Habitat use and movement of a wide-ranging habitat generalist, the short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus), in a fragmented agricultural landscape

Context Understanding how animals navigate fragmented landscapes is critical for conservation planning, particularly in agricultural regions where native vegetation is limited. The short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) remains relatively common in these environments, yet little is known about how fragmentation influences its space use and movement. Aims This study aimed to investigate how habitat composition and fragmentation affect echidna movement, home range size and path structure in a working agricultural landscape. Methods We GPS-tracked 10 adult echidnas (five males, five females) across three farms (~35 km2) in the Liverpool Plains, NSW, between July 2022 and December 2023. Home ranges were estimated using 95% autocorrelated kernel density estimation. Habitat selection, movement rates and path sinuosity were analysed with respect to habitat type (woody vs open) and fragmentation metrics, including connectivity, proximity, clumpiness and patch shape complexity, derived using FRAGSTATS. Key results Despite open habitats being more abundant, echidnas strongly selected woody patches. Movement rates were faster in open areas, likely reflecting travel between resources. Home range sizes varied (0.55–7.76 km2), with connectivity emerging as the strongest predictor. Echidnas in more connected landscapes had significantly smaller home ranges, travelled shorter distances and moved along straighter paths. Greater proximity variation led to more tortuous paths, suggesting local patch context affects movement complexity. Other fragmentation metrics had limited explanatory power. Conclusions Echidnas exhibited strong preferences for woody habitats and altered their movement behaviour in response to habitat fragmentation. Higher connectivity reduced home range size and movement distances, while local patch configuration influenced path structure. Implications These findings underscore the importance of retaining and restoring woody vegetation and improving functional connectivity in agricultural landscapes. Conservation strategies that prioritise habitat continuity and fine-scale heterogeneity will better support echidna persistence and movement in modified environments.