Review of Cat Ecology and Management Strategies in Australia

Felis catus, the domestic cat, occurs throughout the Australian mainland as well as on more than 40 islands off the Australian coast. Cats exploit diverse habitats, including deserts, forests, woodlands, grasslands, towns and cities, and occur from sea level to altitudes above 2000 m. The classification of cats as domestic, stray or feral (Moodie 1995) [...]

CaneToadsInOz.com

Cane Toads!! Just hearing those words creates fear and loathing in many Australians. These feral amphibians have become a major invasive threat to Australian biodiversity since their introduction in North Queensland. Reports that these poisonous amphibians have invaded the Northern Territory and are heading for Western Australia fuel this national sense of fear and loathing. [...]

The fox website

The red fox is a very adaptable carnivore: living anywhere from the tundra to the city. As all carnivores, its existence is often in conflict with people. Here you will find information on all aspects of red fox ecology, management and human conflict, focussing particularly on the fox in the UK.

Movements and habitat use of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and Murray cod (Maccullochella peelii peelii) juveniles in a large lowland Australian river

Native Murray cod (Maccullochella peelii peelii) are listed as a nationally vulnerable species, whereas non-native common carp (Cyprinus carpio) are widespread and abundant. Understanding key aspects of life history, such as movement patterns and habitat selection by juvenile Murray cod and common carp, might be useful for conserving Murray cod populations and controlling common carp [...]

The Natural History of Weasels and Stoats: Ecology, Behavior and Management (2nd edition)

Field naturalists have observed the activities of weasels for centuries. Their descriptions were often accurate but sometimes misinterpreted the animals? behaviours and underlying explanations for those behaviours. ?Organised natural history? became one of the roots of the science of ecology in the 1920s and by the 1960s scientists had begun to study the biology of [...]

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The ecology of the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in coastal southern Western Australia

Demographic changes in three free-ranging rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) populations were monitored over 4 years in southern Western Australia. Peak densities followed periods of high rainfall and pasture biomass. The breeding season was prolonged, often extending from at least April to November, with some pregnancies occurring outside this period. Fecundity, determined by the autopsy of pregnant [...]

Ecological Associations of Feeding Sites of Feral Pigs in the Queensland Wet Tropics

Data from 152 plots (0·8 ha) and 659 small quadrats (0·04 ha) were used to assess rooting activity by feral pigs in forest communities in north Queensland. Study sites spanned the rainforest–sclerophyll-forest gradient along the western margin of the wet tropics region. Detailed floristic, physiognomic and edaphic data were recorded for each plot and used [...]

The weasels of southern Manitoba

The biology of Mustelidae

Systematics and ecology of weasels from various forests in Rumania

Studies on the ecology of the weasel, (Mustela nivalis L.)

Range and diet of stoats (Mustela erminea) in a New Zealand beech forest

Home range and diet of stoats inhabiting beech forest were examined by trapping and radio-tracking. Eleven stoats (6 female, 5 male) were fitted with radio-transmitters. Minimum home ranges of five females averaged 124 +/- 21 ha and of four males 206 +/- 73 ha. Range lengths of females averaged 2.3 +/- 0.3 km and of [...]

Predatory birds and mammals

Introduced mammals in a New Zealand forest: long-term research in the Orongorongo Valley

Geographical distribution of the weasel and its ecology on Sakhalin

Food preference, optimal diet and reproductive output in stoats Mustela erminea in Sweden

Ecological research on mustelids

Ecology and behaviour of the stoat Mustela erminea and a theory on delayed implantation

Ecology of the stoat in Nothofagus forest: home range, habitat use and diet at different stages of the beech mast cycle

We studied the ecology of a high-density population of stoats in Fiordland, New Zealand, in the summer and autumn of 1990-91 following a Nothofagus seeding in 1990. Results are compared with findings from the same area in 1991-92, a period of lower stoat density. In the high-density year, minimum home ranges (revealed by radio-tracking) of [...]

Demography and dynamics of a stoat Mustela erminea population in a diverse community of vertebrates

Data on the biology of the ermine

The ecology and life history of the long-tailed weasel (Mustela frenata)

Biology of mustelids: some Soviet research

Dingoes in Queensland – distribution and ecology

Under the Rural Lands Protection Act 1985 the dingo/wild dog is a declared animal, and it is the responsibility of landholders to reduce the number of dingoes/wild dogs on their property. This fact sheet is about the distribution and ecology of the dingo.

