The red fox in Australia—an exotic predator turned biocontrol agent

Kinnear, J.E.; Sumner, Neil R.; Onus, M. L.

doi:10.1016/s0006-3207(02)00116-7

Cited by 194 publications

(126 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…If this range did reflect the zone of elevated extinction vulnerability, we would expect the extinction size bias to be close to zero for islands with a mean faunal body mass within this range. Instead, these islands tend to have an extinction size bias that is highly positive (figure 1c), suggesting extinctions are more frequent for species above 5500 g. This pattern is actually more consistent with evidence for an upper prey size for foxes of around 10 kg [18]. Dingoes also take prey larger than 5500 g [19], but only three islands have dingoes as the sole large predator species, making it difficult to distinguish their role from that of foxes.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 52%

Predation selectively culls medium-sized species from island mammal faunas

Hanna

Cardillo

2014

Biol. Lett.

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Globally, elevated extinction risk in mammals is strongly associated with large body size. However, in regions where introduced predators exert strong topdown pressure on mammal populations, the selectivity of extinctions may be skewed towards species of intermediate body size, leading to a humpshaped relationship between size and extinction risk. The existence of this kind of extinction pattern, and its link to predation, has been contentious and difficult to demonstrate. Here, we test the hypothesis of a hump-shaped body size-extinction relationship, using a database of 927 island mammal populations. We show that the size-selectivity of extinctions on many islands has exceeded that expected under null models. On islands with introduced predators, extinctions are biased towards intermediate body sizes, but this bias does not occur on islands without predators. Hence, on islands with a large-bodied mammal fauna, predators are selectively culling species from the lower end of the size distribution, and on islands with a small-bodied fauna they are culling species from the upper end. These findings suggest that it will be difficult to use predictable generalizations about extinction patterns, such as a positive body size-extinction risk association, to anticipate future species declines and plan conservation strategies accordingly.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 52%

Predation selectively culls medium-sized species from island mammal faunas

Hanna

Cardillo

2014

Biol. Lett.

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“…The wallabies used in this experiment were wild caught and therefore there is no record of their previous experience with predators. However, it is likely that they had encountered some predation risk as both mammalian and avian predators are present at Tutanning Nature Reserve (Blumstein 2002; and indeed the presence of foxes is well documented (Kinnear et al 2002). Prior experience with predators may account for differences in response to predator odours between this study and that of Blumstein (2002), who found that predator-naive Tammar wallabies showed no behavioural response to predator odours.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 65%

Ventilatory frequency as a measure of the response of tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii) to the odour of potential predators

2010

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This study uses changes in ventilatory frequency to quantify the physiological response of an Australian terrestrial herbivore, the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii), to olfactory cues suggesting the presence of potential predators. Ventilatory frequency proved to be a quantifiable measure to assess the response of this macropod marsupial to olfactory cues.Ventilatory frequency increased from mean resting levels of 45 ± 5.1 breaths min -1 to 137 ± 11.2 breaths min -1 during the first minute of exposure to all odours. These physiological responses diminished over time, with ventilatory frequency in the first minute after introduction of the scents greater than that during the subsequent four, suggesting that the

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“…3a). This is another example of where fox control, when limited to a defined area, can provide some protection outside of the targeted area (see also Kinnear et al 2002;e.g. 'Friend's baited area', Dryandra site).…”

Section: Mount Carolinementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Banks et al 1998;Kinnear et al 1988bKinnear et al , 2002Thomson and Algar 2000;Start and Mawson 2004). We infer that this reduction in fox numbers is the cause of significant population increases that have occurred in 11 marsupial species, often from extremely low population levels that were barely detectable .…”

Section: Predator-baiting Studies: What Has Been Learned?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Predator-baiting experiments for the conservation of rock-wallabies in Western Australia: a 25-year review with recent advances

Kinnear¹,

Krebs

Pentland

et al. 2010

Wildl. Res.

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Abstract. Predation is widely believed to be the main threatening process for many native vertebrates in Australia. For 25 years, predator-baiting experiments have been used in the Western Australian Central Wheatbelt to control red fox predation on rock-wallabies and other endangered marsupial prey elsewhere. We review here the history of a series of baiting experiments designed to protect rock-wallaby colonies by controlling red foxes with 1080 poison baits. We continue to support the conclusion that red foxes can reduce or exterminate rock-wallaby populations in Western Australia. Research trials from 1990 to 2008 have uniformly shown a dramatic recovery of rock-wallaby populations once red foxes are baited. Baiting experiments are often black boxes and their success should not blind us to their weaknesses. Ideally, what we would like to measure are the functional responses of predators to prey abundance directly. As a contribution towards this goal, we describe new technology that enables one to determine which predator killed which prey, at exactly what time, with improved research and management outcomes.

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The red fox in Australia—an exotic predator turned biocontrol agent

Cited by 194 publications

References 43 publications

Predation selectively culls medium-sized species from island mammal faunas

Predation selectively culls medium-sized species from island mammal faunas

Ventilatory frequency as a measure of the response of tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii) to the odour of potential predators

Predator-baiting experiments for the conservation of rock-wallabies in Western Australia: a 25-year review with recent advances

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