Academic literature on the topic 'Perameles'

FOUR fossil peramelemorphians are currently recognised ? Yarala burchfieldi from Miocene deposits of Riversleigh (Muirhead and Filan 1995; Muirhead in press), Ischnodon australis from the Early to Middle Pliocene Palankarinna Fauna (Stirton 1955), Perameles allinghamensis from the Early Pliocene Bluff Downs Local Fauna (Archer 1976) and P. bowensis from the Early Pliocene Bow Local Fauna (Muirhead et al. 1997). Three of these fossil taxa are referable to modern families. Ischnodon australis represents the Thylacomyidae, while Perameles allinghamensis and P. bowensis represent the Peramelidae. Yarala burchfieldi, in contrast, represents the superfamily Yaraloidea (Muirhead in press).

12S rRNA sequences resolve the two Australian bandicoot genera Perameles and Isoodon as monophyletic clades which diverged from one another in the middle Miocene. Perameles bougainville, the most divergent species of this genus, appears to have split from the P. gunnii + P. nasuta lineage in the late Miocene, whilst subsequent speciation events occurred in the latter half of the Pliocene. Within Isoodon, although there was a clear recognition of an I. macrourus group of taxa, little support could be found for the continued recognition of the Tasmanian I. obesulus and the Barrow Island form of I. auratus as separate subspecies. Major radiations within Isoodon appear to have occurred in the last 3 million years as Australia became more arid.

European settlement has had a dramatic impact on the distribution and abundance of peramelid (bandicoot and bilby) marsupials. Predation and competition from introduced species and altered habitat have been implicated in their decline or extinction. Bandicoots and bilbies inhabit a broad range of habitats in Australia. Research on the distribution, morphology, gastrointestinal histology, lactation, metabolism and nutritional physiology of extant peramelid species has increased in the last few decades. This paper provides a review that encompasses recent nutritional-based research. Peramelid research is mostly limited to only three species – Isoodon macrourus, Perameles nasuta and Macrotis lagotis – which prevents effective comparisons between species. Peramelids are broadly classified as omnivores and possess relatively uncomplicated gastrointestinal tracts. The caecum is the region of greatest diversity among species. The relatively large caecum of Chaeropus ecaudatus supports the theory that this species may have been the only herbivorous peramelid. The caecum of M. lagotis is less pronounced than other species and is continuous with the proximal colon. M. lagotis also has a longer total colon length, which aids water conservation to ensure survival in an arid environment. Temperate-zone species such as I. macrourus, I. obesulus and P. nasuta are more similar to each other with respect to gastrointestinal morphology than either C. ecaudatus or M. lagotis. Additional research on the morphometrics of the gastrointestinal tracts of P. gunnii, P. bougainville, P. eremiana, M. leucura and I. auratus would enable further comparisons to determine whether differences are a result of geographic distribution, habitat preference or variation between genera and/or individual species. Currently, histological information of the gastrointestinal tract is limited to the small intestine of P. nasuta and I. macrourus. The histology of the small intestine of the weaned juvenile I. macrourus more closely resembles that of P. nasuta pouch young than P. nasuta adults. The younger bandicoots possessed villi whereas in the adult P. nasuta and I. macrourus villi were arranged in a zig-zag formation. The reason for the zig-zag formation of the villi and the function it may serve remains unclear. Detailed nutritional research on captive M. lagotis, I. macrourus and P. nasuta indicate that the two temperate-zone species – I. macrourus and P. nasuta – are more similar to each other than to the arid-dwelling M. lagotis. Detailed nutritional studies are required on all species, both free-living and captive. Experimental diets do not always accurately reflect a natural diet, which means that results from captive studies may not reflect the situation for free-living animals. The hindgut of peramelids is the main region for retention of digesta, and presumably where microbial digestion occurs. However, no studies have been undertaken to examine the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract of bandicoots or the bilby. As captive husbandry is an important tool in conservation management, it should also improve their successful maintenance in captivity by the provision of diets that better meet their nutritional requirements.

