The behavioural ecology of dingoes in north-western Australia. II. Activity patterns, breeding season and pup rearing

1992 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 519 ◽  
Author(s):  
PC Thomson
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Scent Marking ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Night Time ◽  
Mating Period ◽  
Long Term Study ◽  
Radio Contact ◽  
North Western

This paper reports aspects of a long-term study (1975-84) of the ecology, social organisation and behaviour of dingoes, Canis familiaris dingo, on the lower Fortescue River in Western Australia. In all, 170 dingoes were fitted with radio-collars and tracked from aircraft. Dingoes were sighted during 59% of the 13 618 occasions that they were being radio-tracked during the day. Radio-tracking yielded 31 229 daytime and 3016 night-time locations of radio-collared dingoes. The average duration of radio contact with 146 dingoes was 9 months (range 1-35 months). Dingoes were most active around sunrise and sunset, moderately active during the night, and least active during the heat of the day. Travelling (local meandering and more purposeful movement) was the most commonly witnessed activity. Levels of scent-marking (raised-leg urination and ground-scratching), howling and general activity increased over the 2-3 months prior to the mating period, suggesting that dingoes may have a long pro-oestrus (1-2 months). Whelping took place from mid-May to mid-August (mean date 18 July). The characteristics of natal dens are described. The pattern of activities associated with pup-rearing, including alloparental behaviour, closely followed that of related canids.

Predicting the ecological impact of cane toads (Bufo marinus) on threatened camaenid land snails in north-western Australia

2009 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 533 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Pearson ◽  
Matthew Greenlees ◽  
Georgia Ward-Fear ◽  
Richard Shine
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Ecological Impact ◽  
Bufo Marinus ◽  
Land Snails ◽  
Field Surveys ◽  
Habitat Overlap ◽  
Litoria Caerulea ◽  
North Western

The spread of cane toads (Bufo marinus) through north-western Australia may threaten populations of endemic camaenid land snails because these snails exhibit restricted geographic distributions, low vagility and ‘slow’ life-histories. We conducted laboratory trials to determine whether toads would consume camaenids if they encountered them, and conducted field surveys to evaluate the likelihood of such encounters (on the basis of habitat overlap). In laboratory trials with 13 camaenid species, cane toads were more likely to consume camaenids than were two species of native frogs that we tested (Cyclorana australis, Litoria caerulea). However, field surveys suggested that many camaenids are active on vertical surfaces in limestone outcrops, and cane toads rarely venture into these habitats. Although the preferred habitats and activity patterns of camaenids thus reduce their vulnerability to cane toads, we recommend regular surveys of toad and snail numbers to monitor toad impacts. Given the restricted distributions of threatened saxicoline camaenid species in the Kimberley, localised management of grazing stock and fire is feasible to maintain vine-thicket vegetation cover and snail populations, as well as reducing open habitats favoured by toads.

The behavioural ecology of dingoes in north-western Australia. IV. Social and spatial organistaion, and movements

1992 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 543 ◽  
Author(s):  
PC Thomson
Keyword(s):  
Territory Size ◽  
Large Prey ◽  
Seasonal Influence ◽  
Night Time ◽  
Variable Size ◽  
Buffer Zones ◽  
Pack Size ◽  
Control Work ◽  
North Western

Dingoes, Canis familiaris dingo, were studied on the lower Fortescue River during a period when minimal natural or artificial disturbances occurred. From 1975 to 1978, 34 radio-collared dingoes were tracked and observed from aircraft for 2-36 months (mean 11 months). Tracking yielded 9179 daytime and 2229 night-time locations. In all, 25% of dingoes sighted were alone, 21% were in pairs, and 54% were in groups of three or more. Most dingoes were members of five discrete packs (mean monthly pack size 3-12 members) that occupied long-term essentially non-overlapping territories. Territory size (44.5-113.2km*2) was not correlated with pack size. Between-pack encounters were extremely rare. Members of packs were most often seen in smaller groups of variable size (mean 2.2, range 1-12); the largest observed groups of pack members were associated with feeding and hunting activities involving large prey. Dingoes were most gregarious during the prebreeding season. Lone dingoes (n = 3) displayed no pack affiliations, occupied large ranges that overlapped the mosaic of pack territories, and avoided encounters with packs. Dingoes utilised some habitats more heavily than others, with activity often being centred on riverine areas. The greatest seasonal influence on movement patterns occurred during the nursing period when breeding females were mostly confined to den areas. Implications for the control of dingoes, including the strategy of confining control work to buffer zones, are discussed.

