Analysis of Scats of Dogs Canis-Familiaris and Foxes Vulpes-Vulpes (Canidae, Carnivora) in Coastal Forests Near Bega, New-South-Wales

1990 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 61 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Lunney ◽  
B Triggs ◽  
P Eby ◽  
E Ashby
1991 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 315 ◽  
Author(s):  
JC Mcilroy ◽  
EJ Gifford

Populations of non-target birds and mammals on a semi-cleared grazing property near Braidwood, New South Wales, did not appear to be affected by a trail-baiting campaign against rabbits, Oryctolagus cuniculus, using pellet bait and 1080 poison. Rabbit numbers were reduced by about 90% and those of the fox, Vulpes vulpes, another exotic pest, by about 75%. Populations of both pest species began recovering soon after the campaign, indicating the need for continued control measures.


1997 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. C. Catling ◽  
R. J. Burt

The distribution and abundance of ground-dwelling mammals in the major vegetation alliances in the eucalypt forests within an area of c. 24000 km2 in north-eastern New South Wales were examined. Data for 33 species of mammal from 21 areas containing 30 vegetation alliances were collected. Four notable aspects of the data were the absence or low abundance of the introduced fox (Vulpes vulpes), the widespread distribution and abundance of the cat (Felis catus), the diversity and abundance of medium-sized native mammals and the diversity of small mammals. Although differences occurred between areas and alliances, there was no significant difference in the number of native and introduced species. The ground-dwelling mammals present in the eucalypt forests of north-eastern New South Wales were more diverse and in greater abundance than those found in forests of south-eastern New South Wales. However, some species, such as the spotted-tailed quoll (Dasyurus maculatus), appear to be in urgent need of protection and management if they are to persist.


1993 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 39 ◽  
Author(s):  
IW Lugton

The diets of 212 foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in the far south-west of New South Wales were determined between 1985 and 1989 and compared with other Australian studies. Mammalian remains, at an overall occurrence of 99.1%, formed the basis of the diet during the autumn and winter months. The most frequently occurring mammals were rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) (34.9%), sheep (Ovis aries) (30.7%) and macropods (Macropus spp.) (20.3%). Insects occurred in 31.1% of stomachs and formed a substantial proportion of the diet. Fresh newborn lamb was identified in only 3.8% of all stomachs, but evidence of lamb consumption was 10 times greater (35.2%) from foxes collected near lambing flocks. Other studies around lambing flocks have also shown a high occurrence of fresh lamb in fox stomachs and there is circumstantial evidence that predation of lambs by foxes can be common. It was concluded that lamb predation is likely to be severe where the fox population density is high, where older foxes predominate, and where alternative preferred foods are scarce. More research is required to confirm these observations.


1987 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 263 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Lunney

Seven species of possums and gliders were found during a survey in logged coastal forests near Bega, New South Wales. A study of the preferences for the various tree species showed that both commercial and non-commercial species must be retained to support the full range of possum and glider species. Spotlight searches were carried out in 6 adjacent felling areas each autumn from 1981 to 1983. Four species (Petaurus breviceps, P. australis, Petauroides volans and Pseudocheirus peregrinus) were seen frequently enough to determine their habitat preferences. There were significantly fewer possums and gliders in logged areas, with a greater effect on some species, e.g. P. volans, than others, e.g. P. breviceps. Fire rendered the logged areas even less habitable, and drought compounded the effects of logging and fire by further reducing numbers. Deep unlogged gullies were found to be crucial refuges from logging, fire and drought. The primary conclusions are that the current logging operation is causing a significant reduction in numbers, and that gullies need to be redefined to include all drainage lines and to remain unlogged.


2000 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 593 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. L. Molsher ◽  
E. J. Gifford ◽  
J. C. McIlroy

This study describes temporal, spatial and individual variation in the diet of 255 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) collected from agricultural land in central New South Wales from July 1994 to November 1996. Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), sheep (Ovis aries), eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) and invertebrates were the most important food items overall. Significant seasonal variations, and sex and age differences between foxes occurred in the consumption of some food types. Some temporal synchrony was also evident, with different individuals often eating similar foods on the same night. This may have been related to moonlight. On full moon nights, foxes ate rabbits and small mammals significantly less often than during other moon phases. The management implications of variation in diet are discussed.


1989 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 307 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Lunney ◽  
E Ashby ◽  
J Grigg ◽  
M Oconnell

The diets of the two small scincid lizards Lampropholis guichenoti and L. delicata were examined by analysis of gut contents. The study was conducted in Mumbulla State Forest on the south coast of New South Wales. Gut samples were collected before an intense fire in November 1980, then again in December of 1980, 1981, 1983 and 1984. The study included a period of intense drought from 1980 to 1983. Both species were found to be generalist feeders taking a wide range of invertebrate taxa, mostly insects and spiders. The range of taxa taken as prey indicated that both species foraged over a variety of substrates and were flexible in their foraging behaviour. Both species had a similar diet, except during the drought years when there were significant differences in the proportions of some taxa eaten. That both species are common in the coastal forests near Bega and survived the combined impact of fire and drought can be attributed, at least in part, to the flexibility of their foraging ecology.


1996 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 665 ◽  
Author(s):  
PJS Fleming ◽  
JA Thompson ◽  
HI Nicol

The efficacy of aerial baiting with 1080 poison (sodium fluoroacetate) for the control of wild dogs (Canis familiaris familiaris and C. familiaris dingo) in the temperate rangelands of north-eastern New South Wales was studied. In each year from 1991 to 1993, 2 indices of the abundance of dogs, one a raw count of sets of footprints per km of transect (SF) and the other an ln-transformed frequency corrected for sightability of signs (CI), were used to quantify the changes in abundance caused by aerial baiting. Abundance of dogs at a nil-treatment site was estimated concurrently. The SF index found the 1991 baiting to be efficacious. Both measures of abundance showed baiting to be efficacious in 1992 and 1993. Reductions of 66.3-84.5% in the abundance of dogs at the treatment site were found for the CI measure. The SF measure displayed abundance changes of 76.1-91.1%. The indices of abundance measured prior to the annual baiting in 1992 and 1993 were similar, indicating that populations returned to their initial abundance within 1 year.


2000 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 547 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barry Kay ◽  
Edward Gifford ◽  
Rob Perry ◽  
Remy van de Ven

A total of 276 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) was captured over 40 597 trap-nights during 1994–96 at three separate sites in central New South Wales, resulting in an overall trapping efficiency of one fox per 147 trap-nights. Trapping using multiple trap sets placed at carcases was 3.2 times more efficient than trapping using single trap sets. During 1994–95, when two of the sites suffered a severe drought, fox abundance declined to less than 0.2 foxes km–1 of spotlight transect; trapping efficiency at those sites also declined, to an average of one fox per 315 trap-nights. Mean trapping efficiency for non-drought periods was one fox per 135 trap-nights, 2.3 times more efficient than during the drought period. In 1995 and 1996, 353 foxes were shot in areas adjacent to each site. This gave the opportunity to compare sex and age biases between the trapped and shot samples: the ratio of males to females was significantly higher in the trapped sample than in the shot sample, and there was also a significantly higher ratio of adults to juveniles in the trapped sample than in the shot sample.


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