DOCSLIB.ORG

On Christmas Island

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
On Christmas Island Baiting effectiveness for introduced rats (Rattus sp.) on Christmas Island Andrea Coddou Alvarez (21104982) This thesis is submitted to fulfill the requirements for a Master of Science (Zoology) by way of Thesis and Coursework Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences The University of Western Australia 2012 Supervisors: Dr Harriet Mills (School of Animal Biology, UWA) Dr David Algar (Science Division, Woodvale Research, DEC) This article has been formatted according to the style of the Wildlife Research journal. Acknowledgments I would like to thank my supervisors Dr. Harriet Mills and Dr. Dave Algar for their help and guidance in carrying out this project. Special thanks to Neil Hamilton from DEC who taught me and helped me with the practical part of the project while on Christmas Island. Thanks also in general to the Department of Environment and Conservation for making this project possible by funding and providing working material. I would also like to thank the staff of Christmas Island National Parks for their support and assistance and for lending me their laboratory and materials to work on my project as well as for providing some GPS maps. Special thanks to Joy Wickenden for her support and hospitality and the staff of Christmas Island Phosphates for their help while on the island. Finally I would like to thank Sergio Galdames for his patience and guidance with the statistical analysis of this project. Table of Contents List of Figures…...…………………………………………………………………….….. 1 List of Tables………………….…………...……………………………………….…….. 2 Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………… 3 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………. 3 Methodology……………………………………………………………………………… 7 Results…………………………………………………………………………………...... 12 Discussion………………………………………………………………………………… 15 References………………………………………………………………………………… 19 Literature Review………………………………………………………………………..... 24 Appendix………………………………………………………………………………..… 44 List of Figures Figure 1: Map of Christmas Island showing location and distances to mainland Australia………………………………………………………………….………………... 7 Figure 2: Christmas Island showing an enhanced detail of the north-east corner of the island, where both study sites are located…………………………………….……….…… 8 Figure 3: Collage picture showing the methodology use in this project………..…….…... 10 Figure 4: Percentage of survivorship of radio-collared rats in baited areas…….…….…... 13 1 List of Tables Table 1: Bait efficacy for each site and total bait efficacy……………………...………… 12 Table 2: Mean consumption (g) per bait station…………………..……………………… 14 Table 3: Mean consumption (g) per bait station through time…………………………..... 15 2 Abstract Context. The importance of oceanic islands in terms of conservation of native species is often affected by the introduction of invasive species. Introduced mammalian predators such as feral cats (Felis catus) and rats (Rattus sp.), have been responsible for population decline and extinction of many native species on oceanic islands worldwide. Christmas Island, located in the Indian Ocean, is an example of how introduced mammals have influenced the population of endemic species even to the point of extinction. Aims. The aim was to monitor the effect of a baiting program for rats as part of the management plan for feral cats and rats conducted on the island since 2010 by the Department of Environment and Conservation. Methods. Twenty rats (ten in each site) were trapped in two study sites (Settlement and Upper Poon Saan). Rats were radio collared and released, and then bait stations were opened containing Racumin paste sprayed with coconut milk as an additive. Key results. The baiting had a mean efficacy of 76.5%, with a significant difference (χ2 = 4.650, 1df, P=0.031) observed between the sites (100% at Settlement area and 55.55% at Upper Poon Saan). The mean time of action for the baits for both sites was 5.6 ± 0.6 days and the total mean bait consumption per bait station was 41.6 ± 9.07 g. Conclusions. The results of this study suggest that the type of bait currently in use is adequate but the bait spacing may not be sufficient to control rats successfully on Christmas Island. Implications. It is recommended to place the bait stations without bait in advance so the structure looks familiar to rats in order to avoid bait shyness. It is also recommended to clean up and to remove the rubbish in order to reduce the habitat for rats to aid the control program. Introduction Predation by introduced mammals has affected many native species on oceanic islands worldwide (Sax and Gaines 2008), resulting in a rapid decline of their population and, in 3 some cases, extinction (Courchamp et al. 1999; Blackburn et al. 2004; Harris 2009). It has been documented that human-caused introduction of predators, such as feral cats (Felis catus) and rats (Rattus sp.) has had a major impact on the populations of seabirds, small mammals