The Nocturnals Summer Reading
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Platypus Collins, L.R
AUSTRALIAN MAMMALS BIOLOGY AND CAPTIVE MANAGEMENT Stephen Jackson © CSIRO 2003 All rights reserved. Except under the conditions described in the Australian Copyright Act 1968 and subsequent amendments, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, duplicating or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Contact CSIRO PUBLISHING for all permission requests. National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry Jackson, Stephen M. Australian mammals: Biology and captive management Bibliography. ISBN 0 643 06635 7. 1. Mammals – Australia. 2. Captive mammals. I. Title. 599.0994 Available from CSIRO PUBLISHING 150 Oxford Street (PO Box 1139) Collingwood VIC 3066 Australia Telephone: +61 3 9662 7666 Local call: 1300 788 000 (Australia only) Fax: +61 3 9662 7555 Email: [email protected] Web site: www.publish.csiro.au Cover photos courtesy Stephen Jackson, Esther Beaton and Nick Alexander Set in Minion and Optima Cover and text design by James Kelly Typeset by Desktop Concepts Pty Ltd Printed in Australia by Ligare REFERENCES reserved. Chapter 1 – Platypus Collins, L.R. (1973) Monotremes and Marsupials: A Reference for Zoological Institutions. Smithsonian Institution Press, rights Austin, M.A. (1997) A Practical Guide to the Successful Washington. All Handrearing of Tasmanian Marsupials. Regal Publications, Collins, G.H., Whittington, R.J. & Canfield, P.J. (1986) Melbourne. Theileria ornithorhynchi Mackerras, 1959 in the platypus, 2003. Beaven, M. (1997) Hand rearing of a juvenile platypus. Ornithorhynchus anatinus (Shaw). Journal of Wildlife Proceedings of the ASZK/ARAZPA Conference. 16–20 March. -
Reproductionreview
REPRODUCTIONREVIEW Wombat reproduction (Marsupialia; Vombatidae): an update and future directions for the development of artificial breeding technology Lindsay A Hogan1, Tina Janssen2 and Stephen D Johnston1,2 1Wildlife Biology Unit, Faculty of Science, School of Agricultural and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, Gatton 4343, Queensland, Australia and 2Australian Animals Care and Education, Mt Larcom 4695, Queensland, Australia Correspondence should be addressed to L A Hogan; Email: [email protected] Abstract This review provides an update on what is currently known about wombat reproductive biology and reports on attempts made to manipulate and/or enhance wombat reproduction as part of the development of artificial reproductive technology (ART) in this taxon. Over the last decade, the logistical difficulties associated with monitoring a nocturnal and semi-fossorial species have largely been overcome, enabling new features of wombat physiology and behaviour to be elucidated. Despite this progress, captive propagation rates are still poor and there are areas of wombat reproductive biology that still require attention, e.g. further characterisation of the oestrous cycle and oestrus. Numerous advances in the use of ART have also been recently developed in the Vombatidae but despite this research, practical methods of manipulating wombat reproduction for the purposes of obtaining research material or for artificial breeding are not yet available. Improvement of the propagation, genetic diversity and management of wombat populations requires a thorough understanding of Vombatidae reproduction. While semen collection and cryopreservation in wombats is fairly straightforward there is currently an inability to detect, induce or synchronise oestrus/ovulation and this is an impeding progress in the development of artificial insemination in this taxon. -
Ba3444 MAMMAL BOOKLET FINAL.Indd
Intot Obliv i The disappearing native mammals of northern Australia Compiled by James Fitzsimons Sarah Legge Barry Traill John Woinarski Into Oblivion? The disappearing native mammals of northern Australia 1 SUMMARY Since European settlement, the deepest loss of Australian biodiversity has been the spate of extinctions of endemic mammals. Historically, these losses occurred mostly in inland and in temperate parts of the country, and largely between 1890 and 1950. A new wave of extinctions is now threatening Australian mammals, this time in northern Australia. Many mammal species are in sharp decline across the north, even in extensive natural areas managed primarily for conservation. The main evidence of this decline comes consistently from two contrasting sources: robust scientifi c monitoring programs and more broad-scale Indigenous knowledge. The main drivers of the mammal decline in northern Australia include inappropriate fi re regimes (too much fi re) and predation by feral cats. Cane Toads are also implicated, particularly to the recent catastrophic decline of the Northern Quoll. Furthermore, some impacts are due to vegetation changes associated with the pastoral industry. Disease could also be a factor, but to date there is little evidence for or against it. Based on current trends, many native mammals will become extinct in northern Australia in the next 10-20 years, and even the largest and most iconic national parks in northern Australia will lose native mammal species. This problem needs to be solved. The fi rst step towards a solution is to recognise the problem, and this publication seeks to alert the Australian community and decision makers to this urgent issue. -
Hairy-Nosed Wombat (Lasiorhinus Latifrons)
