in areas that were previously surveyed without a record.

Map all native vegetation within and around the works area, including roadside strips, private remnants, reserves and state forest. Give particular attention to links between larger woodland patches and to narrow canopy corridors that may support movement.

  • Search the relevant state databases and local fauna records before finalising the clearing footprint.
  • Treat apparently isolated woodland as potentially connected habitat where canopy, logs or understorey provide movement cover.
  • Use recent records and habitat condition together. Absence from one survey should not be treated as proof of absence.

Habitat: Preferred vegetation

Look for long-unburnt woodland with continuous canopy, mature trees and abundant shelter features. The best habitat is usually structurally mature, but small remnants and roadside vegetation can still be used and should not be dismissed without assessment.

The strongest habitat association is dense Rock Sheoak woodland, Allocasuarina huegeliana, with Wandoo, Eucalyptus wandoo, particularly where mature or senescent trees provide hollows. Gastrolobium and Oxylobium species may occur in these communities.

Other recorded habitats include York Gum woodland, Swamp Oak woodland over samphire, mallee scrub and low Moort forest, Eucalyptus platypus. Lowland riverine vegetation may include Casuarina obesa, Eucalyptus loxophleba and Eucalyptus wandoo.

  • Wandoo and Rock Sheoak woodland.
  • York Gum woodland and other mature eucalypt woodland.
  • Lowland riverine vegetation with mature trees and a continuous canopy.
  • Mallee, Swamp Oak and Moort vegetation where other habitat features are present.

Habitat: Structure and condition

Populations are greatest in habitat that has been unburnt for 20 years or more. Continuous canopy allows movement through the trees and reduces exposure to predators.

Look for old-growth or senescent eucalypts, hollow limbs, fallen logs, dense understorey and grass trees with substantial skirts. Stands of dead Allocasuarina and grass tree skirts can be highly flammable and may contain nest sites.

  • Continuous or near-continuous canopy.
  • Hollow-bearing eucalypts, especially Wandoo.
  • Logs, limbs, stumps and grass tree skirts.
  • Dense vegetation that provides cover from owls, foxes and feral cats.
  • Evidence of a long interval since the last fire.

Habitat: Habitat in cleared landscapes

The species has been recorded in remnants smaller than 20 ha and in remnants larger than 200 ha. Records also occur in roadside vegetation, small remnants and paddock trees, although open paddocks and isolated trees are generally less suitable than larger woodland patches with cover.

During site inspections, map the quality and continuity of each patch rather than recording only the vegetation type. A narrow strip beside a road can still provide movement habitat between larger remnants.

  • Retain larger woodland patches wherever possible.
  • Avoid breaking canopy links between remnants.
  • Include isolated mature trees, logs and grass tree skirts in the pre-clearing assessment.
  • Record fire history, canopy continuity and predator exposure.

Foraging habitat: Foraging resources

The Red-tailed Phascogale forages in the canopy and extensively on the ground. Assess both tree and ground layers, including leaf litter, logs and dense understorey within and beside woodland remnants.

The species is an opportunistic carnivore. It eats insects and spiders, as well as small birds, small mammals, house mice and carrion.

Foraging habitat is likely to be best where mature trees, canopy cover, logs, litter and structurally diverse ground vegetation occur together. Retain these features around hollow-bearing trees and along movement corridors.

Foraging mode: Canopy and ground foraging, mainly at night.

  • Mature Wandoo, Rock Sheoak, York Gum and other native woodland trees.
  • Leaf litter, fallen timber, limbs and rough bark.
  • Dense understorey and grass tree skirts that support invertebrates and provide cover.
  • Ground habitat beneath or close to continuous canopy.

Foraging habitat: Features to map before works

Map patches that combine canopy cover with logs, hollows, litter and dense ground cover. These areas may be used even when no nest is found.

Inspect the ground around potential nest trees for tracks, scats, prey remains and movement routes. Keep observations separate from confirmed species records unless identification is secure.

  • Tree bases and trunk routes beneath connected canopy.
  • Logs and limbs with nearby tracks or scats.
  • Grass tree skirts and dense understorey.
  • Roadside or riparian vegetation that links larger remnants.

