Distribution, abundance and demography of green pythons (Morelia viridis) in Cape York Peninsula, Australia

2011 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel James Deans Natusch ◽  
David Francis Stewart Natusch
Keyword(s):  
Conservation Management ◽  
Potential Range ◽  
Pet Trade ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Population Demographics ◽  
River Catchment ◽  
Iron Range ◽  
Ecological Attributes ◽  
Cape York ◽  
Effective Conservation

The green python (Morelia viridis) is an iconic snake species highly sought after in the pet trade and is the target of illegal collection. Despite their popularity, some important ecological attributes of green pythons remain unknown, making their effective conservation management difficult. Detection-only surveys were conducted throughout the potential range of the green python in Australia, and intensive mark–recapture surveys were conducted in the areas where there have been previous records. In total, 298 green pythons were located in the Iron, McIlwraith and Kawadji–Ngaachi ranges of Cape York, distributed over an estimated area of 2289 km2, where they frequented rainforest habitats and adjacent vine thickets. They were not found in the Lockerbie Scrub or Jardine River Catchment, despite anecdotal records. Green python density was estimated to be 540 km–2 in the Iron Range and 200 km–2 in the McIlwraith Range, where the percentages of adults captured were 56% and 83%, respectively. The differences between abundance and population demographics in the Iron and McIlwraith ranges may be due to differences in prey abundance and the impacts of collection. The results of this study provide baseline data to conservation managers and policy makers for the future conservation management of this species in Australia.

Advances in Reintroduction Biology of Australian and New Zealand Fauna

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Management Strategy ◽  
Conservation Management ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
New Science ◽  
Regulatory Frameworks ◽  
Timely Review ◽  
Emerging Themes ◽  
Effective Conservation

The publication of Reintroduction Biology of Australian and New Zealand Fauna nearly 20 years ago introduced the new science of ‘reintroduction biology’. Since then, there have been vast changes in our understanding of the process of reintroductions and other conservation-driven translocations, and corresponding changes in regulatory frameworks governing translocations. Advances in Reintroduction Biology of Australian and New Zealand Fauna is a timely review of our understanding of translocation from an Australasian perspective, ensuring translocation becomes an increasingly effective conservation management strategy in the future. Written by experts, including reintroduction practitioners, researchers and policy makers, the book includes extensive practical advice and example case studies, identifies emerging themes and suggests future directions. Conservation practitioners and researchers, as well as conservation management agencies and NGOs will find the book a valuable resource. Although it is based on Australasian examples, it will be of interest globally due to synergies with reintroduction programs throughout the world. 2015 Whitley Awards Certificate of Commendation for Conservation Biology.

Distribution, ecological attributes and trade of the New Guinea carpet python (Morelia spilota) in Indonesia

2011 ◽  
Vol 59 (4) ◽  
pp. 236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel J. D. Natusch ◽  
Jessica A. Lyons
Keyword(s):  
Papua New Guinea ◽  
Small Area ◽  
Conservation Management ◽  
New Guinea ◽  
Pet Trade ◽  
Trade Data ◽  
Ecological Information ◽  
Ecological Attributes ◽  
West Papua ◽  
Harvest Quotas

Carpet pythons (Morelia spilota) are medium-sized non-venomous snakes inhabiting most of continental Australia and a small area of New Guinea. They have been relatively well studied in Australia, but little is known about the New Guinea population, even though it is harvested and exported from Indonesia for the international pet trade. In total, 281 locality records were compiled for two distinct populations south of latitude 7°S in Papua New Guinea and the Indonesian province of Papua. Traders in Papua collected 274 carpet pythons (most of which were recently hatched neonates) for the pet trade. Data from a sample of 174 individuals revealed little sexual dimorphism in any traits, although males appear to grow larger than females despite females maturing at greater lengths. Fecundity was high (average 17 eggs) and reproduction was highly seasonal, with hatching in December and January. Harvest quotas for the province of Papua were exceeded in all years between 2000 and 2009 due to 50% of the national quota being allocated to West Papua province where this species is yet to be recorded. The present study provides distribution, trade and ecological information to inform conservation management of this species in Indonesia.

