Thermal cameras as a survey method for Australian arboreal mammals: a focus on the greater glider

Abstract

This study developed and tested the efficacy of a real-time thermography technique to improve survey methods for Australian arboreal mammal species, with a focus on the greater glider. Development involved the use of thermal imaging cameras combined with spotlight transect surveys of an endangered greater glider population at Seven Mile Beach National Park. Over 30h of nocturnal spotlight transect surveys were undertaken over 14 (1km) transects within 70ha of dry sclerophyll forest. A protocol for the use of thermography to survey greater gliders was developed. The efficacy of the thermography protocol was then experimentally tested in comparison to traditional spotlighting. Overall, thermography was better at detecting arboreal mammals than spotlighting (P<0.05). However, the effect was not significant for greater gliders (P=0.79), even though there was a trend towards improved detection of the species using thermal cameras. Thermography is a novel approach to undertaking arboreal mammal surveys and future studies should consider its relevance, effectiveness and associated costs to improve survey designs, especially for threatened species.

Current estimates and vegetation preferences of an endangered population of the vulnerable greater glider at Seven Mile Beach National Park

“…Improving detection of greater gliders and other arboreal mammals during population count surveys is an important focus area for future research, as it would allow more reliable data and improve population estimates (i.e. thermal camera surveying: Focardi et al 2001;Cilulko et al 2013;Vinson et al 2020). Furthermore, distance sampling requires transects placed at random, however, given the unique geography of SMBNP, being very narrow (approx.…”

“…The greater glider (Petauroides volans) is an endemic Australian arboreal mammal that has become the focus of recent research (McLean et al 2018;Smith & Smith 2018;Emerson et al 2019;Vinson et al 2020) due to its high sensitivity to habitat destruction from land clearing for agriculture, logging and bushfires (Harris & Maloney 2010;McLean et al 2018). Greater gliders have a patchy distribution within eucalypt forests throughout eastern mainland Australia from south-eastern Victoria to north eastern Queensland (Harris & Maloney 2010;Smith & Smith 2018).…”

“…Cost and time constraints are the likely reasons for the lack of greater glider surveys at SMBNP. Also, as with most studies, limitations involved in obtaining sufficient and reliable data on arboreal mammals include complications associated with estimating biodiversity over large areas in space and time (Emerson et al 2019;Vinson et al 2020). In general, comprehensive landscape scale sampling of whole regions is impractical, therefore sampling occurs over representative areas and statistical modelling is used to produce predictive models of the distribution of the species over the whole region or population (Cork & Catling 1996).…”

“…2019; Vinson et al . 2020) due to its high sensitivity to habitat destruction from land clearing for agriculture, logging and bushfires (Harris & Maloney 2010; McLean et al . 2018).…”

“…2019; Vinson et al . 2020). In general, comprehensive landscape scale sampling of whole regions is impractical, therefore sampling occurs over representative areas and statistical modelling is used to produce predictive models of the distribution of the species over the whole region or population (Cork & Catling 1996).…”