Dasyurids are small mammals that can conserve energy and water by using shelters that insulate against extreme conditions, prevent predation, and facilitate torpor. To quantify the diurnal sheltering requirements of a poorly known, endangered dasyurid, the sandhill dunnart, Sminthopsis psammophila, we radiotracked 40 individuals in the Western Australian Great Victoria Desert between 2015 and 2019. We assessed the effect of habitat class (broad habitat features), plot-level (the area surrounding each shelter), and shelter characteristics (e.g., daily temperature ranges), on shelter selection and sheltering habitat preferences. Two hundred and eleven diurnal shelters (mean of 5 ± 3 shelters per individual) were located on 363 shelter days (the number of days each shelter was used), within mature vegetation (mean seral age of 32 ± 12 years postfire). Burrows were used on 77% of shelter days and were typically concealed under mature spinifex, Triodia spp., with stable temperature ranges and northern aspects facing the sun. While many burrows were reused (n = 40 across 175 shelter days), spinifex hummock shelters typically were used for one shelter day and were not insulative against extreme temperatures. However, shallow scrapes within Lepidobolus deserti hummock shelters had thermal advantages and log shelters retained heat and were selected on cooler days. Sminthopsis psammophila requires long-unburned sheltering habitat with mature vegetation. Summer fires in the Great Victoria Desert can be extensive and destroy large areas of land, rendering them a key threat to the species. We conclude that the survey and conservation of S. psammophila requires attention to long-unburned, dense lower stratum swale, sand plain, and dune slope habitats, and the tendency of S. psammophila to burrow allows the species to survive within the extreme conditions of its desert environment.

中文翻译：

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濒临灭绝的沙丘邓纳特沙丘沙门氏菌的昼夜庇护偏好和相关保护管理

Dasyurids 是小型哺乳动物，它们可以通过使用隔离极端条件、防止捕食和促进蛰伏的庇护所来节省能量和水。为了量化鲜为人知、濒临灭绝的 dasyurid、沙丘邓纳特、沙丘沙门氏菌、Sminthopsis psammophila 的昼夜庇护需求，我们在 2015 年至 2019 年期间对西澳大利亚大维多利亚沙漠中的 40 个人进行了无线电追踪。我们评估了栖息地类别（广泛的栖息地特征）的影响，地块级别（每个避难所周围的区域）和避难所特征（例如，每日温度范围），关于避难所选择和避难所栖息地偏好。211 个昼夜避难所（平均每人 5 ± 3 个避难所）位于 363 个避难所日（每个避难所使用的天数）内，位于成熟植被内（火灾后平均年龄为 32 ± 12 年）。77% 的避难日都使用了洞穴，通常隐藏在成熟的刺螟 (Triodia spp.) 下，温度范围稳定，北部面向太阳。虽然许多洞穴被重复使用（在 175 个避难日中 n = 40），但 Spinifex 小丘避难所通常用于一个避难日，并且不能抵御极端温度。然而，Lepidobolus deserti 小丘掩蔽所内的浅层刮擦具有热优势，原木掩蔽所保留热量，并在较冷的日子被选中。Sminthopsis psammophila 需要长期未燃烧的遮蔽栖息地和成熟的植被。大维多利亚沙漠的夏季火灾可能会蔓延到大片土地，使其成为对该物种的主要威胁。我们得出结论，沙门氏菌的调查和保护需要注意长期未燃烧的，