Hollow Trunk

Tree hollows provide shelter for wildlife Photographer - John Broomfield Source - Museum Victoria

When fires sweep through the bush, some large eucalypts survive with hollow trunks, which provide a refuge for a range of native species. The hole may be a short or long term home for animals including insects, birds and mammals.

The Welcome Swallow Hirundo neoxena may use the hollow to nest and shelter. The White-throated Treecreeper Cormobates leucophaeus may also roost inside or use the rim for shelter. Small insectivorous bats often use such hollows for roosting during the day. Among the small bat species which roost in hollow trees, are Gould's Wattled Bat, Chalinolobus gouldii. Individuals may move between several roosts in a small area and return after a few days.

Possums such as the tiny Feather-tailed Glider Acrobates pygmaeus, have been known to share a hollow tree roost with a number of different bat species. Visible droppings on the base of the hollow can provide a clue that there is an animal in residence.