Diet of the critically endangered woylie (Bettongia penicillata ogilbyi) in south-western Australia

2017 ◽  
Vol 65 (5) ◽  
pp. 302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerry L. Zosky ◽  
Adrian F. Wayne ◽  
Kate A. Bryant ◽  
Michael C. Calver ◽  
Fiona R. Scarff
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Fungal Spore ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Dietary Composition ◽  
Effective Population ◽  
Close Match ◽  
Faecal Pellets ◽  
Bettongia Penicillata ◽  
One Year ◽  
Free Ranging

To assist the management of the critically endangered woylie (Bettongia penicillata ogilbyi), a quantitative study of its diet was conducted across five of the larger subpopulations in south-western Australia. There was a close match between dietary composition established from foregut contents and faecal pellets. Woylies were predominantly mycophagous in all subpopulations, but consumed a broad diet including invertebrates, seeds and other plant material. Individuals in a high-density, fenced subpopulation ate significantly less fungi than free-ranging animals from lower-density subpopulations. Dietary composition did not vary significantly amongst subpopulations in the Upper Warren region, where a range of population densities was observed. Altogether, 79 fungal spore classes were identified, including at least 15 genera from 14 families. Sampling across one year showed that fungi made up a larger fraction of the diet in autumn or winter, and greater diversities of fungi were consumed at these times than at other times of year. This information is essential to provide valuable ecological context for effective population management of woylies, as well as identification and conservation of important habitats.

Diets and predictions of feeding rate of house mice and Lakeland Downs short-tailed mice inhabiting an arid-zone island in Western Australia

2002 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 249 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Moro ◽  
S. D. Bradshaw
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Feeding Rate ◽  
Arid Zone ◽  
Rodent Species ◽  
Dietary Sodium ◽  
Feeding Rates ◽  
Faecal Pellets ◽  
Dietary Requirements ◽  
Free Ranging

An analysis of the faecal pellets of two species of arid-zone mouse, the house mouse (Mus domesticus) and Lakeland Downs short-tailed mouse (Leggadina lakedownensis), inhabiting Thevenard Island in Western Australia was conducted to ascertain their dietary requirements, and to use this information to predict their feeding rates in the field. Both species consumed seed, monocotyledon and dicotyledon plant material and invertebrate material, although the relative frequency-of-occurrence of these items varied throughout the year. Invertebrate material formed the highest proportion of dietary intake for both rodent species at all times, suggesting that this dietary strategy is advantageous for rodent species that inhabit environments where plant seeding is seasonal and rainfall dependent. The dry-matter intake (DMI) of free-ranging M.�domesticus and L. lakedownensis was predicted and compared using information from two sources: their isotopic water fluxes and the water content of their diet, and their isotopic sodium fluxes and the sodium content of their diet with and without corrections for non-dietary (exogenous) sources of sodium. The DMI derived from the water turnover was high for both species, suggesting that the mice were drinking and that assumptions inherent in this calculation were violated. Feeding rates were also high if no correction was made for exogenous, non-dietary sodium. When corrections were made, however, M. domesticus was predicted to ingest 4.62 ± 0.20 g dry matter day–1 compared with 3.86 ± 0.23 g dry matter day–1 for L.�lakedownensis. When DMI was scaled on the basis of allometric predictions for desert eutherians, only estimates of DMI for M. domesticus fell outside the predicted 95% confidence intervals. The results presented suggest that M. domesticus were obtaining some sodium from sources additional to their diet. Taken together, this methodology provides a useful application for measuring the feeding rate of free-ranging species given known dietary requirements in the field.

A quantitative dietary study of the ?Critically Endangered? Gilbert?s potoroo Potorous gilbertii.

2005 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
VP Nguyen ◽  
AD Needham ◽  
JA Friend
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Microscopic Examination ◽  
Nature Reserve ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Fungal Spore ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Spore Type ◽  
Faecal Analysis ◽  
Faecal Matter ◽  
Dietary Study

Faecal analysis from the only known population of Gilbert?s potoroo (Potorous gilbertii) near Albany, Western Australia revealed that it, like other rat-kangaroo species is primarily mycophagous. Diet was determined by faecal collections from live-captured animals within Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve. Microscopic examination of samples collected from June - September 2000 and additional samples from storage, found fungi to comprise over 90% of faecal matter. A total of 44 fungal spore types were identified with many believed to be of hypogeous origin. Fungal spores belonging to the genera Mesophellia, Elaphomyces, Hysterangium and an unknown spore type (Unknown 1) were frequently recorded in samples. Non-fungal material including plants (stems, roots and seeds) and invertebrates represented the remainder. This investigation found that P. gilbertii fed almost exclusively on fungi and could be considered a specialised mycophagist.