The metabolic, thermoregulatory and ventilatory physiology of western barred bandicoots (Perameles bougainville bougainville), measured in the laboratory during summer and winter at ambient temperatures of 10 and 30°C, is relatively unusual for a peramelid marsupial. It has a low thermoneutral body temperature (33.7 ± 0.2°C), a very high basal metabolic rate (0.68 ± 0.03 mL O2 g–1 h–1 at ambient temperature = 30°C), low respiratory exchange ratios (often less than 0.7) and a high thermal conductance, reflecting its high oxygen consumption rate and low body temperature. Ventilatory frequency and tidal volume were variable between seasons, although minute volume and oxygen extraction efficiency were not. Minute volume of the western barred bandicoot was higher than expected, reflecting its high metabolic rate. Time of year (i.e. season) had an effect on some aspects of metabolic, thermoregulatory and ventilatory physiology (carbon dioxide production, respiratory exchange ratio, total evaporative water loss), but this effect was not as substantial nor as general as the effect of ambient temperature.

Blastocysts in the Hill Collection from Trichosurus vulpecula, Pefrogale penicillata, Macropus ruficollis (= M. rufogriseus), Macropus parma, Onychogalea fraenata, Bettongia gaimardi, Perameles obesula (=lsoodon obesulus), Perameles nasuta, Dasyurus viverrinus, Didelphis aurita (=D. marsupialis) and Didelphis virginiana were examined. They ranged from incomplete unilaminar blastocysts to late bilaminar blastocysts. The mode of formation of the unilaminar blastocyst appeared to be influenced by the presence or absence of the yolk mass. A unilaminar blastocyst lined by uniform protoderm cells occurred in a wide variety of marsupials. Differentiation of the unilaminar blastocyst into embryonic and extra-embryonic areas occurred at different stages of development. In macropodids and Didelphis it was found in small blastocysts soon after blastocyst completion. In dasyurids, Perameles and some other groups it was found in larger blastocysts, at least four cell generations after blastocyst completion. The first histological signs of differentiation of the unilaminar blastocyst into embryonic and extra-embryonic areas varied between different marsupials. In Didelphis, enlarged endoderm mother cells developed from the protoderm cells of one hemisphere. The protoderm cells of this hemisphere later differentiated as embryonic ectoderm and the endoderm mother cells gave rise to the primary endoderm. In D. viverrinus, bandicoots and T. vulpecula, the protoderm cells of one hemisphere differentiated simultaneously into cuboidal embryonic ectoderm and endoderm mother cells. In P. penicillata, M. ruficollis and M. parma the protoderm cells of one hemisphere proliferated to form a multilayered embryonic area which later differentiated into embryonic ectoderm and primary endoderm.

Context Reliable information about the occurrence and distribution of threatened forest-dwelling mammals is critical for developing effective conservation plans. To optimise limited resources, advances need to be made to the toolkit available for detecting rare and cryptic fauna. Aims We trialled three bait attractants (peanut butter with oats, live mealworms and black truffle oil) in combination with infrared digital cameras to determine whether detection rates of forest-dwelling native mammals in south-eastern Australia were influenced by: (1) bait type; (2) previous visits by conspecifics; (3) previous visits by Rattus; and (4) duration of bait deployment. Methods Bait attractants were set at 40 camera stations in combination with odourless controls. Over two fortnight-long deployments, 1327 images were captured of 22 mammal and bird species. From these data, detailed statistical analyses were conducted of six mammal genera. Key results Peanut butter with oats was found to be a significantly better attractant than empty bait holders for Antechinus, Isoodon, Perameles and Rattus, but not for Potorous or Pseudocheirus. Truffle oil and mealworms were also significantly better attractants than the control for Rattus but not the other five genera. When Antechinus, Isoodon, Potorous or Rattus were detected at a bait station there was a significant likelihood they had been detected there during the previous 24 h. This was not the case for Perameles or Pseudocheirus. A prior visit by Rattus to a station had no significant influence on the detection probabilities of Antechinus, Isoodon, Perameles, Potorous and Pseudocheirus during the subsequent 24 h. Detection probabilities for Isoodon and Rattus declined significantly during the fortnight-long deployments but trends for the other genera were not significant. Conclusions Peanut butter with oats is an excellent general purpose bait for detecting small to medium-sized mammals. However, scope exists for using other baits to target species. For example, truffle oil baits may reduce by-catch of non-target Rattus in labour intensive cage trapping of bandicoots. Regardless of bait type, longer deployments are necessary to detect Perameles, Potorous or Pseudocheirus than Antechinus, Isoodon or Rattus. Implications Targeted detection of predominantly ground-dwelling mammals may be improved by better understanding the attraction of species to baits and required bait deployment times.

