ORCID Profile
0000-0003-2504-2437
Current Organisation
Univsity of Tasmania
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Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 26-06-2015
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-02-2022
DOI: 10.1111/AEC.13148
Abstract: The introduction of mammalian predators often results in loss of native bio ersity due to naiveté of native prey to novel predators. In New Zealand, an island system with virtually no native mammalian predators, introduced mammalian predators threaten a large proportion of the native fauna. A critical step in adapting to introduced predators is the ability to recognize and respond to a novel predation threat. Whether New Zealand's lizards can do this has received little attention. We compared the basking behaviour of native McCann's skinks ( Oligosoma maccanni ) when exposed to a live cat ( Felis catus ), cat body odour, a model raptor (representing a coevolved predator) or procedural controls. We inferred predator recognition from reductions in in idual basking and higher selection for basking sites with greater refuge availability. We tested these behavioural responses for two skink populations: one from an area with high abundance of mammalian predators including feral cats and the other from a fenced conservation reserve where predators have been excluded for over 10 years (3–4 skink generations). Skinks from the high‐predator population reduced basking when exposed to cat and raptor cues, whereas skinks from the predator‐free population did not. These results suggest that within approximately 150 years of exposure to novel predators, McCann's skinks might be able to recognize the threat posed by invasive mammals. However, they also demonstrate that predator recognition and antipredator behaviours may not necessarily be retained once gained. The rapid loss of basking‐related antipredator behaviours might reflect the high fitness costs of reduced basking for this species. Our results indicate that the behavioural response of skinks is flexible and that skinks may maximize in idual fitness by balancing the risk of predation with the costs of antipredator behaviours.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 16-03-2020
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2016
DOI: 10.1071/WR16058
Abstract: Context Feral cats are implicated in the decline of terrestrial native mammals across northern Australia. Research in the Kimberley region of north-western Australia found feral cats strongly selected for fire scars when hunting, suggesting that intensifying fire regimes will have severe consequences for declining prey species. Aims We tested the generality of cat–fire interaction beyond the Kimberley, by measuring habitat selection of feral cats in relation to fire scars and habitat types in north-eastern Australia. Methods Our study was conducted at Piccaninny Plains Wildlife Sanctuary, Cape York Peninsula. We live-captured feral cats during the dry season of 2015, released them with GPS collars set to record fixes at 15-min intervals, and recaptured cats 4 months later. We created dynamic habitat maps of vegetation types, fire and wetlands, and compared cat habitat selection using discrete choice modelling. We also measured cat density from arrays of camera traps and examined cat diet by analysis of stomach contents. Key results We obtained GPS movement data from 15 feral cats. Feral cats selected strongly for recent fire scars (1 or 2 months old), but avoided fire scars 3 months old or older. Three long-distance movements were recorded, all directed towards recent fire scars. Cats also selected for open wetlands, and avoided rainforests. Density of cats at Piccaninny Plains was higher than recorded elsewhere in northern Australia. All major vertebrate groups were represented in cat diet. Conclusions We showed that feral cats in north-eastern Australia strongly select for recent fire scars and open wetlands. These results are consistent with those from the Kimberley. Together, these studies have shown that lified predation facilitated by loss of cover is likely to be a fundamental factor driving mammal decline across northern Australia. Implications Reducing the frequency of intense fires may indirectly reduce the impact of feral cats at a landscape scale in northern Australia. We also suggest that managers target direct cat control towards open wetlands and recently burnt areas, which cats are known to favour.
No related grants have been discovered for Hannah Cliff.