Academic literature on the topic 'Marsupials Australia Ecology'

In the early 1980s advances in marsupial biology could no longer be encapsulated in a single volume such as Hugh Tyndale-Biscoe's "Life of Marsupials" and Cambridge University Press commissioned a series of monographs covering a range of different topics in marsupial biology. As it was, only three of that series were realized and among them was the ptedecessor to this book "Digestive Physiology and Nutrition of Marsupials" published in 1982. "Marsupial Nutrition" is a considerably expanded and comprehensive review of studies of nutrition and digestive physiology of Australasian and South American marsupials. In Australia, many ecologists view the limited nutrient status of our soils and vegetation as a fundamental limit to animal populations. This book explains firstly how Australian marsupials have responded to those limitations and secondly asks whether these responses are common amongst marsupials living in New Guinea and South America.

Records of pentastomid arthropods parasitic in Australian reptiles and mammals are reviewed, with particular reference to material collected recently. Specimens representative of six genera are described. Sebekia sp. from the estuarine crocodile, Crocodylusporosus, is the first record of the genus in Australia and probably represents a new species. A nymph with double hooks, from the dasyurid marsupial Satanellus hallucatus, is determined as Waddycephalus sp. This represents the first evidence of double hooks in nymphal forms of the genus and of the role of marsupials as intermediate hosts of Waddycephalus. Nymphs from the peramelid marsupial, Isoodon macrourus, and from S, hallucatus are determined as Armillifer australis Riley & Self, 1981; those from Perameles nasuta are identified as A. arborealis Riley & Self, 1981. These represent the first records of marsupials as intermediate hosts of Armillifer. Adults of the genus Elenia Heymons, 1932 are confirmed as parasites of varanid lizards. E. australis Heymons, 1932 is recognized and it is suggested that specimens described by Heymons (1939), allegedly from Varanus varius at Townsville, Qld, may represent a new species. The cosmopolitan porocephalid Linguatula serrata Frolich, 1789 is recorded from the nasopharynx of the dingo or wild dog and the validity of the indigenous species, L. dingophila Johnson, 1910 is discussed. The cephalobaenid Raillietiella amphiboluri Mahon, 1954 is reported from Amphibolurus barbatus.

Nest boxes have been recognised as research and management tools for arboreal marsupials in Australia for over 20 years. We review the published literature with the aim of describing the scope of studies conducted in Australia thus far and providing guidance to future research. We recognise three types of application in research: (1) detection of species, (2) study of a species’ ecology, and (3) investigation of box designs preferred by different species. Several species of arboreal marsupial may be detected more readily in nest boxes than by conventional survey techniques, allowing description of key aspects of their ecology; e.g. feathertail glider (Acrobates pygmaeus), eastern pygmy possum (Cercartetus nanus) and brush-tailed phascogale (Phascogale tapoatafa). Identifying the most favoured nest-box design for any species has implications for detection and management uses of nest boxes. More research is needed but preliminary findings suggest that species prefer narrow entrance holes, while height of the nest box above 3 m may be inconsequential. We recognise three types of management application: (1) species introduction, (2) support of populations of endangered species, and (3) strategic placement such as to enhance habitat connectivity. Currently there have been few attempts to use nest boxes to manage arboreal marsupials but further research is needed to realise their potential as a management tool.

Capillariid nematodes (Trichinelloidea: Capillariidae) parasitic in Australian dasyurid, peramelid and potoroid marsupials and murid rodents are described. Diagnosis of the genus Eucoleus and a key to species are given. Two species are redescribed: E. gastricus (Baylis) and E. rickardi (Beveridge and Barker), comb. nov. Nine species are described as new: E. breviductus sp. nov., E. buckenbourensis sp. nov., E. fluvidus sp. nov., E. longiductus sp. nov., E. parvulus sp. nov., E. perplexus sp. nov., E. plumosus sp. nov., E. posterus sp. nov. and E. pseudoplumosus sp. nov. Three additional species are recognized but not named. Species of Eucoleus occur in a diverse range of epithelial tissue habitats in Australian hosts throughout eastern Australia; one species is known from peramelids in Western Australia. Members of the genus have not been found in any other families of Australian marsupials. Three species are parasites of dasyurids, eight species are parasites of peramelids, two species occur in both dasyurid and peramelid hosts and two species are parasites of murid rodents. Morphologically, species of Eucoleus appear to be reasonably host specific at the family level. Molecular evidence indicates that sibling species of Eucoleus occur in distinct but closely related host species. Baruscapillaria conspecta sp. nov. is described from murid rodents and the potoroid marsupial rufous rat kangaroo, Aepyprymnus rufescens, primarily in north Queensland. Capillaria ornamentata sp. nov. is described from the distal nasal sinus behind the orbit of the eye of species of dasyurids of the genus Antechinus in southeastern Australia. Aonchotheca praeputialis (Obendorf, 1979) comb. nov. is redescribed and appears to occur exclusively in the native Rattus fuscipes. New host and geographic records, and tissue localities of the trichurid nematode, Anatrichosoma haycocki (Trichinelloidea: Trichuridae, Trichosomoidinae) are given.