On the Australian mainland, the eastern barred bandicoot is now restricted to the city of Hamilton in western Victoria. Mark-recapture data from four main population areas, used in a Petersen index, gave a population estimate of about 134 individuals in 1988. When areas not sampled for population abundance were included, the total estimate of abundance for Hamilton was 246 individuals. Sex ratio was significantly male-biased for adults (68%), whereas the sex ratio for pouch young was about equal (45% male). The subadult age class constituted 8.2% of the captures, and accounted for only 10% of the total number of pouch young produced. Mean litter size was 2.11. The number of lactating females and the litter size were greatest during early spring. Eighty per cent of the offspring were produced in litters of 2 or 3. Nests were observed in various substrates, including man-made structures. Selected foraging areas had few native grasses, high ground cover, tall plant height and acid soils of low to medium compaction. Bandicoots were observed feeding on invertebrates, with some orchard fruits also being eaten. Foraging patches were actively defended. Adult home ranges of males (mean 12.94 ha) were larger than those of females (mean 2.38 ha). No female moved more than 150 m whereas males moved up to 2.3 km from their initial point of capture. The major cause of adult mortality observed was road kills. Life-expectancy is probably less than 2 years. Juvenile mortality was high.

The nematode genus Labiobulura Skrjabin & Schikhobalova, presently known from bandicoots (Isoodon Desmarest and Perameles Geoffroy), and bilbies (Macrotis Reid) from Australia and rodents (Leptomys Thomas) from Papua New Guinea is revised. Diagnoses of Labiobulura, Labiobulura (Archeobulura) Quentin and Labiobulura (Labiobulura) Quentin and a key to all species of the genus are given. Five species are redescribed: L. (A.) leptomyidis Smales from L. paulus Musser, Helgen & Lunde, L. (A.) peragale Johnston & Mawson from M. leucura (Thomas), L. (L.) baylisi Mawson from I. macrourus (Gould) and P. nasuta Geoffroy, L. (L.) inglisi Mawson from I. obesulus (Shaw), P. bougainville Quoy & Gaimard and P. gunnii Gray, L. (L.) peramelis Baylis from I. macrourus and two are described as new: L. (A.) perditus from P. bougainville, L. (L.) quentini from I. obesulus and the identification of the hosts determined. The significance of the relationship between the placement of the amphids and cephalic papillae and the labial lobes is discussed and the denticles surrounding the mouth opening in the sub genus Labiobulura are described, both for the first time. There is evidence for host specificity in the Archeobulura with each parasite species limited to a single host species but less so for the Labiobulura with three of five species found in more than one host species.

