Ecology, energetics and thermal biology of sugar gliders

'Petaurus breviceps' inhabit tropical to cool-temperate regions within Australia and New Guinea. Despite their small body size (115-160 g) populations persist even in areas such as the New England region, where ambient temperature (Ta) frequently falls below 0°C over winter. Small mammals encounter a variety of energetic stresses at low Ta as a result or high thermal conductance requiring high metabolic rates (MR) for normothermic thermoregulation. Additionally insectivorous and nectarivorous species, such as sugar gliders, are confronted with seasonal reductions to food resources over winter. In order to survive and reproduce under these conditions, sugar gliders must employ a variety of behavioural and physiological strategies that include huddling and daily torpor. Although these strategies appear pivotal to their survival,almost all available information on this species is derived from captive animals and little is known on the seasonal adjustments of wild sugar gliders in terms of their thermal biology and behaviour. Moreover, little is known about the extent to which these adjustments are governed by reduced food availability and/or detrimental environmental conditions

Quantifying effects of wild dogs, domestic dogs and humans on the spread of rabies in Australia

Rabies is a preventable viral zoonosis that causes inflammation of the brain, and eventually death, in infected mammals. With few exceptions, including Australia, terrestrial rabies can be found worldwide. More than 55,000 deaths from rabies infection are reported annually; these are mainly in Asia and Africa where the primary reservoir is the domestic dog. Despite ongoing control efforts in Indonesia, canine rabies remains a disease of critical concern there. Although rabies is not endemic in Australia, at less than 300km away in Indonesia, a rabies incursion is a likely and imminent threat. To improve preparedness for a canine rabies outbreak in Australia, I collected data on a number of extant dog populations in northern and eastern Australia. I used a range of methods including self-administered questionnaires, GPS telemetry collars, camera trapping and mark-recapture studies. Using my own data and parameters collected from the wider literature, I developed state-transition models to determine how rabies could spread through these dog populations. Finally, I used these same models to evaluate a range of control strategies, including dog removal and vaccination, to identify the most effective options for reducing impacts in Australian communities following a rabies incursion. Model outputs suggested that rabies will progress differently within functionally different dog populations present within Australia. Restrained domestic dogs posed limited risk for rabies transmission, because interactions with other dogs were limited and generally supervised by owners. Free-roaming domestic and hunting dogs will likely play an important role in rabies transmission in some situations only, primarily based on their ability to roam, access to other free-roaming dogs and their interactions within and between dog groups. Wild dogs (including dingoes) proved the most critical type of dog for rabies spread and maintenance in Australia, because they are widely distributed, often in high abundance, roam over large distances and frequently interact. I found that time to detection for rabies in wild dogs will likely be lengthy, probably due to low infection rates prior to an epidemic and limited contact with humans, relative to the other categories of dog that I studied. Further, the capacity of authorities to implement effective control strategies for wild dogs will likely be restricted because of limited access to individual animals. The economic costs of controlling a rabies outbreak involving wild dogs will be substantial and likely equivalent to the costs for extensive aerially-based wild dog control that are currently used in some areas of Australia (~Aus$34 km-2). Australia’s current plans to address rabies incursions, which were developed in the 1990s are clearly outdated. My findings reveal that revision of these plans, taking specific account of relevant differences between restrained domestic dogs, free-roaming domestic dogs and extensive wild dog populations is necessary to ensure that Australia is adequately prepared for the arrival of canine rabies

