The Ballawara is still found in some urban reserves. If you have them in your neighbourhood keep cats indoors and maintain mature trees around the garden.
Threats: Habitat loss and predation by cats and foxes
Will they visit?: Brush-tailed Phascogales will visit home gardens located near reserves, parks or bushland
Natural Distribution: Widespread and common throughout the South West and Perth region
Brush-tailed Phascogale – (CC) Chris Cobern .This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Australia License (Atlas of Living Australia)
Brush-tailed Phascogale – (CC) Mark Gillow (Creative Commons)
Brush-tailed Phascogale – (CC)Tim Bawden. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Australia License (Atlas of Living Australia)
Brush-tailed Phascogale (CC-BY-NC-4.0) kmilligan
Habitat at a Glance
See Habitat Guide for more detail
Shelter: Hollows in large trees and constructed nest boxes
Diet: Invertebrates and small animals
Water: Not necessary
ReWild Benefit: Pest control
Habitat Guide - Shelter
Natural Shelter
You may spot a Brush-tailed Phascogale running around many urban reserves at dawn or dusk. If you have a local phascogale population, maintaining large trees around the garden will provide additional habitat. Fallen logs and shrubs will provide additional shelter to a phascogale foraging on the ground.
Novel Shelter
Below is a habitat box template for a Brush-tailed Phascogale. Ideally, install the box on a mature tree close to the main trunk or a thick horizontal limb. Speak with the local government or local Landcare before installing or maintaining a bat box. Ensure the box is inaccessible to resident dogs or cats. Before you build:
Nest-boxes are a long-term commitment and need maintenance and repair over time.
Chipboard is okay, but degrade after a year of use.
Hardier and untreated timber (i.e. Jarrah) will last longer and are less prone to attack by fungi, bacteria, and microorganisms.
Keep away from treated timber as this can emit fumes toxic to wildlife and their young.
Avoid using metal wire inside a box. A wooden ladder on the inside of the nest-box is much more suitable or grooved timber will work well.
Maintenance is critical to ensure wildlife remain safe. Last thing you want is a side panel falling off with an animal or its young still living inside.
Habitat Guide - Food and Water
Providing natural sources of food
A resident Brush-tailed Phascogale will forage amongst native shrubs and within the canopies of large trees. A good layer of mulch will provide additional foraging areas for a Brush-tailed Phascogale.
Providing sources of water
ReWild Benefits
Brush-tailed Phascogales are great at controlling pests around the home. The greatest threat to Brush-tailed Phascogale appears to be the reduced availability of trees with hollows, and predation by cats. The best way to help local Brush-tailed Phascogales is to keep your cats indoors or inside outdoor enclosures. If you see them in your travels, you can record your sighting on Atlas of Living Australia!
