Habitat and diet of the dibbler (Parantechinus apicalis) on two islands inJurien Bay, Western Australia

Trapping was conducted over three years on Boullanger and Whitlock Islands in Jurien Bay (Western Australia), to establish the habitat and diet of the dibbler (Parantechinus apicalis), an endangered marsupial. Habitat prefere nce was determined by conducting a single-factor ANOVA of the trapping succ ess rate for P. apicalis captured at each trap site. The diet was investiga ted by scat analysis. On Boullanger Island there was no significant differe nce between trapping success rate in the different habitats. However, on Wh itlock Island, significantly greater trapping success rates were recorded i n the dunal scrubland dominated by Nitraria billardierei and foredune heath than in succulent heath. Scats contained arthropod (65%) and some vegetabl e (25%) matter, confirming that island P. apicalis are chiefly insectivorou s and rarely eat vertebrate prey.