Dietary strategy of the swamp antechinus (Antechinus minimus maritimus) (Marsupialia : Dasyuridae) in coastal and inland heathland habitats

In the coastal heathlands of southern Victoria, populations of a rare dasyurid, the swamp antechinus (Antechinus minimus maritimus), are restricted to small and disjunct patches of suitable habitat. Although characteristics of their preferred habitat in terms of vegetation structure and composition have been described, little is known of their diet preferences. Diet and food availability of the species was examined at two coastal and two inland sites, during winter and spring by way of faecal analyses and pitfall trapping. Only minor differences in diet were observed between the coastal and inland habitats and this was consistent across season. There was, however, variation in food availability between the two habitat types, with generally higher frequencies of invertebrates occurring within the inland…