The performance of wild-canid traps in Australia: efficiency, selectivity and trap-related injuries

1998 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter J. S. Fleming ◽  
Lee R. Allen ◽  
Mani J. Berghout ◽  
Paul D. Meek ◽  
Peter M. Pavlov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Red Foxes ◽  
Feral Cats ◽  
Wild Canids ◽  
Wild Canid ◽  
Continued Use ◽  
Wild Dogs

Wild dogs and European red foxes are considered pest animals in Australia. Restraining devices to capture these wild canids are sometimes required by wildlife managers. However, the use of traps is controversial. This paper discusses the efficiency, selectivity and injuries inflicted by some leg-hold traps that are available in Australia for capturing wild canids. The trapping of feral cats with wild-canid traps is also briefly discussed. The most commonly used leg-hold trap in Australia is the toothed, steel-jawed, leg-hold trap. Alternative traps, including offset- and padded-jawed traps (similar to the Victor Soft Catch®), and steel-jawed traps that have been modified to incorporate padding and off-setting of jaws, were shown to be preferable. The alternative traps were as efficient and selective as toothed, steel-jawed traps, but were less injurious. The Treadle snare, although more likely to miss target animals, was also shown to be less injurious than unmodified, steel-jawed leg-hold traps. It is difficult to justify the continued use of unmodified, steel-jawed leg-hold traps for the capture of wild canids in Australia.

A strategic approach to mitigating the impacts of wild canids: proposed activities of the Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre

2006 ◽  
Vol 46 (7) ◽  
pp. 753 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. J. S. Fleming ◽  
L. R. Allen ◽  
S. J. Lapidge ◽  
A. Robley ◽  
G. R. Saunders ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Commodity Prices ◽  
Environmental Values ◽  
Research Centre ◽  
Domestic Sheep ◽  
Cooperative Research ◽  
Red Foxes ◽  
Wild Canids ◽  
Strategic Approach ◽  
Wild Dog ◽  
Wild Dogs

Wild canids (wild dogs and European red foxes) cause substantial losses to Australian livestock industries and environmental values. Both species are actively managed as pests to livestock production. Contemporaneously, the dingo proportion of the wild dog population, being considered native, is protected in areas designated for wildlife conservation. Wild dogs particularly affect sheep and goat production because of the behavioural responses of domestic sheep and goats to attack, and the flexible hunting tactics of wild dogs. Predation of calves, although less common, is now more economically important because of recent changes in commodity prices. Although sometimes affecting lambing and kidding rates, foxes cause fewer problems to livestock producers but have substantial impacts on environmental values, affecting the survival of small to medium-sized native fauna and affecting plant biodiversity by spreading weeds. Canid management in Australia relies heavily on the use of compound 1080-poisoned baits that can be applied aerially or by ground. Exclusion fencing, trapping, shooting, livestock-guarding animals and predator calling with shooting are also used. The new Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre has 40 partners representing private and public land managers, universities, and training, research and development organisations. One of the major objectives of the new IACRC is to apply a strategic approach in order to reduce the impacts of wild canids on agricultural and environmental values in Australia by 10%. In this paper, the impacts, ecology and management of wild canids in Australia are briefly reviewed and the first cooperative projects that will address IACRC objectives for improving wild dog management are outlined.

scholarly journals Population Structure of Harvested Red Foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and Coyotes (Canis latrans) on Prince Edward Island, Canada

2013 ◽  
Vol 126 (4) ◽  
pp. 288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendela Wapenaar ◽  
Fiep De Bie ◽  
David Johnston ◽  
Ryan M. O'Handley ◽  
Herman W. Barkema
Keyword(s):  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Wildlife Management ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Vulpes Vulpes ◽  
Prince Edward Island ◽  
Canis Latrans ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Red Foxes ◽  
Wild Canids ◽  
Agricultural Areas

An understanding of the population dynamics and habitat of wild Red Foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and Coyotes (Canis latrans) is a prerequisite to wildlife management. This information is also important in assessing the risk these wild canids pose to the public and domestic animals. On Prince Edward Island, information on age, sex, reproductive activity, and habitat use of 271 Red Foxes and 201 Coyotes was collected in the hunting and trapping season of 2004–2005. The estimated age of Red Foxes and Coyotes ranged from 0.5 to 13.5 years. A large proportion of harvested Red Foxes and Coyotes (58% and 48%, respectively) consisted of juveniles. The sex ratio was not significantly different from 1:1 for either species. Average litter size was 5.0 and 5.2 for Red Foxes and Coyotes, respectively. Number of placental scars ranged from 0 to 7 in Red Foxes and from 0 to 11 in Coyotes. Agricultural areas were the main habitat type (52%) of harvested Red Foxes. For harvested Coyotes, forest was the main habitat (44%), followed closely by agricultural areas (43%). Urban areas were a significant part (13%) of the habitat of Red Foxes. These data can be used to monitor population dynamics over time, provide information for wildlife management, and provide information on potential risk areas for disease transmission by wild canids.

