Mammals crucial for Wheatbelt environment
By Kate Raston
A new book hopes to highlight the role mammals like echidnas, possums and bats play in the health of the Wheatbelt's ecosystem.
The Department of Environment and Conservation and Wheatbelt NRM have published "Mammals of the Avon River", in a bid to educate people of the animal's existence.
One of the authors was the Department of Environment and Conservation's environmental officer Rowan Inglis.
"Some mammals like the broad-nosed potoroo haven't been seen in the Wheatbelt for more than 130 years," Rowan Inglis said.
"It's unfortunate that many mammals once common in the area have quickly been put on the threatened species list.
"Mammals such as the boodie were once considered a pest and a bounty was paid for their ears, but by the 1950's boodies were extinct on the mainland."
Other reasons some mammals have been put on the threatened species list is because of foxes and feral cats, habitat degradation and weeds which compete with native plants.
Working with Rowan Inglis on the book were Mandy Bamford and Katie Watson.
The authors were often faced with the challenge of hunting down material, including illustrations of long extinct species, from people living interstate.
"It's important we find this information before it is lost and we are left with no record of what mammals used to exist in the area," Rowan Inglis said.
"Mammals are essential to the Wheatbelt ecosystem, for example, echidnas dig up the soil looking for termites which helps aerate soils and makes for better seed establishment.
"Many of the Wheatbelt's mammals including the various bats and dunnarts feed on invertebrates which help to control insects reaching plague proportions."
A copy of "Mammals of the Avon River" will be sent to every school in the Wheatbelt NRM region as well as groups concerned with conserving nature.
The book will also act as a guide for identifying mammals in the field.