Rabies disease dynamics in naȉve dog populations in Australia

Currently, Australia is free from terrestrial rabies but an incursion from nearby Indonesia, where the virus is endemic, is a feasible threat. Here, we aimed to determine whether the response to a simulated rabies incursion would vary between three extant Australian dog populations; free-roaming domestic dogs from a remote indigenous community in northern Australia, and free-roaming domestic and wild dogs in peri-urban areas of north-east New South Wales. We further sought to predict how different management strategies impacted disease dynamics in these populations. We used simple stochastic state-transition models and dog demographic and contact rate data from the three dog populations to simulate rabies spread, and used global and local sensitivity analyses to determine effects of model parameters. To identify the most effective control options, dog removal andvaccination strategies were also simulated. Responses to simulated rabies incursions varied between the dog populations. Free-roaming domestic dogs from north-east New South Wales exhibited the lowest risk for rabies maintenance and spread. Due to low containment and high contact rates, rabies progressed rapidly through free-roaming dogs from the remote indigenous community in northern Australia. In contrast, rabies remained at relatively low levels within the north-east New South Wales wild dog population for over a year prior to an epidemic. Across all scenarios, sensitivity analyses revealed that contact rates and the probability of transmission were the most important drivers of the number of infectious individuals within a population. The number of infectious individuals was less sensitive to birth and death rates. Removal of dogs as a control strategy was not effective for any population modelled, while vaccination rates in excess of 70% of the population resulted in significant reductions in disease progression. The variability in response between these distinct dog groups to a rabies incursion, suggests that a blanket approach to management would not be effective or feasible to control rabies in Australia. Control strategies that take into account the different population and behavioural characteristics of these doggroups will maximise the likelihood of effective and efficient rabies control in Australia

Post-fire recovery of torpor and activity patterns of a small mammal

To cope with the post-fire challenges of decreased availability of food and shelter, brown antechinus (Antechinus stuartii), a small marsupial mammal, increase the use of energy conserving torpor and reduce activity. However, it is not known how long it takes for animals to resume pre-fire torpor and activity patterns during the recovery of burnt habitat. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that antechinus will adjust torpor use and activity after a fire depending on vegetation recovery. We simultaneously quantified torpor and activity patterns for female antechinus from three adjacent areas: (i) the area of a management burn one year post-fire, (ii) an area that was burned two years prior and (iii) a control area. In comparison to shortly after the management burn, antechinus in all three groups displayed less frequent and less pronounced torpor while being more active. We provide the first evidence that only one year post-fire antechinus resume pre-fire torpor and activity patterns, likely in response to the return of herbaceous ground cover and foraging opportunities

Brushtail possum terrestrial activity patterns are driven by climatic conditions, breeding and moonlight intensity

Ecological studies of common brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) in their extant range have been limited by technology and the species' nocturnal habit. However, camera traps now allow the investigation of possum ethology without observer interference. Here, we analysed terrestrial possum activity patterns using a large dataset collected over 3 years from 133 camera traps in mesic eucalypt woodland and open forest in three national parks on the New England Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia. We investigated how weather and moonlight intensity infuenced possum activity patterns throughout the night, and across seasons and years, by using the timestamps assigned to each detection by the camera trap. Terrestrial possum activity increased as ambient temperatures decreased in autumn and peaked in winter when females were rearing ofspring. Nightly possum detections decreased signifcantly with rain and increasing mean temperature. Possums were almost exclusively nocturnal, with most terrestrial activity earlier in the evening in winter and later at night in summer. During longer nights, higher temperatures also delayed activity. While nightly detection rates were not afected by lunar phase, possums preferred parts of the night with the highest moonlight intensity, and this efect was stronger on brighter nights. Overall, brushtail possums were most active on the ground when temperatures were mild and moonlight bright, presumably assisting foraging and predator avoidance, and during the breeding season" they avoided rain. These patterns suggest that reproduction, thermoregulation and risk of predation strongly shape the nocturnal activity cycle. Furthermore, our research adds to the evidence that camera traps can help greatly expand our knowledge of the ecology and behaviour of nocturnal mammals

Differential developmental rates and demographics in Red Kangaroo (Osphranter rufus) populations separated by the dingo barrier fence

Decommissioning the dingo barrier fence has been suggested to reduce destructive dingo control and encourage a free transfer of biota between environments in Australia. Yet the potential impacts that over a century of predator exclusion might have had on the population dynamics and developmental biology of prey populations has not been assessed. We here combine demographic data and both linear and geometric morphometrics to assess differences in populations among 166 red kangaroos (Osphranter rufus)—a primary prey species of the dingo—from two isolated populations on either side of the fence. We also quantified the differences in aboveground vegetation biomass for the last 10 years on either side of the fence. We found that the age structure and growth patterns, but not cranial shape, differed between the two kangaroo populations. In the population living with a higher density of dingoes, there were relatively fewer females and juveniles. These individuals were larger for a given age, despite what seems to be lower vegetation biomass. However, how much of this biomass represented kangaroo forage is uncertain and requires further on-site assessments. We also identified unexpected differences in the ontogenetic trajectories in relative pes length between the sexes for the whole sample, possibly associated with male competition or differential weight-bearing mechanics. We discuss potential mechanisms behind our findings and suggest that the impacts of contrasting predation pressures across the fence, for red kangaroos and other species, merit further investigation