scholarly journals Interspecific and Geographic Variation in the Diets of Sympatric Carnivores: Dingoes/Wild Dogs and Red Foxes in South-Eastern Australia

PLoS ONE ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. e0120975 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naomi E. Davis ◽  
David M. Forsyth ◽  
Barbara Triggs ◽  
Charlie Pascoe ◽  
Joe Benshemesh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Geographic Variation ◽  
Red Foxes ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Sympatric Carnivores ◽  
Wild Dogs ◽  
South Eastern Australia

The use of poison baits to control feral cats and red foxes in arid South Australia I. Aerial baiting trials

2011 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 338 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. E. Moseby ◽  
B. M. Hill
Keyword(s):  
Arid Zone ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Red Foxes ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Feral Cats ◽  
Wildlife Species ◽  
Delivery Times ◽  
Poison Baiting ◽  
Dry Conditions

Context Feral cats and foxes pose a significant threat to native wildlife in the Australian arid zone and their broadscale control is required for the protection of threatened species. Aims The aim of this research was to trial aerial poison baiting as a means of controlling feral cats and foxes in northern South Australia. Methods Eradicat baits or dried meat baits containing 1080 poison were distributed by air over areas of 650 to 1800 km2 in trials from 2002 to 2006. Different baiting density, frequency, bait type and area were trialled to determine the optimum baiting strategy. Baiting success was determined through mortality of radio-collared animals and differences in the track activity of cats and foxes in baited and unbaited areas. Key results Quarterly aerial baiting at a density of 10 baits per square km successfully controlled foxes over a 12-month period, while annual baiting led to reinvasion within four months. Despite the majority of radio-collared cats dying after baiting, a significant decline in cat activity was only recorded during one of the eight baiting events. This event coincided with extremely dry conditions and low rabbit abundance. Rabbit activity increased significantly in baited areas over the study period in comparison with control areas. Conclusions Despite trialling different baiting density, frequency and area over a five-year period, a successful long-term baiting strategy for feral cats could not be developed using Eradicat baits or dried meat baits. Implications Broadscale control of feral cats in the arid zone remains a significant challenge and may require a combination of control methods with flexible delivery times dependent on local conditions. However, it is doubtful that current methods, even used in combination, will enable cat numbers to be reduced to levels where successful reintroductions of many threatened wildlife species can occur.

Nutritional condition and survival of red foxes with sarcoptic mange

2002 ◽  
Vol 80 (1) ◽  
pp. 154-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tabetha J Newman ◽  
Philip J Baker ◽  
Stephen Harris
Keyword(s):  
Survival Time ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Class Ii ◽  
Sarcoptic Mange ◽  
Class I ◽  
Survival Times ◽  
Red Foxes ◽  
Fat Reserves ◽  
Wild Canids

We aimed to compare body condition, urine profiles, and survival times between red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) that were infected with sarcoptic mange and others that were uninfected. First we compared the relative body mass, chest girth, fat reserves, and urinary urea nitrogen:creatinine (UN:C) ratios of red foxes in three infection classes: uninfected, class I (no hyperkeratotic mange), and class II (hyperkeratotic mange present). Infected foxes had lower relative body mass and lower fat reserves than uninfected foxes. Both fat reserves and urinary UN:C data suggested that class II infection was more severe than class I infection. Urinary UN:C in class II foxes was significantly higher than in uninfected and class I foxes, indicating accelerated muscle catabolism in class II foxes. Elevated urinary UN:C has never been recorded in wild canids, indicating that these animals had been subjected to a period of prolonged starvation or chronic undernourishment. We also estimated the survival time of foxes once infected with mange from capture–mark–recapture data. Twenty-five foxes were caught at an early stage of infection and had a known date of death. Although some were treated once with ivermectin they did not recover, and their survival time was no longer than that of untreated infected foxes. Untreated infected adults survived for up to 271 days after capture, which is longer than previously suggested. Overall, the survival time of infected foxes was roughly one-fifth of that of uninfected foxes (matched by age and sex).

Molecular and serological investigation of infectious diseases in captive and free-range crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous – Linnaeus, 1776) from northeastern Brazil

2018 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 184-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonatas C. Almeida ◽  
Renata P.B. Melo ◽  
Pomy C.P. Kim ◽  
Neurisvan R. Guerra ◽  
Leucio C. Alves ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Jugular Vein ◽  
Neospora Caninum ◽  
Northeastern Brazil ◽  
Free Range ◽  
Wild Canids ◽  
Wild Canid ◽  
Cerdocyon Thous ◽  
Pcr Assays ◽  
Sera Samples

