The survival of the endangered Red-tailed Phascogale is being bolstered by efforts of WA farmers and Landcare groups.

Locals in the Wagin region of WA, 200km south of Perth, are joining forces to connect isolated patches of this possum-like mammal's remaining habitat by constructing corridors of native vegetation across their farms.

Once widespread throughout arid Western Australia, Northern Territory, New South Wales and Victoria, the Red-tailed Phascogale has survived only in the Western Australian wheatbelt between Brookton and the Fitzgerald River National Park.

Local farmers and the Wagin Woodanilling Landcare Zone (WWLZ) consider the Red-Tailed Phascogale and other native animals and plants as a valuable part of their rural heritage.

"The opportunity to increase this animal's habitat by creating bush corridors works in well with other land management objectives on our farm," said local farmer Joy Angwin. "We're learning about the value of all sorts of creatures that are unique to our local area."

Fauna surveys by CSIRO (funded by Land and Water Australia) in the Dongolocking region formed the impetus for the corridor project.

Surveys of nature reserves of various sizes indicated that while populations of Red-tailed Phascogales survived in small reserves, their isolation provided the animals little opportunity to move around the landscape, reducing their chance of survival in the long-term.

CSIRO researcher Blair Parsons said, "The job of surviving in the fragmented wheatbelt landscape is even harder for the Red-Tailed Phascogale. Males mate and die before they reach the age of one, and females are lucky to live long enough to produce more than two litters of young."

The WWLZ, local farmers and CSIRO banded together earlier this year to connect Buchanan and Concarring Nature Reserves, and two smaller remnants to the east.

"Our aim is to connect two small and isolated nature reserves with a corridor across farmland," said WWLZ Project Manager Sally Thomson.

"Eventually we want to connect these populations to the Dongolocking Nature Reserve - an area of over 3300 ha - where larger populations of red-tailed phascogales are known to persist."

The Blackwood Basin Group provided funds to construct the corridors - fencing to protect the areas from grazing, and local trees and shrubs to connect the reserves.

"The seedlings will be grown from local provenance seed," said Ms Thomson. "Our local nurseryman is very supportive and keen to help recreate habitat as close to the original vegetation as possible."

It is hoped that the native revegetation will encourage other animal species such as the brush-tailed possum, and a variety of honeyeaters, geckos and skinks to use the corridors.