and other vertebrate species on oceanic islands around the world (Blackburn et al. 2004; Fukami et al. 2006; Harris 2009). Introduced rodents are present on almost every island in the world and they are responsible for the extinction of a high number of species (Rodriguez et al. 2006; Howald et al. 2007). Their ecological success has been largely attributed to their wide-ranging diet, small size and propensity to breed (Kay and Hoeskstra 2008). The primary food source for rats is plant material, but they will also consume other food sources that are most readily available (Taylor et al. 2000; Major et al. 2007; Caut et al. 2008). Some studies reported that rats consume eggs and chicks of breeding seabirds and also adults (Courchamp et al. 1999; Le Corre 2008) as well as reptiles (Caut et al. 2008; Beeton et al. 2010). Christmas Island, a tropical island located in the Indian Ocean (10.4833˚S, 105.6333˚E) approximately 2600 km northwest of Perth and 360 km south of Jakarta (Algar and Johnston 2010), is home to an unusual fauna that has been threatened since the introduction of exotic mammals (Wyatt et al. 2008). Two of the five native mammals of Christmas Island, the bulldog rat (Rattus nativitatis) and Maclear’s rat (Rattus macleari), have become extinct since the arrival of humans and their commensals over a hundred years ago (Armstrong 1992; Wyatt et al. 2008; Harris 2009). The Christmas Island shrew (Crocidura attenuata trichura), originally common on the island, is now critically endangered but is believed by most to be extinct as there have been no confirmed sightings since 1985 (Schulz 2004; Beeton et al. 2010). The population of the Christmas Island pipistrelle (Pipistrellus murrayi) has declined markedly and is now classified as critically endangered and believed to be extinct (Schulz and Lumsden 2004). Introduced mammals also have had a major impact on seabirds of the island such as the Christmas Island frigatebird (Fregata andrewsi), which is listed as vulnerable (Hill and Dunn 2004; DSEWPC 2010). Cats and possibly rats have also had a major impact in the breeding success of red-tailed tropicbird (Phaethon rubricauda) and it is also believed they predate on white-tailed tropicbirds 4 (Phaethon lepturus) as well (Beeton et al. 2010). All four species of land birds that are endemic to the island including the Christmas Island thrush (Turdus poliocephalus erythropleurus), the Christmas Island hawk-owl (Ninox natalis; listed vulnerable), the Christmas Island goshawk (Accipiter fasciatus natalis; listed endangered) and the Christmas Island emerald dove (Chalcophaps indica natalis) (DSEWPC 2012) are considered to be threatened, possibly because of cat and rat predation (Hill 2004a; Hill 2004b; Beeton et al. 2010). According to the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Populations and Community (DSEWPC 2012), there has also been a marked decline of reptile species over the past years. Cats and rats are considered to impact potentially all native species of reptiles on the island (Beeton et al. 2010). The eradication of introduced predators is essential for the recovery and management of declining native species, especially on oceanic islands (Taylor et al. 2000; Ratcliffe et al. 2009; Smith et al, 2009). Restoration programs cannot be limited merely to eradication. It is necessary to conduct pre-eradication assessment as well long-term post-eradication monitoring (Courchamp et al. 2003). A good management plan for introduced predators has to consider the value of long-term ecological monitoring of both superpredator and mesopredator (Rayner et al. 2007; Russell et al. 2008). Several eradication programs for introduced mammals have been implemented on oceanic islands worldwide over the past years (Howald et al. 2007). Selective poisoning is the most widely used method of eradicating introduced rodents on smaller islands, while on larger islands eradication becomes a high-risk operation due to the necessity for aerial dispersion of bait and thus the high probability of poisoning non-target species (Taylor et al. 2000; Howald et al. 2007, Harris 2009). Some methods to avoid poisoning non-target species include the selection of bait type and the use of bait stations (Howald et al. 2007) because these are less accessible to non-target species than baits on the ground. The choice of rodenticide must be balanced between efficacy and the risks to non-target species (Donlan et al. 2003). Additives can increase the rodent consumption of the toxin by making the bait more palatable and therefore may improve the results of the eradication program. Some additives used to increase palatability of baits include
Load more

Recommended publications
  • On Christmas Island. the Presence of Trypanosoma in Cats and Rats (From All Three Locations) and Leishmania