Feral Pigs in Queensland – distribution, ecology and impact

Feral pigs are declared pests under Queensland legislation. Declaration requires landholders to control declared pests on the land under their control. A local government may serve a notice upon a landholder requiring control of declared pests. This fact sheet covers distribution, ecology and impact of feral pigs in Queensland.

Vertebrate Pest Research Unit (VPRU)

The Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, located at NSW DPI?s Orange Agricultural Institute, undertakes research which addresses industry priorities in relation to vertebrate pest management and, increasingly, the management of environmental pests. The aim is to improve agricultural production and enhance conservation values through the reduced impact of vertebrate pests. The unit?s applied research has direct [...]

Trilepidea adamsii : An obituary for a species

The factors leading to the presumed extinction of Trilepidea adamsii (Cheesem.) Tiegh., an endemic New Zealand mistletoe, are discussed. Although several factors are involved, including habitat loss, overcollecting, reduced seed dispersal, and browsing by the brushtailed possum (Trichosurus vulpecula Kerr.), interactions among these factors appear to have been particularly important in this extinction. Possums, introduced [...]

Towards better pelts from possums; mite fauna of Trichosurus vulpecula

Seven possums from north Taranaki were collected in November and December 1991. They were skinned and the skin was divided into 5 parts; the fur was sliped and hydrolyzed to leave mites for counting by 10% aliquot. Fur mites (Listrophoridae) comprising 3

The fate of young radiotagged common brushtail possums, Trichosurus vulpecula, in New Zealand lowland forest

Twenty-nine newly independent juvenile common brushtail possums were radiotracked in dense lowland forest. In their first year of independence 10 died in the 16-ha area where they were first caught; six (including five males) dispersed. One of the males moved 6 multiplied by 8 km in the course of two nights. Contact with two animals [...]

The effects of introduced wild animals on New Zealand forests

Although New Zealand lacks native terrestrial mammals (except for two species of bats), more than 50 species of mammals have been introduced by human beings and become established since the late nineteenth century. The impact of introduced browsing and gr

The effects of reducing population density on contact rates between brushtail possums: implications for transmission of bovine tuberculosis

1. Interactions during mating are thought to be an important mechanism for transmission of tuberculosis (Tb) Mycobacterium bovis in the brushtail possum Trichosurus vulpecula. However, little information is available on the frequency of contacts between m

The ecological effects of possums on the New Zealand environment

Possums (Trichosorus vulpecula) affect the environment of New Zealand in a number of ways, apart from being the most important wildlife reservoir of bovine tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis): (1) they are vectors of other diseases of farm animals (e.g Lep

The ecology of an uninfected forest possum population

The breeding biology of a tropical possum, Trichosurus vulpecula arnhemensis (Phalangeridae: Marsupialia)

The breeding biology of Trichosurus vulpecula has been studied in some detail for temperate populations but not for the northern brushtail possum (T. v. arnhemensis ), the tropical form of this species. Data for the distribution of births and sex ratio o

Summaries of student field projects in the Kaueranga Valley (1982- 1983)

Individual student projects carried out on the Population and Community Ecology courses in 1982 and 1983 are summarised. Topics included seedling populations on logs vs. forest floor, effects of light on seedling distribution, seed dispersal, effects of possum browsing on seedlings and saplings, tree fern distribution, and population ecology of various forest tree species. (PMS)

Small mammals as potential seed dispersers in New Zealand

Weed invasion success is strongly influenced by availability of seed dispersal vectors, which may include animals. We examined the potential of several small introduced mammals (mice, kiore, ship rats and possums) to disperse germinable seeds in New Zeala

Possum biological control

Population dynamics 1994-98, and management of Kaimanawa wild horses

Opossums on Hawke’s Bay farmland

Nutritional effects and costs of a tannin in two marsupial arboreal folivores

Nutritional effects of ingested quebracho, a condensed tannin, were examined in two marsupial folivores: Trichosurus vulpecula and Pseudocheirus peregrinus. These hindgut fermenters normally consume a diet including tannin-rich leaves. Dry matter digestib

Movement of possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) between forest and pasture in Westland, New Zealand: Implications for bovine tuberculosis transmission

Over a 3-year period, 1183 brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula ) were live-trapped in 125 ha of mixed hardwood forest and adjacent pasture in Westland, and 50 were radio-tracked for up to 14 months. Foraging movements between forest and pasture were much longer than previously reported. Twenty-eight percent of males and 18% of females denning c. [...]