Breeding biology of the Critically Endangered Tahiti MonarchPomarea nigra, a bird with a low productivity

2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 606-619 ◽  
Author(s):  
CAROLINE BLANVILLAIN ◽  
THOMAS GHESTEMME ◽  
TEHANI WITHERS ◽  
MARK O’BRIEN
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
French Polynesia ◽  
Egg Laying ◽  
Breeding Biology ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Tropical Island ◽  
Island Endemics ◽  
Nest Activity ◽  
Considerable Length ◽  
One Year

SummaryWe studied the breeding biology of Tahiti MonarchPomarea nigra, a ‘Critically Endangered’ forest bird endemic to Tahiti (French Polynesia). Nest activity was monitored from 1998 to 2002, and again from 2008 to 2015. During these 12 years, only 2–13 breeding pairs per year produced hatchlings. Egg-laying occurred all year, but usually increased between August and January, peaking around November. Of the 200 nests monitored, 33 (16%) were abandoned shortly after construction, 71 had an egg laid immediately after the nest were completed (34 %) and 96 nests (46 %) had a pre-incubation phase of 18.9 ± 1.9 days (3–62 days;n= 47 nests), during which the birds visited the nest on an irregular basis. Half (49 of 96) of these nests were abandoned before an egg was laid, with incubation subsequently commencing at the remaining nests (n= 47). Although both sexes incubated for an average of 13.6 ± 0.3 days (range 13–15), the female usually spent more time incubating than the male. Only one young per nest was ever observed. The average nestling phase was 15.5 ± 0.7 days (range 13 to 20 days). Parents continue to feed the young after fledging for 74 ± 4.7 days (range 42–174). As with many tropical island endemics, the Tahiti Monarch has low reproductive productivity as indicated by the fact that: 1) only 56% of pairs attempt to lay an egg in any one year, 2) most pairs attempt only one brood per year and 3) the considerable length of the nesting and fledging phases. Because of its low productivity, maximising the reproductive success of the Tahiti Monarch is essential to secure its recovery.

The spatial and temporal distribution of koala faecal pellets

1998 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 663 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. A. H. Ellis ◽  
B. J. Sullivan ◽  
A. T. Lisle ◽  
F. N. Carrick
Keyword(s):  
Significant Relationship ◽  
Average Length ◽  
Temporal Distribution ◽  
Faecal Pellet ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Distribution ◽  
Faecal Pellets ◽  
Pellet Production ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Free Ranging

Faecal pellets were collected under trees used by free-ranging koalas in south-western, central and south-eastern Queensland to determine the spatial and temporal distribution of pellets with respect to the activity of koalas. Deposition of faecal pellets by koalas was analysed according to the time of day at which the tree was occupied. For free-ranging koalas, 47% of daily faecal pellet output was recovered using a collection mat of 8 × 8 m placed under a day-roost tree. The best predictor of pellet production was the presence of a koala in a tree between 1800 hours and midnight. For other periods, there was no relationship between period of tree occupancy and faecal pellet recovery. There was a significant relationship between the average length of tree occupancy and the time of day that a koala entered a tree.

Aspects of reproduction, and morphology of the penis, of Pseudantechinus woolleyae (Marsupialia : Dasyuridae)

2017 ◽  
Vol 65 (6) ◽  
pp. 357 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. A. Woolley
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Arid Regions ◽  
Wide Distribution ◽  
Erectile Tissue ◽  
Australian Museum ◽  
Seasonal Breeder ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
One Year ◽  
Western Australian

Woolley’s Pseudantechinus, P. woolleyae, has remained virtually unstudied in the 30 years since its recognition in 1988 as a species distinct from P. macdonnellensis. It has a wide distribution in arid regions of Western Australia. What little is known of its biology comes largely from studies carried out over the years 1988–91 on one wild-caught female and her offspring, and a few specimens held in the collection of the Western Australian Museum. P. woolleyae is a seasonal breeder and young are born from late July to early October. They mature when ~7 months old. Both males and females are potentially capable of breeding in more than one year. Males have accessory erectile tissue that does not form an appendage on the penis.

scholarly journals Dietary analysis of an uncharacteristic population of the Mountain Pygmy-possum(Burramys parvus)in the Kosciuszko National Park, New South Wales, Australia

PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e6307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tahneal Hawke ◽  
Hayley Bates ◽  
Suzanne Hand ◽  
Michael Archer ◽  
Linda Broome
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Variation ◽  
National Park ◽  
Climatic Variability ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Dietary Composition ◽  
Southern Population ◽  
Northern Population ◽  
Dietary Analysis ◽  
Critically Endangered Species

BackgroundThe Mountain Pygmy-possum (Burramys parvus) is a critically endangered marsupial, endemic to alpine regions of southern Australia. We investigated the diet of a recently discovered population of the possum in northern Kosciuszko National Park, NSW, Australia. This new population occurs at elevations well below the once-presumed lower elevation limit of 1,600 m.Goals and MethodsFaecal material was analysed to determine if dietary composition differed between individuals in the newly discovered northern population and those in the higher elevation southern population, and to examine how diet was influenced by rainfall in the southern population and seasonal changes in resource availability in the northern population.Results and DiscussionThe diet ofB. parvusin the northern population comprised of arthropods, fruits and seeds. Results indicate the diet of both populations shares most of the same invertebrate orders and plant species. However, in the absence of preferred food types available to the southern population, individuals of the northern population opportunistically consumed different species that were similar to those preferred by individuals in higher altitude populations. Differing rainfall amounts had a significant effect on diet, with years of below average rainfall having a greater percentage composition and diversity of invertebrates. Seasonal variation was also recorded, with the northern population increasing the diversity of invertebrates in their diet during the Autumn months when Bogong Moths (Agrotis infusa) were absent from those sites, raising questions about the possum’s dependence on the speciesConclusionsMeasurable effects of rainfall amount and seasonal variation on the dietary composition suggest that predicted climatic variability will have a significant impact on its diet, potentially impacting its future survival. Findings suggest that it is likely thatB. parvusis not restricted by dietary requirements to its current pattern of distribution. This new understanding needs to be considered when formulating future conservation strategies for this critically endangered species.

scholarly journals Concurrent Infection of Skunk Adenovirus-1, Listeria monocytogenes, and a Regionally Specific Clade of Canine Distemper Virus in One Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) and Concurrent Listeriosis and Canine Distemper in a Second Gray Fox

Pathogens ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 591
Author(s):  
David B. Needle ◽  
Jacqueline L. Marr ◽  
Cooper J. Park ◽  
Cheryl P. Andam ◽  
Annabel G. Wise ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Listeria Monocytogenes ◽  
New England ◽  
Canine Distemper ◽  
Urocyon Cinereoargenteus ◽  
Viral Pathogen ◽  
Bronchial Epithelial ◽  
Gray Fox ◽  
Associated Lesions ◽  
One Year ◽  
Free Ranging

One free-ranging Gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) underwent autopsy following neurologic disease, with findings including morbilliviral inclusions and associated lesions in numerous tissues, adenoviral intranuclear inclusions in bronchial epithelial cells, and septic pleuropneumonia, hepatitis, splenitis, and meningoencephalitis. Molecular diagnostics on fresh lung identified a strain within a distinct clade of canine distemper that is currently unique to wildlife in New England, as well as the emerging multi-host viral pathogen skunk adenovirus-1. Bacterial culture of fresh liver resulted in a pure growth of Listeria monocytogenes, with whole genome sequencing indicating that the isolate had a vast array of antimicrobial resistance and virulence-associated genes. One year later, a second fox was euthanized for inappropriate behavior in a residential area, and diagnostic workup revealed canine distemper and septic L. monocytogenes, with the former closely related to the distemper virus found in the previous fox and the latter divergent from the L. monocytogenes from the previous fox.

An evaluation of a paired reading program at a high school

1998 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 91-103
Author(s):  
Migual Fernandez ◽  
John Holsgrove
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Evaluation Study ◽  
Reading Program ◽  
Statistical Analyses ◽  
Program Outcomes ◽  
Remedial Students ◽  
Paired Reading ◽  
One Year

This paper describes a one year evaluation of a Paired Reading project with 14 (6 girls and 8 boys) Year 8 remedial students at La Salle College in Western Australia. While Paired Reading is well researched with the beginning reader, there is a dearth of information on high school readers. The evaluation study focused on three main areas, (a) the rationale and provided the background of the study, (b) the implementation of the program, (c) it attempted to identify the intended and unintended program outcomes. The mixture of statistical analyses and participant/staff interviews documented not only the success of the program, but also, through the interviews, attempted to link the differing components of the Paired Reading program towards that success.

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