The mountain pygmy-possum is an elusive species, however, the most recent ‘Tunnel of Love’ at Mt Little Higginbotham is providing insights into their movements.
Mount Hotham Alpine Resort Management Board staff have been monitoring possum activity in the tunnel over the past two summers, using microchip readers and remote-sensing cameras within the tunnel.
Thirty individual possums have been identified using the tunnel, mainly females.
Despite their small size, averaging just 40 g, the possums move incredibly fast and are extremely agile, taking only 15 seconds to travel through the 14.64 m long tunnel.
Possums begin using the tunnel in spring when they awake from hibernation.
Tunnel activity declines in late summer, potentially due to possums moving out from the boulder field habitat to feed on seeds and fruits of surrounding native shrubs.
The last recordings in early autumn signify the coming winter.
Although the possums are often too fast for the remote-sensing cameras, other native small mammals have been observed using the tunnel — including the bush rat and antechinus.
The tunnel enables many native species to expand their habitat range, protects them from traffic collisions and reduces encounters with predators.
Along with ongoing monitoring of the Mt Little Higginbotham tunnel, Mount Hotham Alpine Resort Management Board staff undertake a range of environmental management programs.
Monitoring and control of feral predators reduces predation of the possums, along with other native reptiles and small mammals.
Control of weeds within the resort, particularly willow trees, improves possum habitat and enables native species to re-establish and provide additional food sources for the possums.
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