The population density and trap-revealed home range of short-eared possums (Trichosurus caninus) in the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia

Investigating how the population density of a species changes over time is an integral step in determining whether that species is stable or needs assistance from conservation managers. The short-eared possum (Trichosurus caninus) is a species that has been poorly studied with only one previous population density estimate. Short-eared possums were live-trapped between August 2020 and January 2021 in the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, to estimate their current density using a spatially explicit capture-recapture (SECR) model. The average density of short-eared possums was 0.46 possums/ha (95% CI: 0.32-0.66) in temperate rainforest and 0.13 possums/ha (95% CI: 0.06-0.28) in wet sclerophyll forest. No individuals were caught in dry sclerophyll forest. Trap-based home ranges were estimated to be 12.5 ha (95% CI: 8-19) for males and 5.5 ha (95% CI: 3-11) for females. This study provides a reference for determining trends in short-eared possum population density within the Northern Tablelands in the future. Adequate conservation of temperate rainforest and wet sclerophyll forest habitat is important to the conservation of the species.