The Wily and Courageous Red Fox: Behavioural Analysis of a Mesopredator at Resource Points Shared by an Apex Predator
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
Trends in Cheetah Acinonyx Jubatus Density in North‐Central Namibia
Received: 30 September 2018 Revised: 24 November 2019 Accepted: 8 January 2020 Published on: 26 February 2020 DOI: 10.1002/1438-390X.12045 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Trends in cheetah Acinonyx jubatus density in north- central Namibia Ezequiel Chimbioputo Fabiano1 | Chris Sutherland2 | Angela K. Fuller3 | Matti Nghikembua4 | Eduardo Eizirik5,6 | Laurie Marker4 1Department of Wildlife Management and Ecotourism, University of Namibia, Abstract Katima Mulilo, Namibia Assessing trends in abundance and density of species of conservation concern 2Department of Environmental is vital to inform conservation and management strategies. The remaining Conservation, University of population of the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) largely exists outside of protected Massachusetts-Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts areas, where they are often in conflict with humans. Despite this, the population 3U.S. Geological Survey, New York status and dynamics of cheetah outside of protected areas have received rela- Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research tively limited attention across its range. We analyzed remote camera trapping Unit, Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York data of nine surveys conducted from 2005 to 2014 in the Waterberg Conser- 4Ecology Division, Cheetah Conservation vancy, north-central Namibia, which included detections of 74 individuals Fund, Otjiwarongo, Namibia (52 adult males, 7 adult females and 15 dependents). Using spatial capture– 5Laboratório de Biologia Genômica e recapture methods, we assessed annual and seasonal trends in cheetah density. Molecular, Escola de Ciências, Pontifícia We found evidence of a stable trend in cheetah density over the study period, Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do 2 Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil with an average density of 1.94/100 km (95% confidence interval 1.33–2.84). -
Reintroducing the Dingo: the Risk of Dingo Predation to Threatened Vertebrates of Western New South Wales
CSIRO PUBLISHING Wildlife Research http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/WR11128 Reintroducing the dingo: the risk of dingo predation to threatened vertebrates of western New South Wales B. L. Allen A,C and P. J. S. Fleming B AThe University of Queensland, School of Animal Studies, Gatton, Qld 4343, Australia. BVertebrate Pest Research Unit, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Orange Agricultural Institute, Forest Road, Orange, NSW 2800, Australia. CCorresponding author. Present address: Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Sulfide Street, Broken Hill, NSW 2880, Australia. Email: [email protected] Abstract Context. The reintroduction of dingoes into sheep-grazing areas south-east of the dingo barrier fence has been suggested as a mechanism to suppress fox and feral-cat impacts. Using the Western Division of New South Wales as a case study, Dickman et al. (2009) recently assessed the risk of fox and cat predation to extant threatened species and concluded that reintroducing dingoes into the area would have positive effects for most of the threatened vertebrates there, aiding their recovery through trophic cascade effects. However, they did not formally assess the risk of dingo predation to the same threatened species. Aims. To assess the risk of dingo predation to the extant and locally extinct threatened vertebrates of western New South Wales using methods amenable to comparison with Dickman et al. (2009). Methods. The predation-risk assessment method used in Dickman et al. (2009) for foxes and cats was applied here to dingoes, with minor modification to accommodate the dietary differences of dingoes. This method is based on six independent biological attributes, primarily reflective of potential vulnerability characteristics of the prey. -
Variation of Parasite Burden Within the European Badger