DESPITE their almost ubiquitous presence across Australia, contemporary research on the biology, ecology and conservation status of the so-called 'common' possums is scant and inadequate. The majority of possum studies have been a result of the huge research effort in New Zealand to control and eradicate the common brushtail possum, a notorious introduced pest, and have concentrated primarily upon reproductive physiology. The conspicuous lack of ecological data on the larger possums across their native Australian range is particularly disturbing since evidence suggests that a number of these species are disappearing from large tracts of Australia. However, Possums: the brushtails, ringtails and greater glider, part of the Australian Natural History Series, provides a long overdue summary of up-to-date research on these familiar and intriguing marsupials.

Cooperative breeding programs for selected species in Australian zoos have developed rather rapidly in response to growing concerns for the status of wildlife world-wide. The need to enlarge captive populations and to manage them for genetic and demographic stability led in 1983 to the establishment of a regional Species Management Scheme among the major publicly funded zoos of Australia and New Zealand. Several Australian marsupials are being successfully managed under this scheme, and management plans for others are being developed. Managed species are designated on the basis of their restricted availability to zoos, and the desirability of having a self-sustaining captive population for conservation purposes. Captive breeding histories of most Australian and some New Guinea monotremes and marsupials are reviewed, and details of zoo breeding programs discussed for managed species.

Many of the 600 species of Acacia found in Australia form part of the diet of several groups of marsupials. Acacia foliage is generally high in tannins but is consumed by several folivorous possums and by some macropods (kangaroos and wallabies), but the macropods eat it mainly as dry leaf litter during times of food shortage (in dry seasons and drought). Acacia gum is an important diet component of two omnivorous possums (Petaurus breviceps, Gymnobelidius leadbeateri) and, to a lesser extent, two rat-kangaroos (Bettongia sp.). Acacia seeds are consumed by marsupials to a limited extent, but are an important seasonal component of the diet of the mountain brushtail possum (Trichosurus cunninghami), and possibly the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii) on Kangaroo Island. Likewise, Acacia arils (lipid-rich appendages to the seeds of some species) are an important seasonal component of the diet of the mahogany glider (Petaurus gracilis). Acacia pollen and nectar are consumed by several omnivorous possums (e.g., Petaurus norfolcensis) as well as by at least one species of rock-wallaby (Petrogale sp.), but the quantitative contributions made by these floral products to the protein and energy budgets of the consumers have been difficult to determine. Thus several parts of the Acacia plant are food resources for one or more groups of marsupials, but the contribution of the genus to marsupial nutrition is often overlooked.

Australian sequestrate macrofungi have not been studied extensively until recently, even though their presence in Australia was recognised over 120 years ago by Baron Ferdinand von Mueller in connection with mycophagy by marsupials. The early mycological history in Australia is linked to the first expeditions and collections of plant material by naturalists from 1790 to 1830. These collections were sent to, and described by, foreign mycologists such as the Rev. M. J. Berkeley, the Rev. C. Kalchbrenner and E. M. Fries. M. C. Cooke's (1892) Handbook of Australian Fungi was the first attempt at compiling an Australian mycoflora. D. McAlpine and L. Rodway were the first resident collectors to expand on the information collated by Cooke. Later, G. H. Cunningham (1944) wrote The Gasteromycetes of New Zealand and Australia, bringing together the taxonomy of all known sequestrate macrofungi in the region. By 1895 approximately 2000 species of fungi had been recorded from Australia, 32 of them sequestrate. Recent intensive efforts in limited habitats have expanded our knowledge considerably, with more than 600 new species of sequestrate fungi recorded over the past 7 years. Many more remain to be discovered in Australia and New Zealand and knowledge of their biology and ecology needs to be developed.

Mammals that forage for food by biopedturbation can alter the biotic and abiotic characteristics of their habitat, influencing ecosystem structure and function. Bandicoots, bilbies, bettongs and potoroos are the primary digging marsupials in Australia, although most of these species have declined throughout their range. This study used a snapshot approach to estimate the soil turnover capacity of the southern brown bandicoot (Isoodon obesulus, Shaw 1797), a persisting digging Australian marsupial, at Yalgorup National Park, Western Australia. The number of southern brown bandicoots was estimated using mark–recapture techniques. To provide an index of digging activity per animal, we quantified the number of new foraging pits and bandicoot nose pokes across 18 plots within the same area. The amount of soil displaced and physical structure of foraging pits were examined from moulds of 47 fresh foraging pits. We estimated that an individual southern brown bandicoot could create ~45 foraging pits per day, displacing ~10.74 kg of soil, which extrapolates to ~3.9 tonnes of soil each year. The digging activities of the southern brown bandicoots are likely to be a critical component of soil ecosystem processes.