Almost half of the world's mammal extinctions in the last two hundred years have occurred in Australia (Short and Smith 1994). The western barred bandicoot Perameles bougainville is one of a suite of species that is currently threatened with extinction, surviving only on two islands in Shark Bay, Western Australia. Reintroduction has been used as a tool in conservation biology to assist in the recovery of threatened species, such as the western barred bandicoot. The aims of this project were to 1) successfully reintroduce and establish a free-ranging mainland population of the western barred bandicoot at Heirisson Prong, Shark Bay, 2) contribute information on the biology of the species, its interactions with introduced species, and its likelihood of persistence as a reintroduced population in the longer-term, and 3) to provide recommendations to assist future reintroductions of the species. The first reintroduction of the western barred bandicoot from surviving remnant island populations to the mainland, some 60 years after its apparent mainland extinction, was from Dorre Island to Heirisson Prong in 1995. Animals were translocated initially to a predator-free refuge on Heirisson Prong, and then subsequently released to the 12 km2 peninsula where introduced predators (foxes Vulpes vulpes and feral cats Felis catus) had been controlled, but European rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus had not. Despite a small founder number and high mortality of free-range bandicoots in the presence of a low-density feral cat population, the bandicoot population successfully established. The reintroduced population of western barred bandicoots provided an opportunity to study the biology of the species, and to compare it with the remnant island populations and other species of Australian bandicoot. Many population parameters were similar between the island and mainland western barred bandicoot populations, as well as between the western barred bandicoot and other bandicoot species, suggesting that the habitat at the reintroduction site is suitable for long-term persistence of the population. However, there were some notable differences. The western barred bandicoot is the smallest extant species of bandicoot, with fewer young per litter than recorded for other bandicoot species, adult sex ratios were closer to parity, animals reached sexual maturity later, and it is the only species of bandicoot where females are larger than males. Home range size is larger also than recorded for other species. Some of these differences may be explained in part by trade-offs between island dwarfism, lactational pressures, and nest defence. The nesting biology of the western barred bandicoot was studied at Heirisson Prong, including during periods of high and low densities of rabbits. Individuals of the species constructed and utilised nests in a similar fashion to other species of Australian bandicoot, nesting amongst litter underneath shrubs. The western barred bandicoot appeared to favour particular shrub species, especially when vegetation condition was poor due to rabbit damage, but displayed flexibility in being able to construct nests under a variety of shrub species where at least some surface litter was present. Grasses were used in nest construction only when rabbit density was low. Nests appear important for protection against temperature extremes and diurnal predators. Vegetation exclosures around three of the shrub species most commonly used by the western barred bandicoot for nest sites (Acacia ligulata, A. tetragonophylla and Melaleuca cardiophylla) were used to examine the impact of rabbits on vegetation on Heirisson Prong. A high-density rabbit population over the summer of 1997/98 caused in a decrease in canopy cover and the death of mature A. ligulata. Subsequent rainfall and low-density rabbit populations allowed A. tetragonophylla shrubs to recover their former structure, and M. cardiophylla to recover, but not to the same degree. The flexibility of western barred bandicoots in use of nest materials and their omnivorous diet may enable the species to survive in the face of habitat modification by rabbits. Population viability analysis was used to examine future options for the recovery of the endangered western barred bandicoot. Biological data from the Dorre Island and Heirisson Prong populations were input to the computer simulation program VORTEX. The western barred bandicoot populations were modelled under a variety of scenarios to examine the possible effects of changes in carrying capacity, founder population size, inbreeding depression, and the occurrence of drought and cat predation as catastrophes, on the probability of population extinction. This analysis highlighted the need for eradication of feral cats, above all other management actions. Cat predation was particularly potent when it acted through high loss of juveniles, as well as adult bandicoots. Predator control is considered critical for the long-term persistence of reintroduced populations of the western barred bandicoot. This study documents the first reintroduction of the endangered western barred bandicoot to mainland Australia. The population had been extant for four years at the completion of data collection for this thesis, in late 1999 and for over eight years at the finalisation of this thesis in July 2004. The knowledge gained from the reintroduction was used to discuss management recommendations and future options for the recovery of the species. The primary concern for reintroductions of this, and other species of bandicoots, remains the control of introduced predators. For long-term persistence of small, isolated populations, such as those of the western barred bandicoot at Heirisson Prong and the Arid Recovery Project at Roxby Downs in South Australia, and the eastern barred bandicoot Perameles gunnii at a range of sites in Victoria, the complete eradication of introduced predators is essential.

Conservation efforts to prevent the extinction of the endangered western barred bandicoot Perameles bougainville (WBB) are currently hindered by a debilitating progressive papillomatosis and carcinomatosis syndrome. Now extinct on mainland Australia, wild populations of the WBB are known only to exist on Bernier and Dorre Islands in Shark Bay, Western Australia. This thesis describes and analyses the pathological (gross, histological, ultrastructural) and immunohistochemical features of a papillomatosis and carcinomatosis syndrome in the WBB. The detection and characterisation of a novel virus, the bandicoot papillomatosis carcinomatosis virus type 1 (BPCV1), found in association with cutaneous and muco-cutaneous papillomas and carcinomas, is described. BPCV1 was found to exhibit genomic and morphological features of both the Papillomaviridae and the Polyomaviridae, and may represent the first member of a new family of viruses. The findings of this study provide evidence that BPCV1 is the causative agent of the papillomatosis and carcinomatosis syndrome. Clinical, pathological and molecular evidence of the syndrome and BPCV1 were found in the Bernier Island WBB population at Red Cliff and in captive populations comprising all or a proportion of founder WBBs from this site, but not at all in the WBB population on Dorre Island or Heirisson Prong. The papillomatosis and carcinomatosis syndrome in the western barred bandicoot is a pertinent example of a disease process hampering efforts to prevent the extinction of an endangered species.

