Diurnal Nest Site Selection and Thermal Buffering Capacity of Shelters for Rufous Bettongs in a Grazed Savanna Woodland
- 1School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England Armidale New South Wales Australia
- 2College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University Townsville Queensland Australia
- 3Future Regions Research Centre, Federation University Mt Helen Victoria Australia
Abstract
Small‐ and medium‐sized mammals are vulnerable to temperature extremes due to their high surface‐area‐to‐volume ratios and elevated metabolic rates. Shelter sites that buffer ambient temperatures are critical for thermoregulation; however, shelter resources may be limited in agricultural landscapes. We examined shelter site selection and the thermal buffering capacity of rufous bettong ( Aepyprymnus rufescens ) shelters in a grazed tropical savanna woodland in Queensland, Australia. We radio‐tracked 15 rufous bettongs (nine females, six males) across five grazing strategies at Wambiana Station (2020–2021) to locate diurnal shelters. We assessed fine‐scale habitat composition at 133 shelter sites and 224 paired random locations using a MANOVA and NMDS ordination. We deployed iButton data loggers to record hourly temperatures within shelters and at paired ground‐level points 2 m away across wet and dry seasons, isolating the thermal effect of the constructed shelter at the locations the animals selected. Rufous bettongs selected shelter sites characterized by thorny shrubs ( Carissa ovata ), logs, and termite mounds. Grazing intensity did not significantly affect shelter site selection, though bettongs tended to avoid heavily grazed paddocks. Daytime shelter temperatures (0600–1800 h) were substantially less variable than those at random sites, with thermal buffering most pronounced during the day (0900–1700 h), when random sites exhibited 2–3 times greater temperature variability than bettong shelters. Shelters provided critical thermal refugia, buffering daily temperature extremes by over 20°C in a hot, seasonally variable environment. Retention of dense shrub thickets ( C. ovata ), logs, and adequate grass cover should be prioritised in grazing landscapes to support rufous bettong persistence under current and future climate conditions.
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BibTeX
@article{nordberg2026diurnal,
title = {{Diurnal Nest Site Selection and Thermal Buffering Capacity of Shelters for Rufous Bettongs in a Grazed Savanna Woodland}},
author = {Eric J. Nordberg and Natasha Ryan and Heather Neilly and Lin Schwarzkopf},
journal = {Ecology and Evolution},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.1002/ece3.74592},
url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ece3.74592},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Diurnal Nest Site Selection and Thermal Buffering Capacity of Shelters for Rufous Bettongs in a Grazed Savanna Woodland
AU - Eric J. Nordberg
AU - Natasha Ryan
AU - Heather Neilly
AU - Lin Schwarzkopf
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/02
JO - Ecology and Evolution
DO - 10.1002/ece3.74592
UR - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ece3.74592
AB - Small‐ and medium‐sized mammals are vulnerable to temperature extremes due to their high surface‐area‐to‐volume ratios and elevated metabolic rates. Shelter sites that buffer ambient temperatures are critical for thermoregulation; however, shelter resources may be limited in agricultural landscapes. We examined shelter site selection and the thermal buffering capacity of rufous bettong ( Aepyprymnus rufescens ) shelters in a grazed tropical savanna woodland in Queensland, Australia. We radio‐tracked 15 rufous bettongs (nine females, six males) across five grazing strategies at Wambiana Station (2020–2021) to locate diurnal shelters. We assessed fine‐scale habitat composition at 133 shelter sites and 224 paired random locations using a MANOVA and NMDS ordination. We deployed iButton data loggers to record hourly temperatures within shelters and at paired ground‐level points 2 m away across wet and dry seasons, isolating the thermal effect of the constructed shelter at the locations the animals selected. Rufous bettongs selected shelter sites characterized by thorny shrubs ( Carissa ovata ), logs, and termite mounds. Grazing intensity did not significantly affect shelter site selection, though bettongs tended to avoid heavily grazed paddocks. Daytime shelter temperatures (0600–1800 h) were substantially less variable than those at random sites, with thermal buffering most pronounced during the day (0900–1700 h), when random sites exhibited 2–3 times greater temperature variability than bettong shelters. Shelters provided critical thermal refugia, buffering daily temperature extremes by over 20°C in a hot, seasonally variable environment. Retention of dense shrub thickets ( C. ovata ), logs, and adequate grass cover should be prioritised in grazing landscapes to support rufous bettong persistence under current and future climate conditions.
SN - 2045-7758
SN - 2045-7758
ER -