The sizes of geographic ranges of species of Australian tetrapod groups form 'hollow curve' frequency distributions, with most species having small ranges. Geometric means for range size (in 10(5) km2 units) are 1.2 for frogs and toads, 1.7 for turtles, 2.2 for lizards, 3.2 for snakes, 6.6 for birds, 2.6 for marsupials, 5.1 for bats and 2.1 for rodents. Species' densities are compared for different groups. A map of superimposed species boundaries for mammals demonstrates some relatively homogeneous faunal areas separated by distinct and narrow faunal boundaries but this is not the general pattern. The principal axes of species ranges for many groups are oriented parallel to and near coasts. Species centred on the interior tend to have larger ranges. Estimates or measurements of range size tend to be better if there are more published records, specimens, known localities of occurrence, and ecological data. Australia, in proportion to its area, has more anurans, lizards (and other reptiles), and marsupials, and it has fewer rodents and bats than North America. The ranking of groups for mean range size is the same in both continents except that Anura have smaller ranges than lizards in Australia.

[Truncated abstract] The dibbler, Parantechinus apicalis, is an endangered marsupial that exists on Boullanger, Whitlock and Escape islands off Jurien Bay in Western Australia. The introduced house mouse, Mus domesticus, exists on Boullanger and Whitlock islands, and the King’s skink, Egernia kingii, inhabits Boullanger and Escape islands. The grey-bellied dunnart, Sminthopsis griseoventer, exists on Boullanger Island. Over the last 150 years, the wedge-tailed shearwater, Puffinus pacificus, has colonised the islands to varying degrees. The interaction between dibblers and other island species is not clear. The purpose of this study was to determine the main factors regulating the dynamics of mammals, and in particular dibblers, on the Jurien islands. This was achieved by examining the effect of seabirds, the competitive interactions between species living on the islands, and seasonal changes in the environment. Animals were trapped for a period of 30 months, and their population structure, body condition, longevity, habitat preferences, diet and ecophysiology were examined. The results presented support the theory that by increasing soil nutrient concentrations, burrowing seabirds increase the primary productivity of islands, which has flow on effects to other trophic levels. Densities of seabirds and soil nutrient concentrations were highest on Whitlock Island, intermediate on Escape Island, and lowest on Boullanger Island . . .Thirty-five percent of dibblers on Escape Island were missing their tail or a limb, probably as a result of aggression from King’s skinks. Competition from high numbers of house mice on Boullanger Island, and from high numbers of King’s skinks on Escape Island, may increase the occurrence of male die-off on these islands. The better body condition and greater longevity of dibblers on Whitlock Island, despite high numbers of house mice, suggests that abundant resources are available to sustain both species. This study demonstrates that high densities of seabirds positively affect the population dynamics of mammals on the Jurien islands. Burrowing seabirds appear to influence the dynamics of dibblers more so than competition from house mice or King’s skinks. The findings from this study will assist the Dibbler Recovery Team with future management decisions regarding the viability of dibblers on the Jurien islands, and with decisions regarding the necessity to control house mouse numbers in the presence of native species.