    Invasive animals and the Island Syndrome: parasites of feral cats and black rats from Western Australia and its offshore islands Narelle Dybing BSc Conservation Biology, BSc Biomedical Science (Hons) A thesis submitted to Murdoch University to fulfil the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the discipline of Biomedical Science 2017 Author’s Declaration I declare that this thesis is my own account of my research and contains as its main content work that has not previously been submitted for a degree at any tertiary education institution. Narelle Dybing i Statement of Contribution The five experimental chapters in this thesis have been submitted and/or published as peer reviewed publications with multiple co-authors. Narelle Dybing was the first and corresponding author of these publications, and substantially involved in conceiving ideas and project design, sample collection and laboratory work, data analysis, and preparation and submission of manuscripts. All publication co-authors have consented to their work being included in this thesis and have accepted this statement of contribution. ii Abstract Introduced animals impact ecosystems due to predation, competition and disease transmission. The effect of introduced infectious disease on wildlife populations is particularly pronounced on islands where parasite populations are characterised by increased intensity, infra-community richness and prevalence (the “Island Syndrome”). This thesis studied parasite and bacterial pathogens of conservation and zoonotic importance in feral cats from two islands (Christmas Island, Dirk Hartog Island) and one mainland location (southwest Western Australia), and in black rats from Christmas Island. The general hypothesis tested was that Island Syndrome increases the risk of transmission of parasitic and bacterial diseases introduced/harboured by cats and rats to wildlife and human communities.
    [Show full text]
  • Christmas Island Biodiversity Monitoring Program: December 2003 to April 2007
    Christmas Island Biodiversity Monitoring Program: December 2003 to April 2007 Report to the Department of Finance and Deregulation, from the Director of National Parks September 2008 2 Christmas Island Biodiversity Monitoring Program Project Contributions Project coordination: D.J. James; Field survey: D.J. James, K. Retallick; Data management, GIS: D.J. James, K. Retallick; Analyses and reporting: D.J. James Citation This document can be cited as: Christmas Island Biodiversity Monitoring Program: December 2003 to April 2007. Report to the Department of Finance and Deregulation from the Director of National Parks © Director of National Parks 2008 Christmas Island Biodiversity Monitoring Program 3 Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................7 1. INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................9 1.1 Checklist of flora and fauna of Christmas Island.....................................................................9 1.2 Christmas Island biodiversity inventory database.................................................................10 2. CHRISTMAS ISLAND PIPISTRELLE ........................................................................................11 2.1 Summary of the results .........................................................................................................11 2.2 Research and monitoring methods .......................................................................................12
    [Show full text]
  • Endemic Species of Christmas Island, Indian Ocean D.J
    RECORDS OF THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM 34 055–114 (2019) DOI: 10.18195/issn.0312-3162.34(2).2019.055-114 Endemic species of Christmas Island, Indian Ocean D.J. James1, P.T. Green2, W.F. Humphreys3,4 and J.C.Z. Woinarski5 1 73 Pozieres Ave, Milperra, New South Wales 2214, Australia. 2 Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria 3083, Australia. 3 Western Australian Museum, Locked Bag 49, Welshpool DC, Western Australia 6986, Australia. 4 School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia. 5 NESP Threatened Species Recovery Hub, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, Northern Territory 0909, Australia, Corresponding author: [email protected] ABSTRACT – Many oceanic islands have high levels of endemism, but also high rates of extinction, such that island species constitute a markedly disproportionate share of the world’s extinctions. One important foundation for the conservation of biodiversity on islands is an inventory of endemic species. In the absence of a comprehensive inventory, conservation effort often defaults to a focus on the better-known and more conspicuous species (typically mammals and birds). Although this component of island biota often needs such conservation attention, such focus may mean that less conspicuous endemic species (especially invertebrates) are neglected and suffer high rates of loss. In this paper, we review the available literature and online resources to compile a list of endemic species that is as comprehensive as possible for the 137 km2 oceanic Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the north-eastern Indian Ocean.
