Environmental Impact Statement

Metroplex on Gateway, Stages 2, 3A & 3B

For Murarrie Industrial Development Pty Ltd

26 March 1998

Page 93

The remaining additional species recorded (three grassland species and one raptor) are generally conspicuous and mobile, and may not have been present during previous studies. Both previous 1996 surveys failed to record a range of expected winter and summer altitudinal, east coast or extralimital migrants (such as wading birds, robins and some cuckoos) and with the exception of one wader none of them were recorded in additional studies. This suggests that most of the species normally expected to use the site throughout the year have been recorded

8.2.4 Mammals

A total of 16 mammal species have been recorded of which a significant component (5 species) are microchiropteran bats. One purely arboreal species, the Squirrel Glider (Petaurus norfoicencis) has been recorded. A number of native mammal species have been recorded from habitat similar to that represented within the site in the local area (Queensland Museum records) yet their continued presence within the site is unclear. This may he due to a variety of factors associated with habitat degradation processes that have occurred extensively throughout the site. These species have been included in species lists.

Elliott and wire cage trapping has registered two species (the House Mouse Mus musculus and Black Rat Rattus rattus), while spotlight surveys recorded five species (the Common Brushtail Possum Trichosurus vulpecula, Common Ringtail Possum Pseudocheirus peregrinus the Grey-headed flying-fox Pwopus poliocephalus and the Little Black Flying Fox Pteropus alecto and the Brown Hare Lepus capensis). Three species were observed during diurnal survey, including the Brown Hare (Lepus capensis), the feral domestic Dog (Canis lupusfamiliaris) and the Feral Cat (Felis cater).

Trapping for small to medium sized ground mammals indicates that ground mammal fauna at the time of survey in 1995-1996 was comprised largely of two exotic species, the House Mouse and the Black Rat. The failure of the trapping program to record native ground mammals may be attributed to the level of past and recent disturbance which has occurred across the site, including clearing, grazing and fire and which have all impacted heavily upon understorey vegetation and availability of microhabitat (hollow logs etc.). Other factors such as resource availability, seasonal preferences in activity or food preference, or survey methods may also have played a part

It is possible that any extant populations are limited in abundance and distribution within the site due to habitat alteration and competition with abundant exotic species. It remains possible that more intensive survey may reveal the presence of native rodents or marsupial species such as the northern Brown Bandicoot.

Four species of miewchiropteran bats have been recorded by AnaBat II (Titley Elecronics) bat echolocation call detector (Beecari's Freetail-bat Mormopterus beccarii, Common Bentwing-bat Miniopwis schreibersii, Gould's Waffled Bat Chalinolobus gouldii and Hoary Wattled Bat Chalinolobus nigrogriseus). One species has been noted by characteristic audible echolocation vocalisations (White-striped Freetail-bat Nyctinomus australis).

Dames & Moore

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