Tr. Soderquist et M. Serena, Juvenile behaviour and dispersal of chuditch (Dasyurus geoffroii) (Marsupialia : Dasyuridae), AUST J ZOOL, 48(5), 2000, pp. 551-560
We examined the dispersal chronology and movement patterns of wild juvenile
chuditch (Dasyurus geoffroii) using radio-tracking and trapping. Juveniles
first began exploring outside the natal den when 17 weeks old and rapidly
increased their foraging duration and distance. By the time weaning was com
pleted during Weeks 22 24, at least 6 h was devoted to the initial foraging
bout and juveniles were travelling over 500 m from their dens each night.
The initial phase of dispersal occurred soon after weaning, with juveniles
denning separately from their mothers yet remaining in the maternal home ra
nge. Mothers sometimes instigated this phase by abandoning their litters in
the natal den. The second phase of dispersal away from the natal area was
strongly male-biased, occurring when juveniles were 25 weeks old on average
and covering long distances (> 10 km). Most females were philopatric or se
ttled in vacant areas near the maternal home range. Observation of captive
chuditch during the weaning period provided further insights on dispersal,
indicating that social play among littermates may be an important factor at
this time. Aggressive wrestling rapidly escalated during the initial weeks
of weaning, when wild juveniles were active yet in close proximity for mos
t of the night. The intensity of wrestling declined before weaning was comp
lete. Wild juveniles apparently participated in similar wrestling bouts, al
though possibly on a more limited scale than captives. This play behaviour
potentially facilitates social cohesion among the litter at a time when juv
eniles are first capable of harming each other, and provides practice for f
ighting techniques used by adults to defend territories and secure mates.