    [Show full text]
  • Proposed Management Plan for Cats and Black Rats on Christmas Island
    Proposed management plan for cats and black rats on Christmas Island Dave Algar and Michael Johnston 2010294-0710 Recommended citation: Algar, D & Johnston, M. 2010. Proposed Management plan for cats and black rats of Christmas Island, Western Australian Department of Environment and Conservation. ISBN: 978-1-921703-10-2 PROPOSED MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR CATS AND BLACK RATS ON CHRISTMAS ISLAND Dave Algar1 and Michael Johnston2 1 Department of Environment and Conservation, Science Division, Wildlife Place, Woodvale, Western Australia 6946 2 Department of Sustainability and Environment, Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, 123 Brown Street, Heidelberg, Victoria 3084 July 2010 Front cover Main: Feral cat at South Point, Christmas Island (Dave Algar). Top left: Feral cat approaching bait suspension device on Christmas Island (Scoutguard trail camera). Top right: Black rats in bait station on Cocos (Keeling) Islands that excludes land crabs (Neil Hamilton). ii Proposed management plan for cats and black rats on Christmas Island iii Proposed management plan for cats and black rats on Christmas Island Contents LIST OF FIGURES VI LIST OF TABLES VI ACKNOWLEDGMENTS VII REPORT OUTLINE 1 1. BACKGROUND 3 1.1 Impact of invasive cats and rats on endemic island fauna 3 1.2 Impact of feral cats and rats on Christmas Island 3 1.3 Introduction of cats and rats onto Christmas Island 7 1.4 Previous studies on the management of cats and rats on Christmas Island 8 1.4.1 Feral cat abundance and distribution 8 1.4.2 Feral cat diet 8 1.4.3 Rat abundance and distribution 9 1.5 Review of current control measures on Christmas Island 9 1.5.1 Management of domestic and stray cats in settled areas 9 1.5.2 Management of feral cats 10 1.5.3 Rat management 10 1.6 Recommendations to control/eradicate cats and black rats on Christmas Island 10 2.
    [Show full text]
  • I. G E O G RAP H IC PA T T E RNS in DIV E RS IT Y a . D Iversity And
    I. GEOGRAPHIC PATTERNS IN DIVERSITY A. Diversity and Endemicty B. Patterns in Mammalian Richness 1 – latitude 2 – area 3 – isolation 4 – elevation C. Hotspots of Mammalian Biodiversity 1 – relevance 2 – optimal characteristics of hotspots 3 – empirical patterns for mammals II. CONSERVATION STATUS OF MAMMALS A. Prehistoric Extinctions B. Historic Extinctions 1 – summary (totals) 2 – taxonomic, morphologic bias 3 – Geographic bias C. Geography of Extinctions 1 – prehistory and human colonization 2 – geographic questions 3 – range collapse in mammals Hotspots of Mammalian Endemicity Endemic Mammals Species Richness (fig. 1) Schipper et al 2009 – Science 322:226. (color pdf distributed to lab sections) Fig. 2. Global patterns of threat, for land (brown) and marine (blue) mammals. (A) Number of globally threatened species (Vulnerable, Endangered or Critically Fig. 4. Global patterns of knowledge, for land Endangered). Number of species affected by: (B) habitat loss; (C) harvesting; (D) (terrestrial and freshwater, brown) and marine (blue) accidental mortality; and (E) pollution. Same color scale employed in (B), (C), (D) species. (A) Number of species newly described since and (E) (hence, directly comparable). 1992. (B) Data-Deficient species. Mammal Extinctions 1500 to 2000 (151 species or subspecies; ~ 83 species) COMMON NAME LATIN NAME DATE RANGE PRIMARY CAUSE Lesser Hispanolan Ground Sloth Acratocnus comes 1550 Hispanola introduction of rats and pigs Greater Puerto Rican Ground Sloth Acratocnus major 1500 Puerto Rico introduction of rats
    [Show full text]
  • Original Literary Work Declaration
    UNIVERSITI MALAYA ORIGINAL LITERARY WORK DECLARATION Name o Candidate : HASMAHZAITI OMAR (I.C No: 780614-14-5416 ) Registration/Matric No : SHC070048 Name of Degree : DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (Ph.D.) Title of Project Paper / Research Report / Dissertation / Thesis (“this Work”): SYSTEMATICS AND BIOGEOGRAPHY OF SHREWS (SORICOMORPHA: SORICIDAE) IN PENINSULAR MALAYSIA Field of Study : WILDLIFE CONSERVATION I do solemnly and sincerely declare that: [1] I am the sole author/writer of this Work; [2] This Work is original; [3] Any use of any work in which copyright exists was done by way of fair dealing and for permitted purpose and any excerpt or extract from, or reference to or reproduction of any copyright work has been disclosed expressly and sufficiently and the title of the Work and