SPATIAL-ORGANIZATION OF THE ARBOREAL CARNIVOROUS MARSUPIAL PHASCOGALE-TAPOATAFA

Phascogale tapoatafa is a squirrel-sized carnivorous marsupial (Dasyur idae) found in dry eucalyptus forests of Australia. Radio-tracking and live-trapping studies at three sites in Victoria indicated that popul ation densities were typically low, with females occupying home ranges averaging 41 ha (minimum convex polygon method) that were intrasexual ly exclusive. Male home ranges (mean 106 ha) overlapped extensively wi th females and other males, and expanded during the short breeding sea son to an average length of 2.7 km. When presented with the faeces of unfamiliar conspecifics, both female and male P. tapoatafa investigate d the faeces of females significantly longer than those of males, sugg esting that the exclusive home ranges of Females are reinforced by olf actory communication, and that males are less responsive to the presen ce of potential rivals than to potential mates. Both sexes foraged thr oughout their home range, but the core area of intensive use was less than one-third of the total area traversed. The spatial organization o f P. tapoatafa differs markedly from that of the closely related speci es Antechinus stuartii, but is similar to that of the only other exten sively studied carnivorous marsupial, Dasyurus geoffroii.