Understanding the causes of human–wombat conflict and exploring non-lethal damage mitigation strategies for the southern hairy-nosed wombat (Lasiorhinus latifrons) Casey O’Brien Submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Biological Sciences University of Adelaide April 2019 Page | 1 Page | 2 Table of Contents Table of Contents ...................................................................................................................... 3 List of Figures ........................................................................................................................... 6 List of Tables ............................................................................................................................. 9 Declaration .............................................................................................................................. 12 Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................. 13 Abstract .................................................................................................................................... 16 Chapter 1. General Introduction ............................................................................................ 18 1.1 Human–wildlife conflict ........................................................................................................... 19 1.2 Conflicts with agriculture ........................................................................................................ -
A New Family of Diprotodontian Marsupials from the Latest Oligocene of Australia and the Evolution of Wombats, Koalas, and Their Relatives (Vombatiformes) Robin M
www.nature.com/scientificreports OPEN A new family of diprotodontian marsupials from the latest Oligocene of Australia and the evolution of wombats, koalas, and their relatives (Vombatiformes) Robin M. D. Beck1,2 ✉ , Julien Louys3, Philippa Brewer4, Michael Archer2, Karen H. Black2 & Richard H. Tedford5,6 We describe the partial cranium and skeleton of a new diprotodontian marsupial from the late Oligocene (~26–25 Ma) Namba Formation of South Australia. This is one of the oldest Australian marsupial fossils known from an associated skeleton and it reveals previously unsuspected morphological diversity within Vombatiformes, the clade that includes wombats (Vombatidae), koalas (Phascolarctidae) and several extinct families. Several aspects of the skull and teeth of the new taxon, which we refer to a new family, are intermediate between members of the fossil family Wynyardiidae and wombats. Its postcranial skeleton exhibits features associated with scratch-digging, but it is unlikely to have been a true burrower. Body mass estimates based on postcranial dimensions range between 143 and 171 kg, suggesting that it was ~5 times larger than living wombats. Phylogenetic analysis based on 79 craniodental and 20 postcranial characters places the new taxon as sister to vombatids, with which it forms the superfamily Vombatoidea as defned here. It suggests that the highly derived vombatids evolved from wynyardiid-like ancestors, and that scratch-digging adaptations evolved in vombatoids prior to the appearance of the ever-growing (hypselodont) molars that are a characteristic feature of all post-Miocene vombatids. Ancestral state reconstructions on our preferred phylogeny suggest that bunolophodont molars are plesiomorphic for vombatiforms, with full lophodonty (characteristic of diprotodontoids) evolving from a selenodont morphology that was retained by phascolarctids and ilariids, and wynyardiids and vombatoids retaining an intermediate selenolophodont condition. -
Species of the Day: Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombat
© Queensland DERM Species of the Day: Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat The Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat, Lasiorhinus krefftii, is listed as ‘Critically Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM. One of the world’s rarest mammals, it is now only found at a single location in Queensland, Australia, and the total population numbers only around 115 individuals. This species may have already been uncommon before European settlers arrived, but due Geographical range to a combination of drought and competition with grazing livestock, the population decline www.iucnredlist.org accelerated. Its small colony is further threatened by unpredictable environmental effects, loss Help Save Species of genetic diversity and exotic buffel grass taking over its natural habitat. www.arkive.org The entire range of the Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat is encompassed by the Epping Forest National Park. A recovery plan has been implemented and, as a result, a 20 km long Dingo and cattle exclusion fence has been built, its habitat is managed, and kangaroo numbers are monitored. A second colony in the wild has recently been established, with the transfer of a small number of wombats to a reserve in south-central Queensland, with promising results so far. There are also plans to develop a captive breeding programme. The production of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ is made possible through the IUCN Red List Partnership: Species of the Day IUCN (including the Species Survival Commission), BirdLife is sponsored by International, Conservation International, NatureServe and Zoological Society of London.. -
How to Cite Complete Issue More Information About This Article