its authorship have been acknowledged in this Work; [4] I do not have any actual knowledge nor do I ought reasonably to know that the making of this work constitutes an infringement of any copyright work; [5] I hereby assign all and every rights in the copyrights to this Work to the University of Malaya (“UM”), who henceforth shall be owner of the copyright in this Work and that any reproduction or use in any form or by any means whatsoever is prohibited without the written consent of UM having been first had and obtained; [6] I am fully aware that if in the course of making this Work I have infringed any copyright whether intentionally or otherwise, I may be subject to legal action or any other action as may be determined by UM.
    [Show full text]
  • Infectious Disease, Endangerment, and Extinction
    Hindawi Publishing Corporation International Journal of Evolutionary Biology Volume 2013, Article ID 571939, 9 pages http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/571939 Review Article Infectious Disease, Endangerment, and Extinction Ross D. E. MacPhee1 and Alex D. Greenwood2 1 Vertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024, USA 2 Leibniz-Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Department of Wildlife Diseases, Alfred-Kowalke-Straße 30, 10315 Berlin, Germany Correspondence should be addressed to Alex D. Greenwood; [email protected] Received 20 November 2012; Accepted 4 January 2013 Academic Editor: Stephane Boissinot Copyright © 2013 R. D. E. MacPhee and A. D. Greenwood. is is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Infectious disease, especially virulent infectious disease, is commonly regarded as a cause of �uctuation or decline in biological populations. However, it is not generally considered as a primary factor in causing the actual endangerment or extinction of species. We review here the known historical examples in which disease has, or has been assumed to have had, a major deleterious impact on animal species, including extinction, and highlight some recent cases in which disease is the chief suspect in causing the outright endangerment of particular species. We conclude that the role of disease in historical extinctions at the population or species level may have been underestimated. Recent methodological breakthroughs may lead to a better understanding of the past and present roles of infectious disease in in�uencing population �tness and other parameters.
    [Show full text]
  • Decline and Extinction of Australian Mammals Since European Settlement
    Ongoing unraveling of a continental fauna: Decline FEATURE ARTICLE and extinction of Australian mammals since European settlement John C. Z. Woinarskia,b,1, Andrew A. Burbidgec, and Peter L. Harrisond aNorthern Australian Hub of National Environmental Research Program and bThreatened Species Recovery Hub of National Environmental Science Program, SEE COMMENTARY Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT 0909, Australia; cResearch Fellow, Department of Parks and Wildlife, Wanneroo, WA 6069, Australia; and dMarine Ecology Research Centre, School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia This Feature Article is part of a series identified by the Editorial Board as reporting findings of exceptional significance. Edited by William J. Bond, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa, and approved January 13, 2015 (received for review September 10, 2014) The highly distinctive and mostly endemic Australian land mam- than previously recognized and that many surviving Australian mal fauna has suffered an extraordinary rate of extinction (>10% native mammal species are in rapid decline, notwithstanding the of the 273 endemic terrestrial species) over the last ∼200 y: in generally low level in Australia of most of the threats that are comparison, only one native land mammal from continental North typically driving biodiversity decline elsewhere in the world. America became extinct since European settlement. A further 21% of Australian endemic land mammal species are now assessed to Earlier Losses be threatened, indicating that the rate of loss (of one to two European settlement at 1788 marks a particularly profound extinctions per decade) is likely to continue. Australia’s marine historical landmark for the Australian environment, the opening mammals have fared better overall, but status assessment for up of the continent to a diverse array of new factors, and an ap- them is seriously impeded by lack of information.