Foraging habitat: Management during construction

Keep machinery, laydown areas, spoil and vehicle movements out of retained foraging habitat. Limit night lighting and avoid creating open, exposed gaps beside retained trees where practicable.

Where clearing is unavoidable, inspect the area during daylight and use qualified fauna personnel to manage any animal found. Avoid unnecessary removal of logs, limbs, grass tree skirts and hollow-bearing trees.

  • Clearly mark retained woodland, hollow-bearing trees and movement corridors.
  • Keep cleared material and construction traffic outside retained habitat.
  • Use fauna spotter catchers during clearing in suitable habitat.
  • Record and report any sighting, capture, road casualty or camera detection.

Breeding habitat: Breeding places

Breeding depends on secure nest sites, especially hollows in mature eucalypts and hollow logs. Females return to the same nesting sites, so a tree or log with suitable shelter can remain important across several seasons.

Potential breeding places include hollow-bearing trees and hollow logs. Nesting and refuge features may also include grass tree skirts and stumps.

Senescent Wandoo and other old eucalypts are particularly valuable because they supply hollows. Record both obvious hollows and trees with concealed cavities that cannot be fully assessed from the ground.

Female site fidelity: Females return to the same nesting sites year after year.

  • Hollow-bearing Wandoo and other mature eucalypts.
  • Hollow logs and large fallen limbs.
  • Grass tree skirts and stumps.
  • Dense woodland around the nest feature, which provides cover from predators.

Breeding habitat: Breeding timing

Mating usually occurs in July. Males become reproductively senescent after their first year and generally die within one month after mating, or in spring following the mating period.

Females can produce up to 13 young, with an average litter size of 7. Young are weaned before the end of October.

  • Treat July to October as a sensitive breeding and young-rearing period where suitable habitat is present.
  • Plan hollow tree removal outside this period where possible, but do not remove a potential breeding tree without an inspection and fauna management plan.
  • Avoid assuming that a vacant-looking hollow is unused.

Breeding habitat: Pre-clearing assessment

Before clearing, inspect all hollow-bearing trees, hollow logs, stumps and substantial grass tree skirts within the disturbance footprint. Use daytime searches, stagwatching, cameras or other approved methods where the habitat and risk warrant it.

If a hollow or nest feature may be occupied, stop work nearby and obtain direction from the fauna spotter catcher and the relevant wildlife authority. Do not plug, smoke, cut into or otherwise disturb a hollow to confirm occupancy.

  • Map each feature and record tree species, condition, hollow entrances and surrounding cover.
  • Check the ground below for scats, tracks, scratches and other activity signs.
  • Retain occupied or potentially occupied breeding features wherever practicable.
  • Use a staged clearing approach so animals can move into retained habitat.

Sheltering habitat: Shelter features

Shelter is mainly associated with tree hollows and hollow logs, but the species also uses bark crevices, limbs, stumps and grass tree skirts. Retained cover around these features can determine whether a hollow is usable and safe.

Potential daytime shelter and nest sites include hollow-bearing trees, hollow logs, bark crevices, hollow limbs, stumps and grass tree skirts. Bloodwoods were identified as important hollow-bearing trees in the former central Australian range, while Wandoo is a major hollow resource in the current Western Australian range.

Look for cavities at all heights, including low entrances and hollows hidden by bark or dense foliage. Ground-based hollow checks can miss suitable cavities.

  • Mature or senescent eucalypts with hollows or loose bark.
  • Hollow logs and large fallen limbs.
  • Stumps and grass tree skirts.
  • Dense Rock Sheoak and Wandoo woodland with continuous canopy.

Sheltering habitat: Cover and predator exposure

A hollow in an isolated tree may be less useful than a hollow within continuous woodland. Open paddocks and scattered trees expose animals to owls, foxes and feral cats, particularly where dense understorey is absent.

When assessing a shelter feature, record the surrounding canopy, understorey, ground cover and connection to other vegetation.

  • Retain canopy around hollow-bearing trees.
  • Keep dense understorey and ground cover where safe to do so.
  • Avoid creating isolated nest trees beside broad cleared areas.
  • Protect logs, limbs and grass tree skirts from firewood collection and unnecessary disturbance.