Variation of parasite burden within the European badger (Meles meles): the effect of season, habitat, body condition, gender & age on the prevalence of Eimeria melis and Capillaria Submitted by Elizabeth Rosemarie Anne Cottrell to the University of Exeter as a thesis for the degree of Master of Science by Research in Biosciences in October 2011 This thesis is available for library use on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement. I certify that all material in this thesis which is not my own work has been identified and that no material has been previously submitted and approved for the award of a degree by this or any other University. Signature………………………………………………………………….. E. R. A. Cottrell MSc by Research in Biosciences – Wildlife Disease Management Table of Contents Research Project – Variation of parasite burden within the European badger (Meles meles): the effect of season, habitat, body condition, gender & age on the prevalence of Eimeria melis and Capillaria....................................................................................................1 Introduction...................................................................................................................2 Materials and Methods.................................................................................................7 Results..........................................................................................................................10 Discussion....................................................................................................................12 -
Saleh MA, Helmy I, Giegengack R. 2001. the Cheetah, (Acinonyx Jubatus, Schreber 1776) in Egypt (Felidae, Acinonychinae)
Saleh MA, Helmy I, Giegengack R. 2001. The cheetah, (Acinonyx jubatus, Schreber 1776) in Egypt (Felidae, Acinonychinae). Mammalia 65(2):177-94. Keywords: 1EG/Acinonyx jubatus/cheetah/conservation measure/human impact/illegal hunting/ morphology/prey/Qattara Depression/status Abstract: Field survey of known and potential cheetah habitats in the northern sector of the Egyptian Western Desert was carried out to collect data on the present distribution and status of that animal in Egypt. Data were also gathered on the ecological characteristics of present cheetah habitats and the status of known and potential cheetah prey species in the area. Impacts of human activities on the cheetah, and on its preys and habitats were also investigated. The results show that the cheetah has disappeared from most of its former range in the northern part of the Egyptian Western Desert. Its entire population has been reduced to what appears to be few individuals confined to a highly inaccessible area in the northern and western parts of the Qattara Depression. These individuals appear to be essentially nomadic, roaming over a vast area of the desert in search of prey. Habitats presently occupied by the cheetah in Egypt include uninhabited oasis depressions within the Qattara Depression. Large groves of Acacia raddiana west and southwest of these habitats appear to be regularly visited by cheetahs. The survey also showed that gazelles, which constitute an important cheetah prey item, have been largely exterminated throughout the study area as a result of uncontrolled illegal hunting with the exception of a small population which still survives in the western part of the Qattara Depression. -
Cranial Morphology of Five Felids: Acinonyx Jubatus, Panthera Onca, Panthera Pardus, Puma Concolor, Uncia Uncia
Russian J. Theriol. 11(2): 157170 © RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF THERIOLOGY, 2012 Cranial morphology of five felids: Acinonyx jubatus, Panthera onca, Panthera pardus, Puma concolor, Uncia uncia Margaret E. Sims ABSTRACT. Felid skulls often appear as evidence in wildlife forensic casework at the National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory (NFWFL). Five species commonly seen in U.S.-imported trophy shipments include cheetah, jaguar, leopard, puma, and snow leopard. Because these species are given different levels of protection under federal, state, and international law, an effective prosecution requires species-level identification. There is limited comparative morphological information available to identify these skulls to species when country of origin is unknown. The purpose of the project was twofold: 1) to research species- specific characteristics that will differentiate five species of medium-sized felids based on skull morpholo- gy and 2) to develop identification aids to help wildlife law enforcement officers distinguish mid-size cat skulls. A visual comparison of qualitative non-metric features, such as the shape of the ectotympanic process and the expression of canine grooves, is sufficient to distinguish the five species. A flowchart and identification guide were developed to assist law enforcement officers in identifications when measuring devices cannot be used, especially when conducting undercover investigations. KEY WORDS: cranial morphology, skull, Felidae, wildlife forensics. Margaret E. Sims [[email protected]], National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory, 1490 East Main Street, Ashland, OR 97520. USA. Ìîðôîëîãèÿ ÷åðåïà ïÿòè âèäîâ êîøà÷üèõ: Acinonyx jubatus, Panthera onca, Panthera pardus, Puma concolor, Uncia uncia Ì.Å. Ñèìñ ÐÅÇÞÌÅ.  ïðàêòèêå Íàöèîíàëüíîé êðèìèíàëèñòè÷åñêîé ëàáîðàòîðèè ðûáîëîâñòâà è äèêîé ïðè- ðîäû (NFWFL) ÷åðåïà êîøà÷üèõ ÷àñòî ôèãóðèðóþò â êà÷åñòâå óëèê â ñóäåáíûõ äåëàõ ïî âîïðîñàì îõðàíû ïðèðîäû. -