scholarly journals Chronotype variation drives night-time sentinel-like behaviour in hunter–gatherers

2017 ◽  
Vol 284 (1858) ◽  
pp. 20170967 ◽  
Author(s):  
David R. Samson ◽  
Alyssa N. Crittenden ◽  
Ibrahim A. Mabulla ◽  
Audax Z. P. Mabulla ◽  
Charles L. Nunn
Keyword(s):  
Natural Selection ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Group Living ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Age Classes ◽  
Night Time ◽  
Hunter Gatherers ◽  
The Past ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Mixed Age

Sleep is essential for survival, yet it also represents a time of extreme vulnerability to predation, hostile conspecifics and environmental dangers. To reduce the risks of sleeping, the sentinel hypothesis proposes that group-living animals share the task of vigilance during sleep, with some individuals sleeping while others are awake. To investigate sentinel-like behaviour in sleeping humans, we investigated activity patterns at night among Hadza hunter–gatherers of Tanzania. Using actigraphy, we discovered that all subjects were simultaneously scored as asleep for only 18 min in total over 20 days of observation, with a median of eight individuals awake throughout the night-time period; thus, one or more individuals was awake (or in light stages of sleep) during 99.8% of sampled epochs between when the first person went to sleep and the last person awoke. We show that this asynchrony in activity levels is produced by chronotype variation, and that chronotype covaries with age. Thus, asynchronous periods of wakefulness provide an opportunity for vigilance when sleeping in groups. We propose that throughout human evolution, sleeping groups composed of mixed age classes provided a form of vigilance. Chronotype variation and human sleep architecture (including nocturnal awakenings) in modern populations may therefore represent a legacy of natural selection acting in the past to reduce the dangers of sleep.

scholarly journals A long-term study of a snake community in north-western Tuscany (central Italy): population structure and density patterns

Herpetozoa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 32 ◽  
pp. 101-107
Author(s):  
Federico Storniolo ◽  
Sacha Menichelli ◽  
Marco A.L. Zuffi
Keyword(s):  
Western Europe ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Density Estimates ◽  
Snake Species ◽  
Long Term Study ◽  
Term Monitoring ◽  
North Western ◽  
Average Body

We analysed a snake species community of a Mediterranean 0.2 ha ecotonal area during a 21 year time span, monitoring two colubrid and one viperid snake species. We carried out analyses in seven years (1997, 1999, 2002, 2004–2005, 2016–2017) that had similar sampling efforts and, in the last two years of short-term monitoring, we applied a recently proposed monitoring protocol of the Italian Environment Ministry. In total, we captured 172 distinct individuals, 61 whip snakes (Hierophisviridiflavus), 26 barred grass snakes (Natrixhelvetica) and 85 asp vipers (Viperaaspis). Regarding the long-term monitoring period, whip snakes were captured on average about nine times per year, grass snakes were captured four times per year and asp vipers were found 12 times per year. Captures decreased in whip snakes, while increased in grass snakes and remained constant in asp vipers. In 2016 and 2017, we captured 10 whip snakes, 19 grass snakes and 31 asp vipers. Density estimates of snake species (0.5 H.viridiflavus/ha, 0.3 N.helvetica/ha and 0.7 V.aspis/ha) differ, to a certain extent, from published results for some other areas of central, northern and western Europe, perhaps depending on the approach applied for habitat suitability estimation. The average body size between two years differed neither for whip snakes nor for grass snakes, but it decreased significantly in asp vipers.

