Observations Of The Behaviour Of Free Living Bush Rat, Rattus Fuscipes And Southern Brown Bandicoot, Isoodon Obesulus At Buried Bait Stations

2000 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 125 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Fairbridge ◽  
P Fisher ◽  
F Busana ◽  
K Pontin ◽  
A Edwards
Keyword(s):  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Red Fox ◽  
Rattus Rattus ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Food Items ◽  
Rattus Fuscipes ◽  
Common Behaviour ◽  
Wild Dog ◽  
Bait Stations

EXCAVATION and burying of food items is a common behaviour in canids (Saunders et al. 1999). In Victoria burial of poisonous meat baits (containing 1080) to a depth of 8 - 10 cm for red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and wild dog (Canis lupus spp.) control is a standard practice (Saunders et al. 1995; Bloomfield 1999) and is thought to provide some protection to non?target native species (Allen et al. 1989; Staples and McPhee 1995). However, black rats (Rattus rattus) have been recorded taking Foxoff� baits buried at a depth of 10cm (Dexter and Meek 1998) and anecdotal evidence indicates that native rodents will occasionally excavate and consume buried meat baits although the frequency of this behaviour is not known (H. Brunner pers. comm.).

Secondary poisoning of stoats (Mustela erminea) in a South Island podocarp forest, New Zealand: implications for conservation

2000 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 501 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Alterio ◽  
H. Moller
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Mus Musculus ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Important Determinant ◽  
Rattus Rattus ◽  
Trichosurus Vulpecula ◽  
Secondary Poisoning ◽  
Mustela Erminea ◽  
Potential Risks ◽  
Bait Stations

This study tested the efficacy of secondary poisoning using Talon 20 P™ (20 ppm brodifacoum) in bait stations for killing predators in a New Zealand podocarp forest. Nine of 10 resident radio-tagged stoats (Mustela erminea) were killed after poisoning operations that killed mice (Mus musculus), ship rats (Rattus rattus) and brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula). Possums were an important source of the poison, with six stoats dying 1–2 weeks after scavenging on poisoned carcasses. New male stoats rapidly invaded the poisoned areas, but few were killed because poisoned carcasses were scarce. Most resident stoats died before possums were poisoned in other New Zealand trials when Talon 20 P was hand-broadcast. Prey abundance is potentially an important determinant of efficacy of the method, so pulse baiting is likely to be more successful than press (sustained) baiting operations for controlling stoats. Use of bait stations delayed indirect poisoning of stoats, but reduced risks to non-target native species compared with hand-broadcast operations. Talon 20 P poisoning operations using bait stations could be an especially useful way of restoring New Zealand’s mainland communities of native biota because several species of predators are killed in the same operation, but potential risks to non-target native wildlife and humans should be intensively researched before the method is routinely used. This research also demonstrates the potential hazards of the new anticoagulant poisons like brodifacoum to conservation of small native predators elsewhere.

scholarly journals Transfer of cadmium from ants to ant-lions

1995 ◽  
Vol 6 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 133-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pekka Nuorteva
Keyword(s):  
Larval Development ◽  
Food Chain ◽  
Important Food ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Food Items ◽  
Parallel Difference ◽  
Ant Lion ◽  
Formica Aquilonia ◽  
Sparse Population ◽  
Harmful Effects

