scholarly journals Born to Be Wild: Evaluating the Zoo-Based Regent Honeyeater Breed for Release Program to Optimise Individual Success and Conservation Outcomes in the Wild

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joy S. Tripovich ◽  
Gordana Popovic ◽  
Andrew Elphinstone ◽  
Dean Ingwersen ◽  
Glen Johnson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Captive Breeding ◽  
Pedigree Information ◽  
Breeding Programs ◽  
Captive Breeding Program ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Release Program ◽  
Individual Success ◽  
The Impact

Evaluating the effectiveness of captive breeding programs is central to improving conservation outcomes in released animals. However, few studies have assessed the impact of the strategies and trade-offs involved in husbandry decisions and the selection of traits on the success of breeding programs. This study evaluated a range of husbandry features including an animal's environment, health, and traits of the released individual and its parents involved in the zoo-based Regent Honeyeater breed for release program to optimise individual reproductive success and survivability, leading to improved conservation outcomes in the wild. We analysed 285 birds using a penalised Cox proportional hazard model to assess survival and an ordinal logistic model to evaluate the reproductive success of zoo bred birds released to the wild. Key features identified by the study highlight the importance of having parents that are successful breeders and parents that have an overall higher lifetime reproductive output. However, there were associated quantity-quality trade-offs, as the success of young (i.e., released birds) produced by parents was negatively associated to the number of clutches per year (where one clutch per year was found optimal). The study demonstrated the importance of considering the parental effects on the traits of its offspring beyond its pedigree information and found there was an associated decline in fitness of its offspring with older fathers. Song tutoring using wild Regent Honeyeaters was also important for increased survival post-release. Other important factors are discussed within the review. In general, the study recommended that a multi-faceted approach in the assessment and evaluation of the captive breeding program, to identify markers that will improve conservation outcomes of future releases.

Haemoproteusinfected birds have increased lifetime reproductive success

Parasitology ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 142 (8) ◽  
pp. 1033-1043 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. ZYLBERBERG ◽  
E. P. DERRYBERRY ◽  
C. W. BREUNER ◽  
E. A. MACDOUGALL-SHACKLETON ◽  
J. M. CORNELIUS ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Lifetime Reproductive Success ◽  
Parasitic Infections ◽  
Host Fitness ◽  
Return Rates ◽  
Long Term Study ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

SUMMARYThe impact of haematozoan infection on host fitness has received substantial attention since Hamilton and Zuk posited that parasites are important drivers of sexual selection. However, short-term studies testing the assumption that these parasites consistently reduce host fitness in the wild have produced contradictory results. To address this complex issue, we conducted a long-term study examining the relationship between naturally occurring infection withHaemoproteusandPlasmodium, and lifetime reproductive success and survival of Mountain White-crowned Sparrows. Specifically, we tested the hypothesis that birds infected with haematozoan parasites have reduced survival (as determined by overwinter return rates) and reproductive success. Contrary to expectation, there was no relationship betweenHaemoproteusandPlasmodiuminfection and reproduction or survival in males, nor was there a relationship betweenPlasmodiuminfection and reproduction in females. Interestingly,Haemoproteus-infected females had significantly higher overwinter return rates and these females fledged more than twice as many chicks during their lifetimes as did uninfected females. We discuss the impact of parasitic infections on host fitness in light of these findings and suggest that, in the case of less virulent pathogens, investment in excessive immune defence may decrease lifetime reproduction.

Aspects of the life history and breeding biology of the Mountain Pygmy-possum (Burramys parvus), (Marsupialia: Burramyidae) in alpine Victoria.

1990 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 179
Author(s):  
I.M. Mansergh ◽  
J. Scotts D
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Captive Breeding ◽  
Rare Event ◽  
Cycle Period ◽  
Differential Survival ◽  
Active Season ◽  
Captive Breeding Program ◽  
Fat Reserves ◽  
In The Wild

From February 1982 to November 1989, a trapping and captive breeding program was undertaken to examine the life history of the vulnerable Mountain Pygmy-possum (Burramys parvus), the only Australian mammal restricted to the alpine and subalpine region. During the active season (Oct.-Apr.) over 38 000 trapnights in the habitat throughout Victoria yielded over 900 individual B. parvus captured on over 3 800 occasions. Burramys parvus is a polyoestrous species (mean cycle period of 20.3 days) and produces supernumerary young, up to twice the number of available teats (4). In the wild, breeding is highly synchronised to spring and a single litter is carried p.a. (x = 3.6; mode = 4). Whilst B. parvus retains the capacity to produce a second litter, this is a rare event in the wild and would be selected against as there would be insufficient time to obtain fat reserves for hibernation. At birth and independence the sex ratio of the cohort is at parity, yet at any time the sex ratio of the B. parvus population is always biased toward females due to differential survival of the sexes (at breeding I M: 4-6 F). In autumn, females that would survive winter were on average > 12 % heavier than those not retrapped. One female was at least 11 years old whilst the oldest male recorded was 4 years. Burramys parvus is the longest lived small terrestrial mammal known. Aspects of the life histo ry are discussed in the context of adaptions to the alpine environment and are compared to other small mammals in the habitat and in other cold climates, and to other small marsupial diprotodonts.

