Ecology of Melomys burtoni, the Grasslnad Melomys (Rodentia : Muridae) at Cobourg Peninsula, N.T

Begg, RJ; Walsh, Brenda; Woerle, F; King, Sarah R. B.

doi:10.1071/wr9830259

Cited by 16 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…There is some evidence that Melomys burtoni in the Northern Territory may use rainforest as refugia in the dry season and disperse more widely after rain (Kerle & Burgman, 1984), although not all populations show such movement (Begg et al, 1983). We have no evidence that Melomys sp.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 66%

The demography and physiology of Melomys sp. (Rodentia: Muridae) in the Mitchell Plateau area, Kimberley, Western Australia

et al. 1987

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Populations of a mosaic‐tailed rat (Melomys sp.) were studied for one year in vine‐thicket and mangrove habitats in the Mitchell Plateau area of the tropical Kimberley district of Western Australia. Demographic and physiological (haematological values, androgens, corticosteroids and their binding proteins) parameters were measured together with parasite prevalence and electrophoretic protein variation. Seasonal variation occurred in most parameters measured. Higher values were found in the vine‐thicket for number of sympatric mammal species, growth rate of immatures and androgens. Higher values were found in the mangroves for population density, survival, size at sexual maturity, body weight, home range overlap, albumins, total and free‐corticosteroids and parasite prevalence. The phenotypic frequencies of two protein polymorphisms (albumin and 6–phosphogluconate dehydrogenase) differed between sites, while a third (adenosine deaminase) showed no between‐site differences; these suggest differential selection between the adjacent habitats which are separated by 10 km. The overall physiological response of Melomys was more entrained to seasonal variation in the vine‐thicket than in the mangroves, which is in accord with the relative variation in the vegetation and temperature in the two areas. It is hypothesized that the greater population density in the mangroves results in behavioural feedback through the hypothalamo‐pituitary‐adrenal axis. This results in increased stress (higher free‐corticosteroid levels) which slows the growth rate and the onset of sexual maturity. The study is the first to indicate that such a mechanism, commonly proposed for temperate small mammals, may operate in tropical areas.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 66%

The demography and physiology of Melomys sp. (Rodentia: Muridae) in the Mitchell Plateau area, Kimberley, Western Australia

et al. 1987

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“…Melomys were monitored at seven independent 1‐ha (100 × 100 m) plots (sites 1–7) spread out across Indian Island using a standard mark–recapture trapping regime designed for a monitoring project (Begg et al 1983, Kemper et al 1987). Sites in the north (quoll‐invaded) and south (quoll‐free) of the island were between 8.7 and 9.8 km apart (Fig.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trophic cascade driven by behavioral fine‐tuning as naïve prey rapidly adjust to a novel predator

Jolly

Smart

Moreen³

et al. 2021

Ecology

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The arrival of novel predators can trigger trophic cascades driven by shifts in prey numbers. Predators also elicit behavioral change in prey populations, via phenotypic plasticity and/or rapid evolution, and such changes may also contribute to trophic cascades. Here, we document rapid demographic and behavioral changes in populations of a prey species (grassland melomys Melomys burtoni, a granivorous rodent) following the introduction of a novel marsupial predator (northern quoll Dasyurus hallucatus). Within months of quolls appearing, populations of melomys exhibited reduced survival and population declines relative to control populations. Quoll‐invaded populations were also significantly shyer than nearby, quoll‐free populations of conspecifics. This rapid but generalized response to a novel threat was replaced over the following 2 yr with more threat‐specific antipredator behaviors (i.e., predator‐scent aversion). Predator‐exposed populations, however, remained more neophobic than predator‐free populations throughout the study. These behavioral responses manifested rapidly in changed rates of seed predation by melomys across treatments. Quoll‐invaded melomys populations exhibited lower per‐capita seed take rates, and rapidly developed an avoidance of seeds associated with quoll scent, with discrimination playing out over a spatial scale of tens of meters. Presumably the significant and novel predation pressure induced by quolls drove melomys populations to fine‐tune behavioral responses to be more predator specific through time. These behavioral shifts could reflect individual plasticity (phenotypic flexibility) in behavior or may be adaptive shifts from natural selection imposed by quoll predation. Our study provides a rare insight into the rapid ecological and behavioral shifts enacted by prey to mitigate the impacts of a novel predator and shows that trophic cascades can be strongly influenced by behavioral as well as numerical responses.

