Seasonal consumption of mycorrhizal fungi by a marsupial-dominated mammal community

The temperate forests of Australia support a high diversity of hypogeous fungi and a wide variety of mycophagous mammals, yet many mammal-fungal relationships are still poorly understood. We studied the seasonal fungal diets of eight sympatric mammals (seven marsupials and one rodent) in a remnant montane eucalypt forest. Fifty-five different fungal taxa were identified from 305 scat samples. Swamp wallabies (Wallabia bicolor), yellow-footed antechinus (Antechinus flavipes) and brown antechinus (A. stuartii) were the primary mycophagists in this community, but all mammals consumed fungi, including three species not previously recorded as mycophagous (eastern grey kangaroo, Macropus giganteus;common wallaroo, Osphranter robustus; and common dunnart, Sminthopsis murina). Winter was the peak season for fungal consumption and dietary diversity of fungi, however, the diversity of taxa ingested varied between species and season. Our work supports the idea that a diverse mycophagous mammal community is important for maintaining natural variation in fungal community composition. •All mammals sampled consumed fungi, with 55 different taxa identified in diets.•Three marsupials not previously identified as mycophagous consumed fungi.•Fungi occurred in diets year-round, with peaks of dietary diversity in winter.•Small dasyurids like antechinus have been underappreciated as mycophagists.•A diverse community of mycophagists is vital to maintaining forest health.