Demography of foxes in central-western New South Wales, Australia

Saunders, Glen; McIlroy, John; Kay, Barry J.; Gifford, E. J.; Berghout, Mani; Ven, Remy van de

doi:10.1515/mamm.2002.66.2.247

Cited by 19 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…The high natural mortalities in 2003 and 2004 can be interpreted simply as a result of the population in those years including more cubs with higher mortality in addition to the effects of mange. The mortality rate of cubs is generally higher than that of adults (Harris and Smith , Saunders et al , Gosselink et al ). However, the high natural morality in 2005, which was a major cause of the large population decline, occurred together with a low birth rate (Fig.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In years with high birth rates, more cubs are recruited into the population. The mortality rate of cubs is generally higher than that of adults (Harris and Smith , Saunders et al , Gosselink et al ). Therefore, higher natural mortality in years with higher birth rates can simply be interpreted as a result of the population in those years including more cubs with higher mortality.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Demographic analyses of a fox population suffering from sarcoptic mange

et al. 2014

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We reconstructed a red fox population through a cohort analysis based on age-specific numbers of culled individuals between 1987 and 2008, a timeframe that covers the pre-mange and mange periods, and analyzed the impact of sarcoptic mange on the fox population in Nemuro, Japan. In the process of the reconstruction, we estimated annual mortality (caused by natural factors and culling) and birth rates by referring to the annual change in an index of population abundance and the recovery of tagged individuals. The estimated total population size decreased greatly from 303.2 to 70.8 between 1996 and 2000 in the study area (136.5 km 2 ); the first mange-infected individual was found in 1997. The natural mortality estimate (0.613) in 1998 was high, and it was also high in 1997 and 1999 (0.504 and 0.507, respectively), whereas mortality caused by culling did not show any particular change in these years. The birth rate (number of cubs per adult) was high in 1998 and 1999 despite the mange prevalence. Although the infection rate (number of infected individuals per inspected fox) decreased after the peak in 1999, foxes were found infected with mange in every study year between 1997 and 2013, except for 2002. Natural mortality was higher during the mange period (1997)(1998)(1999)(2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008) than during the pre-mange period (1987)(1988)(1989)(1990)(1991)(1992)(1993)(1994)(1995)(1996), whereas we did not detect a significant difference in birth rates between the periods. A generalized linear model analysis showed significant effects of adult density and birth rate on natural mortality together with the effects of mange. We interpreted higher natural mortality in years with higher birth rates as simply a result of the population in those years including more cubs with higher mortality. The positive effect of adult density during the pre-mange period on natural mortality can be explained by competition for territory, whereas high adult density may also have contributed to the spread of mange for the mange period, causing higher mortality. This study shows that the use of cohort analysis can be extended to estimating demographic parameters by referring to external data. Ó 2014 The Wildlife Society.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Demographic analyses of a fox population suffering from sarcoptic mange

et al. 2014

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“…It was fortunate in this study that environmental conditions at the two treatment sites (Burrendong 1 and Larras Lee) were similar so that differences in survivorship between intact and sterile females, for the duration of our study, could be more easily interpreted. What happens towards the end of the expected life span of foxes would require a longer study, although in a parallel demographic study of foxes only 20% of females live past the age of one (Saunders et al. , in press).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effects of induced sterility on the territorial behaviour and survival of foxes

Saunders¹,

McIlroy

Berghout

et al. 2002

Journal of Applied Ecology

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Summary1. This paper reports on the behavioural effects of surgical sterilization when used to simulate immunocontraception in free-ranging female foxes Vulpes vulpes . 2. During 3 years of trapping, 348 male and female foxes were fitted with transmitters in two treatment (females sterilized) and two untreated areas. 3. Radio-tracking indicated that sterile and fertile vixens maintained similar-sized territories during the breeding season, but that sterile females were possibly more likely to share their territories with each other. 4. There were no consistent differences in survival or dispersal between sterile and fertile females. 5. Outcomes from the study suggest that immunocontraception in free-living foxes is feasible.

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“…Based on the 95% Minimum Convex Polygon home range estimates of male (3.09 km 2 ) and female (5.23 km 2 ) foxes, recovery distances were calculated as 11.14 km and 8.18 km and dispersal distances as 15.26 km and 17.76 km, respectively. Assuming a 1:1 sex ratio (Saunders et al ., 2002b), we then used the means of male and female recovery (9.66 km) and dispersal distances (16.51 km) to create recovery and dispersal buffers within the perimeter of each baited area. Each buffer represents the estimated distance from the baited area boundary that foxes would recolonize during the dispersal period (December–March) within 1 year; the area remaining is the core area protected from annual immigration.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Poisoning for production: how effective is fox baiting in south‐eastern Australia?

Gentle¹,

Saunders

Dickman

2007

Mammal Review

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1. The European red fox Vulpes vulpes represents a continuing threat to both livestock and native vertebrates in Australia, and is commonly managed by setting ground-level baits impregnated with 1080 (sodium fluoroacetate) poison. However, the long-term effectiveness of such control campaigns is likely to be limited due to the ability of foxes to disperse over considerable distances and to swiftly recolonize areas from where they had been removed. 2.To investigate the effectiveness of fox baiting in a production landscape, we assessed the potential for foxes to reinvade baited farm property areas within the jurisdiction of the Molong Rural Lands Protection Board (RLPB), an area of 815 000 ha on the central tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. The spatial distribution and timing of fox baiting campaigns between 1998 and 2002 was estimated from RLPB records and mapped using Geographical Information System software. The effectiveness of the control campaign was assessed on the basis of the likely immigration of foxes from non-baited farms using immigration distances calculated from published relationships between dispersal distance and home range size. 3. Few landholders undertook baiting campaigns in any given year, and the area baited was always so small that no baited property would have been sufficiently far from an unbaited property to have been immune from immigrating individuals. It is likely, therefore, that immigration onto farms negated any long-term effects of baiting operations. This study highlights some of the key deficiencies in current baiting practices in south-eastern Australia and suggests that pest management programmes should be monitored using such methods to ensure they achieve their goals.

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Demography of foxes in central-western New South Wales, Australia

Cited by 19 publications

References 23 publications

Demographic analyses of a fox population suffering from sarcoptic mange

Demographic analyses of a fox population suffering from sarcoptic mange

The effects of induced sterility on the territorial behaviour and survival of foxes

Poisoning for production: how effective is fox baiting in south‐eastern Australia?

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