Therya ISSN: 2007-3364 Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste Woinarski, John C. Z.; Burbidge, Andrew A.; Harrison, Peter L. A review of the conservation status of Australian mammals Therya, vol. 6, no. 1, January-April, 2015, pp. 155-166 Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste DOI: 10.12933/therya-15-237 Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=402336276010 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System Redalyc More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America and the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Project academic non-profit, developed under the open access initiative THERYA, 2015, Vol. 6 (1): 155-166 DOI: 10.12933/therya-15-237, ISSN 2007-3364 Una revisión del estado de conservación de los mamíferos australianos A review of the conservation status of Australian mammals John C. Z. Woinarski1*, Andrew A. Burbidge2, and Peter L. Harrison3 1National Environmental Research Program North Australia and Threatened Species Recovery Hub of the National Environmental Science Programme, Charles Darwin University, NT 0909. Australia. E-mail: [email protected] (JCZW) 2Western Australian Wildlife Research Centre, Department of Parks and Wildlife, PO Box 51, Wanneroo, WA 6946, Australia. E-mail: [email protected] (AAB) 3Marine Ecology Research Centre, School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, PO Box 157, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia. E-mail: [email protected] (PLH) *Corresponding author Introduction: This paper provides a summary of results from a recent comprehensive review of the conservation status of all Australian land and marine mammal species and subspecies. -
Southern Hairy-Nosed Wombats: When, Where, How Many, and Why
SOUTHERN HAIRY-NOSED WOMBATS: WHEN, WHERE, HOW MANY, AND WHY Michael Swinbourne Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Biological Sciences The University of Adelaide November 2018 - ii - Preface This thesis contains a combination of published manuscripts (chapters 2, 3, 4 and 7), manuscripts that have been submitted to a journal and are under review at the time of submission of this thesis (chapters 5 and 6), chapters that will be modified and submitted for publication at a later date (chapters 8 and 9), and chapters that are not intended for publication other than as part of this thesis (chapters 1 and 10). To ensure consistency and for ease of readability, all manuscripts are presented in a similar format – i.e. published manuscripts have been reformatted from the format that was used by the relevant journals – although there may be some slight differences between them. In reformatting the published manuscript, some of the figures / images have been modified from the published versions by resizing or recolouring (some journals require black and white images). - iii - Table of Contents Preface ...................................................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents ..................................................................................................................... iv List of Figures .......................................................................................................................... -
Phascolarctos Cinereus) and Southern Hairy-Nosed Wombat (Lasiorhinus Latifrons) Testis Motoharu Oishi,1 Mei Takahashi,1,2 Hajime Amasaki,1 Tina Janssen3 and Stephen D
Journal of Anatomy J. Anat. (2013) 222, pp380--389 doi: 10.1111/joa.12020 The seminiferous epithelial cycle and microanatomy of the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) and southern hairy-nosed wombat (Lasiorhinus latifrons) testis Motoharu Oishi,1 Mei Takahashi,1,2 Hajime Amasaki,1 Tina Janssen3 and Stephen D. Johnston4 1Department of Veterinary Anatomy, School of Veterinary Medicine, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, Tokyo, Japan 2Morioka Zoological Park, Morioka, Japan 3Australian Animals Care and Education, Mt Larcom, Qld, Australia 4Wildife Biology Unit, School of Agriculture and Food Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Qld, Australia Abstract The koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) and southern hairy-nosed wombat (Lasiorhinus latifrons) are iconic Australian fauna that share a close phylogenetic relationship but there are currently no comparative studies of the seminiferous epithelial cell or testicular microanatomy of either species. Koala and wombat spermatozoa are unusual for marsupials as they possess a curved stream-lined head and lateral neck insertion that superficially is similar to murid spermatozoa; the koala also contains Sertoli cells with crystalloid inclusions that closely resemble the Charcot–Bottcher crystalloids described in human Sertoli cells. Eighteen sexually mature koalas and four sexually mature southern hairy-nosed (SHN) wombats were examined to establish base-line data on quantitative testicular histology. Dynamics of the seminiferous epithelial cycle in the both species consisted of eight stages of cellular association similar to that described in other marsupials. Both species possessed a high proportion of the pre-meiotic (stages VIII, I – III; koala – 62.2 1.7% and SHN wombat – Æ 66.6 2.4%) when compared with post-meiotic stages of the seminiferous cycle. -
Economics, Ecology and the Environment