Abstract The aim of this study was to detect DNA and antibodies anti-Leishmania spp., Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii in captive and free-range crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous) from northeastern Brazil. Twenty-five crab-eating foxes from different states of northeastern Brazil were sampled by this study. Blood samples were collected by cephalic or jugular vein punctures. The whole blood was submitted to PCR, and the sera samples to the serological analysis as follows: MAT for T. gondii, NAT for N. caninum, and ELISA for L. chagasi. The frequence of antibodies anti-T. gondii was 50% and 29.41% for free-range and captive wild canids, respectively. The frequence of antibodies anti-N. caninum observed by this study was 62.50% and 23.52% for free-range and captive wild canids, respectively. The frequence of antibodies anti-L. chagasi was 4.0% for captive wild canids. Co-infections cases were identified as follows: one captive wild canid seropositive for T. gondii and L. chagasi and two free-range animals seropositive for T. gondii and N. caninum. All PCR assays performed were negative for the pathogens analyzed. This study describes the presence of antibodies anti-T. gondii, N. caninum e L. chagasi in wild canids from northeastern Brazil and highlights the necessity of further studies on infectious diseases in free-range and captive wild canids.

Detection ofLeishmania Infantumin red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Central Greece

Parasitology ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 142 (13) ◽  
pp. 1574-1578 ◽  
Author(s):  
STELIOS KARAYIANNIS ◽  
PANTELIS NTAIS ◽  
IPPOKRATIS MESSARITAKIS ◽  
NIKOLAOS TSIRIGOTAKIS ◽  
EMMANOUIL DOKIANAKIS ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Leishmania Infantum ◽  
Vulpes Vulpes ◽  
Antibody Test ◽  
First Record ◽  
Canine Leishmaniasis ◽  
Red Foxes ◽  
Blood Samples ◽  
Central Greece ◽  
Wild Canid ◽  
Phlebotomus Perfiliewi

SUMMARYThis is the first record ofLeishmaniadetection in foxes in Greece. Spleen, lymph nodes, bone marrow and blood samples were collected from 47 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) found dead or captured, narcotized and freed after bleeding, from November 2009 to 2011, in Fthiotida prefecture, central Greece. This is an endemic for canine leishmaniasis area with several human visceral leishmaniasis cases. The samples were tested forLeishmania infantumandLeishmania tropicaby molecular methods (polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism) and serology (indirect immunofluorescent antibody test; when blood samples were available).Leishmania infantumDNA was detected in 28 animals (59·5%). PCR positivity was related to animal age, sex, weight, characteristics of the area trapped, presence of leishmaniasis symptoms and presence of endo- and ecto-parasites. The results were related to dog seropositivity obtained earlier in the area. The findings support the hypothesis that this wild canid may serve as a reservoir forLeishmaniain areas where the sandfly vectors are found. In the prefectures of Larisa and Magnisia, adjacent to Fthiotida,Phlebotomus perfiliewi and Phlebotomus tobbi(known vectors ofL. infantum) have been reported.

scholarly journals A Tissue Digestion Protocol for Measuring Sarcoptes scabiei (Astigmata: Sarcoptidae) Density in Skin Biopsies

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah S Tiffin ◽  
Robert Cockerill ◽  
Justin D Brown ◽  
Erika T Machtinger
Keyword(s):  
Skin Disease ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Sarcoptes Scabiei ◽  
Sarcoptic Mange ◽  
Black Bears ◽  
Red Foxes ◽  
Wild Canids ◽  
American Black ◽  
American Black Bears ◽  
Tissue Digestion

Abstract Sarcoptic mange is a parasitic skin disease caused by the burrowing mite Sarcoptes scabiei that affects a diversity of mammals, including humans, worldwide. In North America, the most commonly affected wildlife includes wild canids, such as coyotes and red foxes, and more recently American black bears in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast United States. Currently, surveillance for sarcoptic mange in wildlife is syndromic, relying on detection of clinical signs and lesions, such as alopecia and crusting of skin. When possible, skin scrapes are used to identify the causative mite. While skin scrapes are a valuable diagnostic tool to identify mites, this approach has significant limitations when used for quantification of mite burden. To further investigate mite burden in cases of sarcoptic mange, 6-mm punch biopsies were collected from affected skin of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes Linnaeus [Carnivora: Canidae]), a species historically affected by sarcoptic mange, frequently with high mite burdens and severe skin disease, and validated on skin tissue from mange-affected American black bears (Ursus americanus Pallas [Carnivora: Ursidae]) and coyotes (Canis latrans Say [Carnivora: Canidae]). Biopsies were digested by incubating the tissue in potassium hydroxide (KOH) at 55°C. The greatest tissue clearance and lowest mite degradation resulted after 12 h of tissue digestion. The purpose of this manuscript is to describe a methodology for host tissue digestion and mite quantification in cases of sarcoptic mange. This method will provide a valuable surveillance and research tool to better understand sarcoptic mange in wild and domestic animals, with applications to a diversity of other ectoparasitic diseases.

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