Conservation efforts to prevent the extinction of the endangered western barred bandicoot Perameles bougainville (WBB) are currently hindered by a debilitating progressive papillomatosis and carcinomatosis syndrome. Now extinct on mainland Australia, wild populations of the WBB are known only to exist on Bernier and Dorre Islands in Shark Bay, Western Australia. This thesis describes and analyses the pathological (gross, histological, ultrastructural) and immunohistochemical features of a papillomatosis and carcinomatosis syndrome in the WBB. The detection and characterisation of a novel virus, the bandicoot papillomatosis carcinomatosis virus type 1 (BPCV1), found in association with cutaneous and muco-cutaneous papillomas and carcinomas, is described. BPCV1 was found to exhibit genomic and morphological features of both the Papillomaviridae and the Polyomaviridae, and may represent the first member of a new family of viruses. The findings of this study provide evidence that BPCV1 is the causative agent of the papillomatosis and carcinomatosis syndrome. Clinical, pathological and molecular evidence of the syndrome and BPCV1 were found in the Bernier Island WBB population at Red Cliff and in captive populations comprising all or a proportion of founder WBBs from this site, but not at all in the WBB population on Dorre Island or Heirisson Prong. The papillomatosis and carcinomatosis syndrome in the western barred bandicoot is a pertinent example of a disease process hampering efforts to prevent the extinction of an endangered species.

Conservation efforts to prevent the extinction of the endangered western barred bandicoot Perameles bougainville (WBB) are currently hindered by a debilitating progressive papillomatosis and carcinomatosis syndrome. Now extinct on mainland Australia, wild populations of the WBB are known only to exist on Bernier and Dorre Islands in Shark Bay, Western Australia. This thesis describes and analyses the pathological (gross, histological, ultrastructural) and immunohistochemical features of a papillomatosis and carcinomatosis syndrome in the WBB. The detection and characterisation of a novel virus, the bandicoot papillomatosis carcinomatosis virus type 1 (BPCV1), found in association with cutaneous and muco-cutaneous papillomas and carcinomas, is described. BPCV1 was found to exhibit genomic and morphological features of both the Papillomaviridae and the Polyomaviridae, and may represent the first member of a new family of viruses. The findings of this study provide evidence that BPCV1 is the causative agent of the papillomatosis and carcinomatosis syndrome. Clinical, pathological and molecular evidence of the syndrome and BPCV1 were found in the Bernier Island WBB population at Red Cliff and in captive populations comprising all or a proportion of founder WBBs from this site, but not at all in the WBB population on Dorre Island or Heirisson Prong. The papillomatosis and carcinomatosis syndrome in the western barred bandicoot is a pertinent example of a disease process hampering efforts to prevent the extinction of an endangered species.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Sydney, 2005.
Title from title screen (viewed 19 May 2008). Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the Faculty of Science. Degree awarded 2005; thesis submitted 2004. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print form.

