Australian Marsupial Recovers Despite Drought & Invasives
Why this is here: The ampurta’s range expanded by 48,000 square kilometers between 2015 and 2021, demonstrating a rare recovery for an Australian mammal facing predation and habitat loss.
Australia’s ampurta, or crest-tailed mulgara, has dramatically increased its range, reversing a decades-long decline. The small marsupial’s resurgence between 2015 and 2021 added an area the size of Denmark to its habitat, building on previous recovery. This comeback followed the introduction of a virus that reduced rabbit populations.
Fewer rabbits meant fewer foxes and feral cats, decreasing predation on the ampurta. The species, once endangered, benefited from an ability to enter torpor, conserving energy during drought. Researchers documented the recovery in the journal Biological Conservation.
Scientists express concern about continued funding for rabbit and feral cat control. Maintaining biocontrol measures is seen as critical for sustaining the ampurta’s gains and broader ecosystem health. The ampurta now occupies a higher position in the food chain, filling a niche left by the extinct western quoll.