Ants have been found to bear exceptionally high loads of Cd and other metals, but are in general quite resistant to the toxic effects of Cd. Possible harmful effects caused to their predators by high Cd content have not been studied. Detection of a sparse population of ant-lions on a beach at Padva in Bromarv, offered the possibility to make some preliminary observations of such harmfull effects. AAS-analyses showed that free-living ant-lion larvae bear a Cd load of 4.5 ppm/dwt in young larvae, 8.5 ppm in old ones. This corresponded approximately to the level occurring in their most important food items in Padva (4.5 ppm mean for workers of Formica rufibarbis Fabricius and 6.1 ppm for foragers of F. fusca Linnaeus). The level of Cd in the single ant-lion imago caught (0.5 ppm) was clearly lower than in larvae. Among the Cdantagonistic metals, Cu showed levels in ant-lions two- or three-fold those found in ants, whereas no parallel difference existed for Zn levels. During larval development the level of the essential Cu diminished to half whereas the level of Zn increased two-fold. The fate of surplus cadmium in the food chain was followed experimentally by feeding a forest-living colony of Formica aquilonia Yarrow with 0.5 kg honey containing 600 mg CdCl2 This elevated the Cd content of surface workers up to a level1 O-f old that considered normal, 90-100 ppm (n = 4), and of the inside workers up to 5-fold, 36-61 ppm (n = 6). When surface workers were fed to ant-lion larvae ad libidum, larval Cd content rose in one week to the level of the food (87 ppm). When the feeding of ant-lion larvae was continued by feeding them inside workers for additional 4 weeks, these larvae showed a Cd level (49 ppm), similar to that of their food; then when the feeding had continued for 8 weeks, the level, however, rose to 120 ppm. All ant-lion larvae, including those with the highest Cd content, were fully active and showed no symptoms of disease. Artificial Cd-feeding had no clear effect on the Cu-levels in ants or ant-lions, but Zn responded by an increase from the natural level of 501-603 ppm to 560-1 200 ppm.

Effects of bait-station design on the uptake of baits by non-target animals during control programmes for foxes and wild dogs

2003 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alistair S. Glen ◽  
Chris R. Dickman
Keyword(s):  
Red Fox ◽  
New South ◽  
Ground Surface ◽  
Target Species ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Bait Station ◽  
Control Programmes ◽  
Substantial Risk ◽  
Bait Stations ◽  
Wild Dogs

The removal of non-toxic baits was monitored during a simulated trail-baiting programme for foxes and wild dogs in the central tablelands of New South Wales. Ninety-one buried baits were removed by a number of species including spotted-tailed quolls, Australian brush-turkeys, superb lyrebirds, small mammals, wild dogs and a red fox. Spotted-tailed quolls were significantly less likely to remove baits buried under the ground surface than baits buried in raised mounds of soil. By means of remote photography, individual quolls were identified removing 3–4 baits in one night from bait stations 400 m apart. The results of this study show that spotted-tailed quolls and other non-target species may face substantial risk of consuming baits intended for wild dogs and foxes. However, the risk of poisoning spotted-tailed quolls may be significantly reduced by appropriate planning. Recommendations are made to increase the target-specificity of baiting programmes in areas with populations of spotted-tailed quolls.

scholarly journals Seasonal and spatial shifts in feral cat predation on native seabirds vs. non-native rats on Mikura Island, Japan

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarara Azumi ◽  
Yuya Watari ◽  
Nariko Oka ◽  
Tadashi Miyashita
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Interspecific Interactions ◽  
Rattus Rattus ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Effective Control ◽  
Alternative Prey ◽  
Feral Cat ◽  
Feral Cats ◽  
Invasive Predators

Abstract Understanding how invasive predators impact native species is essential for the development of effective control strategies, especially in insular environments where alternative non-native prey species exist. We examined seasonal and spatial shifts in diet of feral cat Felis silvestris catus focusing on the predation on native streaked shearwaters, Calonectris leucomelas, and introduced rats, Rattus rattus and R. norvegicus, which are alternative prey to shearwaters, on Mikura Island, Japan. Streaked shearwaters breed at low elevations on the island from spring to autumn, whereas rats inhabit the island throughout the year, which makes them an alternative prey when native shearwaters are absent. Fecal analysis revealed that feral cats dramatically shifted their diets from introduced rats in winter to streaked shearwaters in seabird-season in low elevation areas of the island, while cats preyed on rats throughout the year at high altitudes on the island. This finding suggests that feral cats selectively prey on shearwaters. This is probably because of their large body size and less cautious behavior, and because introduced rats sustain the cat population when shearwaters are absent. The number of streaked shearwaters killed was estimated to be 313 individuals per cat per year, which represents an indication of top-down effects of feral cats on streaked shearwaters. Further studies on the demographic parameters and interspecific interactions of the three species are required to enable effective cat management for the conservation of streaked shearwaters on this island.