Changes in the reproductive behaviour of the endangered Newfoundland marten (Martes americana atrata): implications for captive breeding programs

2001 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
pp. 149-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel P Heath ◽  
Donald W McKay ◽  
Mac O Pitcher ◽  
Anne E Storey
Keyword(s):  
Endangered Species ◽  
Captive Breeding ◽  
Scent Marking ◽  
Reproductive Behaviour ◽  
Receptive Female ◽  
Martes Americana ◽  
Breeding Programs ◽  
Captive Breeding Program ◽  
Behavioural Interactions ◽  
Captive Breeding Programs

Behavioural changes associated with reproduction were studied in captive Newfoundland martens (Martes americana atrata), an endangered species. Patterns of scent-marking and behavioural interactions were recorded before and after a male was introduced to two females. After introduction of the male, marking by the receptive female increased, whereas the nonreceptive female marked less and became less active. Activity and marking bouts were significantly correlated throughout the day for the male and the receptive female, and they often marked in the same locations. The male marked more frequently when the receptive female was active and the female's marking was often associated with behavioural interactions. These findings suggest a major female influence on male marking and activity and suggest that marking may facilitate social interaction. In the spring following this study, the receptive female successfully whelped a litter, the first to be conceived and born in this captive breeding program. The results of this study may help establish successful protocols for captive breeding programs, and thus aid efforts to conserve this endangered species.

scholarly journals Historical DNA analysis reveals living descendants of an extinct species of Galápagos tortoise

2008 ◽  
Vol 105 (40) ◽  
pp. 15464-15469 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikos Poulakakis ◽  
Scott Glaberman ◽  
Michael Russello ◽  
Luciano B. Beheregaray ◽  
Claudio Ciofi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Analysis ◽  
Captive Breeding ◽  
Charles Darwin ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Museum Specimens ◽  
Galapagos Archipelago ◽  
Captive Breeding Program ◽  
Long Term Study ◽  
In The Wild

Giant tortoises, a prominent symbol of the Galápagos archipelago, illustrate the influence of geological history and natural selection on the diversification of organisms. Because of heavy human exploitation, 4 of the 15 known species (Geochelone spp.) have disappeared. Charles Darwin himself detailed the intense harvesting of one species, G. elephantopus, which once was endemic to the island of Floreana. This species was believed to have been exterminated within 15 years of Darwin's historic visit to the Galápagos in 1835. The application of modern DNA techniques to museum specimens combined with long-term study of a system creates new opportunities for identifying the living remnants of extinct taxa in the wild. Here, we use mitochondrial DNA and microsatellite data obtained from museum specimens to show that the population on Floreana was evolutionarily distinct from all other Galápagos tortoise populations. It was demonstrated that some living individuals on the nearby island of Isabela are genetically distinct from the rest of the island's inhabitants. Surprisingly, we found that these “non-native” tortoises from Isabela are of recent Floreana ancestry and closely match the genetic data provided by the museum specimens. Thus, we show that the genetic line of G. elephantopus has not been completely extinguished and still exists in an intermixed population on Isabela. With enough individuals to commence a serious captive breeding program, this finding may help reestablish a species that was thought to have gone extinct more than a century ago and illustrates the power of long-term genetic analysis and the critical role of museum specimens in conservation biology.

scholarly journals Possible variation in microbiota community structure and composition in same species bred in zoos and a wildlife refuge, and its implications on reproductive success

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenfa Ng
Keyword(s):  
Endangered Species ◽  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Research Direction ◽  
Breeding Programs ◽  
Wildlife Refuge ◽  
Microbial Species ◽  
Human Contact ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Wildlife Refuges

