ORCID Profile
0000-0002-1597-3249
Current Organisation
Northern Territory Government
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Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 22-02-2021
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-2019
DOI: 10.1111/EMR.12388
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2019
DOI: 10.1071/WR19021
Abstract: Abstract Greater stick-nest rats were widely distributed across southern Australia in pre-European times, but only survived as a single population on the Franklin Islands in South Australia. Conservation efforts since 1983 have included survey of the remaining population, establishment of a captive colony and subsequent translocations to both island and mainland sites. Translocations have met with mixed success, with four of 10 (three islands and one mainland site) successful and extant for 19–28 years, five unsuccessful (one island and four mainland sites) and one as yet indeterminate. Overall, the increase in number of populations, area of occupancy and extent of occurrence has been positive, and has resulted in a down-listing of conservation status. There are numerous plausible explanations for the lack of success at some sites, but few data to differentiate among them. These plausible explanations include: the release of stick-nest rats to habitats of poor quality high levels of predation (perhaps hyperpredation) by native predators (chiefly monitors and predatory birds) in combination, at some sites, with predation by feral cats or foxes and ineffective release protocols. Most extant populations have undergone substantial fluctuations over time, and some show apparent long-term declines in abundance, likely increasing their probability of local extinction over time. There is a need for regular ongoing monitoring – of stick-nest rats themselves, their habitat and their suite of potential predators – to aid interpretation of outcomes. A more experimental approach to future releases is required to adjudicate among competing explanations for such declines.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 29-01-2020
DOI: 10.1111/REC.13105
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2023
DOI: 10.1071/WR22189
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2020
DOI: 10.1071/WR19105
Abstract: Abstract ContextTo re-establish a population of the threatened numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus) in a newly created safe haven at Mount Gibson Wildlife Sanctuary, in the semi-arid zone of Western Australia, wild-born and captive-bred in iduals of both sexes were translocated. AimTo compare: (1) the use of refuges by wild-born numbats pre- and post-translocation, and (2) the survival and refuge use of captive-bred numbats compared with wild-sourced numbats post-translocation. MethodsMonitoring via radio-tracking facilitated the gathering of information on survival and behaviour of numbats pre- and post-translocation, and allowed a comparison of how different factors (e.g. captive-bred or wild-born male or female) influenced survival and establishment in a new environment. Key resultsThere were no significant differences in survival between sexes or between wild-born and captive-bred in iduals. However, there were some differences in behaviour between sexes and source populations. Captive-bred numbats, regardless of sex, made greater use of tree hollows as nocturnal refuges than did their wild-born counterparts. Among wild-born numbats, there was a comparatively greater use of tree hollows and logs on the ground by males at Mount Gibson than at Scotia. The use of diurnal escape refuges did not vary between sexes or between captive-bred and wild-born in iduals. ConclusionsOn the basis of the information presented here, we conclude that, in the absence of predation by mammalian predators, and with suitable release habitat, captive-bred-to-wild translocations of numbats may be as likely to succeed as are wild-to-wild translocations, at least over the first few months post-translocation. ImplicationsOptimising the size and genetic ersity of the founding population by using animals from a variety of sources may not need to be heavily constrained by concerns about the ability of captive-bred numbats to adapt to and survive life in the wild.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2019
DOI: 10.1071/WR18105
Abstract: Context Temperament can affect an in idual’s fitness and survival if it also influences behaviours associated with predator avoidance, interactions with conspecifics, refuge selection and/or foraging. Furthermore, temperament can determine an in idual’s response to novel stimuli and environmental challenges, such as those experienced through translocation. Increasing our understanding of the effect of temperament on post-translocation fitness is thus necessary for improving translocation outcomes. Aims The aim was to test whether differences in an in idual’s behaviour or physiology could help predict body mass changes post-translocation in the woylie (brush-tailed bettong, Bettongia penicillata ogilbyi). In the absence of predation (due to release into a predator-free exclosure), body mass was used as a proxy for an in idual’s success in securing resources in the new habitat, and therefore fitness. Methods Forty woylies were translocated from two predator-free exclosures to a larger exclosure, all in Western Australia. Behavioural and physiological measures were recorded during trapping, processing, holding, and release, and again at re-capture ~100 days post-release. Key results Translocated woylies generally increased in body mass post-translocation. This suggests that, in the absence of predation, the selected candidates were able to cope with the stress of translocation and possessed the behavioural plasticity to successfully find resources and adapt to a novel environment. The strongest predictors of body mass gain were sex, heart rate lability and escape behaviour when released (a convoluted escape path). Conclusions There was no significant difference in body mass between males and females pre-translocation but females showed greater mass gain post-translocation than did males, which could reflect greater investment in reproduction (all females had pouch young). Heart rate lability and escape behaviour are likely to reflect reactivity or fearfulness, a significant temperament trait in the context of translocation success. Implications Behavioural measures that can be easily incorporated into the translocation process – without increasing stress or affecting welfare of in iduals – may hold promise for predicting the fate of translocated animals.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 10-04-2021
Location: Australia
No related grants have been discovered for Laura Ruykys.