Sheltering habitat: Site handling and inspection

Inspect potential shelter features before machinery enters the work area. Use qualified fauna personnel for any handling, relocation or release decision. The species is difficult to capture, so repeated or combined detection methods may be needed when the habitat risk is high.

Do not place hands into hollows or move logs without checking for fauna. Maintain a clear exclusion area around a feature while it is being assessed.

  • Use daytime hollow searches, stagwatching, cameras, spotlighting or hair sampling as appropriate to the site.
  • Keep trees and logs stable during nearby works.
  • Stop work if an animal is seen entering or leaving a hollow, log, stump or grass tree skirt.
  • Document the feature, action taken and final outcome.

Threats: Clearing and fragmentation

The main risks are habitat loss and fragmentation, introduced predators and frequent fire. Development can add to these risks through clearing of mature trees, removal of shelter features, breaks in canopy corridors and disturbance of retained habitat.

Historical agricultural clearing has reduced the species to isolated remnants. Clearing for roads, utilities, buildings and construction compounds can remove woodland, hollow-bearing trees and movement corridors.

Avoid larger, structurally mature woodland patches where possible. Keep narrow links between remnants and prevent temporary works from widening permanent gaps.

  • Apply the avoid, minimise and offset hierarchy before finalising the footprint.
  • Include temporary access tracks, laydown areas and easements in the habitat assessment.
  • Retain mature Wandoo, Rock Sheoak, York Gum and other hollow-bearing trees.
  • Protect roadside and riparian vegetation that links larger patches.

Threats: Foxes, feral cats and other predators

Foxes and feral cats are major threats. Open, fragmented works areas can increase exposure to predators, especially around isolated trees and narrow remnants.

Use the project environmental management plan to prevent attracting predators. Coordinate fox and feral cat control with the land manager where the site supports suitable habitat and control is authorised.

  • Keep food waste, bait and construction refuse secured.
  • Do not feed wildlife or leave pet food at camps and compounds.
  • Maintain dense retained cover where practicable.
  • Report predator sightings and evidence to the land manager or project ecologist.

Threats: Fire and vegetation condition

The species is most associated with habitat that has been unburnt for 20 years or more. Frequent fire can remove dense understorey, grass tree skirts, logs and other shelter features, and can reduce the mature woodland structure needed for nesting.

Construction activities must be managed to prevent ignition and the spread of fire through flammable Allocasuarina stands, dead vegetation and grass tree skirts.

  • Maintain approved fire prevention and hot works controls.
  • Keep machinery and access routes clear of combustible material where required by the site fire plan.
  • Avoid unnecessary slashing or removal of grass tree skirts, logs and dense cover.
  • Plan post construction rehabilitation to restore canopy links and ground cover.

Threats: Disturbance, disease and poor detection

The species is difficult to detect and may occur in remnants that have not produced recent records. Noise, night lighting, tree removal and repeated access can disturb shelter and foraging habitat. Disease introduction is also a potential concern at sites with high human activity.

Use a risk-based survey and clearing plan rather than relying on a single negative survey. Escalate unexpected records, injured animals or occupied hollows to the project ecologist and relevant authority.

Survey trigger: A suitable woodland remnant, hollow-bearing tree, hollow log, grass tree skirt or recent record should trigger targeted assessment before clearing.

  • Follow the applicable Commonwealth and state approval conditions.
  • Use the national threatened mammal survey guidance for survey design.
  • Control access to retained habitat and disinfect equipment where disease risk warrants it.
  • Keep clear records of surveys, sightings, tree inspections, captures and management actions.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

Red-tailed Phascogales are small, mostly arboreal and nocturnal, but they also forage on the ground. They are difficult to detect, so use more than one method and treat a negative result cautiously, especially in suitable woodland.

Check current and historical records before planning works. The extant range is in the southern wheatbelt of Western Australia, including remnants between Brookton, Katanning, Williams, Dumbleyung, Hyden, Newdegate and Bremer Bay.

Give particular attention to Wandoo and York Gum woodland, Rock Sheoak woodland, long unburnt vegetation, continuous canopy, old hollow bearing eucalypts, hollow logs, grass tree skirts and connected roadside or reserve vegetation.