Almost half of the world�s mammal extinctions in the last two hundred years have occurred in Australia (Short and Smith 1994). The western barred bandicoot Perameles bougainville is one of a suite of species that is currently threatened with extinction, surviving only on two islands in Shark Bay, Western Australia. Reintroduction has been used as a tool in conservation biology to assist in the recovery of threatened species, such as the western barred bandicoot. The aims of this project were to 1) successfully reintroduce and establish a free-ranging mainland population of the western barred bandicoot at Heirisson Prong, Shark Bay, 2) contribute information on the biology of the species, its interactions with introduced species, and its likelihood of persistence as a reintroduced population in the longer-term, and 3) to provide recommendations to assist future reintroductions of the species. The first reintroduction of the western barred bandicoot from surviving remnant island populations to the mainland, some 60 years after its apparent mainland extinction, was from Dorre Island to Heirisson Prong in 1995. Animals were translocated initially to a predator-free refuge on Heirisson Prong, and then subsequently released to the 12 km2 peninsula where introduced predators (foxes Vulpes vulpes and feral cats Felis catus) had been controlled, but European rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus had not. Despite a small founder number and high mortality of free-range bandicoots in the presence of a low-density feral cat population, the bandicoot population successfully established. The reintroduced population of western barred bandicoots provided an opportunity to study the biology of the species, and to compare it with the remnant island populations and other species of Australian bandicoot. Many population parameters were similar between the island and mainland western barred bandicoot populations, as well as between the western barred bandicoot and other bandicoot species, suggesting that the habitat at the reintroduction site is suitable for long-term persistence of the population. However, there were some notable differences. The western barred bandicoot is the smallest extant species of bandicoot, with fewer young per litter than recorded for other bandicoot species, adult sex ratios were closer to parity, animals reached sexual maturity later, and it is the only species of bandicoot where females are larger than males. Home range size is larger also than recorded for other species. Some of these differences may be explained in part by trade-offs between island dwarfism, lactational pressures, and nest defence. The nesting biology of the western barred bandicoot was studied at Heirisson Prong, including during periods of high and low densities of rabbits. Individuals of the species constructed and utilised nests in a similar fashion to other species of Australian bandicoot, nesting amongst litter underneath shrubs. The western barred bandicoot appeared to favour particular shrub species, especially when vegetation condition was poor due to rabbit damage, but displayed flexibility in being able to construct nests under a variety of shrub species where at least some surface litter was present. Grasses were used in nest construction only when rabbit density was low. Nests appear important for protection against temperature extremes and diurnal predators. Vegetation exclosures around three of the shrub species most commonly used by the western barred bandicoot for nest sites (Acacia ligulata, A. tetragonophylla and Melaleuca cardiophylla) were used to examine the impact of rabbits on vegetation on Heirisson Prong. A high-density rabbit population over the summer of 1997/98 caused in a decrease in canopy cover and the death of mature A. ligulata. Subsequent rainfall and low-density rabbit populations allowed A. tetragonophylla shrubs to recover their former structure, and M. cardiophylla to recover, but not to the same degree. The flexibility of western barred bandicoots in use of nest materials and their omnivorous diet may enable the species to survive in the face of habitat modification by rabbits. Population viability analysis was used to examine future options for the recovery of the endangered western barred bandicoot. Biological data from the Dorre Island and Heirisson Prong populations were input to the computer simulation program VORTEX. The western barred bandicoot populations were modelled under a variety of scenarios to examine the possible effects of changes in carrying capacity, founder population size, inbreeding depression, and the occurrence of drought and cat predation as catastrophes, on the probability of population extinction. This analysis highlighted the need for eradication of feral cats, above all other management actions. Cat predation was particularly potent when it acted through high loss of juveniles, as well as adult bandicoots. Predator control is considered critical for the long-term persistence of reintroduced populations of the western barred bandicoot. This study documents the first reintroduction of the endangered western barred bandicoot to mainland Australia. The population had been extant for four years at the completion of data collection for this thesis, in late 1999 and for over eight years at the finalisation of this thesis in July 2004. The knowledge gained from the reintroduction was used to discuss management recommendations and future options for the recovery of the species. The primary concern for reintroductions of this, and other species of bandicoots, remains the control of introduced predators. For long-term persistence of small, isolated populations, such as those of the western barred bandicoot at Heirisson Prong and the Arid Recovery Project at Roxby Downs in South Australia, and the eastern barred bandicoot Perameles gunnii at a range of sites in Victoria, the complete eradication of introduced predators is essential.

For more than a decade, community groups, scientific organizations and government agencies have collaborated to repopulate the endangered western barred bandicoot (Perameles bougainville). While initially successful, the unexpected discovery of a papillomatosis and carcinomatosis syndrome in captive and wild populations of P. bougainville exposed a dearth of knowledge regarding their diseases. This dissertation addresses this issue through study of the clinical pathology, immunology, parasitology, and virology of P. bougainville. To facilitate the detection and understanding of diseases in P. bougainville, guidelines for interpreting haematology and clinical chemistry results were developed, including calculated species-specific reference intervals for plasma aspartate transaminase activity (20–283 U/L), haemoglobin (122-165 g/L), haematocrit (0.36-0.49 L/L), total leukocytes (2.9-14.9 x10^9/L), monocytes (0-0.6 x10^9/L), eosinophils (0-0.9 x10^9/L) and total protein (47-63 g/L) estimated by refractometry. P. bougainville immunoglobulin was also fractionated from plasma and inoculated into sheep to derive antiserum for serological screening assays. Arthropods, helminths and protozoa parasitic on P. bougainville were catalogued and Eimeria kanyana n. sp. was formally described. The pathogenic and zoonotic potential of bacteria detected in ticks parasitic on P. bougainville was also considered. The association between bandicoot papillomatosis carcinomatosis virus type 1 (BPCV1) and the western barred bandicoot papillomatosis and carcinomatosis syndrome was investigated using PCR, in situ hybridization and virus isolation. Optimized in situ hybridization techniques demonstrated BPCV1 DNA within keratinocyte and sebocyte nuclei, and BPCV1 mRNA within the cytoplasm. BPCV1 virions were isolated by ultracentrifugation and visualized with negative stain transmission electron microscopy revealing icosahedral, non-enveloped viral capsids ~47 nm in diameter, comparable to viruses classified within Papillomaviridae and Polyomaviridae. A novel virus, tentatively named bandicoot papillomatosis carcinomatosis virus type 2 (BPCV2) was discovered in papillomatous lesions from a southern brown bandicoot (Isoodon obesulus). It had a circular double-stranded DNA genome of 7277 bp, and encoded two papillomavirus-like structural proteins, L1 and L2, and two polyomavirus-like putative transforming proteins, large T antigen and small t antigen. DNA and RNA in situ hybridization confirmed the presence of BPCV2 nucleic acids within lesion biopsies. The discovery of the bandicoot papillomatosis carcinomatosis viruses has provoked reassessment of the established virus taxonomy paradigm, theories of virus-host co-speciation and bandicoot population management strategies.