Cheetah Acinonyx Jubatus WIDELY KNOWN AS the PLANET’S FASTEST LAND ANIMAL, the CHEETAH IS ALSO the LEAST DANGEROUS BIG CAT
Photo by: Craig Taylor For more information visit Panthera.org visit more information For Cheetah Acinonyx jubatus WIDELY KNOWN AS THE PLANET’S FASTEST LAND ANIMAL, THE CHEETAH IS ALSO THE LEAST DANGEROUS BIG CAT. TODAY, THERE ARE ESTIMATED TO BE ONLY 7,100 CHEETAHS LEFT IN THE WILD – AND THEIR FUTURE REMAINS UNCERTAIN. CHEETAH CONSERVATION STATUS 91% 79% Cheetahs have vanished from approximately 90 79% OF ALL CHEETAH POPULATIONS percent of their historic range in Africa, and are CONTAIN 100 OR FEWER INDIVIDUALS extinct in Asia except for a single, isolated popula- tion of perhaps 50 individuals in central Iran. POPULATION There are estimated to be only 7,100 cheetahs left in the wild, and their future re- mains uncertain across their range. CURRENT HISTORIC Cheetah Range Cheetah Range Cheetahs are listed as “Vulnerable” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, but after a recent study revealed significant population declines, scientists are calling for cheetahs to be uplisted to “Endangered.” In North Africa and Asia, they are considered “Critically Threats to Endangered.” the Cheetah SAVING THE CHEETAH Panthera’s Cheetah Program aims to protect cheetahs by addressing direct threats to them, their prey base, and their habitats. To do this, Panthera gathers critical eco- 1 Cheetahs are frequently killed by farmers, either preemptively or in logical data by surveying and monitoring populations and their prey, collaborating retaliation for livestock predation, with local law enforcement officials and partners, and working with local communi- even though the actual damage they ties to mitigate conflict and create cheetah-positive landscapes within communities. -
The Wayward Dog: Is the Australian Native Dog Or Dingo a Distinct Species?
Zootaxa 4317 (2): 201–224 ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition) http://www.mapress.com/j/zt/ Article ZOOTAXA Copyright © 2017 Magnolia Press ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition) https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4317.2.1 http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:3CD420BC-2AED-4166-85F9-CCA0E4403271 The Wayward Dog: Is the Australian native dog or Dingo a distinct species? STEPHEN M. JACKSON1,2,3,9, COLIN P. GROVES4, PETER J.S. FLEMING5,6, KEN P. APLIN3, MARK D.B. ELDRIDGE7, ANTONIO GONZALEZ4 & KRISTOFER M. HELGEN8 1Animal Biosecurity & Food Safety, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Orange, New South Wales 2800, Australia. 2School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052. 3Division of Mammals, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA. E-mail: [email protected] 4School of Archaeology & Anthropology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia. E: [email protected]; [email protected] 5Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, Biosecurity NSW, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Orange, New South Wales 2800, Australia. E-mail: [email protected] 6 School of Environmental & Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia. 7Australian Museum Research Institute, Australian Museum, 1 William St. Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia. E-mail: [email protected] 8School of Biological Sciences, Environment Institute, and ARC (Australian Research Council) Centre for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia. E-mail: [email protected] 9Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] Abstract The taxonomic identity and status of the Australian Dingo has been unsettled and controversial since its initial description in 1792. -
Food Chains, Food Webs, and Energy Pyramids Every Organism on Earth
