ORCID Profile
0000-0002-1561-1942
Current Organisations
University of Southern Queensland
,
University of Queensland - Gatton Campus
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Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2020
DOI: 10.1071/WR19151
Abstract: Abstract ContextSoft-release involving supplementary feeding or shelter is commonly used in wildlife reintroduction and rehabilitation projects. However, competition for nestboxes and supplementary feed, as well as predation at feed stations or nestboxes, can reduce the benefits of soft-release. The use of microchip-automated technology can potentially alleviate these concerns, by providing targeted supplementation to only the intended, microchipped animals. AimsWe aimed to train wild-caught northern brown bandicoots, Isoodon macrourus, to use microchip-automated doors to access safe refuge. MethodsBandicoots were trapped from the wild and brought to the Hidden Vale Wildlife Centre, where eight were trained to use the doors in a six-stage process, and then six were trained in a three-stage process, using a peanut butter reward. Key resultsBandicoots learned to use the doors in as few as 3 days. The duration of visits to the door generally increased during training, although the number of visits decreased. ConclusionsThe bandicoots successfully learned to use the microchip-automated doors, which shows that this technology has great potential with wildlife, particularly given the short training times required. ImplicationsThe use of these microchip-automated doors with wildlife has many potential applications, including supplementary feeding stations, nestboxes, monitoring in the wild, as well as enrichment for wild animals in captivity.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 22-05-2021
DOI: 10.1111/BRV.12611
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-2020
DOI: 10.1111/EMR.12434
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2021
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2018
DOI: 10.1071/AM17025
Abstract: Little is known about the basic biology of brush-tailed phascogales, Phascogale tapoatafa, in southern Queensland. Wild-caught phascogales, and museum and veterinary records were examined. Queensland phascogales are smaller than Victorian phascogales, but larger than Western Australian animals of the same subspecies.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 13-01-2021
DOI: 10.1071/AM20046
Abstract: Microchip-automated devices have the potential to provide in idual free-living animals with safe nesting areas and act as a method of targeted food delivery, while excluding competitors and predators. Wildlife have been successfully trained to use such devices in captivity but never in the wild. Bringing animals into captivity may not always be feasible or appropriate due to the high cost, likely increased stress on the animals, and potential biosecurity risk. Therefore to demonstrate proof of concept that wildlife could be trained in situ to use commercially available microchip-automated devices, a brush-tailed phascogale in the wild was exposed to a microchip-automated door attached to a nest box. The phascogale was successfully trained within 15 days to use the microchip-automated door.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2018
DOI: 10.1071/AM18017
Abstract: Microchip-automated feeders and doors allow in idualised access to supplementary food and shelter during soft-release of wildlife. A wild-caught brush-tailed phascogale was used to test whether a wild animal could be trained to use microchip-automated devices. The phascogale was trained to use each device in less than a month.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-2021
DOI: 10.1002/WSB.1217
Abstract: In idually‐targeted resource supplementation for wildlife is difficult to achieve due to the challenge of excluding nontarget animals. The use of microchip‐automated technology has the potential to improve conservation outcomes globally by facilitating targeted food and nesting, offering a refuge from predators, and decreasing competition. Eight wild‐born brushtail possums ( Trichosurus vulpecula ) were trained in situ to use commercially available microchip‐automated doors installed on nest boxes placed within 5 m of their most used nesting site. Training to use the microchip‐automated door was conducted in 3 stages where the position of the door was lowered in sequential stages until it was fully closed at stage 3. Training was deemed complete at each stage when the possum entered the nest box on 2 separate nights. Seven of the 8 possums completed training. Successful training demonstrated that free‐living possums can be trained to use microchip‐automated technology in situ , thus avoiding stress, costs, and biosecurity risks associated with bringing wild animals into captivity for training. Training methods can be extrapolated to a wider range of species to assist with wildlife management from reintroductions to sustaining reduced populations. © 2021 The Wildlife Society.
No related grants have been discovered for Megan Edwards.