22 Jul Bustling Burrows: How Wombat Homes are a Hub of Activity
You may have remembered the devastating wildfires that took place in Australia in 2019 and 2020. WIldfires alone decimate ecosystems and these in particular were so intense they displaced 1,000s of organisms.
One species had a tactic that proved very beneficial in protecting themselves, the wombat. Wombats dig deep burrows underground that not only provide them a safe haven from wildfires but also from other predators alongside having a place where they can sleep securely. The wombat’s hard work quickly gained the attention of many other species!
“First came a picture of an inquisitive red-necked wallaby, then an image of a bare-nosed wombat, followed by a couple of shots of the wombat’s burrow with nothing else in the frame. By the time research scientist Grant Linley had looked through a further 746,670 images, he had seen 48 different species visiting the 28 wombat burrows that he had trained his cameras on. Like a lineup of Aussie animals in a children’s book, Linley watched a parade of wallabies and kangaroos, lace monitors and possums, bush rats, button quails, echidnas and tiny marsupial antechinus hanging out at the burrows.”
“The research, funded by WWF Australia, found the burrows were hotspots for animals and were likely helping the animals survive and recover from the fires. They were especially important for small mammals. In a charred landscape, there are fewer places for small animals to hide out from predators and particularly from feral cats. The burrows provided shelter. “After fires, when there’s high vulnerability to predators, the burrows can act like as that refuge while they eke out a recovery,” says Nimmo. It’s possible, the research says, that smaller mammals like hanging around burrows because the burly wombats “actively deter larger competitors” from the area around their homes.”
What quickly turned into a hub of activity, has turned into a safe haven for countless species. Now the attention turns to the wombats themselves and their conservation. Species have now begun to rely on the wombat’s burrows for safety, food, and shelter from the decimated ecosystems that the wildfires destroyed but what happens if there are no more wombats? Sure, their already established burrows would sustain themselves for a period of time but they would eventually decay and fall apart. Resulting in leaving numerous species out of options for protection and resources. Its a remarkable example of just how interconnected everything is.
So no matter the conservation focus, be it wombats or any other species, you are not only working to save that specific species but so many others that are behind them and rely on their presence in the ecosystem.
Read the full article here: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/may/18/a-kangaroo-a-possum-and-a-bushrat-walk-into-a-burrow-research-finds-wombat-homes-are-the-supermarkets-of-the-forest
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