Author: Chris Dickman
The year 2010 is shaping up to be one of the most fascinating for the central Australian region for more than 100 years. The rains that have been falling unseasonally but consistently since February this year have no precedent over the last century, and the effects on the region’s biodiversity will be fascinating to observe. One of the key species in the continent’s central deserts is the sand goanna, Varanus gouldii, and this species now may be responding to the dramatic increase in productivity by increased breeding and shifting to a diet dominated by its favoured prey – small mammals.
With the generous donation of $5,000 from Better Boards, we have purchased radio-transmitters to attach to goannas and track their movements and hunting behaviour. These transmitters are largely VHF – that is, transmitters that require us to be present to track the animals by listening for the characteristic ‘beeps’ that the tags emit. However, we have also taken advantage of purchasing two new miniaturized GPS tags that record their own locations even when we are not present. With these transmitters, we need to catch a goanna once to attach the transmitter, and then a second time to remove its GPS tag, when we can download the information to see where it has been hunting over the previous several weeks.
Owing to the closure of roads into our main study area in the Simpson Desert until now, we have not been able to catch and track goannas since the donation was made. However, the roads are beginning to dry and reopen, and the Desert Ecology Research Group has planned a big trip in November. This will focus on tracking goannas, determining where they are foraging, and also sampling the small desert mammals to see if their numbers have increased to the point where they can form the staple diet of the goannas. The results will form part of the PhD research of Ms Nicole Hills, who will be finalizing her work in the New Year. The forthcoming trip will be an exciting one – stay tuned for updates as we see and record the effects of the surge in productivity in the newly-green heart of Australia!