ISSN 1327-8231 ECONOMICS, ECOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT Working Paper No. 125 Comparison of Funding and Demand for the Conservation of the Charismatic Koala with those for the Critically Endangered Wombat Lasiorhinus krefftii by Clem Tisdell, and Hemanath Swarna Nantha June 2005 THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND ISSN 1327-8231 WORKING PAPERS ON ECONOMICS, ECOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT Working Paper No. 125 Comparison of Funding and Demand for the Conservation of the Charismatic Koala with those for the Critically Endangered Wombat Lasiorhinus krefftii by Clem Tisdell* and Hemanath Swarna Nantha† June 2005 © All rights reserved * School of Economics, The University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4072, Australia. E-mail: [email protected] † School of Economics, The University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4072, Australia. E-mail: [email protected] WORKING PAPERS IN THE SERIES, Economics, Ecology and the Environment are published by the School of Economics, University of Queensland, 4072, Australia, as follow up to the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research Project 40 of which Professor Clem Tisdell was the Project Leader. Views expressed in these working papers are those of their authors and not necessarily of any of the organisations associated with the Project. They should not be reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of the Project Leader. It is planned to publish contributions to this series over the next few years. Research for ACIAR project 40, Economic impact and rural adjustments to nature conservation (biodiversity) programmes: A case study of Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan, China was sponsored by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), GPO Box 1571, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia. -
Historically Low Mitochondrial DNA Diversity in Koalas (Phascolarctos
Tsangaras et al. BMC Genetics 2012, 13:92 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2156/13/92 RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access Historically low mitochondrial DNA diversity in koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) Kyriakos Tsangaras1, María C Ávila-Arcos2, Yasuko Ishida3, Kristofer M Helgen4, Alfred L Roca3 and Alex D Greenwood1* Abstract Background: The koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) is an arboreal marsupial that was historically widespread across eastern Australia until the end of the 19th century when it suffered a steep population decline. Hunting for the fur trade, habitat conversion, and disease contributed to a precipitous reduction in koala population size during the late 1800s and early 1900s. To examine the effects of these reductions in population size on koala genetic diversity, we sequenced part of the hypervariable region of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in koala museum specimens collected in the 19th and 20th centuries, hypothesizing that the historical samples would exhibit greater genetic diversity. Results: The mtDNA haplotypes present in historical museum samples were identical to haplotypes found in modern koala populations, and no novel haplotypes were detected. Rarefaction analyses suggested that the mtDNA genetic diversity present in the museum samples was similar to that of modern koalas. Conclusions: Low mtDNA diversity may have been present in koala populations prior to recent population declines. When considering management strategies, low genetic diversity of the mtDNA hypervariable region may not indicate recent inbreeding or founder events but may reflect an older historical pattern for koalas. Background among the most notable nineteenth-century naturalists Though distributed widely across eastern Australia, the working in Australia, discussed the rarity of the koala and koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) was apparently a rare the impacts of Aboriginal hunting upon it, and speculated animal at the time of the first European settlement of that it was likely to decline to extinction. -
Sarcoptic Mange in Australian Wildlife and It Is Not a Nationally Notifiable Animal Disease
Fact sheet Sarcoptic mange is an infection of the skin in mammals caused by the parasitic mite Sarcoptes scabiei. The parasite can infect both humans and animals, with the disease referred to as scabies and mange respectively. Sarcoptic mange is widely distributed, affecting over 100 species, spanning seven mammalian families. Signs of mange include intense scratching, skin reddening, skin thickening and hair loss. Severity of the infection and mortality rates vary depending on species and geographic location. The mite is invasive to Australia and is believed to have arrived about 200 years ago with European settlers and their domesticated animals. Since its introduction, S. scabiei has been documented in a number of native Australian species. Sarcoptic manage can have significant health and welfare impacts on individual animals and can result in the death of affected individuals. Sarcoptic mange has the most significant impacts on wombat populations and can cause local extirpation of populations. Increased management and population scale treatments may be required to protect isolated or small wombat populations. Mange is caused by the sub-macroscopic (200-500 m in length), obligate parasitic mite, Sarcoptes scabiei (Family Sarcoptidae) (Bornstein et al. 2001; Pence and Ueckermann 2002). The burrowing mite creates tunnels in the epidermis, as deep as the stratum germinativum, where adult mites, eggs, larvae, and nymphs can be found. In these tunnels, the mites consume the host’s living cells and fluids. Sarcoptes scabiei infects a variety of different mammalian hosts, and while mites that originate in different host species are morphologically indistinguishable in most cases, they do exhibit a degree of host specificity (Bornstein et al.