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The 2019–2020 megafires in southeastern Australia extensively burnt forests including fire‐sensitive rainforests. Assessments of species' responses typically consider differences in occupancy or density between burnt and unburnt forest, but here we focus on how these fires influenced roost selection by a rainforest‐dependent bat. We radio‐tracked golden‐tipped bats Phoniscus papuensis in fire grounds to investigate whether roost location or type was influenced by fire severity one‐year post‐fire. Overall, we tracked 19 bats for a total of 117 roost‐days. Bats roosted (including maternity colonies) in the suspended nests of yellow‐throated scrub‐wrens and brown gerygone, typically in gully rainforest. No bats were captured, or roosts located, where fire severity was high. In the burnt portion of the northern study area, P. papuensis displayed a significant preference for roosting in unburnt rainforest compared to its availability along adjacent gullies. Patches of rainforest burnt by low–moderate severity fire were ranked as second preference. In the burnt portion of the southern study area, most roosts were in rainforest mapped as burnt by low–moderate fire severity, however, no selection was evident relative to availability of rainforest and mapped fire severity. Actual roost locations in the southern study area revealed that 62% were in small pockets of unburnt rainforest, with burnt areas nearby. We recorded early breeding and signs of a second litter in late summer, suggesting a post‐fire resource pulse in their prey (spiders). A higher than usual reproductive output may assist in recovery, along with the bat's mobility to aid finding remaining pockets of unburnt or low severity burnt rainforest with suitable bird nests for roosting. However, recolonization of rainforest burnt by high severity fire will first require recovery of structural complexity, microclimate and the recolonization of host bird‐built nests. We recommend ongoing monitoring to assess the recovery of this specialist bat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Koalas are thought to have little need to drink because they gain the majority of the water that they require to survive from the water content in the leaves that they feed on. In this manuscript, we expand beyond the handful of incidental observations of koala drinking reported in the literature and describe natural koala drinking behaviour in the wild at different locations in Australia and across a range of weather conditions, discussing how koalas may have stronger reliance on free water than previously thought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The decisions that animals must make to achieve a balance between quantity and quality of resources become more difficult when their habitats are patchy and differ greatly in quality across space and time. Koalas are a prime subject to study this problem because they have a specialised diet of eucalypt leaves and need to balance nutrient and water intake against toxins in the leaves, all of which can change with soil type and climate. Koalas are nocturnal and spend most of the day resting and therefore choose trees for reasons other than feeding, particularly for thermoregulation. We GPS-tracked 40 koalas over 3 yr to determine their shift in tree selection between day and night, and in relation to daily maximum temperature, in a patchy rural landscape in north-western NSW, Australia. The species, degree of shelter, diameter, height and elevation of each visited tree were recorded. We used generalised linear mixed effects models to compare tree use between day and night and maximum daily temperature. Koalas used more feed-trees during the night, and more shelter-trees during the day. They also selected taller trees with more shelter in the day compared with night. As daytime temperatures rose, koalas increasingly selected taller trees at lower elevations. Our results demonstrate that koalas need taller trees, and non-feed species with shadier/denser foliage, to provide shelter from heat. This highlights the need both for the retention of taller, mature trees, such as remnant paddock trees, and the planting of both food and shelter trees to increase habitat area and connectivity across the landscape for arboreal species. Retaining and planting trees that provide optimum habitat will help arboreal folivores cope with the more frequent droughts and heatwaves expected with climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]