scholarly journals The successful eradication of introduced roof rats (Rattus rattus) from Buck Island using diphacinone, followed by an irruption of house mice (Mus musculus)

2007 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary W. Witmer ◽  
Frank Boyd ◽  
Zandy Hillis-Starr
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Mus Musculus ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Rattus Rattus ◽  
The United States ◽  
Sea Turtle ◽  
Pest Species ◽  
National Monument ◽  
Park Service ◽  
Bait Stations

The United States National Park Service and the United States Wildlife Services made a planned and sustained effort to eradicate the introduced roof rats (Rattus rattus) from Buck Island Reef National Monument in the Caribbean Sea during 1998–2000. The rats were causing substantial damage to a variety of the 80-ha island’s floral and faunal resources. An island-wide grid of elevated bait stations containing anticoagulant (0.005% diphacinone; 50 ppm) rodenticide bait blocks were used to eradicate the rats. The bait stations were modified several times to assure ready access by rats while minimising access by non-target animals, especially crabs and birds. Numerous post-project trapping sessions over six years resulted in no rat captures, suggesting that, indeed, the rats had been eradicated from the island. No non-target losses resulting from the baiting program were observed by field personnel, but they noted what appeared to be a recovery of some of the island’s floral and faunal resources. There have been no depredations of endangered sea turtle nests since the eradication. Post-project monitoring sessions revealed the presence of a growing house mouse (Mus musculus) population on the island. The threats posed by, and potential management strategies for, this introduced pest species are being investigated. This is the first successful rat eradication on a sizable island, using diphacinone bait blocks with a unique, elevated bait-station system. Diphacinone can provide an alternative to the highly toxic brodifacoum and may help reduce non-target hazards in some situations, although several applications are generally required.

The Response of Small Mammals to Clearing and Burning of Eucalypt Forest in South-eastern Australia

1979 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 151 ◽  
Author(s):  
GR Friend
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Native Forest ◽  
Pine Plantation ◽  
Eucalypt Forest ◽  
Population Turnover ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Antechinus Stuartii ◽  
Rattus Fuscipes

Before, during and after a clearing operation for pine plantation establishment, small mammals were trapped on ridges which were to be cleared of all vegetation, and in adjacent gullies which were to be permanently retained under native forest. Rattus fuscipes was the most abundant native species on all grids throughout the study, while R. lutreolus, Antechinus stuartii and A. swainsonii were in low abundance. Clearing in early summer, the breeding season in most of these species, resulted in an acceleration and accentuation of population turnover. Some juveniles and subadults may have moved from the ridges during clearing, while breeding adults remained and probably perished. Populations of R. fuscipes on ridge areas were drastically reduced by clearing and windrowing, but subadults recolonized the affected areas within 1-2 months. Results for the other three native species were inconclusive, due to the few individuals captured at any time during the study. The exotic species Mus musculus began to invade immediately following windrow burning.

scholarly journals Validation of the Danish 7-day pre-coded food diary among adults: energy intake v. energy expenditure and recording length

2009 ◽  
Vol 102 (12) ◽  
pp. 1838-1846 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anja Biltoft-Jensen ◽  
Jeppe Matthiessen ◽  
Lone B. Rasmussen ◽  
Sisse Fagt ◽  
Margit V. Groth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Intake ◽  
Energy Expenditure ◽  
Energy Intake ◽  
Group Level ◽  
Food Diary ◽  
Dietary Survey ◽  
Limits Of Agreement ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Food Items ◽  
In The Beginning