Energy to Live: Food Chains, Food Webs, and Energy Pyramids Every organism on Earth needs energy to live. Except for newly discovered species living in the deepest parts of the ocean, every species on Earth gets the energy they need to live from the sun. Food chains and food webs can both be used to show how energy moves from the sun to different animals. A food chain shows the path of energy through a chain of different organisms. The first link on a food chain is a producer. Producers include plants, bacteria, and algae. Plants are an important producer for humans. They use energy from the sun, water, and carbon dioxide in a process called photosynthesis to create energy. The plants use some of this energy to live and grow; the rest is stored for later use. The organism that eats the plant is called the primary consumer in the food chain. Both herbivores and omnivores eat plants. Herbivores only eat producers such as plants. Omnivores will eat both producers and other consumers (meat). The next link in the food chain is the secondary consumer. Secondary consumers are either carnivores or omnivores that eat the primary consumers. Carnivores only eat meat (other consumers). Another carnivore or omnivore will eat the secondary consumer. These are called tertiary consumers. There can be many links a food chain, but most food chains have a limited number of consumers. This is because a lot of energy is lost with every link of the chain. Each organism will use some of the energy it gets from eating, meaning that less energy is available to the next organism along the chain. -
The Endangerment and Conservation of Cheetahs (Acinonyx Jubatus), Leopards (Panthera Pardus), Lions (Panthera Leo), and Tigers (Panthera Tigris) in Africa and Asia
The endangerment and conservation of cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus), leopards (Panthera pardus), lions (Panthera leo), and tigers (Panthera tigris) in Africa and Asia Britney Johnston * B.S. Candidate, Department of Biological Sciences, California State University Stanislaus, 1 University Circle, Turlock, CA 95382 Received 17 April, 2018; accepted 15 May 2018 Abstract Increasing habitat depletion, habitat degradation, and overhunting in Africa and Asia have resulted in the designation of the four largest species of felid (cheetah, leopard, lion, tiger) as vulnerable or endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Scientists interested in understanding and potentially slowing the disappearance of these species need access to causal factors, the past and current range of each species, the life history, and importance of conservation. This article presents one such resource with all of this information compiled in a place that Is easy for people to get to. The primary target of this article is educators but will be useful to anyone interested in these species, their current state, and their future peril. Keywords: cheetah, leopard, lion, tiger, endangered species, conservation, Old World, big cats, habitat Introduction world with some species programs. These steps are used to analyze whether or not a species is in danger and are Conservationism is a common term heard in many then used to halt the decline and reverse it. The first is settings in the modern world, implying that an effort to population decline; this is the obvious decline in a conserve species needs to be made and enforced. population that incites a need for a change to be made. -
Red Foxes (Vulpes Vulpes) and Wild Dogs (Dingoes (Canis Lupus Dingo
International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife 3 (2014) 75–80 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ijppaw Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and wild dogs (dingoes (Canis lupus dingo) and dingo/domestic dog hybrids), as sylvatic hosts for Australian Taenia hydatigena and Taenia ovis ⇑ David J. Jenkins a, , Nigel A.R. Urwin a, Thomas M. Williams a, Kate L. Mitchell a, Jan J. Lievaart a, Maria Teresa Armua-Fernandez b a School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Locked Bag 588, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2678, Australia b Institute for Parasitology, Winterthurerstr 266a, University of Zürich, Zürich CH-8057, Switzerland article info abstract Article history: Foxes (n = 499), shot during vertebrate pest control programs, were collected in various sites in the Aus- Received 29 January 2014 tralian Capital Territory (ACT), New South Wales (NSW) and Western Australia (WA). Wild dogs (dingoes Revised 17 March 2014 (Canis lupus dingo) and their hybrids with domestic dogs) (n = 52) captured also as part of vertebrate pest Accepted 17 March 2014 control programs were collected from several sites in the ACT and NSW. The intestine from each fox and wild dog was collected, and all Taenia tapeworms identified morphologically were collected and identi- fied to species based on the DNA sequence of the small subunit of the mitochondrial ribosomal RNA (rrnS) Keywords: gene. Taenia species were recovered from 6.0% of the ACT/NSW foxes, 5.1% of WA foxes and 46.1% of ACT/ Taenia ovis NSW wild dogs. Taenia ovis was recovered from two foxes, 1/80 from Jugiong, NSW and 1/102 from T. -