Records from New South Wales, the Northern Territory, South Australia and Victoria relate to the former range or historical populations. Confirm the applicable state listing and whether the record relates to a translocated or reintroduced population.

Current Australian distribution: Southern and south western Western Australia

Preferred habitat: Long unburnt Wandoo and Rock Sheoak woodland with hollow bearing trees and continuous canopy

Known roaming range: Approximately 1.5 to 8 ha

  • Search state fauna databases, local government records, reserve records and previous ecological reports.
  • Map all native vegetation patches, hollow bearing trees, hollow logs, grass trees, dense understorey and potential movement corridors.
  • Identify nearby populations and retained habitat that could be affected by noise, lighting, fire, access tracks or loss of canopy continuity.

Survey methodology: 2. Targeted field detection

Survey at night when animals are active. Use a combination of spotlighting, baited camera traps, arboreal hair sampling and searches for signs around likely nest sites.

Daytime searches can identify hollow bearing trees, hollow logs, scratches on trunks, tracks and scats. Stagwatching at likely nest trees can complement night work, as individuals may emerge during the day.

If these methods do not detect the species and suitable habitat is present, consider modified arboreal Elliott A traps. Obtain the required Western Australian permissions and licences before trapping.

Arboreal hair sampling effort: For a site up to 5 ha, use 20 devices at each sampling site, with at least two sampling sites per 5 ha

Hair device placement: Attach devices about 3 m above ground, 20 m apart, in two parallel transects 25 m apart

Hair sampling duration: 14 consecutive nights

  • Use spotlight transects along tracks, roads and through representative woodland, and supplement these with vehicle based spotlighting where safe.
  • Place baited cameras at arboreal and terrestrial stations near hollows, logs, grass tree skirts, canopy connections and ground foraging areas.
  • Use bait such as peanut butter, honey and rolled oats. Chopped bacon or sardines may also be effective.
  • Collect hair samples only where the method is suitably authorised and samples can be labelled accurately for expert identification.

Survey methodology: 3. Timing and survey conditions

Plan repeated night surveys during suitable weather, avoiding strong wind, heavy rain and conditions that reduce animal activity or observer safety. Survey effort should represent the habitat types and disturbance footprint, not just the easiest access routes.

Mating usually occurs in July. Males die within about one month after mating, and young are weaned before the end of October. Surveys outside the main activity period can still detect animals, but a negative result should not be treated as proof of absence.

There is no known migration schedule for this species. Focus timing decisions on breeding, weather, fire history, recent disturbance and the likely presence of dependent young.

  • Record the date, start and finish time, weather, moon or visibility conditions, observer names and survey method.
  • Record the number, length and location of spotlight transects, camera stations, hair devices and trap nights.
  • Record fire history, canopy continuity, hollow resources, grass tree skirts, logs, understorey cover and signs of foxes or cats.
  • Do not rely on a single short visit where the site contains suitable long unburnt woodland or known records.

Survey methodology: 4. Identification and data handling

Confirm sightings using the rusty red fur at the base of the tail, the bushy black tail tip and the animal's small dasyurid form. Brush tailed phascogales can occur in south western Western Australia, although their ranges are largely separate.

Hair identification can distinguish the species when sample quality and location information are adequate. Preserve samples correctly and provide accurate habitat and collection details to the identification service.

  • Photograph the animal, tail base, tail tip, habitat and any nest or refuge feature where this can be done without disturbance.
  • Record GPS coordinates, habitat condition, land tenure, observer confidence and whether the record was a sighting, camera image, hair sample, track, scat or captured animal.
  • Report records promptly to the project ecologist and relevant state fauna authority, particularly records from a proposed clearing area.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Confirm approvals and permits

Avoid habitat and breeding resources before relying on mitigation. Red-tailed Phascogales can use small remnants, roadside vegetation, hollow trees, hollow logs, grass tree skirts and connected canopy, so a narrow or isolated patch should not be dismissed without assessment.

Check the Commonwealth and state status before works begin. The Red-tailed Phascogale is listed as Vulnerable under the EPBC Act, Vulnerable in Victoria and Endangered in South Australia. It is an EVNT species for project planning purposes.

