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We studied soil disturbance by rabbits, echidnas, goannas, ants and termites at three spatial scales across four vegetation communities (dense woodland, open woodland, shrubland, grassland) in a semi-arid rangeland in western NSW. Bare and litter-covered surfaces (microscale) were nested within canopy and open patches (intermediate scale), which were nested within vegetation communities (landscape scale). Differences in disturbance measures (cover, soil excavation) between vegetation communities varied depending on the scale of disturbance and the scale at which the disturbance was measured. Our study documents the extent of animal activity in semi-arid woodlands and reinforces the notion that, as soil disturbance is scale-dependent, differences between species, habitats and communities will depend on the scale at which disturbances are examined.