Larcombe: Southern Brown Bandicoot 
they are doing. Conversely, the slightly higher inactive 
phase Tj, can be explained by the fact that the when 
the bandicoots were inactive was up to 10°C higher than 
the active phase T^. 
/. obesulus displays a slight nychthermal variation in 
T|^. Hulbert & Dawson (1974) found no pronounced cycle 
in the body temperatures of five bilbies (Macrotis lagotis), 
however was slightly higher at the beginning and end 
of the night and that the greatest variation in was 
during the active phase. Brown & Dawson (1977) found 
that three species of kangaroo displayed a nychthermal 
variation in of 1.6-3.1°C, and, generally, rectal 
temperature was highest in the late afternoon (end of the 
inactive phase) and lowest in and early morning. The 
chuditch {Dasyurus geoffroii) also had a higher and less 
variable during the active phase (Arnold 1976). 
Conversely, Gemmell et al. (1997) noted a distinct daily 
pattern in for several species of marsupial with 
being higher during the active phase. 
The results of this study indicate external temperature 
telemetry does not provide an accurate measure of Tj, in 
the southern brown bandicoot, and as such it is not 
recommended for use with animals of this size (- 1000 g). 
Further study on a larger sample size is needed to assess 
whether I. obesvkis, and marsupials in general, actually 
exhibit circadian variation in T^ and, if so, what this 
variation is. 
Acknowledgements: This project was funded by an APA Grant. 
Bandicoots were caught and held under license from CALM. This 
research was conducted with the approval of the UWA Animal 
Experimentation Ethics Committee. Thanks to Sasha Voss and Philip 
Withers for comments on the manuscript and Shane Maloney for the loan 
of the telemetry equipment and help with implantation surgery. 
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