Social Organisation and Warren Use of the Burrowing Bettong, Bettongia lesueur (Macropodoidea : Potoroidae)

Abstract

This study describes the use of warrens and aspects of the social organisation of a population of the burrowing bettong, an endangered potoroid. Observations were made on 14 animals, maintained in a 4-ha enclosure of natural vegetation at Shark Bay, Western Australia. The population divided into three social groups, each of one male and one to many females. Individual bettongs used 1–10 warrens over a period of five months. Males changed warrens more often than females. Some females regularly shared warrens with other females. Many of these associations appeared to be mothers with their daughter or daughters. Sharing of warrens occurred regularly until the daughters were about 10 months old and occasionally after that. Day ranges of males were larger than those of females, exclusive of other males, and overlapped those of 1–6 females. Males shared warrens with the females within their day range. At night bettongs were not constrained to their day range and made use of the whole enclosure. Equal numbers of agonistic interactions between and within day-range groups, as well as the absence of feeding associations, indicated that bettongs operated independently of their day-range groups at night while feeding. Bettongs formed a weak dominance hierarchy with the oldest female on top and a young male at the bottom. Male–male interactions tended to be more aggressive than male–female interactions. Males were involved in significantly more agonistic interactions, particularly chases, than were females; chases usually entailed chasing another male away from a female. Use of space and social behaviour suggested a polygynous mating system.

Tailoring Release Protocols to Individual Species and Sites: One Size Does Not Fit All

“…Burrowing bettongs are social animals that live in family groups and spend the daylight hours underground in multi-entranced warren systems [40]. They exhibit high burrow fidelity and at Arid Recovery they move on average 320 m from their burrows to their centres of activity [41].…”

RelictBettongia lesueurwarrens in Western Australian deserts

“…Social organisation and warren use of a semi-captive population at Shark Bay have been described by Sander et al (1997) and warren use and home range have been described for Barrow Island by Short and Turner (1990), at Heirisson Prong by Robley (2000) and within enclosures at the Arid Recovery site in South Australia by Finlayson and Moseby (2004). The latter populations were sourced from islands in Shark Bay.…”

Ecology of burrowing bettongs, Bettongia lesueur (Marsupialia: Potoroidae), on Dorre and Bernier Islands, Western Australia

“…This extensive loss of fur made them susceptible to exposure in cold weather. In contrast, Sander et al (1997) found what appeared to be extended associations between mothers and daughters in B. lesueur. This included warren sharing and close association when feeding.…”

“…In this way the victim is worn out; and, plucked of its fur, and scored by deep furrows produced by its rivals strong claws, it dies of exhaustion (Jones 1924). Males of B. lesueur in captivity are known to establish dayranges exclusive of other males that encompass a cluster of warrens occupied by up to six females (Sander et al 1997).…”

“…Burrowing bettongs form associations of one male and one to many females, but tend to forage independently at night rather than forming feeding aggregations (Sander et al 1997). Observations at night by spotlight indicated an average group size of 1.07.…”