Dalāʾil al-Nubuwwa Literature as Part of the Medieval Scholarly Discourse on Prophecy

Abstract: Abū Nuʿaym al-Iṣfahānī (d. 430/1038) and Abū Bakr Aḥmad al-Bayhaqī (d. 458/1066) are mostly considered early representatives of Dalāʾil al-Nubuwwa literature. As a consequence the genre itself has often been viewed as a subgenre of sīra literature, which bears stylistic, structural and methodological implications, and affects its reputation as popular hagiographic rather than scholarly literature. These implications may be partially valid for Dalāʾil al-Nubuwwa works in the time period of Abū Nuʿaym and al-Bayhaqī but not for earlier works that have not been systematically studied so far. In this article, I examine early authorship in Dalāʾil al-Nubūwa literature by identifying numerous works that significantly predate Abū Nuʿaym and al-Bayhaqī. I argue that this literature constituted a continuous tradition from the mid-2nd/8th century onward and that it originated in circles of well-respected ḥadīth scholars who upheld their field’s methodological processes of authentication. Around the second half of the 4th/10th century, authorship shifted toward less acclaimed scholars of ḥadīth or other intellectual fields. Along with this shift came stylistic, structural and methodological changes that have led to the common classification of these works as a subgenre of sīra literature.</jats:p

1080 aerial baiting for the control of wild dogs and its impact on spotted-tail quoll ('Dasyurus maculatus') populations in eastern Australia

To further investigate the non-target impact of baiting using sodium monofluoroacetate (compound 1080) to control wild dogs, a population of radio-collarared spotted-tailed quolls was subject to an experimental aerial baiting exercise. The trial was conducted at a site on the New England Tablelands, New South Wales, without a recent history of that practice. Sixteen quolls were trapped and radio-collared before baiting. Fresh meat baits were delivered from a helicopter at a rate of 10-40 baits km⁻¹. In addition to 1080 (4.2mg), each bait contained the bait marker rhodamine B (50mg), which becomes incorporated into growing hair if an animal survives bait consumption. Two quoll mortalities were recorded following aerial baiting. Both quolls died 3-5 weeks after baiting when baits, on average, retained little 1080. None of the carcasses contained traces of 1080, but the test result is less reliable for the quoll that was found 19 days after its death although tissue was well preserved because of the cool weather. Nevertheless, given that this animal died 34 days after bait delivery, it appears likely that none of the raido-collared quolls succumbed to baiting. In contrast, vibrissae samples collected from 19 quolls captured after the baiting showed that 68% had eaten baits and survived. Furthermore, multiple bait takes were common, with up to six baits consumed by one female. The results demonstrate that most, if not all, quolls survived the baiting trial, including those that consumed dog baits. Hence bait consumption figures 'per se' are not indicative of mortality rates attributable to poisoning

Kidspace Learning Center: A new model for early childhood development

Designing spaces and elements to the scale and proportions of the users can establish an architectural vocabulary that defines the types and levels of interactions within spaces and the buildin

Evidence For An Extended Reproductive Season In The Spotted-Tailed Quoll 'Dasyurus Maculatus'

Spotted-Tailed quolls ('Dasyurus maculatus') raise only one litter with a maximum of six young per year. For quolls the breeding season starts in winter with mating usually occurring in June / July. Young are born about three weeks later (Jones et al. 2001) and available records indicate that generally young are born not later than August. Pouch young remain permanently attached to the teats for about seven weeks (Fleay 1940; Troughton 1954; Settle 1978) and have been observed between July and mid October (Jones et al. 2001; Belcher 2003; Körtner et al. 2004). In captivity, young are weaned between 120-150 days after birth and in the wild lactating females have not been observed after December (Fleay 1940; Settle 1978; Jones et al. 2001). At weaning young have reached a body mass between 300-600 g, about one third of their mother’s size (Fleay 1940; Settle 1978; Belcher 2003)