The temporal characteristics of feeding activity in free-ranging tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii Desmarest)

The feeding behaviour of four tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii Desmarest) inhabiting a bush pasture ecotone in the Rotorua district of North Island, New Zealand, is described. Feeding activity, monitored by feeding sounds, was crepuscular. Mastication effort, as daily eating time corrected for met abolic body weight and weight-related change in tooth surface area, was sim ilar to that of the red kangaroo, a species of greater equivalent dry-matte r intake. Grazing events were significantly longer than browsing events, an d feeding events longer than 100 sec comprised 66.5% of total feeding activ ity. Grazing on farm pasture took place only at night during fine weather i n visits that averaged 6.5 h. The number of feeding events longer than 100 sec taking place within the forest were significantly increased at night an d were reduced during periods of adverse weather. Overall, temporal spacing of feeding events did not differ significantly by day and night but there was a significant overall negative correlation between log-converted feedin g-event duration and interfeed intervals for all animals, particularly with feed events of less than 100 sec duration. This differed from that obtaine d in laboratory studies and may be due to grouping of feeding events accord ing to spatial distribution of food sources.