Macropus giganteus

Eastern Grey Kangaroo at Downer, ACT

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Identification history

	Macropus giganteus	7 Aug 2020	DonFletcher
	Macropus giganteus	7 Aug 2020	ConBoekel

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User's notes

The composition of this mob was different from the four other mobs of which I am aware on BMNR. In particular it had two large males and two smaller males. If all the mobs seen over the past month are separate, and assuming that individuals are not shifting from mob to mob, and also assuming that there have not been transfers with the Aranda Bushland Reserve population, then the known minimum population of BMNR on this date is 32, not counting joeys in the pouch - of which there are many. I have covered all tracks and trails on BMNR during this time. The significant pre-drought mob that frequented the CSIRO grounds has not returned. There was a small Swamp Wallaby feeding near this mob. Typical of the smaller Swamp Wallabies on BMNR it was extremely skittish.

2 comments

DonFletcher wrote:

7 Aug 2020

Hi Con, EGKs have a fluid mob structure. There is a tendency for the same adults to associate together (more so for females) but individuals and small groups tend to join and leave the mob continually during a typical day. This is much easier to observe in open grassland where more mobs can be kept in view at once, than on Black Mt. Home ranges of one male and one female tracked for more than a year on Black Mt were surprisingly small, just as on other sites. The typical ranges were about half a sq km for females and 1 sq km for males. There were rare out-and-back excursions to adjoining areas. I expect there would be some individuals whose home range was partly in Aranda, partly in Black Mt, using the bridge and underpasses. cheers

ConBoekel wrote:

7 Aug 2020

Don
Thanks for this interesting and useful comment.

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