Observations on the reproduction and ecology of the brush tailed possum Trichosurus vulpecula Kerr (Marsupialia), in New Zealand

In all 366 adult possums and 139 pouch young were examined. Five samples were collected and a study of a live population was conducted. Data are presented on the relationships of weight, tibial ossification, and sexual maturity, which indicate that two ag

Indirect effects of feral horses on estuarine communities

Livestock have grazed on salt marshes for centuries and have dramatic effects on marsh vegetation. Most studies examining the effects of livestock on salt marshes have focused on the effects on plants rather than on salt marsh fauna or ecological processe

Growth rates of the bandicoot Isoodon macrourus and the brushtail possum Trichosurus vulpecula

Although the bandicoot Isoodon macrourus and the brushtail possum Trichosurus vulpecula give birth to similar-size young, about 200 mg, the pouch young of the bandicoot grow more quickly than those of the possum. The bandicoot is weaned at 59 days when

Forest dynamics and canopy tree mortality in Westland Rata- Kamahi forests, New Zealand

Feeding preference of common brushtail possums, Trichosurus vulpecula, on seedlings of a woodland eucalypt

When Eucalyptus blakelyi seedlings were placed on platforms in the canopies of mature trees, common brushtail possums, Trichosurus vulpecula , selectively browsed on seedlings that had been irrigated with a balanced nutrient solution, in preference to those that had been irrigated with tapwater. The foliage of the nutrient-irrigated seedlings contained more water, nitrogen, soluble sugar [...]

Existing Tasmanian marsupials

Evaluation of a forage allocation model for Theodore Roosevelt National Park

We developed a forage allocation model using a deterministic, linear optimization module in a commercially available spreadsheet package to help resource managers in Theodore Roosevelt National Park (TRNP), North Dakota determine optimum numbers of four u

Effects of logging, fire and drought on possums and gliders in the coastal forests near Bega, N.S.W.

Seven species of possums and gliders were found during a survey in logged coastal forests near Bega on the south coast of New South Wales. A study of the preferences for the various tree species shows that both commercial and non-commercial species must be retained to support the full range of possum-glider species. Spotlight searches [...]

Effect of fire on the availability of hollows in trees used by the common brushtail possum, Trichosurus vulpecula Kerr, 1792, and the ringtail possum, Pseudocheirus peregrinus Boddaerts, 1785

Characteristics of trees used for shelter during the day by brushtail and ringtail possums were identified in a study in open forest dominated by Eucalyptus marginata and E. calophylla in the Perup Fauna Nature Reserve, SW Western Australia. The effect of

Ecology of an uninfected farm possum population

Dispersal of an introduced shrub (Crataegus monogyna) by the brush-tailed possum (Trichosurus vulpecula).

The Brush-tailed possum Trichosurus vulpecula eats the fleshy fruits of the introduced shrub Crataegus monogyna and defecates intact seeds at least 0-50 m away. Viability of seeds recovered from faeces was >73%, comparable to the viability of fresh seeds (87.6%). Seed dispersal by possums has been largely neglected and may have important implications for invasion [...]

Den sites of possums, Trichosurus vulpecula, and frequency of use in mixed hardwood forest in Westland, New Zealand

Forty-seven common brushtail possums, Trichosurus vulpecula , were radiotracked to 282 dens on 546 occasions. Just over half of all dens were in living trees; the remainder were evenly distributed between dead standing stems (including short stumps) and logs, with a few (3%) in banks and rock fissures. Of all the den entrances, 73% were [...]

Climatological correlates for body size of five species of Australian mammals

Size variation of body and skull of five species of Australian mammals (echidna, Tachyglossus aculeatus ; brush-tail possum, Trichosurus vulpecula ; eastern grey kangaroo, Macropus giganteus ; western grey kangaroo, M. fuliginosus ; red kangaroo, M. rufus ), is related to climatic factors. All five species show trends in body size that conform with Bergmann’s [...]