In Western Australia, confirm the requirements of the relevant state authority, land manager and approval conditions. Obtain permits for trapping, handling, collection, relocation or other fauna work before field activities.

An EPBC referral may be required where an action is likely to have a significant impact on the species or important habitat. Obtain project specific legal advice rather than assuming that a small clearing footprint is exempt.

In Queensland, the species is not part of the current known range, but any confirmed or approved population would require a check of protected wildlife requirements. Tampering with a breeding place for a near threatened animal may require a species management program under Queensland law.

  • Check the EPBC Act referral and approval requirements.
  • Check Western Australian fauna licences and animal ethics requirements before trapping or handling.
  • Check state permits wherever works, relocation or specimen collection occur.
  • Keep approval conditions, permits, contact details and escalation procedures in the site pack.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Apply the avoidance hierarchy

Retain the largest woodland patches, continuous canopy, hollow bearing eucalypts, hollow logs, grass tree skirts and dense long unburnt vegetation wherever practicable. Retain vegetation corridors between reserves, roadside remnants and private remnants.

Avoid clearing Wandoo, York Gum, Rock Sheoak and other hollow producing woodland in or beside known populations. Avoid creating new gaps between habitat patches.

There are no universal species specific buffer distances in this guidance. Set buffers around habitat, hollows and known records through the approval process and a site specific ecological assessment.

  • Micro site infrastructure away from old trees, hollow logs, grass trees and connected canopy.
  • Fence and mark exclusion areas before machinery arrives.
  • Prevent unauthorised access, storage, parking, lighting and spoil placement inside retained habitat.
  • Maintain safe fauna movement routes between retained patches during construction.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Complete the pre clearance inspection

Inspect all vegetation and structures that may be disturbed shortly before clearing. Focus on hollow bearing trees, hollow logs, bark crevices, grass tree skirts, stumps and dense cover.

Use daytime inspection and night detection where suitable habitat is present. Inspect hollows that cannot be assessed safely from the ground with an appropriate method and qualified personnel.

The inspection should identify active animals, dependent young, fresh signs, nest material and features that could be used as breeding places or daytime refuge.

  • Mark each hollow tree, log, stump, grass tree skirt and potential refuge feature on the clearing plan.
  • Use a qualified fauna spotter catcher for the inspection and retain photographic evidence of features considered unsuitable or unused.
  • Re inspect areas if clearing is delayed, habitat changes, fire occurs or new vegetation is added to the disturbance footprint.
  • Stop the approval process for that area until the ecologist has assessed any suspected breeding place.

Before habitat disturbance: 4. Induct the workforce

Brief all workers, machine operators, supervisors and subcontractors before entering the site. Explain that a small animal or an apparently empty hollow may still require specialist assessment.

Show workers the Red-tailed Phascogale's tail markings and the locations of exclusion areas. Give everyone a simple stop work process and an emergency contact.

  • Prohibit workers from handling, feeding, chasing or photographing an animal at close range.
  • Require all fauna observations to be reported immediately.
  • Explain the locations of retained habitat, access controls, lighting restrictions and fauna handling equipment.
  • Record attendance and keep the induction record with the environmental documentation.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Clear in stages

Clear in a controlled sequence and keep an authorised spotter catcher with the clearing crew. The spotter catcher must be able to stop work whenever an animal, breeding place or unexpected habitat feature is found.

Use staged clearing from the least suitable area towards retained habitat, where this is consistent with safety and the approved method. This gives mobile animals an opportunity to move into adjoining habitat and reduces sudden loss of cover.

Retain hollow trees, hollow logs, grass tree skirts and canopy links until they have been inspected and a safe method has been agreed. Do not fell habitat before the fauna team has checked it.

  • First clear low risk ground cover only where approved and inspected.
  • Then address isolated trees, logs, stumps and other refuge features under direct fauna supervision.
  • Use machinery at the lowest practical speed and stop for fauna observations.
  • Keep machinery, vehicles and materials out of exclusion zones.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Stop work for animals or breeding places

The spotter catcher has authority to stop work. Stop immediately if a Red-tailed Phascogale, dependent young, nest, occupied hollow, active breeding place, colony or other refuge feature is found.