The quokka (Setonix brachyurus Quoy & Gaimard 1830) is a medium-sized, macropodid marsupial that is endemic to the mesic, south-western corner of Australia. While being a tourist icon on Rottnest Island, the species is threatened with extinction. It has been intensively studied on Rottnest Island in the 1960s and 1970s, however very little is known of its ecology on the mainland. Additionally the insular and mainland environments are extremely different suggesting that ecological differences between the two populations are likely. Consequently, this study sought to determine the basic autecology of the quokka and identify what factors have attributed to its threatened conservation status. The northern jarrah forest of Western Australia was selected as the study region due to it being at the northern limit of extant quokka distribution and because it was thought that the factors threatening the quokka would be exacerbated there. Fossil deposits suggest that the quokka originally occupied an area of approximately 49,000 km2 in the south-western corner of Australia. Historical literature show that they were widespread and abundant when Europeans colonised the region in 1829 but a noticeable and dramatic decline occurred a century later. The arrival of the red fox to the region coincided almost exactly with this decline and so it was probably ultimately responsible. Continued predation by both it and the feral cat are likely to have continued the decline, along with habitat destruction and modification through altered fire regimes. Specific surveys and literature searches show that since the 1950s, the area occupied by the quokka has declined by 45% and since 1990 by 29%. Based on the criteria of the IUCN (Hilton-Taylor 2000), the conservation status of the quokka should remain as vulnerable. An endangered status may be more applicable if the quokkas restriction to patches through its existence as a metapopulation is considered. Trapping of eight sites supporting quokka populations in the mid-1990s revealed three sites now locally extinct despite the ongoing, six year old, fox control programme. Another three are at serious risk of extinction. Extant population sizes ranged from one to 36 and population density ranged from 0.07 to 4.3 individuals per hectare. This is considered to be below the carrying capacity of each site. The overall quokka population size in the northern jarrah forest may be as low as 150 adult individuals, of which half are likely to be female. Even the largest extant populations are highly susceptible to stochastic extinction events. This small size was surprising considering the six year old, introduced predator control programme. Historically, the restriction to discrete habitat patches, the occasional inter-patch movement, the lack of correlation between the dynamics of each population and reports of frequent localised extinctions and colonisations suggest that the quokka population once existed as part of a classic metapopulation. The massive decline of the quokka in the 1930s pushed the metapopulation structure into a non-equilibrium state such that today, the extant populations are the terminal remnants of the original classic metapopulation. Wild mainland quokkas breed throughout the year. A significant reduction in the number of births occurs over summer and this coincides with a decline in female body weight. Despite this, the mainland quokka is relatively fecund and is able to wean two offspring per year. The level of recruitment from pouch young to independence was low and this may explain the apparent lack of population increase following the initiation of fox control. A total of 56 trapped quokkas were fitted with a radio collar. Mean home range size for quokkas was 6.39 ha with a core range of 1.21 ha and this was negatively related to population density. Male home ranges were larger than females but not significantly when the sexual size dimorphism was considered. Nocturnal ranges were larger than diurnal ranges reflecting nocturnal departures from the swamp refugia. Home range sizes varied seasonally, probably due to changes in the distance required to move to obtain sufficient nutrients and water over the dry summer compared to the wet winter and spring. Telemetry confirmed trapping results that showed no movement between swamps or populations. Home range centres shifted to the periphery of the swamp following the winter inundation and this may increase the species susceptibility to predation. The lack of dispersal is probably caused by quokka populations existing below carrying capacity and following selection for philopatry under the threat of predation for dispersing individuals. Without dispersal to recolonise or rescue unpopulated patches, the collapse of the original quokka metapopulation appears to have occurred. On a macrohabitat scale, the quokka in the northern jarrah forest is restricted to Agonis swamp shrubland habitats that form in the open, upper reaches of creek systems on the western side of the forest. This restriction was probably initially due to the high water requirements of the quokka but is likely to have been exacerbated by increased predation pressure since the arrival of the fox. On a microhabitat scale, the quokka is a habitat specialist, preferring early seral stage swamp habitats, probably for foraging, as part of a mosaic of old age swamp that provides refuge. Despite the six year old, introduced predator control programme, foxes and cats are still the major cause of mortality to quokkas. Road kills was the other identifiable cause. Individuals alive at the start of the study had an 81% chance of staying alive until the end. The likelihood of dying was minimised by grouping together with conspecifics, maximising home range size and maximising the time spent within the swampy refuge. Current rates of adult and juvenile survivorship should allow population recovery and so it seems pouch young mortality, reflected by low recruitment, has inhibited the anticipated population increase following predator control. The confounding effect of inadequate unbaited controls meant that little statistical evidence was available on the impact of introduced predators on the quokka, however the models provided support for earlier hypotheses of these. The presence of a quokka population at a site was related to the amount of poison baits delivered ??? reflecting predation pressure, the average age of the swamp and a mosaic of early and late seral stages within the swamp habitat. Recently burnt habitat is thought to provide food for quokkas and long unburnt habitat provides refuge from predation.