The Effectiveness of Aerial Baiting for the Control of Dingoes in North-Western Australia

1986 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 165 ◽  
Author(s):  
PC Thomson
Keyword(s):  
Social Status ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Control Technique ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
The West ◽  
Fresh Meat ◽  
North Western

Radiotracking was used to evaluate the effectiveness of aerial baiting in controlling populations of wild dingoes, Canisfamiliaris dingo. Four baitings were carried out in the West Pilbara region of Western Australia, using fresh-meat baits or factory-produced baits, poisoned with compound 1080. In one trial fresh-meat baits killed all 18 radio-collared dingoes; in another, factory baits killed 63% of radio-collared dingoes; in a third, 62% were killed by factory and fresh-meat baits. The factors considered to be most important in influencing the results of these trials included the number and distribution of baits dropped, bait type, and the age and social status of dingoes. Aerial baiting was shown to be an efficient and cost-effective dingo control technique under the conditions existing during the study. The long-term effects on the dingo population are discussed.

Patterns of Pesticide Usage by Cereal Crop Farmers in Western Australia

1989 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 242-248
Author(s):  
JT Spickett ◽  
PJ Dolin ◽  
MR Phillips ◽  
CJM Priestley
Keyword(s):  
Health Effects ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Cereal Crop ◽  
Term Study ◽  
Farming Community ◽  
Long Term Study ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Pesticide Usage

In Western Australia there has been an increase in the use of herbicides in recent years due to a change in farming practices. This change, together with more general public concern over exposure to chemicals, has resulted in farmers expressing concern over the possible long term health effects from exposure to herbicides. As part of a long term study of the possible health effects from such exposure, a survey was carried out to establish the extent of pesticide use within the cereal farming community of Western Australia. Of the 9, 408 properties surveyed, 2, 921 responses were received which represents a 32.2% response rate. The results indicate that a wide range of chemicals are used as insecticides, fumigants, seed dressings, seed pickles, herbicides, and rodent poisons. At the time of the survey in 1985, products containing prespruf and 1, 1, 1-trichloro-2, 2-bis (p-chlorophenyl)ethane (DDT) were the most popular insecticide, and products containing diquat, diclofop-methyl, chlorsulfuron and glyphosate as activeingredients represented the four most popular herbicides.

Dingoes in North-Western Australia.

1992 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 509 ◽  
Author(s):  
PC Thomson ◽  
K Rose ◽  
NE Kok
Keyword(s):  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Social Organization ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Age Determination ◽  
Behavioural Ecology ◽  
Hunting Behaviour ◽  
North Western

This issue comprises 8 papers by P. C. Thomson (some in collaboration with K. Rose and N. E. Kok) on the dingo in North Western Australia. They cover the behavioural ecology including activity patterns, diet, hunting behaviour, social organization, population dynamics, dispersal, age determination and immobilization using darts fired from an aircraft.

Meline mastery of meteorological mayhem: the effects of climate changeability on European badger population dynamics

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Newman ◽  
Christina D. Buesching ◽  
David W. Macdonald
Keyword(s):  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Genetic Selection ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Long Term Study ◽  
European Badger ◽  
Food Shortages ◽  
Parasite Infections

Adaptation to climatic conditions is a major ecological and evolutionary driver. Long-term study of European badger population dynamics in Oxfordshire reveals that rainfall and temperature patterns affect food (principally earthworm) availability, energy expended in thermoregulation, and activity patterns, with badgers able to seek refuge in their setts. Cubs prove especially vulnerable to harsh weather conditions, where drought and food shortages exacerbate the severity of pandemic juvenile coccidial parasite infections. Crucially, weather variability, rather than just warming trends, stresses badgers, by destabilising their bioclimatic niche. Summer droughts cause mortality, even driving genetic selection; and while milder winters generally benefit badgers, less time spent in torpor leads to more road casualties. Similar effects also operate over a wide spatial scale in Ireland, impacting regional badger densities and bodyweights. That even an adaptable, generalist musteloid is so variously susceptible to weather conditions highlights how climate change places many species and ecosystems at risk.

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