Monitoring mammalian predators in the Whangamarino Wetland - early results

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Monitoring mammalian predators in the
Whangamarino Wetland - early results
Craig Gillies1 Matthew Brady2 1Aquatic
Threats Unit Science Technical Group 2Waikato
Area Office
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Whangamarino wetland
Photo K. Duggan
Courtesy DOC Waikato Area Office
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Introduced mammalian Predators in wetlands

• Med-long term plan is to control these pests
• Very little known about the ecology mammalian
  predators in wetlands
• cf. other ecosystem types
• Existing management monitoring techniques may
  not work in wetlands

Photo D. Graham
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Aims

1. Describe the mammalian predator guild in the
   Whangamarino wetland
2. To test, develop validate existing and novel
   small mammal monitoring techniques in the
   Whangamarino environment

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Methods

• Live trapping
• seasonal sessions
• estimates of abundance
• Cage traps Edgar traps
• feral cats mustelids
• 10 days
• Rat cages Longworths
• rats mice
• 5 days

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Methods cont

• Trail Cameras
• ScoutGuard SG550 SG560
• 4 nights
• fresh rabbit meat lure
• Peanut scented WaxTags
• 3 and 7 nights
• NPCA possum protocol

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Mustelids caught in Cage Edgar live traps
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Feral cats caught in cage traps
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Ferrets caught in live traps cf. detections in
trail cameras
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Cats caught in live traps cf. detections in trail
cameras
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Rats mice caught in cage Longworth traps
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Rats caught in cage traps cf. WaxTag indices
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Mice caught in Longworth traps cf. WaxTag indices
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Challenges

• Rapid changes in water levels
• restrictions on where we can set traps, may lead
  to some bias
• Possum interference with rat cages
• rat indices biased low
• Vandalism theft of kit
• dictates the way cameras are set
• AHB trapping operations

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Summary

• Ferrets most numerous of mammalian carnivores
  present in Whangamarino
• followed by feral cats weasels
• stoats present but seemingly not abundant
• Norway and ship rats abundant at times
• WaxTags and trail cameras are showing promise

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