In this study, the changes of the milk components (protein, carbohydrate, lipids and total solids) were investigated during part of the lactation period of the P. gunnii (4 to 8 weeks) and compared with other marsupial species and with Wombaroo® milk formula. It was found that protein increased during early, mid and late stage of lactation (4.5, 10.2, 12units) lipid (3.1, 8.4, 17.4units) and total solids (28, 36, 54units!), while carbohydrate although increased by the mid stage of lactation (from 2 to 5.5 g 100 m1: 1 ) by the end of lactation dropped to almost initial levels (2.5 g 100 m1: 1 ). The highest value of the energy contents reached 8.86 ± 1.037 KJ mL-1at the end of lactation. The pattern of growth of the pouch young was observed and the changes of the metabolic rate at two different ambient temperatures (25 and 35°C). The onset of endothermy occurred at 7 weeks while at 8 weeks the metabolic rate increased but by 9 weeks had dropped to almost adult levels (0.58 mL g -1h-1 ). The body mass of the young bandicoot increased sigmoidally from 14.84 ± 1.49 g (4weeks) to 120.54 ± 9.67 g (8 weeks), the head length from 31.82 ± 1.36 mm to 60.81 ± 2.16 mm, the tail from 17.4 ± 1.37 mm to 51.45 ± 3.34 mm and the foot length from 18.05 ± 1.82 mm to 53.2 ± 0.8 mm respectively. The fur of P.gunnii was first seen at the age of 6 weeks, while at 8 weeks it was well developed. Measurements of the metabolic rate and of the thermal conductance (TC) of adult P. gunnii were measured at different ambient temperatures. We observed that the thermoneutral zone (TNZ) of the P. gunnii lay between 25 and 30°C. The change in metabolic rate before and after warm (25°C) and cold acclimation (5°C) was observed. Cold acclimated animals increased their metabolic rate, while warm acclimatised animals decreased significantly their metabolic rate (P = 0.03). Norepinephrine (NE) had a significant affect before and after cold acclimation at 25 and 5°C and before (P = 0.03), but not after warm acclimation (P = 0.06). Additionally, electromyography (EMG) measurements showed a reduction of shivering after cold acclimation (P = 0.04). NE had a significant affect on what! before (P = 0.003) but not after cold acclimation (P = 0.08). On the other hand NE did not reduce significantly shivering at 25°C before or after cold acclimation (P = 0.22, P = 0.25).

This chapter examines the idea of animals having humane jobs. The concept of humane jobs has been proposed primarily to help conceptualize and propel good work for people which also benefits animals. Here the focus expands to interrogate whether animals can be engaged in what could be considered humane jobs and what that would involve. By building in particular on feminist political economy and care ethics, as well as the front-line efforts of people who work with animals, the chapter elucidates key preconditions and perameters for certain animals to have humane jobs, including important inclusions and exclusions. Moreover, it argues that humane jobs are not sufficient on their own, but rather that we also ought to be emphasizing animals’ work-lives. This means understanding animals not only as workers but as whole beings, and taking seriously their lives, relationships, and experiences, before and after work, on a daily basis, and over their lifetimes. The chapter is thus both inductive and generative, and offers a constellation of ethical and conceptual considerations, intended to drive further research, foster nuanced and contextualized analysis, and help inspire tangible changes in thought and political action.