1
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Finnerty PB, Possell M, Banks PB, Orlando CG, Price CJ, Shrader AM, McArthur C. Olfactory misinformation provides refuge to palatable plants from mammalian browsing. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:645-650. [PMID: 38307993 PMCID: PMC11009103 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02330-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
Mammalian herbivores browse palatable plants of ecological and economical value. Undesirable neighbours can reduce browsing to these plants by providing 'associational refuge', but they can also compete for resources. Here we recreated the informative odour emitted by undesirable plants. We then tested whether this odour could act as virtual neighbours, providing browsing refuge to palatable eucalyptus tree seedlings. We found that protection using this method was equivalent to protection provided by real plants. Palatable seedlings were 17-20 times more likely to be eaten by herbivores without virtual, or real, neighbours. Because many herbivores use plant odour to forage, virtual neighbours could provide a useful practical management approach to help protect valued plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick B Finnerty
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - Malcolm Possell
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Peter B Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Catherine J Price
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Adrian M Shrader
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Clare McArthur
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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2
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Orlando CG, Banks PB, Latty T, McArthur C. To eat, or not to eat: a phantom decoy affects information-gathering behavior by a free-ranging mammalian herbivore. Behav Ecol 2023; 34:759-768. [PMID: 37744169 PMCID: PMC10516680 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arad057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
When foraging, making appropriate food choices is crucial to an animal's fitness. Classic foraging ecology theories assume animals choose food of greatest benefit based on their absolute value across multiple dimensions. Consequently, poorer options are considered irrelevant alternatives that should not influence decision-making among better options. But heuristic studies demonstrate that irrelevant alternatives (termed decoys) can influence the decisions of some animals, indicating they use a relative rather than absolute evaluation system. Our aim was to test whether a decoy influenced the decision-making process-that is, information-gathering and food choice-of a free-ranging mammalian herbivore. We tested swamp wallabies, Wallabia bicolor, comparing their behavior toward, and choice of, two available food options over time in the absence or presence of the decoy. We used a phantom decoy-unavailable option-and ran two trials in different locations and seasons. Binary preferences (decoy absent) for the two available food options differed between trials. Irrespective of this difference, across both trials the presence of the decoy resulted in animals more likely to overtly investigate available food options. But, the decoy only shifted food choice, weakly, in one trial. Our results indicate that the decoy influenced the information-gathering behavior during decision-making, providing the first evidence that decoys can affect decision-making process of free-ranging mammalian herbivores in an ecologically realistic context. It is premature to say these findings confirm the use of relative evaluation systems. Whether the foraging outcome is more strongly affected by other decoys, food dimensions, or ecological contexts, is yet to be determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian Gabriel Orlando
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence Building A08, Science Rd., Camperdown, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
| | - Peter B Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence Building A08, Science Rd., Camperdown, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
| | - Tanya Latty
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence Building A08, Science Rd., Camperdown, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
| | - Clare McArthur
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence Building A08, Science Rd., Camperdown, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
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3
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van Dooren T, Price CJ, Banks PB, Berger-Tal O, Chrulew M, Johnson J, Lajeunesse G, Lynch KE, McArthur C, Parker FCG, Oakey M, Pitcher BJ, St Clair CC, Ward-Fear G, Widin S, Wong BBM, Blumstein DT. The ethics of intervening in animal behaviour for conservation. Trends Ecol Evol 2023; 38:822-830. [PMID: 37183150 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Conservation behaviour is a growing field that applies insights from the study of animal behaviour to address challenges in wildlife conservation and management. Conservation behaviour interventions often aim to manage specific behaviours of a species to solve conservation challenges. The field is often viewed as offering approaches that are less intrusive or harmful to animals than, for example, managing the impact of a problematic species by reducing its population size (frequently through lethal control). However, intervening in animal behaviour, even for conservation purposes, may still raise important ethical considerations. We discuss these issues and develop a framework and a decision support tool, to aid managers and researchers in evaluating the ethical considerations of conservation behaviour interventions against other options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thom van Dooren
- Sydney Environment Institute and School of Humanities, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - Catherine J Price
- School of Life & Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - Peter B Banks
- School of Life & Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Oded Berger-Tal
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Jacob Blaustein Institutes of Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
| | - Matthew Chrulew
- School of Media, Creative Arts and Social Inquiry, Curtin University, WA, Australia
| | - Jane Johnson
- Department of Philosophy, Macquarie University, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Kate E Lynch
- Department of Philosophy and Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Clare McArthur
- School of Life & Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Finn C G Parker
- School of Life & Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Myles Oakey
- School of Humanities, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Benjamin J Pitcher
- Taronga Institute of Science and Learning, Taronga Conservation Society, Sydney, NSW, Australia; School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Georgia Ward-Fear
