A morphometric study of the gastrointestinal tract of the common brushtail possum in southern New Zealand.

2005 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 61 ◽  
Author(s):  
A McDowell ◽  
BJ McLeod ◽  
EG Thompson ◽  
IG Tucker
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Diet Quality ◽  
Mucosal Surface ◽  
Morphometric Study ◽  
Brushtail Possum ◽  
Gi Tract ◽  
Average Mass ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
The Common ◽  
Common Brushtail Possum

The length and mass of sections of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is reported for common brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) captured in the Otago region of New Zealand (n = 41). The pH of digesta (n = 12) and of the mucosal surface was also determined for specific sections of the GI tract of fed (n = 5) and fasted (n = 5) animals. Inter-animal variability in some morphometric characteristics was influenced by gender, live body mass, fur colour and time spent in captivity. Feeding significantly reduced the pH of the mucosal surface in the caecum only. GI tract morphology of T. vulpecula from southern New Zealand differs from that reported for Australian specimens, with average mass of the caecum in individuals from Otago being less than that of Australian specimens. Such differences in GI tract morphology may be due to improved diet quality in New Zealand compared with Australia.

Cholecalciferol Toxicity and Its Enhancement by Calcium Carbonate in the Common Brushtail Possum.

1995 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 579 ◽  
Author(s):  
SE Jolly ◽  
RJ Henderson ◽  
C Frampton ◽  
CT Eason
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Calcium Carbonate ◽  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Brushtail Possum ◽  
Trichosurus Vulpecula ◽  
Toxic Material ◽  
Introduced Pest ◽  
The Common ◽  
Common Brushtail Possum ◽  
The Cost

The common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula), an introduced pest in New Zealand, is susceptible to cholecalciferol (vitamin D3), which is marketed as a rodenticide in many countries. To evaluate cholecalciferol for possum control we offered 242 caged adult possums cereal pellets containing cholecalciferol on its own or with calcium carbonate. Mortality was recorded for two weeks after presentation. For cholecalciferol on its own the LD50 was 16.8 mg kg-1 (95% confidence interval 11.6-21.9 mg kg-1), but the addition of calcium carbonate reduced this to 9.8 mg kg-1 (95% confidence interval 7.0-12.7 mg kg-1). When the sexes were analysed separately, the reduction of the LDS0 by the addition of calcium carbonate was significant only in females. The addition of calcium carbonate appeared to result in a more predictable outcome as shown by the reduced confidence intervals. For possum control, adding calcium carbonate to cholecalciferol bait would improve the bait's efficacy, decrease the amount of toxic material needed, and reduce the cost of bait production.

scholarly journals Application of pharmaceutical drug delivery for biological control of the common brushtail possum in New Zealand: a review

2006 ◽  
Vol 33 (8) ◽  
pp. 679 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. McDowell ◽  
B. J. McLeod ◽  
T. Rades ◽  
I. G. Tucker
Keyword(s):  
Drug Delivery ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Delivery Systems ◽  
Biocontrol Agents ◽  
Brushtail Possum ◽  
Effective Strategies ◽  
Economic Threat ◽  
The Common ◽  
Common Brushtail Possum ◽  
Efficacious Drug

The common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) is the most significant vertebrate pest in New Zealand, being a major ecological threat to the indigenous biodiversity and an economic threat as a vector for bovine tuberculosis. Novel and effective strategies to reduce the population of T. vulpecula are needed urgently. Several biocontrol agents are currently being assessed and from research to date it is likely that the biocontrol agents will be peptide or protein molecules. It is not possible to administer such biocontrol agents alone because they would be degraded rapidly in the animal, especially if delivered orally. Technologies used in the pharmaceutical industry to design efficacious drug-delivery systems for humans and animals can be applied to the design of delivery systems for biocontrol agents used in wildlife management, although there are some unique challenges that must be overcome.

Possums: The Brushtails, Ringtails and Greater Glider. Anne Kerle. A Review by Joanne L Isaac.

2002 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 249
Author(s):  
JL Isaac
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Research Effort ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Reproductive Physiology ◽  
Brushtail Possum ◽  
Ecological Data ◽  
Introduced Pest ◽  
The Common ◽  
Common Brushtail Possum ◽  
Ubiquitous Presence

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.

Variability in the seasonality of breeding by the common brushtail possum, Trichosurus vulpecula: its possible causes and management implications

2014 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phil Cowan
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Secondary Compounds ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Brushtail Possum ◽  
Trichosurus Vulpecula ◽  
Plant Secondary Compounds ◽  
Food Quantity ◽  
Introduced Range ◽  
The Common ◽  
Common Brushtail Possum

Across its native range in Australia and its introduced range in New Zealand the common brushtail possum, Trichosurus vulpecula, demonstrates significant flexibility in reproduction from breeding once a year in autumn, breeding in both autumn and spring, or breeding year round. Understanding variation in the seasonality of breeding has relevance to the management of possum populations for both management as a pest and their conservation. The success of possums as a colonising species in New Zealand has been attributed in part to their flexible breeding behaviour. Review of available evidence suggests that photoperiod and food quantity/quality influence the variation in seasonality of breeding and their effects are modulated by interactions with factors such as density, body weight and, possibly, genetics and plant secondary compounds. Future research is suggested to tease apart the relative contributions of these various factors to the observed variation.

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