LARGE CANID (Canidae) CARE MANUAL
LARGE CANID (Canidae) CARE MANUAL CREATED BY THE AZA Canid Taxon Advisory Group IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE AZA Animal Welfare Committee Large Canid (Canidae) Care Manual Large Canid (Canidae) Care Manual Published by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in association with the AZA Animal Welfare Committee Formal Citation: AZA Canid TAG 2012. Large Canid (Canidae) Care Manual. Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Silver Spring, MD. p.138. Authors and Significant contributors: Melissa Rodden, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, AZA Maned Wolf SSP Coordinator. Peter Siminski, The Living Desert, AZA Mexican Wolf SSP Coordinator. Will Waddell, Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, AZA Red Wolf SSP Coordinator. Michael Quick, Sedgwick County Zoo, AZA African Wild Dog SSP Coordinator. Reviewers: Melissa Rodden, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, AZA Maned Wolf SSP Coordinator. Peter Siminski, The Living Desert, AZA Mexican Wolf SSP Coordinator. Will Waddell, Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, AZA Red Wolf SSP Coordinator. Michael Quick, Sedgwick County Zoo, AZA African Wild Dog SSP Coordinator. Mike Maslanka, Smithsonian’s National Zoo, AZA Nutrition Advisory Group Barbara Henry, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, AZA Nutrition Advisory Group Raymond Van Der Meer, DierenPark Amersfoort, EAZA Canid TAG Chair. Dr. Michael B. Briggs, DVM, MS, African Predator Conservation Research Organization, CEO/Principle Investigator. AZA Staff Editors: Katie Zdilla, B.A. AZA Conservation and Science Intern Elisa Caballero, B.A. AZA Conservation and Science Intern Candice Dorsey, Ph.D. AZA Director, Animal Conservation Large Canid Care Manual project consultant: Joseph C.E. Barber, Ph.D. Cover Photo Credits: Brad McPhee, red wolf Bert Buxbaum, African wild dog and Mexican gray wolf Lisa Ware, maned wolf Disclaimer: This manual presents a compilation of knowledge provided by recognized animal experts based on the current science, practice, and technology of animal management. -
The Australian Dingo: Untamed Or Feral? J
Ballard and Wilson Frontiers in Zoology (2019) 16:2 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12983-019-0300-6 DEBATE Open Access The Australian dingo: untamed or feral? J. William O. Ballard1* and Laura A. B. Wilson2 Abstract Background: The Australian dingo continues to cause debate amongst Aboriginal people, pastoralists, scientists and the government in Australia. A lingering controversy is whether the dingo has been tamed and has now reverted to its ancestral wild state or whether its ancestors were domesticated and it now resides on the continent as a feral dog. The goal of this article is to place the discussion onto a theoretical framework, highlight what is currently known about dingo origins and taxonomy and then make a series of experimentally testable organismal, cellular and biochemical predictions that we propose can focus future research. Discussion: We consider a canid that has been unconsciously selected as a tamed animal and the endpoint of methodical or what we now call artificial selection as a domesticated animal. We consider wild animals that were formerly tamed as untamed and those wild animals that were formerly domesticated as feralized. Untamed canids are predicted to be marked by a signature of unconscious selection whereas feral animals are hypothesized to be marked by signatures of both unconscious and artificial selection. First, we review the movement of dingo ancestors into Australia. We then discuss how differences between taming and domestication may influence the organismal traits of skull morphometrics, brain and size, seasonal breeding, and sociability. Finally, we consider cellular and molecular level traits including hypotheses concerning the phylogenetic position of dingoes, metabolic genes that appear to be under positive selection and the potential for micronutrient compensation by the gut microbiome.