The Foraging Ecology of a Threatened Ecosystem Engineer Translocated to Island Safe Havens

ABSTRACT Describing and quantifying the foraging ecology of wildlife is important for fundamental ecological theory and understanding the roles species play within ecosystems. Further, such information can be applied to help guide conservation actions, such as predictions of ecological outcomes resulting from threatened species translocations aimed at reestablishing self‐sustaining populations and restoring functions to ecosystems. Our study investigated the diet of two populations of Eastern Barred Bandicoots ( Perameles gunnii , mainland populations) introduced to fox‐free islands (Churchill Island and Phillip Island, southeastern Australia) outside of the species' historical range. Microscopic analysis of faeces revealed that bandicoots exhibit an omnivorous diet, consuming a broad range of invertebrate, plant and fungal material, similar to previous studies of their diet within their natural range. Commonly identified invertebrate taxa included earthworms, beetle adults and larvae, ants, cockroaches, spiders and caterpillars. Notably, crabs were also found in bandicoot diet, indicating the species' ability to adapt to and use coastal (novel) environments. Seasonality was the main factor associated with changes in bandicoot diet at Churchill Island, suggesting that the species is a facultative generalist omnivore that shifts feeding seasonally, likely in relation to variation in food availability. Diet also shifted in response to bandicoot density, likely related to the expansion of the bandicoot population into more diverse habitats across the island. The inherent flexibility of Eastern Barred Bandicoot diet means they are well‐suited for additional conservation translocations although prior assessments of recipient ecosystems are needed.