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“…Previous studies of this species on the north Australian mainland have demonstrated a similar strong predilection for these habitats (Begg et al, 1983;Kerle & Burgman, 1984).…”

Section: (3)mentioning

confidence: 97%

Environmental relationships of the brush‐tailed rabbit‐rat, Conilurus penicillatus, and other small mammals on the Tiwi Islands, northern Australia

Firth

Woinarski²,

Brennan³

et al. 2006

Journal of Biogeography

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Aim To describe the habitat characteristics and status of the brush-tailed rabbitrat, Conilurus penicillatus Gould, 1842, on the Tiwi Islands, northern Australia, as part of a broader programme aimed at the conservation management of this species. In addition, comparable environmental modelling is undertaken for other co-occurring small native mammals, including the black-footed tree-rat, Mesembriomys gouldii Gray, 1843, a taxonomically and ecologically related species. These objectives relate to the significance for mammal conservation of islands generally in Australia, and the recent intensification of plantation forestry on these previously little-disturbed islands.Location Melville and Bathurst islands (Tiwi Islands), respectively, Australia's second and fifth largest islands.Methods A systematic survey was conducted for mammals across Bathurst (115 sampled quadrats) and Melville Island (236 quadrats). A broad range of environmental variables was recorded for every quadrat. All quadrats were classified by their woody plant species composition. The relative occurrence of individual mammal species across the resulting vegetation groups was examined using Kruskal-Wallis anova. The habitat relationships of C. penicillatus and the most commonly recorded mammal species were described by generalized linear modelling, with separate models for each island, for both islands combined, for all habitats and for only those sites dominated by eucalypts.Results Twelve small mammal species (excluding bats, macropods and feral animals) were recorded in this study. The most notable feature of this survey was the lack of records of M. gouldii from Bathurst Island. In contrast, the proportion of quadrats with C. penicillatus was not significantly different between the two islands. There was no significant tendency for these two species to co-occur in quadrats on Melville Island more or less commonly than by chance. Conilurus penicillatus was most abundant in eucalypt forest while M. gouldii showed a weak association with eucalypt forests and woodlands and shrub land. The five most commonly recorded species showed highly idiosyncratic relationships with environmental variables, with this relationship showing some variation between the two islands. None showed any significant association with floristic variation within the extensive eucalypt forests, but most showed significant associations with tree height, basal area (especially of large trees), landscape position (distance to watercourse) and fire history.Main conclusions Conilurus penicillatus was most likely to occur in tall eucalypt forest away from watercourses. This habitat is now being targeted for clearance for the development of plantations of the exotic Acacia mangium. Seven of the 12 mammal species examined in this study (C. penicillatus, M. gouldii, Rattus tunneyi

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Ecology of Melomys burtoni, the Grasslnad Melomys (Rodentia : Muridae) at Cobourg Peninsula, N.T

Cited by 16 publications

References 0 publications

The demography and physiology of Melomys sp. (Rodentia: Muridae) in the Mitchell Plateau area, Kimberley, Western Australia

The demography and physiology of Melomys sp. (Rodentia: Muridae) in the Mitchell Plateau area, Kimberley, Western Australia

Trophic cascade driven by behavioral fine‐tuning as naïve prey rapidly adjust to a novel predator

Environmental relationships of the brush‐tailed rabbit‐rat, Conilurus penicillatus, and other small mammals on the Tiwi Islands, northern Australia

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