There is little information on. predation on koalas Phascolarctos cinereus. Predators are considered to include dogs, dingoes, raptors and large goannas (Marchant and Higgins 1993, Martin and Handasyde 1999, Melzer et al, 2000). Martin and Handasyde (1999) report that the Geelong Field Naturalist Club often found the remains of young Koalas under the roost of a pair of Powerful Owls Nixon strenua. Barnard (1925) reports on the diet of Powerful Owls but does not find Koala amongst the possums, gliders, flying foxes and birds seen with the Powerful Owl. He does implicate the Wedge-tailed Eagle Aquila audax, however. Barnard (Le Souef 1918) reports seeing more than one Wedge-tai led Eagle "... eating a half grown koala .. , that they had evidently just Killed". Later he (Barnard 1925) reports seeing them "... kill native bears". We (Melzer) have received an account from Biloela (west of Gladstone QLD) of a young Koala being "snatched" from branches just above its mother by an unidentified raptor. Here we provide three additional accounts of predation, or attempted predation, on Koalas from central and south-east Queensland.
Funding
Category 1 - Australian Competitive Grants (this includes ARC, NHMRC)
History
Volume
41
Issue
13
Start Page
38
End Page
41
Number of Pages
4
ISSN
0079-8843
Location
Queensland, Australia
Publisher
The Queensland Naturalists Club
Language
en-aus
Peer Reviewed
Yes
Open Access
No
External Author Affiliations
Centre for Environmental Management; Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service; TBA Research Institute;
Era Eligible
Yes
Journal
Queensland Naturalist : journal of the Queensland Naturalists' Club and Nature-lovers' league.