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Diet of the short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) in the Tasmanian Southern Midlands

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-19, 05:13 authored by Sprent, JA, Stewart NicolStewart Nicol
The short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) is generally considered to be myrmecophagous, consuming a diet consisting of ants and termites. The range and seasonal variation of food items consumed by echidnas in the Southern Midlands of Tasmania, an area where termites are absent, was examined using faecal scat analysis. Scat analysis indicated that echidnas in this region are not purely myrmecophagous. Whilst ants were present in 96% of scats and made up 55 ± 39% of scat contents by percentage volume, non-ant food items (scarab larvae and Oxycanus moth larvae) were found in 72% of scats. Scarab larvae were present in 68% of scats, and in those scats made up 46 ± 39% of the volume of prey material. The only significant seasonal variation of any dietary item was for scarab larvae, which can be attributed to variations in the abundance of these larvae throughout their lifecycle. The patterns of consumption indicate that echidnas are opportunistic foragers.

History

Publication title

Australian Mammalogy

Volume

38

Pagination

188-194

ISSN

0310-0049

Department/School

School of Natural Sciences

Publisher

CSIRO Publishing

Place of publication

Locked Bag 10 Clayton, VIC 3169 Australia

Rights statement

Journal compilation copyright Australian Mammal Society 2016

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Terrestrial biodiversity

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