The ecology of the Northern Quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus) was studied at Kapalga Research Station in Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory between August 1992 and May 1995. D. hallucatus is a nocturnal carnivorous marsupial (Dasyuridae) which is sexually dimorphic with the males weighing on average 760g (maximum 1120g) and the females 460g. Since European settlement in Australia, this species has declined from a broad band across northern Australia to several disjunct populations. Most of the decline has occurred in the extensive lowland savanna habitat, leaving remnant populations in dissected rocky plateaux such as Carnarvon Gorge (Qld) and the north-west Kimberley region (WA). This study was conducted in lowland savanna, where the continued survival of D. hallucatus populations appears to be the most tenuous. The aims were to investigate the life history and ecological requirements of the species to elucidate possible reasons for decline. D. hallucatus was opportunistic in den use, using mainly hollows in trees, rock crevices, and logs but also termite mounds and burrows in accordance with availability. Females used rock crevices more often than males, whereas males used logs more often. Each individual used many dens and shifted every night. Individuals of both sexes denned solitarily. Diet was also opportunistic. D. hallucatus was omnivorous, virtually always including insects in the diet but also consuming a wide range of vertebrates and fleshy fruits when they were most abundant. Plant consumption peaked in the late-wet to early dry season (March-April), vertebrate consumption peaked in the mid-dry season (July-August) and invertebrate consumption peaked during the late-dry to wet season (September-February). Both sexes showed a similar pattern of seasonal variation. However, females consumed less vertebrates than males during May-June in one year. Juvenile weaning and dispersal coincided with the wet season, when invertebrates were most prevalent. There was no difference detected between adult and juvenile diet. D. hallucatus appears to forage predominantly on the ground and suitable prey was present in all habitats in the study area (open forest, woodland, rocky hills and riparian). D. hallucatus exhibited a highly synchronous breeding cycle. Within the study population in a given year, there was little variation in the timing of reproductive events, with the onset of each event usually occurring within a week for all individuals. Mating occurred late May/early June each year. Males at this site demonstrated complete post-mating mortality, consequently adult males were totally absent from the Kapalga study site from September-October each year. Since weight was an unreliable indicator of age, it is possible that males in all previously studied D. hallucatus populations may also breed only once. Male mortality may have a similar aetiology to die-off in the semelparous Antechinus species. Males become anaemic, infested with ectoparasites and lose condition and weight. However, unlike Antechinus spp., there was no evidence that ulceration caused the anaemia in D. hallucatus. Additionally, D. hallucatus testes did not senesce, so males could be capable of breeding again if they survived to a second mating season. Perhaps this species is an example of the evolution of semelparity in progress. For a species of this body size, D. hallucatus has a remarkably short lifespan with all males and most females only surviving for a single breeding season. The maximum recorded age for wild males was 17 months and for females, 37 months. A single litter of 5-8 young attached to each female's teats in mid-late June. Litters of first year females were predominantly male, whereas litters of older females were female-biased. Crown-rump length increased linearly with respect to time from 0-60 days after birth. The young remained in the pouch for about 9 weeks and were deposited in nursery dens in mid-late August. During the nursery period, females used more termite mounds and less log dens than during the rest of the year. It is likely that the young were not fully capable of thermoregulation when first deposited in dens since the mothers built simple nests of dry leaves and grass during the first four weeks after deposition. Unlike other Dasyurus species _which use one nursery den, D. hallucatus mothers shifted the juveniles to different nursery dens every few nights, although shifting less often than during the rest of the year. Mothers did not forage when moving the young to a new den. Mothers stayed with their young in the den during the day. Each night, mothers would leave to forage and generally returned once or twice during the night for an average of 50 minutes each visit during the early nursery denning period decreasing to 30 minutes in the late nursery period. Adult and juvenile scats were observed deposited at den entrances mainly during October-November, just before the young became independent. This may be for hygiene, or as a signal to assist the young relocate the nursery den after their first foraging forays. Weaning was gradual, beginning in late October and ending mid-December. The young dispersed in December-February, at an age of 6-8 months. The mean distance between successive dens of resident females was at its maximum at this time, this may be to assert their occupancy of an area by monitoring and scent-marking. Female D. hallucatus appeared to be territorial with essentially nonoverlapping denning areas and a home range of about 35 hectares. Male home range may be similar in size to females prior to the mating season, but expanded during the mating season to over 100 hectares, overlapping with several female ranges and with numerous other male ranges. Males were found in all habitats whereas females preferred rocky hills. During the mating period, males adopted a roving strategy, regularly visiting several distant females in rapid succession, presumably to monitor the onset of oestrus. Females were visited by several males. This intense physical effort by males during the mating period is likely to be a major contributor to their physiological decline and subsequent die-off after the mating period. The marked sexual dimorphism of D. hallucatus may be the result of selection for larger, wider ranging males in a promiscuous mating system and for energetically more efficient smaller females, as females rear the young alone. There was no evidence that toxoplasmosis or any other disease was a major contributor to Northern Quoll decline in this region. The main proximate cause of mortality for both sexes was predation by dingoes, cats, snakes and an owl. Large numbers of males were also killed by motor vehicles during their extensive travels during the mating period. Most females died during the late dry season, after fires (which burn 55% of lowland savanna in Kakadu each year) have removed much of the ground cover. Rocky habitat appeared to be preferred by females and those occupying this habitat were more likely to survive to a second breeding season. No instances of predation of Northern Quolls were recorded on the rocky hills, this may be due to a greater number of refuge sites or lower predator presence. It is suggested that the decline of D. hallucatus in lowland savanna may follow land management practices (such as extensive fire, grazing and clearing) that increase the vulnerability of D. hallucatus to predators.

