Determining the efficiency of identifying the threatened Australian Carnivorous Marsupial, Julia Creek Dunnart (Sminthopsis Douglasi), on White flash and Infrared Cameras
Milani Rawlinson
Supervisor: Dr Emma Gray
Small mammal species ecology, in many cases, remains some of the most poorly understood species’ ecology. With many of these mammal species facing the threat of extinction in the coming decades. This ecological knowledge is vital for understanding how to effectively conserve these species and prevent their extinction. The Julia Creek dunnart (Sminthopsis douglasi) is a threatened cryptic carnivorous marsupial that occurs in scattered populations within central–west and north-west Queensland, Australia. The Julia Creek dunnart was thought to be extinct until more detailed studies were undertaken in the 1990’s. However, since then, the species has received sporadic research attention. Therefore, there is an urgent need for extensive ecological knowledge of S. douglasi to better inform conservation management, especially in key locations. Bladensburg National Park is the location of the largest known population of S. douglasi, yet the exact population status is unknown. It was here that this project conducted a population study on S. douglasi at seven locations, using both white flash and infrared motion camera traps to determine camera efficiency at detecting small mammals. This project ran 30 cameras, 15 white flash and 15 infrared cameras and collected a total of 205,775 images over one month, (June-July 2023). In total, from the 16 cameras (41,466 images) assessed so far, there were 32 S. douglasi individuals captured, with 9 individuals identified under infrared and 23 under white flash. This suggests that there is a difference in the efficiency of identifying S.douglasi under white flash and infrared cameras. However, 14 cameras with a collective 164,309 images have yet to be processed and analysed. Therefore, no definitive conclusions can be made about the relative effectiveness of white flash cameras compared to infrared cameras for detecting small mammals.