Characterization of road accidents in Israel involving large mammals

This report is the first attempt to evaluate the magnitude of car accidents involving terrestrial mammals in Israel. With the cooperation of the Israeli insurance companies, we identified 351 accidents that involved mammals from 1995 through 1999. Since o

Comparative pharmacokinetics of iophenoxic acid in cats and brushtail possums

The comparative plasma pharmacokinetics of iophenoxic acid was studied in the cat and brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) to evaluate the suitability of this compound as a bait marker in these species. In cats, a mean peak plasma concentration of 946

Aspects of the use of den trees by arboreal and scansorial marsupials inhabiting montane ash forests in Victoria

Studies made in the Central Highlands of Victoria from September 1988 to January 1988 are reported. The dominant tree species were Eucalyptus regnans, E. delegatensis and E. nitens. A total of 823 cavity-bearing trees on 120 sites were ‘stagwatched’ (the

A spatially aggregated disease/host model for bovine Tb in New Zealand possum populations

Deterministic disease/host models based on differential equations, with and without age-structure, are used to aid understanding of the epidemiology of bovine Tb in New Zealand’s possum Trichosurus vulpecula populations. The intrinsic rate of increase for possums is calculated to be 0 multiplied by 2-0 multiplied by 3 year super(-1), density dependence is associated more with [...]

A versatile timer for field studies in animal ecology

Ecological field studies frequently require that events be timed automatically, but it has proven difficult in the past to achieve this cheaply yet with accuracy and reliability. We describe here a versatile, accurate timer developed initially to time the capture of brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) entering cage traps. It reads to the nearest five minutes, [...]

The brushtail possum: biology, impact and management of an Introduced Marsupial

This book collates information that was previously contained only in scientific journals, government and annual reports, and conference proceedings. The book looks at the introduction and spread of the possum, and what we know about its biology, including its diet, home range, reproduction and diseases. It looks at the damage possums do, and the methods [...]

A pest of plague proportions

This website gives an overview of the brush tailed possum and its pest status in New Zealand. Information is presented on how the possum established itself in New Zealand, its biology, the damage it causes, current management techniques used to mitigate the damage caused and non-target risks of management. Possible future management directions are also [...]

Proceedings of the National Carp Control Workshop

The National Carp Control workshop was jointly convened by the MDBC and the PAC CRC to engage both the public and scientific communities in the ‘daughterless carp’ program. It was to serve as a forum for public comment on the project as proposed, and to ensure that all interested parties have the opportunity for input. [...]

Proceedings of the Feral Pig Action Agenda

In recognition of the damage caused by feral pigs to animal welfare, the economy and the environment, and the potential for the animal to serve as a host of several endemic and exotic diseases of livestock and humans, the largest ever national workshop on feral pigs was held in Cairns June 2-3, 2003. The general [...]

Managing the Impacts of Dingoes and Other Wild Dogs

Managing the Impacts of Dingoes and Other Wild Dogs is the first book to provide a comprehensive review of the history and biology of wild dogs in Australia, the damage they cause and community attitudes towards their management. Australia’s wild dogs include dingoes, introduced around 4000 years ago, feral domestic dogs and hybrids between the [...]

Managing Vertebrate Pests: Foxes

Introduced to Australia over 100 years ago as an animal for the hunt, the European red fox is now common through most of southern Australia and is one of the country’s most damaging pests. Foxes prey on native animals and are believed to be responsible for the decline or even extinction of several species. Foxes [...]

Managing Vertebrate Pests: Feral Goats

Australia has an estimated 2.6 million feral goats, distributed in all states and territories. Feral goats are a complex management problem, for they are a major agricultural and environmental pest and a commercial resource, providing income to farmers who muster them for sale. Feral goats compete with sheep and some native animals for pasture, and [...]

Managing Vertebrate Pests: Feral Horses

Australia has an estimated 300,000 feral horses, mainly in central and northern Australia. Feral horses are a complex management problem because they are widespread, often occur in relatively inaccessible country, are a major economic and environmental resource and an animal welfare concern. This book contains a comprehensive review of the history of feral horses in [...]

Managing Vertebrate Pests: Rodents

In Australia, a number of rodent species are agricultural pests. Two species, the house mouse (Mus domesticus) and black rat (Rattus rattus), were introduced around the time of European settlement. Several native rodent species may also be pests in some situations. This book provides a comprehensive review of the biology of pest rodents in Australia, [...]

Managing Vertebrate Pests: Feral Pigs

Australia’s feral pigs were introduced from Europe and Asia and are now widespread across much of eastern and northern Australia. Feral pigs are a complex management problem, for they are both an agricultural and environmental pest and a commercial resource, providing income to those who harvest them for sale. Feral pigs prey on lambs, eat [...]