Under-reporting of energy intake (EI) is a well-known problem when measuring dietary intake in free-living populations. The present study aimed at quantifying misreporting by comparing EI estimated from the Danish pre-coded food diary against energy expenditure (EE) measured with a validated position-and-motion instrument (ActiReg®). Further, the influence of recording length on EI:BMR, percentage consumers, the number of meal occasions and recorded food items per meal was examined. A total of 138 Danish volunteers aged 20–59 years wore the ActiReg® and recorded their food intake for 7 consecutive days. Data for 2504 participants from the National Dietary Survey 2000–2 were used for comparison of characteristics and recording length. The results showed that EI was underestimated by 12 % on average compared with EE measured by ActiReg® (PreMed AS, Oslo, Norway). The 95 % limits of agreement for EI and EE were − 6·29 and 3·09 MJ/d. Of the participants, 73 % were classified as acceptable reporters, 26 % as under-reporters and 1 % as over-reporters. EI:BMR was significantly lower on 1–3 consecutive recording days compared with 4–7 recording days (P < 0·03). Percentage consumers of selected food items increased with number of recording days. When recording length was 7 d, the number of reported food items per meal differed between acceptable reporters and under-reporters. EI:BMR was the same on 4 and 7 consecutive recording days. This was, however, a result of under-reporting in the beginning and the end of the 7 d reporting. Together, the results indicate that EI was underestimated at group level and that a 7 d recording is preferable to a 4 d recording period.

scholarly journals Head-bobbing in the Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)

2016 ◽  
Vol 130 (2) ◽  
pp. 174
Author(s):  
Thomas J Lisney ◽  
Nikolaus F Troje
Keyword(s):  
Visual Perception ◽  
Significant Role ◽  
Strong Evidence ◽  
Functional Significance ◽  
Visual Detection ◽  
Food Items ◽  
Larus Delawarensis ◽  
Head Bobbing ◽  
Common Behaviour ◽  
Do So

Many birds bob their head as they walk or run on the ground. The functional significance of this behaviour is unclear, but there is strong evidence that it plays a significant role in enhancing visual perception. If head-bobbing is advantageous, however, then it is a puzzle that some birds do not head-bob. As a group, gulls (Laridae) are among the birds that reportedly do not head-bob,yet here we report head-bobbing among Ring-billed Gulls (Larus delawarensis), observed and filmed in Ontario, when walking relatively slowly while foraging on the ground. This suggests that head-bobbing plays a key role in the visual detection of food items in this species. We suggest that head-bobbing may be a relatively common behaviour in foraging Ring-billed Gulls and speculate that other gulls (and indeed other birds) previously thought not to head-bob may in fact do so under certain circumstances.

The conservation status of rodents in the monsoonal tropics of the Northern Territory

2000 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 421 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Z. Woinarski
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Historical Data ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Rattus Rattus ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
Distribution Maps ◽  
Mammal Fauna ◽  
Lack Of Information ◽  
Full Complement

The rodent fauna of the monsoonal tropics of the Northern Territory comprises 23 native species and two introduced species. Three species (Zyzomys maini, Z. palatalis and Pseudomys calabyi) are endemic to the area, and four species (Pseudomys hermannsburgensis, P. desertor, P. johnsoni and Notomys alexis) enter the area only on its southern (arid) fringe. The rodent fauna is closely related to that of the Kimberley, Western Australia. Distribution maps for all species are given. One species (Z. palatalis) has an extremely restricted range and is regarded as critically endangered. The lack of information on the distribution and abundance of rodents in general in this area is evident in the national classification of five of its species (Xeromys myoides, Mesembriomys macrurus, Notomys aquilo, Pseudomys desertor and Pseudomys johnsoni) as Insufficiently Known. The two introduced rodents (Mus domesticus and Rattus rattus) are virtually restricted to urban and highly modified areas, although R. rattus also occurs on one uninhabited island. In contrast to that of much of the rest of Australia, this rodent fauna has apparently retained its full complement of species since European colonisation. This enduring legacy is attributable largely to the relatively limited modification of its environments. However, three species (Mesembriomys macrurus, Rattus tunneyi and Conilurus penicillatus) appear to be declining. The pattern of decline in these species, and in the mammal fauna generally, is obscured by the very limited historical data. However, declines appear most pronounced in the cattle country of the Victoria River District and Gulf regions. Priorities for the management of this rodent fauna include survey of poorly known areas, survey for poorly known species, monitoring of rodent communities, and landscape-wide management of the three pervasive processes with probably greatest impacts – fire, grazing and feral predators.

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