Citizens help unlock the secret lives of echidnas

Researchers at the 成人大片鈥檚 Environment Institute and members of the general public have recorded the largest number of echidna sightings across Australia to aid in the conservation of the iconic mammal.


In a paper published in听, the researchers describe the outcomes of the听Echidna Conservation Science Initiative (EchidnaCSI), a citizen science project established in collaboration with world-leading echidna ecologist听Dr Peggy Rismiller OAM from Kangaroo Island鈥檚 Pelican Lagoon Research and Wildlife Centre.

In EchidnaCSI the general public are recruited to听submit echidna sightings and scats to help researchers track echidna population changes, and to engage the public in scientific research and echidna conservation.
鈥淢y involvement in EchidnaCSI has been an enriching experience while feeling I am contributing to something worthwhile. I have gained an interest and knowledge about one of Australia鈥檚 more unusual animals while deepening the relationship I have with where I live.鈥EchidnaCSI participant Peter Hastwell from Kangaroo Island.

Participants download the free EchidnaCSI smartphone app through which they submit photos and information about echidna sightings. They also collect scats (faeces) for molecular analysis of echidna diet, gut health, reproductive health and potential stressors.

Since the project began in 2017, more than 11,000 members of the public have downloaded the EchidnaCSI app and submitted 12,000 echidna sightings from across Australia. This is the equivalent to 25 per cent of all echidna sightings listed in the Atlas of Living Australia, which covers more than the past 100 years data.

Professor from the听成人大片鈥檚 School of Biological Sciences said, 鈥淭he short-beaked echidna is the most widespread native mammal in Australia, inhabiting diverse environments across Australia from bushland, to听snow, to desert and tropical regions.

鈥淭his has made studying echidnas in the wild problematic. It is simply impossible for researchers to collect such a large number of sightings and scats.

鈥淭hrough taking a citizen science approach we have been able to recruit thousands of members of the general public to collect data over large geographic and time scales.鈥

Dr from the 成人大片 who oversees the running of the initiative, says data has been received from every state and territory, with many submitting sightings from densely populated areas, city fringes, and even within major cities.

鈥淎lthough we expected most sightings to occur close to populated areas, we did not anticipate as many echidna sightings within or immediately surrounding all major cities in Australia,鈥 said Dr Perry.

鈥淭his raises a number of concerns as there is very little appropriate habitat or food sources available for echidnas in these environments. It also increases the risk of echidnas being struck by vehicles.鈥

Unlike common ring-tailed possums or koalas, and in some cases even the platypus, echidnas have not previously been considered an 鈥榰rban鈥 native species. The researchers suggest the findings of this study indicate there is a need to consider echidnas when establishing policies surrounding biodiversity in cities.

EchidnaCSI also successfully pioneered the method of incorporating wildlife scat collection into a nationwide citizen science project.

Through the EchidnaCSI app participants learned how to identify echidna scats from that of other animals. More than 400 echidna scats were collected for听molecular analysis of diet and gastric health from locations as geographical unique as听the Kimberley in WA, APY-lands in central Australia, remote areas of South Australia and far north and central Queensland. This makes the collection the largest for echidnas to date.

EchidnaCSI participant and Kangaroo Island resident,听Peter Hastwell, has听contributed the largest number of echidna sightings and scat samples to the project. Tired of听seeing the wilderness being whittled away and wanting to play a part in protecting some of it, Peter has been an active participant in citizen science projects for more than 10 years.

鈥淢y involvement in EchidnaCSI has been an enriching experience while feeling I am contributing to something worthwhile. I have gained an interest and knowledge about one of Australia鈥檚 more unusual animals while deepening the relationship I have with where I live,鈥 said Peter.

As a world-leading听echidna ecologist听Dr Peggy Rismiller听says the data collected听will go a long way in helping researchers map echidna populations.

鈥淭he subspecies of echidna that inhabits Kangaroo Island is the only extensively researched and monitored echidna population in Australia, which has resulted in the subspecies being listed as endangered,鈥 said Dr听Rismiller.

鈥淚t is therefore a matter of urgency to obtain more information to determine the conservation status of echidnas across Australia, particularly following the recent devastating Australian bushfires in 2019 and 2020.鈥

Originally posted in the News.
Tagged in Media Release, News, Publications, School of Biological Sciences, Science communication
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