Considering the difficulty of breeding endangered species in captivity relative to those in the wild, specific environmental factors such as availability of roaming space and nutrition may be important reasons contributing to the relative lack of procreation capability in animals housed in zoos. Like humans, animals acquire their microbiota from the immediate environment they reside as well as from food. Specifically, the environs in which an animal grows and matures as well as nutrition play important roles in modulating the types and relative abundances of different microbes present on different parts of the animal body. Thus, differential microbiota may exist on animals in captivity and in the wild (e.g., a wildlife refuge or a national park), and this may impact on reproductive success. Hence, one research direction that could lay the foundation for understanding the microbiological underpinnings impacting on breeding success of animals in zoos may be the profiling of the gut and skin microbiota of endangered species such as pandas in zoos and in wildlife refuges. In particular, while most panda breeding programs around the world try to recapitulate the conditions and nutrient sources available in the native environment, significant differences remain such as the influence of human contact with pandas on the transfer of microbial species, as well as the amount and type of spaces available for roaming. By using a tracking and periodic sampling approach for understanding the microbial populations in the gut and skin of wild and zoo pandas, knowledge could be progressively accumulated on the microbiological evolution of animals throughout their lives in captivity or in the wild, and correlated with their relative success in procreation. Doing so would help unlock mysteries on fundamental questions of how does human contact and breeding programs change microbiome structure and function in zoo animals relative to wild pandas, and, more importantly, the roles of differential microbiota in health and disease of the animals, which directly impact on reproduction fitness. Taken together, success of breeding programs hinge on multitude of factors ranging from human influence on social behavior of pandas, nutrition, artificial recreated habitat, and microbiological environment of enclosure, but given the important roles of microbial species (alone and in aggregate) on animal physiology and neurobiology, profiling the possible differentiated microbiota of animals in captivity and the wild may be the first incision point for unveiling deeper mysteries of how microbes influence higher order animal function and decision making. Interested researchers can expand on the ideas presented herein.

scholarly journals Complex admixture preceded and followed the extinction of wisent in the wild

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karolina Węcek ◽  
Stefanie Hartmann ◽  
Johanna L. A. Paijmans ◽  
Ulrike Taron ◽  
Georgios Xenikoudakis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Captive Breeding ◽  
Incomplete Lineage Sorting ◽  
Population History ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Lineage Sorting ◽  
Captive Breeding Program ◽  
Before And After ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Population Processes ◽  
Using Data

AbstractRetracing complex population processes that precede extreme bottlenecks may be impossible using data from living individuals. The wisent (Bison bonasus), Europe’s largest terrestrial mammal, exemplifies such a population history, having gone extinct in the wild but subsequently restored by captive breeding efforts. Using low coverage genomic data from modern and historical individuals, we investigate population processes occurring before and after this extinction. Analysis of aligned genomes supports the division of wisent into two previously recognised subspecies, but almost half of the genomic alignment contradicts this population history as a result of incomplete lineage sorting and admixture. Admixture between subspecies populations occurred prior to extinction and subsequently during the captive breeding program. Admixture with the Bos cattle lineage is also widespread but results from ancient events rather than recent hybridisation with domestics. Our study demonstrates the huge potential of historical genomes for both studying evolutionary histories and for guiding conservation strategies.

scholarly journals Taxonomic uniqueness of the Javan Leopard; an opportunity for zoos to save it

2007 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Spartaco Gippoliti ◽  
Erik Meijaard
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Tree ◽  
Captive Breeding ◽  
Panthera Pardus ◽  
Concerted Effort ◽  
Breeding Programs ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Captive Breeding Programs ◽  
Distinct Taxon

The Javan leopard (Panthera pardus melas) is a distinct subspecies, basal to the phylogenetic tree of Asian leopards. At present this taxon is not specifically managed in captive breeding programs in America and Europe. As it is endangered in the wild, and represents a genetically and morphologically unique and distinct taxon we recommend a more concerted effort to target this species for captive breeding.

scholarly journals The impact of human interference on Hill Mynahs Gracula religiosa breeding in Thailand

2003 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 139-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manee Archawaranon
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Captive Breeding ◽  
Breeding Biology ◽  
Human Interference ◽  
Cavity Nesting ◽  
The Face ◽  
Nest Height ◽  
Human Predation ◽  
Deep Cavities ◽  
The Impact

The breeding biology of Hill Mynah Gracula religiosa was studied in eight provinces of Thailand from 1991 to 1998 to evaluate how breeding behaviour has evolved to enhance reproductive success in the face of human interference. The northern race G. r. intermedia bred mostly during February to April whereas the southern race G. r. religiosa bred mostly later during April to June. Both races were cavity-nesting, non-excavating, monogamous and similar in breeding activities except for differences in body size. They nested at the bottom of deep cavities with a long entrance (mean 45 cm), in tall trees. Average nest height was 23 m. Nests were sometimes abandoned (10% of nests) during nest-building or incubation. Most Hill Mynahs (70%) had clutches of three eggs. Both parents shared incubation and feeding of young. The most detrimental factor to the reproductive success of this species was human theft of the young, rather than any natural factors. During 1991 to 1998, 80% of eggs laid were hatched, but 88% of all eggs hatched were lost before fledgling. Those illegally stolen by humans amounted to 61% of eggs hatched. Only 37 of 308 nestlings or 12% of eggs hatched survived to independence. In 1999, nests were experimentally guarded to prevent human interference, and fledgling success increased to 75% of eggs hatched. The remaining 25% of nestlings were lost to predators and unknown causes, close to the 27% lost to these causes in unguarded nests during 1991 to 1998. Although the breeding pattern of this species has evolved to promote survival of young, it does not seem to have evolved adaptations to human predation. The continuing decrease of wild Hill Mynah populations has prompted attempts at captive breeding. Data on breeding biology from this study should enhance its success.

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