Managing Vertebrate Pests: Rabbits

The rabbit is Australia’s most damaging pest animal. Rabbits are a complex management problem because they are widespread, often in relatively inaccessible country where they are difficult and expensive to control, and are a major economic and environmental pest. Little is known about the relative effectiveness of techniques used to control rabbit damage. This book [...]

The ecology of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in the central tablelands of New South Wales

This study investigates the ecology of the fox. Specifically, ranging behaviour, dispersal, use of dens, activity rhythms, population dynamics and diet were examined.

Horse behavior: The behavioral traits and adaptations of domestic and wild horses including ponies

Horses and grasses: the nutritional ecology of equids and their impact on the Camargue

Sociosexual behavior in the domestic pony.

Reproductive value and behavioral strategies: coming of age in monkeys and horses

Ecology of Kaimanawa feral horses at Waiouru, New Zealand

Steppe pasture digression resulting from grazing by different farm animals was studied by the transect method. Sheep, cattle, and horse pastures had markedly different dynamics of steppe vegetation under similar grazing loads. The most critical changes in plant communities occurred in sheep pastures. The best condition of plant communities was found in horse pastures.

Physiological experiments in marsupials

Vulpecholic acid (1a,3a,7a-trihydroxy-5b-cholanoic acid: a novel bile acid of a marsupial, Trichosurus vulpecula (Lesson)

The oganisation of the facial nucleus of the brush-tailed possum (Trichosurus vulpecula)

The effect of gonadotrophin obtained from human pregnancy urine on the pouch of Trichosurus vulpecula

Functional relations between scrotum and pouch and the experimental production of a pouch-like structure in the male of Trichosurus vulpecula

A radio telemetry system has been developed to monitor movements of the brush-tailed possum (Trichosurus vulpecula), hare (Lepus europaeus), and feral goat (Capra hircus) in varying habitats throughout New Zealand. Remote tracking using 2 fixed receiving stations simultaneously tuned to transmitters with individual frequencies enabled possum and hare locations to be determined throughout their range. [...]

Induction of adrenocortical special zone in the male possum (Trichosurus vulpecula)

Reproduction in captive female brushtail possums Trichosurus vulpecula

Trichosurus vulpecula as an experimental animal

The growth of pouch young and juvenile Trichosurus vulpecula to maturity is described, based on animals gin-trapped in 800 ha of indigenous forest in the Orongorongo Valley, near Wellington. Commencing in March 1953 opossums were trapped continuously for

Testicular descent in the marsupial Trichosurus vulpecula (Kerr)

Experimental infection of calves and sheep with Leptospira interrogans serovar Balcanica

Habitat Preferences of Small Mammals in Tropical Open Forest of the Northern Territory Australia

Social and sexual behaviour of horses under semi-natural and stable conditions in relation to their reproductive efficiency: A review.

The impact of horse-grazing on natural tree regeneration on abandoned arable fields was studied in ‘Baronie Cranendonck’, a 98 ha nature reserve near the Dutch-Belgian border. The study area comprised a vegetation mosaic of Corynephorus grasslan

Early experience affects developmental behaviour and timing of harem formation in Misaki horses

Herbivorous mammals affect the development of scrub to a varying extent; their influence depends on animal species and density. In the previous centuries, the area covered by scrub was limited due to agricultural use of the dunes and the artific

Genetic blood markers in Arabian, Barb and Arab-Barb horses in Morocco

This report is the first attempt to evaluate the magnitude of car accidents involving terrestrial mammals in Israel. With the cooperation of the Israeli insurance companies, we identified 351 accidents that involved mammals from 1995 through 199

Reproductive behavior of stallions and mares: comparison of free-running and domestic in-hand breeding

The effects of interactions between the density of ungulates and forest fires on forest dynamics were studied on an area of 1188 ha called Planken Wambuis. The vegetation consists mainly of heathland and Scots pine forest but also includes oak,

Maternal investment into sons and daughters in horses.

Although management and conservation strategies continue to move toward broader spatial scales and consideration of many taxonomic groups simultaneously, researchers have struggled to characterize responses to disturbance at these scales. Most s

Consequences of natal dispersal in female horses.

Livestock have grazed on salt marshes for centuries and have dramatic effects on marsh vegetation. Most studies examining the effects of livestock on salt marshes have focused on the effects on plants rather than on salt marsh fauna or ecologica