Keep people and machinery back. Do not block the animal's route to retained habitat. The ecologist must assess whether the animal can move naturally, whether work can proceed elsewhere and whether an approved relocation response is required.

Red-tailed Phascogales are not known to form colonies, but any aggregation or repeated use of a refuge should be treated as significant until assessed.

  • Establish a temporary exclusion area around the animal or feature, sized to prevent disturbance and allow safe access for the fauna team.
  • Do not fell, cut, burn, fill or move an occupied tree, log, stump or grass tree skirt.
  • Do not seal a hollow or remove a nest feature while an animal could be inside.
  • Resume work only after the fauna spotter catcher and project ecologist authorise it and the decision is recorded.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Handle and relocate safely

Only authorised and appropriately trained personnel may capture, handle or relocate an animal. Use the least invasive option and avoid unnecessary chasing, restraint, heat exposure and handling time.

Relocation should follow the approval, permit and fauna handling plan. Release animals into suitable retained habitat close to the capture location unless the approved plan specifies another location.

  • Place a captured animal in a secure, ventilated container in a quiet, shaded area.
  • Record the animal's condition, sex if known, approximate age, location, time, habitat and release details.
  • Do not release an injured, cold, overheated or distressed animal without veterinary or wildlife carer advice.
  • Do not translocate animals between isolated populations without specific approval and specialist advice.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Respond to injury or death

Treat injured animals as an incident. Minimise handling and contact an approved wildlife carer, veterinarian or relevant wildlife authority through the project emergency pathway.

A dead animal must be photographed and retained only where lawful and directed by the relevant authority. Do not remove it casually from the site.

  • Stop nearby work if the injury may have resulted from clearing, machinery, vehicles, fire or another project activity.
  • Record the location, time, apparent cause, condition, photographs and people involved.
  • Use a clean container and keep the animal quiet, dark and at a stable temperature while awaiting advice.
  • Notify the project manager and regulator where required by approval conditions.

During habitat disturbance: 5. Maintain clearing records

Keep a daily fauna log. Record both positive and negative observations, because detection information is useful for later management and monitoring.

The record should link each event to the clearing area, permit, approval condition and response.

  • Record start and finish times, weather, crew, machinery, area cleared and habitat removed.
  • Record every animal, breeding place, hollow, nest, refuge feature, stop work event, capture, release, injury and mortality.
  • Map retained habitat, relocated animals and areas requiring follow up inspection.
  • Have the spotter catcher and site supervisor sign the daily record.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Complete post clearance checks

Finish each clearing area with a documented check and a clear response to any animal record. Follow up retained habitat, relocation sites and unexpected impacts rather than closing the fauna task when machinery leaves.

Inspect the cleared area and its edge after machinery has finished. Check tree bases, logs, stumps, grass tree skirts, debris piles, trenches, drains and equipment for trapped or injured fauna.

Check that exclusion fencing remains intact and that no animal has been cut off from retained habitat by spoil, fencing, tracks or construction materials.

  • Search safely during daylight and, where the risk assessment requires it, repeat a night check using spotlighting or cameras.
  • Remove fauna hazards such as open trenches, unsecured pipes, uncovered pits and water containers.
  • Cover or ramp trenches when unattended, and inspect them before backfilling.
  • Record the completion time, findings, photographs and any corrective action.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Monitor retained and release habitat

Monitor retained woodland and any approved release area where animals were captured or where a breeding place was found. Use cameras, nest box inspections, hair sampling or live trapping as authorised and suitable.

Monitoring effort should reflect the risk, the size and condition of retained habitat, the number of animals handled and the approval conditions. Use the same methods where possible so results can be compared.

  • Check whether retained canopy, hollows, logs and grass tree skirts remain intact.
  • Place cameras at arboreal and terrestrial stations where they can monitor likely movement routes and refuge features.
  • Inspect any approved nest boxes or artificial nest sites without unnecessary disturbance.
  • Record detections, signs, animal condition, habitat change, fire, foxes, cats and weed invasion.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Report outcomes

Report survey, clearing and monitoring outcomes to the project manager, ecologist, land manager and relevant authority as required. Include nil records and failed survey attempts, not just captures.