Marsupials have complex and interesting socioecology and life history strategies that differ quite markedly to much - studied eutherian mammals. However, the socioecology and life history strategies of a number of Australian marsupials are most often observed only within the context of a much larger study on their ecology. My aim was to study, using a combination of behavioural observations and molecular DNA techniques, aspects of the socioecology of a population of yellow - bellied gliders ( Petaurus australis ) in Rennick State Forest, south - western Victoria. Petaurid gliders feed on plant and insect exudates, pollen / nectar and arthropods. Yellow - bellied gliders are arboreal, rare, nocturnal and cryptic, have persistent pair bonds, are territorial and exist in low population densities. In particular, I sought to confirm that the Rennick population of yellow - bellied gliders maintained a predominantly monogamous mating system. I also sought to confirm that the timing of reproduction in this population of yellow - bellied gliders would be seasonal, and timed to coincide with peaks in the abundances of two indices of protein food resources ( i.e. flowering and bark shed ). In a more broadscale study, I sought to examine the geographic distribution of mitochondrial haplotyes and morphological variation of the yellowbellied glider throughout its range. Polymorphic microsatellite loci are the choice of genetic marker for fine - scale studies, such as relatedness and paternity. Microsatellite loci had previously only been characterised and optimised for Petaurus norfolcensis ( squirrel gliders ). However, close inspection of the GenBank sequences revealed the presence of replicates differing only by sequencing errors. A panel of seven polymorphic tetranucleotide loci in Petaurus breviceps ( sugar gliders ) and three polymorphic trinucleotide loci in P. australis were isolated and optimised. Five P. breviceps loci were polymorphic in P. norfolcensis and two were polymorphic in P. australis. Only one P. australis locus was variable in P. breviceps and P. norfolcensis. No locus showed a deficit in heterozygotes according to Hardy - Weinberg expectations, and the large number of alleles for some of the loci confirmed their usefulness for studies in relatedness and paternity. A number of Australian arboreal marsupials have been reported to show monogamous and polygynous mating systems in different populations, but previous studies have not included genetic analyses to confirm the observations. My aim was to test the hypothesis that monogamy was the predominant mating system in a population of yellow - bellied gliders ( Petaurus australis ) in south - western Victoria. Home range overlap, cohesiveness of pairs, rates of den site co - occupancy and location of den trees within the home ranges of 13 gliders were determined via radio - tracking. A monogamous social system predominated, demonstrated by extensive home range overlap between cohabiting adult males and females ( 40 - 100 % ) and little home range overlap between adjacent territories ( < 7 % ). Males spent approximately 55 % of their active time within 25m of their female partners and 55 - 85 % of their sleeping time in dens with their female partner. The paternity of all juveniles within the population was analysed using five microsatellite DNA markers. Of 37 individuals genotyped, 12 of 13 juveniles could be attributed to the resident adult male. My results suggest that social monogamy equates with genetic monogamy in this population of yellow - bellied gliders. Mammalian taxa living in seasonal environments usually coincide energy - demanding reproductive activities with the seasonal availability of food resources. However, few studies on arboreal marsupial taxa in Australia have focussed upon the interplay of forest phenology and the timing of breeding. This study examined forest phenology in a temperate environment, and the timing of reproduction the yellow - bellied glider. I captured adult females once per month between August 2001 and August 2003 to determine reproductive condition, and monitored indicators for two key food resources over the same period. Flowering phenology ( as an index of pollen availability ) was assessed in 170 manna gum ( Eucalyptus viminalis ) and brown stringybark ( E. baxteri ) trees, while bark shed ( as an index of arthropod availability ) was assessed in 45 manna gum, the only eucalypt species at this site that sheds it bark. Aseasonal reproduction was indicated within this population of gliders, as distributions of births were not statistically different from random. However, yellow - bellied gliders did exhibit distinct birth peaks in spring, summer and winter, when data were combined for both years. The temporal distributions of flowering for both eucalypt species were statistically different from random, indicating seasonal availability of nectar and pollen. Peak flowering occurred in summer for brown stringybark, and autumn for manna gum in both years, although for manna gum peak abundance of flowers was one month earlier in the second year. While the temporal distribution of bark shed on the trunks of trees did not differ from random, it did show seasonality on the main and outer branches, peaking in summer and declining thereafter. Thus, it appears that yellow - bellied gliders breed aseasonally in a predictable, seasonal environment. However, yellow - bellied gliders have a reliance on the complex temporal interplay of different seasonal food resources. Subspecific status has often been used as a surrogate for conservation unit, but does not always reflect intra - specific lineages with different evolutionary histories. One contentious case of subspecific classification occurs in the yellow - bellied glider, a marsupial species showing considerable decline in population size and requiring conservation management. Our aim was to assess the current subspecific status of populations and define units of conservation using a combination of phylogeographical analyses of mitochondrial DNA and morphological analyses. Analyses of the mitochondrial ND4 gene provided evidence for significant phylogeographic structure within yellow - bellied gliders. Isolated populations in north Queensland ( NQ ) and Victoria / South Australia were genetically distinct from populations in New South Wales and southern Queensland. Morphological analyses provided little evidence for discrimination of populations, although NQ specimens were generally smaller in size compared to southern forms. My analyses do not support the classification of subspecies, P. a. reginae, for the original type specimen from southern Queensland. Taking into account other behavioural and ecological data, and the disjunct distribution of NQ populations from southern populations, I propose that the NQ population represents a distinct Evolutionarily Significant Unit, a lineage showing highly restricted gene flow with the rest of the species.
http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1281000
Thesis (Ph.D.)--School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, 2006.

