Survival of Wild and Hand-reared Ringtail Possums (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) in Bushland near Sydney

Augee, M. L.; Smith, Barbara L.; Rose, Sarah A.

doi:10.1071/wr9960099

Cited by 51 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 6 publications

(9 reference statements)

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“…This explanation is also plausible here. However, the consistent inclusion of R. fuscipes and A. stuartii in the diet of the fox at all times of the year in the present study area (Augee et al 1996;Sutherland 1998) suggests that some selective advantage should nonetheless accrue to individuals that can discriminate and avoid cues to fox presence.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 61%

Population and behavioural responses of native prey to alien predation

et al. 2011

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The introduction of invasive alien predators often has catastrophic effects on populations of naïve native prey, but in situations where prey survive the initial impact a predator may act as a strong selective agent for prey that can discriminate and avoid it. Using two common species of Australian small mammals that have persisted in the presence of an alien predator, the European red fox Vulpes vulpes, for over a century, we hypothesised that populations of both would perform better where the activity of the predator was low than where it was high and that prey individuals would avoid signs of the predator's presence. We found no difference in prey abundance in sites with high and low fox activity, but survival of one species-the bush rat Rattus fuscipes-was almost twofold higher where fox activity was low. Juvenile, but not adult rats, avoided fox odour on traps, as did individuals of the second prey species, the brown antechinus, Antechinus stuartii. Both species also showed reduced activity at foraging trays bearing fox odour in giving-up density (GUD) experiments, although GUDs and avoidance of fox odour declined over time. Young rats avoided fox odour more strongly where fox activity was high than where it was low, but neither adult R. fuscipes nor A. stuartii responded differently to different levels of fox activity. Conservation managers often attempt to eliminate alien predators or to protect predator-naïve prey in protected reserves. Our results suggest that, if predator pressure can be reduced, otherwise susceptible prey may survive the initial impact of an alien predator, and experience selection to discriminate cues to its presence and avoid it over the longer term. Although predator reduction is often feasible, identifying the level of reduction that will conserve prey and allow selection for avoidance remains an important challenge.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 61%

Population and behavioural responses of native prey to alien predation

et al. 2011

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“…The finding that hand-reared animals do not survive well when returned to the wild is not new, nor restricted to flying-foxes. Augee et al (1996) reported poor survival of 'rehabilitated' ringtail possums; Mathews et al (2005) issued a general caution that captive animals are often unsuitable for re-establishing wild populations and Kelly et al (2008) found that hand-reared pipistrelle bats experienced poor survival post-release. The results from the present study suggest that the direct conservation benefit of hand-rearing flying-foxes is minimal, although it seems highly likely that there are significant indirect benefits through improving the generally poor public image of bats.…”

Section: Life Expectancy Of Hand-reared P Poliocephalusmentioning

confidence: 97%

Life Expectancy, Causes of Death and Movements of the Grey-Headed Flying-Fox (Pteropus poliocephalus) Inferred from Banding

Tidemann

Nelson

2011

Acta Chiropterologica

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“…Road-kill is a significant contributor to macropodid mortality, particularly so for wallaby species (Taylor and Goldingay, 2003;Ramp et al, 2006). From dietary studies it is know that at some locations, in particular in coastal New South Wales, swamp wallabies are the preferred wildlife dietary item of dingoes (Robertshaw and Harden, 1986), feral and domestic dogs (Lunney et al, 1990;Meek and Triggs, 1998), as well as a significant component of fox diets (Augee et al, 1996). The presence and predation of swamp wallabies by dogs and foxes has been confirmed at Muogamarra Nature Reserve through foot print surveys, collection of fecal pellets and photography (Ben-Ami, 2005).…”

Section: Study Site and Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Population viability assessment and sensitivity analysis as a management tool for the peri-urban environment

2006

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Anthropogenic disturbance occurring within urban ecosystems is often extreme and highly variable. A quantifiable measure of their effect on the persistence of urban wildlife populations would contribute to conservation efforts. This study suggests that population viability assessment, a commonly utilized modeling tool for creating management strategies for rare and threatened wildlife populations, is also appropriate in an urban context. It can be used to create proactive management strategies that quantify the impacts of anthropogenic disturbances and rank a range of management options within an active adaptive framework. To show this, population viability assessment and sensitivity analyses were run to forecast the population trends of a seemingly robust but isolated swamp wallaby (Wallabia bicolor) population living in peri-urban Sydney, Australia; a population exposed to anthropogenic disturbances from towns, hobby farms and roads. Modeling suggested this population was in a slow decline and that predictions were highly dependent upon stochastic events and the precision of reproduction rates. However, a number of management options are identified that will dramatically reduce the risk of total population decline, with complementary options utilized in tandem the most effective.

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Survival of Wild and Hand-reared Ringtail Possums (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) in Bushland near Sydney

Cited by 51 publications

References 6 publications

Population and behavioural responses of native prey to alien predation

Population and behavioural responses of native prey to alien predation

Life Expectancy, Causes of Death and Movements of the Grey-Headed Flying-Fox (Pteropus poliocephalus) Inferred from Banding

Population viability assessment and sensitivity analysis as a management tool for the peri-urban environment

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