Escape behaviour of translocated eastern barred bandicoots differs in relation to invasive predators but not competitors

Abstract

Australia has the worst mammal extinction record of any country, with invasive predators and competitors being key threatening processes. Australian mammals are thought to exhibit predator naivety due to limited coevolution with eutherian predators, which therefore suppress their abundance and hamper reintroduction efforts. We indexed escape behaviour by collecting flight-initiation distances (FIDs) and the orientation of escape across populations of the endangered eastern barred bandicoot, Perameles gunnii, exposed to an introduced predator (feral cats, Felis catus) and competitor (European rabbits, Oryctolagus cuniculus). Bandicoots in the presence of both cats and rabbits had longer FIDs than bandicoots in areas with rabbits only or with neither cats nor rabbits. Longer starting distances were associated with a greater likelihood of fleeing towards cover, and wind noise could potentially limit approach detection. This indicates some behavioural plasticity and nuance in bandicoot escapes associated with predators but not competitors, perhaps due to learning and/or selection. Predator-savvy bandicoots may exist, and this behaviour can develop over a relatively short time span. These individuals are likely to increase future translocation success in environments with predators.