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Distribution

Golden bandicoot

The Golden Bandicoot was once widely distributed across northern and central Australia, including parts of South Australia and New South Wales (Ellis et al. 1991). The Golden Bandicoot occupied a wide range of habitats (McKenzie et al. 1975, 1978, 1995) including:

• Hummock and tussock grasslands on sand-dunes and sand-plains in the arid zone
• Acacia and Eucalyptus woodlands in the tropical semi-arid zone
• Vine thickets
• Heath and woodlands in rugged sandstone
• Volcanic country in the subhumid tropics

As recently as 1930 the range included vast areas of central Australia (McKenzie et al. 1995). A dramatic range contraction occurred in the middle of the 20^th century and the species has not recently been recorded in inland areas. The most recent record for central Australia from The Granites (north Tanami Desert area) in the NT in 1952. In the NT the species is now known only from Marchinbar Island in the Wessel Islands group off north-east Arnhem Land (Southgate et al. 1996). Suitable habitat is present on other islands in the group but available evidence suggests the Golden Bandicoot does not occur on these islands.

In Western Australia, the species survives on the north Kimberley mainland, two islands off the Kimberley coast (Augustus and Uwins) and two islands off the Pilbara coast (Barrow and Middle) (Figure.1). It formally occurred on Hermite Island in the Montebello Islands (north of Barrow Island) but became extinct there about 1900. Extinction has been attributed to the introduction of feral cats and black rats (Burbidge et al. 2000).

Approximate total area of occupancy is 65,260 ha. This is based on 5 km² at the point data sites and the total area of islands where the species is recorded from for post 1990 records.

Golden-backed Tree-rat

All specimens, apart from one, come from areas that have a mean annual rainfall of more than 600 mm (McKenzie and Kerle 1995) both in the Northern Territory and Western Australia. The exception was the type specimen collected in 1875 from the wettest part of the relatively arid Pilbara coastline near Roebourne, Western Australia with an annual rainfall of 320 mm. There is some question about where the specimen actually originated (McKenzie pers. comm.). Today the Golden-backed Tree-rat is restricted to areas near the coast in the north Kimberley. Early records suggest that the species was previously found in drier inland woodlands of the Kimberley and the Top End of the Northern Territory. Dahl (1897) stated that the species frequented the hollow trees of the Eucalyptus shrubs (eucalypt-acacia woodlands on red sandy plains) around Broome and noted that it was a common species. Fauna surveys in 2003 recorded the species in 5 coastal areas of the north Kimberley including Uwins Island (Start unpubl. data). The species has previously been recorded in coastal areas of the north Kimberley and five offshore Kimberley islands (Carlia, Conilurus, Hidden, Uwins and Wollaston) (Abbott and Burbidge 1995). Recent surveys suggest that there has been no range decline in the North Kimberley since the first extensive mammal surveys of that area in the 1970s (Start pers comm.).

In the Northern Territory, the Golden-backed Tree-rat is known from only three records (Parker 1973): at “Balanbrinni” (probably Balbarini) in the upper McArthur in 1901; from Nellie Creek (in the upper Mary) in 1903; and from Deaf Adder Gorge in 1969. Limited subsequent attempts to capture the species at the latter site have failed (McKenzie and Kerle 1995). It has not been confirmed elsewhere despite many surveys across much of the Top End over the last 30 years. However, there are several unconfirmed records based on possible sightings (Gerowie Creek ca1998; Melville Island ca 1990; Tjenya Falls ca 1988) and limited hair samples in one case (Marchinbar Island) (Woinarski 2002). Comprehensive fauna surveys on Melville Island from 1999 to 2002 failed to locate the species (Woinarski et al. 2003).

Approximate total area of occupancy is 123 km². This is based on 5 km² at the point data sites and total area of islands where the species is recorded from post 1990 records.

Table 1. Known populations of the Golden Bandicoot and Golden-backed Tree-rat.

Location of current known populations	Species	Most recent record	State	Tenure	Estimated population and data type	Habitat	Potential threats	Some examples of co-occurring declining species
Bachsten Creek (mainland)	golden bandicoot	2002	WA	Unallocated Crown Land	unknown	King Leopold Sandstone heathland on dissected sandstone	loss of structural diversity via frequent fire predation by feral cats	Northern Quoll Scaly-tailed Possum Rock-ringtail Possum Black Grasswren Partridge Pigeon
Augustus Island (Kimberley)	golden bandicoot	2003	WA	Aboriginal Lands Trust	unknown	Warton Sandstone -heathland on dissected sandstone	introduction of feral cats loss of structural diversity via frequent fire	Northern Quoll
Barrow Island	golden bandicoot	2003	WA	Class A Nature Reserve	several tens of thousands	Limestone, Triodia spp.	introduction of foxes, feral cats or rats gas field development	Burrowing Bettong Spectacled Hare-wallaby Black-flanked Rock-wallaby Brush-tailed Possum
Middle Island	golden bandicoot	1998	WA	Class A Nature Reserve	1,000	Quaternary sand with Spinifex longifolius	introduction of foxes, feral cats or rats inappropriate fire regimes
Marchinbar Island	golden bandicoot	1994	NT	Aboriginal Freehold	1,400	Heathland on dissected sandstone	introduction of feral cats loss of structural diversity via frequent fire	Northern Quoll possibly Golden-backed Tree-rat
Yampi Sound Training Area (mainland)	both species	2002	WA	Defence	unknown	King Leopold Sandstone heathland on dissected sandstone	loss of structural diversity via frequent fire, predation by feral cats development of live firing range	Northern Quoll Partridge Pigeon
Prince Regent Nature Reserve (mainland)	both species	2003	WA	Class A Nature Reserve	unknown	King Leopold Sandstone heathland on dissected sandstone, vine thicket	loss of structural diversity via frequent fire predation by feral cats	Northern Quoll Scaly-tailed Possum Black Grasswren Partridge Pigeon
Mitchell Plateau (mainland)	both species	2003	WA	Aboriginal Reserve National Park	unknown	King Leopold Sandstone heathland on dissected sandstone, vine thicket	loss of structural diversity via frequent fire predation by feral cats unmanaged cattle	Northern Quoll Scaly-tailed Possum Rock-ringtail Possum Black Grasswren Partridge Pigeon
Carlia Island (Kimberley)	golden-backed tree-rat	1973	WA	Unallocated Crown Land	unknown	Warton Sandstone heath on dissected sandstone	introduction of feral cats loss of structural diversity via frequent fire	Northern Quoll
Wollaston Island (Kimberley)	golden-backed tree-rat	1972	WA	Unallocated Crown Land	unknown	Heath on dissected sandstone	introduction of feral cats loss of structural diversity via frequent fire	Northern Quoll
Hidden Island (Kimberley)	Golden-backed tree-rat	1982	WA	Unallocated Crown Land	unknown	King Leopold Sandstone heath on dissected sandstone	introduction of feral cats loss of structural diversity via frequent fire	Northern Quoll Nabarlek
Conilurus Island (Kimberley)	Golden-backed tree-rat	1982	WA	Unallocated Crown Land	unknown	King Leopold Sandstone heath on dissected sandstone	introduction of feral cats loss of structural diversity via frequent fire