Any breach of an approval condition, unexpected mortality, damage to a breeding place or significant new record should be reported through the project's incident and regulatory pathways.

  • Provide maps, dates, methods, effort, weather, raw records, photographs and permit numbers.
  • Report capture and release details for every animal.
  • Submit confirmed records to the relevant state fauna database where required or agreed.
  • Retain records in a form that can be audited and used for future site planning.

After habitat disturbance: 4. Review incidents and controls

Review each stop work event, injury, mortality, occupied hollow and unexpected detection with the clearing crew. Update the method before work resumes in similar habitat.

Use the review to improve micro siting, exclusion fencing, lighting, machinery controls, inductions and survey effort.

  • Identify the immediate cause and any underlying planning or supervision failure.
  • Check whether buffers, sequencing and pre clearance inspection were adequate.
  • Update the fauna management plan and brief the workforce on the change.
  • Escalate repeated incidents or evidence of a resident population to the project ecologist and regulator.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Restore habitat structure

Rehabilitation should restore connected woodland structure, refuge resources and ground cover, not just replace the number of trees removed. Red-tailed Phascogale habitat develops slowly, so protect existing old trees and logs while planted vegetation matures.

Revegetate with locally appropriate native species that reflect the original Wandoo, York Gum, Rock Sheoak or other approved woodland community. Aim for continuous canopy and dense ground and mid storey cover where the site and fire regime allow.

Retain natural logs, limbs, stumps and grass tree features wherever safe. Do not remove dead wood simply to make rehabilitation areas look tidy.

  • Reconnect isolated remnants and roadside vegetation where this is consistent with the land manager's plan.
  • Protect new plantings from grazing, vehicle damage, excessive fire and weed competition.
  • Use local provenance seed or plant material where practicable and approved.
  • Map the rehabilitation area, planting zones, retained hollows and movement corridors.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Replace lost refuge resources carefully

Nest boxes or artificial nest sites may provide interim refuge where hollow resources have been lost, but their suitability for Red-tailed Phascogales should be confirmed by the project ecologist. Natural hollows in old eucalypts remain the preferred long term resource.

Use nest boxes only under an approved design, placement and monitoring plan. Bat boxes are not automatically suitable for this species and should not be installed as a substitute without expert advice.

  • Install boxes or artificial nest sites in retained woodland near suitable canopy and cover, not in exposed isolated paddock trees unless the design has been assessed.
  • Use durable materials and secure structures so they cannot fall or injure animals.
  • Record the location, height, orientation, design, installation date and inspection history.
  • Inspect boxes with minimal disturbance and remove or repair unsafe structures.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Manage weeds, fire, predators and water

Control weeds that suppress native regeneration or reduce ground cover, while avoiding broadscale disturbance around retained habitat. Plan fire management to retain long unburnt structural habitat and protect hollow trees, logs and grass tree skirts.

Manage feral cats and foxes through an approved landscape or reserve program. Predator control should be coordinated beyond the immediate construction footprint where possible.

Do not assume that artificial water points are needed. The species is reported to obtain food and may not need to drink water, so provide water only where it has a broader ecological purpose and can be managed without increasing predator or disease risk.

  • Use a site specific fire plan that protects retained woodland and refuge features.
  • Avoid burning rehabilitation areas until structure and fauna use have been assessed.
  • Remove weed sources, monitor regrowth and prevent soil movement into retained habitat.
  • Keep food waste and construction refuse secured to avoid attracting predators.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Monitor rehabilitation over the long term

Monitor whether rehabilitation provides canopy connection, hollows or artificial refuges, ground cover and evidence of fauna movement. Red-tailed Phascogales are difficult to detect, so use repeated monitoring and more than one method.

Continue monitoring for long enough to identify plant establishment, weed return, fire effects, predator activity and use of artificial refuges.

  • Use baited terrestrial and arboreal cameras, hair sampling and targeted night searches where authorised.
  • Inspect nest boxes or artificial sites at planned intervals and record use, damage and maintenance needs.
  • Compare rehabilitation results with nearby retained habitat rather than relying only on planting survival.
  • Adapt planting, predator control, fire planning and refuge provision when monitoring shows that habitat quality or connectivity is declining.

Sources