Cat-borne parasitoses have substantial impacts on livestock, wildlife and human health worldwide. Toxoplasma gondii, Sarcocystis gigantea and S. medusiformis are all cat-borne parasites that share similar biology and ecology, and cause the diseases toxoplasmosis and macroscopic ovine sarcocystosis. I aimed to study the ecology of these cat-borne parasitoses to develop a better understanding of what ecological factors influenced their ability to cycle within an ecosystem. However, it was first necessary to find a study ecosystem where these parasitoses thrived. Using abattoir surveillance data I mapped the occurrence of macroscopic ovine sarcocystosis in the skeletal muscles of sheep across South Australia. Sarcocystosis was highly clustered on Kangaroo Island compared to the South Australian mainland. Second, I investigated if Toxoplasma infection in sheep was associated with macroscopic ovine sarcocystosis to see if I could provide indirect evidence for the clustering of Toxoplasma infection in sheep on Kangaroo Island. Toxoplasma infection was highly prevalent in sheep on the island (56.8%) and was associated with macroscopic ovine sarcocystosis in the oesophagus, but not in skeletal muscles, at the animal- and farm-level. By surveying macropods on Kangaroo Island and the adjacent mainland, I showed that Toxoplasma infection was also higher in western grey kangaroos on the island (20.4%) than on the mainland (0%). This suggested that these parasitoses are well established and thrive on Kangaroo Island and that the island is an appropriate ecosystem in which to study the ecology of these cat-borne parasitoses. Pushing my mapping analyses further, I identified environmental characteristics positively associated with higher densities of sarcocystosis affected locations. The occurrence of sarcocystosis increased at locations with low soil pH and high clay content. I then examined the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma in rodents (Mus musculus and Rattus fuscipes), brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) and koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) to explore the impact of the ecology of these species on their risk of infection. Toxoplasma seroprevalence in all species was found to be negligible, suggesting that the intermediate host’s lifespan, feeding ecology and niche influence the parasite’s ability to cycle. To investigate how much cat (Felis catus) abundance may explain the occurrence of these cat-borne parasitoses, I conducted a camera trap survey in both regions and estimated their relative abundance using a simultaneous standardised approach. Cat abundance on the island was estimated to be over ten times higher than that on the adjacent mainland. I suggest that high cat abundance is the primary reason for the high occurrence of cat-borne parasitoses in sheep and macropods on the island, although the ecology of the intermediate host likely influences the ability of the parasites to cycle in these populations. I recommend that the control of cats should be the most effective and acceptable intervention to control these two cat-borne parasitoses in ecosystems where they occur frequently.
Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Animal & Veterinary Sciences, 2019

"July 2003"
Bibliography: leaves 108-121.
iv, 133 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm.
Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library.
This study focused on the the use of resources by the small nocturnal species Ningaui yvonneae, with particular reference to diet and habitat.
Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Discipline of Environmental Biology, 2003

"July 2003"
Bibliography: leaves 108-121.
iv, 133 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm.
This study focused on the the use of resources by the small nocturnal species Ningaui yvonneae, with particular reference to diet and habitat.
Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Discipline of Environmental Biology, 2003

Predators with Pouches provides a unique synthesis of current knowledge of the world’s carnivorous marsupials—from Patagonia to New Guinea and North America to Tasmania. Written by 63 experts in each field, the book covers a comprehensive range of disciplines including evolution and systematics, reproductive biology, physiology, ecology, behaviour and conservation. Predators with Pouches reveals the relationships between the American didelphids and the Australian dasyurids, and explores the role of the marsupial fauna in the mammal community. It introduces the geologically oldest marsupials, from the Americas, and examines the fall from former diversity of the larger marsupial carnivores and their convergent evolution with placental forms. The book covers all aspects of carnivorous marsupials, including interesting features of life history, their unique reproduction, the physiological basis for early senescence in semelparous dasyurids, sex ratio variation and juvenile dispersal. It looks at gradients in nutrition—from omnivory to insectivory to carnivory—as well as distributional ecology, social structure and conservation dilemmas.