Diet and breeding of the rufous spiny bandicoot Echymipera rufescens australis, Iron Range, Cape York Peninsula

2007 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 169 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.I. Shevill ◽  
C.N. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Season ◽  
Litter Size ◽  
Reproductive Rate ◽  
High Fecundity ◽  
Iron Range ◽  
Seed Disperser ◽  
Faecal Analysis ◽  
Live Trapping ◽  
Cape York ◽  
Trapping Grid

A population of the rufous spiny bandicoot Echymipera rufescens australis was studied for 14 months by live-trapping, and diets were determined by faecal analysis. The population had a high density (approximately 48 individuals on a trapping grid of 2.25 ha). A wide variety of foods were eaten, but fruits and seeds contributed the largest proportion of material to faeces, followed by invertebrates, fungi and dicot plants. Echymipera rufescens may potentially be a significant seed disperser for some plants, such as Pandanus zea. There was a short breeding season, with births occurring between December and March. Females produced one or two litters per year. Mean litter size was just under three, and litter size increased with the mother?s mass. Females produced a mean of 4.9 young per year. We conclude that although E. rufescens is a ?typical? bandicoot in that it is omnivorous and has high fecundity, it is more frugivorous and has a somewhat lower reproductive rate than other Australian bandicoots.

Post-larval stages of Ascoschoengastia (Laurentella) lorius (Gunther) (Acariformes: Trombiculidae) provide evidence for a nest-based life history

Zootaxa ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 2680 (1) ◽  
pp. 55
Author(s):  
MATTHEW SHAW
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Papua New Guinea ◽  
New Guinea ◽  
Supporting Evidence ◽  
Ecological Groups ◽  
Iron Range ◽  
Larval Stages ◽  
Australian Species ◽  
Cape York ◽  
Tree Hollow

While certain ecological groups of trombiculid mites are thought to be specialised for nest occupation, supporting evidence is rare. A putatively nest-specialised trombiculid is here described in detail. Larvae, a deutonymph and adults of the trombiculid genus Ascoschoengastia were collected from three tree hollow nests occupied by Eclectus parrots (Eclectus roratus) and Sulphur-crested Cockatoos (Cacatua galerita) at Iron Range, Cape York Peninsula. The larvae are A. (Laurentella) lorius (Gunther), a species originally described from an Eclectus parrot in Papua New Guinea. Deutonymph and adult Ascoschoengastia are also assigned to this species based on their co-occurrence with larvae in this specific and isolated microhabitat. A. (L.) lorius is inferred to have a nest-based life history. Active stases are described with attention to sensory setae. The previous synonomy of A. (L.) daria with A. (L.) lorius is rejected. A key to Australian species of Ascoschoengastia is presented.

Mapping ecological vulnerability to fire for effective conservation management of natural protected areas

2015 ◽  
Vol 295 ◽  
pp. 163-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberta Aretano ◽  
Teodoro Semeraro ◽  
Irene Petrosillo ◽  
Antonella De Marco ◽  
Maria Rita Pasimeni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Conservation Management ◽  
Natural Protected Areas ◽  
Ecological Vulnerability ◽  
Effective Conservation

Landscape ecology and conservation: moving from description to application

1994 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard J. Hobbs
Keyword(s):  
Landscape Ecology ◽  
Conservation Biology ◽  
Conservation Management ◽  
Patch Dynamics ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Landscape Scale ◽  
Metapopulation Dynamics ◽  
Quantitative Methodology ◽  
Effective Conservation ◽  
Conservation Of Biodiversity