    [Show full text]
  • Exotic-Rodents-Background.Pdf
    BACKGROUND DOCUMENT for the THREAT ABATEMENT PLAN to reduce the impacts of exotic rodents on biodiversity on Australian offshore islands of less than 100 000 hectares 2009 Contents 1 Introduction........................................................................................................................5 2 The problem with exotic rodents .....................................................................................6 2.1 Rodent species on Australian islands ........................................................................6 2.2 Australian islands with rodents...................................................................................7 2.3 Impacts of exotic rodents on island biodiversity and economic well-being.................8 3 Management of the threat...............................................................................................11 3.1 A response framework .............................................................................................11 3.2 Setting priorities........................................................................................................11 3.3 The toolbox...............................................................................................................12 3.4 Eradication ...............................................................................................................14 3.5 Sustained control......................................................................................................14 3.6 Stopping new invasions............................................................................................15
    [Show full text]
  • Captive Breeding and Future In-Situ Management of the Christmas Island Pipistrelle Pipistrellus Murrayi a Report to the Director of National Parks
    Captive breeding and future in-situ management of the Christmas Island Pipistrelle Pipistrellus murrayi A report to the Director of National Parks Lindy Lumsden and Martin Schulz 2009 Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research Captive breeding and future in-situ management of the Christmas Island Pipistrelle Pipistrellus murrayi A report to the Director of National Parks Lindy Lumsden and Martin Schulz Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research Department of Sustainability and Environment 123 Brown Street, Heidelberg, Victoria 3084 2009 Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research Department of Sustainability and Environment Heidelberg, Victoria Report produced by: Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research Department of Sustainability and Environment PO Box 137 Heidelberg, Victoria 3084 Phone (03) 9450 8600 Website: www.dse.vic.gov.au/ari Copyright: Director of National Parks. Citation: Lumsden, L. and Schulz, M. (2009). Captive breeding and future in-situ management of the Christmas Island Pipistrelle Pipistrellus murrayi. A report to the Director of National Parks. Arthur Rylah Institute. Department of Sustainability and Environment, Heidelberg, Victoria. Disclaimer: This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information in this publication. Front cover photo: Christmas Island Pipistrelle, and the only known communal roost for the species where in January 2009 there were four individuals of this species roosting (Photos: Lindy Lumsden). Authorised by: Victorian Government, Melbourne.
    [Show full text]
  • 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.
    [Show full text]
  • Invasive Rats on Tropical Islands: Their History, Ecology, Impacts and Eradication
    Invasive rats on tropical islands: Their history, ecology, impacts and eradication Karen Varnham Invasive rats on tropical islands: Their history, ecology, impacts and eradication Research Report Karen Varnham Published by the RSPB Conservation Science Department RSPB Research Report No 41 Published by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL, UK. © 2010 The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL, UK. All rights reserved. No parts of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the Society. ISBN 978-1-905601-28-8 Recommended citation: Varnham, K (2010). Invasive rats on tropical islands: Their history, ecology, impacts and eradication. RSPB Research Report No. 41. Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Sandy, Bedfordshire, UK. ISBN 978-1-905601-28-8 Cover photograph: John Cancalosi (FFI) For further information, please contact: Karen Varnham Dr Richard Cuthbert School of Biological Sciences Royal Society for the Protection of Birds University of Bristol The Lodge, Sandy Woodland Road, Bristol, BS8 2UG, UK Bedfordshire, SG19 2DL, UK Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Executive summary From their original ranges in Asia, black and brown rats (R. rattus and R. norvegicus) are now present across much of the world, including many island groups. They are among the most widespread and damaging invasive mammalian species in the world, known to cause significant ecological damage to a wide range of plant and animal species. Whilst their distribution is now global, this report focuses on their occurrence, ecology and impact within the tropics and reviews key factors relating to the eradication of these species from tropical islands based on both eradication successes and failures.
    [Show full text]