The Australian continent provides a unique perspective on the evolution and ecology of carnivorous animals. In earlier ages, Australia provided the arena for a spectacular radiation of marsupial and reptilian predators. The causes of their extinctions are still the subject of debate. Since European settlement, Australia has seen the extinction of one large marsupial predator (the thylacine), another (the Tasmanian devil) is in danger of imminent extinction, and still others have suffered dramatic declines. By contrast, two recently-introduced predators, the fox and cat, have been spectacularly successful, with devastating impacts on the Australian fauna. Carnivores of Australia: Past, Present and Future explores Australia's unique predator communities from pre-historic, historic and current perspectives. It covers mammalian, reptilian and avian carnivores, both native and introduced to Australia. It also examines the debate surrounding how best to manage predators to protect livestock and native biodiversity. Wildlife managers, academics and postgraduate students will benefit from the most up-to-date synthesis by leading researchers and managers in the field of carnivore biology. By emphasising Australian carnivores as exemplars of flesh-eaters in other parts of the world, this book will be an important reference for researchers, wildlife managers and students worldwide. Winner of a 2015 Whitley Awards Certificate of Commendation for Zoological Text.

The red kangaroo is at the heart of Australia's ecological identity. It is Australia's largest terrestrial land mammal, the largest extant marsupial, and the only kangaroo truly restricted to Australia's arid interior. Almost nothing was known about the ecology of the red kangaroo when Alan Newsome began to study it in 1957. He discovered how droughts affect reproduction, why red kangaroos favour different habitats during droughts from those after rains, and that unprecedented explosions in red kangaroo numbers were caused by changes to the landscape wrought by graziers. Most importantly, he realised the possibilities of enriching western science with Indigenous knowledge, a feat recognised today as one of the greatest achievements of his career. First drafted in 1975 and now revised and prepared for publication by his son, The Red Kangaroo in Central Australia captures Alan's thoughts as a young ecologist working in Central Australia in the 1950s and 1960s. It will inspire a new generation of scientists to explore Australia's vast interior and study the extraordinary adaptations of its endemic mammals. It will also appeal to readers of other classics of Australian natural history, such as Francis Ratcliffe's Flying Fox and Drifting Sand and Harry Frith's The Mallee Fowl, The Bird that Builds an Incubator. Recipient of a 2017 Whitley Awards Certificate of Commendation for Pioneering Zoology

Detailed research into marsupial behavioural ecology and modelling of past Aboriginal exploitation of terrestrial fauna has been scarce. Poor bone preservation is one limiting factor in Australian archaeological sites, but so has been the lack of research concerning the ecology and physiology of Australia’s endemic fauna. Much research has focused on marine and fresh-water shell-fish found in coastal and inland midden sites. Detailed studies into areas such as seasonality of past human occupation and nutritional returns from terrestrial prey species have not had the same attention. This chapter reviews the current level of published Australian research into two aspects of faunal studies, seasonality and nutrition. It describes the patterns from well-researched faunal data excavated from the Ice Age sites in southwest Tasmania. Concentration is on the vertebrate fauna found in seven limestone cave sites to examine any temporal changes to seasonal butchery and identify any differences between seasonally occupied sites.

This chapter highlights the Australian “tunnels of love,” one of the world's longest-lasting—and most enduringly successful—conservation interventions that allows tiny marsupials to squeeze their way through the boulders beneath busy roads as they search for mates. The chapter recounts the original tunnel that was constructed in 1986, long before there was any coherent notion of “road ecology” as a concept or any general recognition of the threats posed by traffic and transportation infrastructure. It then emphasizes how these underpasses provide a way for animals to cross roads safely in particular locations before looking at how the over-the-road variety has seen extraordinary innovations in terms of design, materials used, construction techniques, and the way in which the top of the overpass is handled. The chapter elaborates on the fauna overpasses, which are now the largest and most complex (and expensive) crossing structures, and then discusses another component of the structure of a road that has provided an enormously useful way to enhance permeability, the fundamental concept of enabling animals to move “through”—permeate—the road, a viaduct.