The focus of conservation biology has been predominantly the study of single species, and conservation management and legislation has been directed mostly at the species level. Increasingly, however, there has been a recognition that ecosystems and landscapes need to be considered, since they form the physical and biotic context within which species exist. Increased emphasis on the landscape scale suggests that the emerging discipline of landscape ecology might have much to offer conservation biology. Landscape ecology is still a young science with no well-defined theoretical framework and little rigorous quantitative methodology. It aims to study patterns, processes and changes at the scale of hectares to square kilometers. Its focus on the pattern and dynamics of ecosystems or patches within a landscape offers much which is of relevance to conservation biology. Topics such as disturbance, patch dynamics, metapopulation dynamics, landscape flows, connectivity and fragmentation all have relevance to the conservation of biodiversity in natural, altered and rapidly changing systems. The papers in this issue provide a cross section of Australian research into landscape ecology which is of relevance to conservation biology. Methodological, theoretical and practical aspects are covered. I suggest that effective conservation of biodiversity will be achieved only if the landscape context is taken into account.

Studies in Australian Tettigoniidae: The Phyllophorinae (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae; Phyllophorinae)

Zootaxa ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 2075 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-68
Author(s):  
DCF RENTZ ◽  
YOU NING SU ◽  
NORIHIRO UESHIMA
Keyword(s):  
Papua New Guinea ◽  
New Guinea ◽  
Iron Range ◽  
Cape York

A survey of Australian Phyllophorinae is presented. The entire fauna is represented by two species in two genera. Siliquofera grandis Blanchard, a species widely distributed in Papua New Guinea, is recorded from Iron Range, Queensland. Phyllophorella queenslandica Rentz, Su, Ueshima sp. nov. is described from Kuranda, Queensland and recorded from several localities on the Cape York peninsula. The unusual habits of the subfamily are discussed and the equally unusual karyotype of Phyllophorella queenslandica Rentz, Su, Ueshima sp. nov. is presented.

Life in the Cape York Rainforest

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Heinsohn ◽  
Michael Cermak
Keyword(s):  
Short Distance ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
New Guinea ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Past ◽  
Cape York ◽  
Cross Dressing ◽  
Excellent Resource

The remote, beautiful and poorly known rainforests of Cape York Peninsula tell a special story about Australia’s historic and present-day connections to New Guinea. Life in the Cape York Rainforest highlights these connections by examining the fascinating biology of some of the most spectacular animals shared between the two regions. The author recounts his own ground-breaking research on ‘cross-dressing’ Eclectus parrots, musical palm cockatoos and multi-coloured pythons, together with the exotic lifestyles of other animals, while painting the bigger picture of the past when Australia and New Guinea were joined by extensive land bridges. Australia’s disconnection from New Guinea is probably only temporary, and even today many bird species continue to fly the short distance between the two landmasses. Whether just browsing the beautiful photos and informative captions, or reading it in its entirety, readers will gain a greater understanding of the unique attributes of our Cape York rainforests. The book provides an excellent resource for biologists and environmentalists with an interest in the Top End and New Guinea, tourists to Cape York, conservationists and policy makers, and amateur naturalists, especially ornithologists and herpetologists.

scholarly journals Environmental offsets, resilience and cost-effective conservation

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (7) ◽  
pp. 140521 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. R. Little ◽  
R. Q. Grafton
Keyword(s):  
Conservation Management ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Ecological Function ◽  
General Interest ◽  
Environmental Disturbances ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Spatially Distributed ◽  
Reef Fish Species ◽  
Effective Conservation

Conservation management agencies are faced with acute trade-offs when dealing with disturbance from human activities. We show how agencies can respond to permanent ecosystem disruption by managing for Pimm resilience within a conservation budget using a model calibrated to a metapopulation of a coral reef fish species at Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia. The application is of general interest because it provides a method to manage species susceptible to negative environmental disturbances by optimizing between the number and quality of migration connections in a spatially distributed metapopulation. Given ecological equivalency between the number and quality of migration connections in terms of time to recover from disturbance, our approach allows conservation managers to promote ecological function, under budgetary constraints, by offsetting permanent damage to one ecological function with investment in another.

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