To manage brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) accurate estimates of abundance are essential. Direct counts are not feasible for large populations and index techniques are normally employed. A new index technique for estimating possum abundance is the WaxTag®. They are potentially more effective than traps because they are small, easier to use, very lightweight and, therefore, higher numbers can be set out in the field. Whilst a national monitoring protocol for WaxTag®s has been developed, it is important to determine whether improvements can be made. This study investigated firstly whether luminescent-coloured WaxTag®s were more attractive than the WaxTag® with a ‘flour blaze’ and, secondly, whether raising the WaxTag®s 700 mm above the ground reduced detectability. Possums significantly preferred the flour blaze over luminescence and raising WaxTag®s did not significantly reduce detectability. Accordingly, WaxTag®s could be raised up above ground-dwelling non-target species without reducing statistical precision.[Show full abstract]
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