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Sam Widin
- School of Humanities, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Bob B M Wong
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Victoria, Australia
| | - Daniel T Blumstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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4
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Harris H, Wat KKY, Banks PB, Greenville A, McArthur C. Grow up, be persistent, and stay focused: keys for solving foraging problems by free-ranging possums. Behav Ecol 2023; 34:790-803. [PMID: 38046238 PMCID: PMC10690113 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arad054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals within a species often vary in both their problem-solving approach and ability, affecting their capacity to access novel food resources. Testing problem-solving in free-ranging individuals is crucial for understanding the fundamental ecological implications of problem-solving capacity. To examine the factors affecting problem-solving in free-ranging animals, we presented three food-extraction tasks of increasing difficulty to urban common brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula). We quantified two measures of problem-solving performance: trial outcome (success/failure) and time to solve and tested the influence of a range of potential drivers, including individual traits (personality, body weight, sex, and age), mechanistic behaviors that quantify problem-solving approach (work time, functional behavior time, behavioral diversity, and flexibility), and prior experience with the puzzles. We found that mechanistic behaviors were key drivers of performance. Individuals displaying greater persistence (higher work and functional behavior time) were more likely to solve a food-extraction task on their first attempt. Individuals also solved problems faster if they were more persistent and had lower behavioral flexibility. Personality indirectly affected time to solve one of the three problems by influencing time allocated to functional behaviors. Finally, adults solved the most difficult problem faster than juveniles. Overall, our study provides rare insight into the drivers underlying the problem-solving performance of wild animals. Such insight could be used to improve management strategies and conservation efforts, such as food or bait deployment, tailored to suit the innovative foraging abilities of target individuals in new and changing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Harris
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence Building (A08), Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Katie K Y Wat
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence Building (A08), Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Peter B Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence Building (A08), Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Aaron Greenville
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence Building (A08), Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Clare McArthur
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence Building (A08), Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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5
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Taylor CL, Egan SL, Gofton AW, Irwin PJ, Oskam CL, Hochuli DF, Banks PB. An invasive human commensal and a native marsupial maintain tick populations at the urban fringe. Med Vet Entomol 2023; 37:460-471. [PMID: 36718907 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) are major disease vectors globally making it increasingly important to understand how altered vertebrate communities in urban areas shape tick population dynamics. In urban landscapes of Australia, little is known about which native and introduced small mammals maintain tick populations preventing host-targeted tick management and leading to human-wildlife conflict. Here, we determined (1) larval, nymphal, and adult tick burdens on host species and potential drivers, (2) the number of ticks supported by the different host populations, and (3) the proportion of medically significant tick species feeding on the different host species in Northern Sydney. We counted 3551 ticks on 241 mammals at 15 sites and found that long-nosed bandicoots (Perameles nasuta) hosted more ticks of all life stages than other small mammals but introduced black rats (Rattus rattus) were more abundant at most sites (33%-100%) and therefore important in supporting larval and nymphal ticks in our study areas. Black rats and bandicoots hosted a greater proportion of medically significant tick species including Ixodes holocyclus than other hosts. Our results show that an introduced human commensal contributes to maintaining urban tick populations and suggests ticks could be managed by controlling rat populations on urban fringes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casey L Taylor
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Siobhon L Egan
- Centre for Biosecurity and One Health, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia
| | | | - Peter J Irwin
- Centre for Biosecurity and One Health, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia
- School of Veterinary Medicine, College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Charlotte L Oskam
- Centre for Biosecurity and One Health, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Dieter F Hochuli
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Peter B Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
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6
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Taylor CL, Hochuli DF, Banks PB. Activity and movement of small mammal tick hosts at the urban fringes of Sydney, Australia. Wildl Res 2023. [DOI: 10.1071/wr22069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
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7
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Adams MWD, Grant LS, Kovacs TGL, Liang SQT, Norris N, Wesley HE, Alessi MM, Banks PB. Commensal black rats
Rattus rattus
select wild vegetation over urbanised habitats. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maxim W. D. Adams
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Sydney Camperdown New South Wales Australia
| | - Laura S. Grant
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Sydney Camperdown New South Wales Australia
| | - Toby G. L. Kovacs
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Sydney Camperdown New South Wales Australia
| | - Stephanie Q. T. Liang
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Sydney Camperdown New South Wales Australia
| | - Nicholas Norris
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Sydney Camperdown New South Wales Australia
| | - Hannah E. Wesley
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Sydney Camperdown New South Wales Australia
| | - Megan M. Alessi
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Sydney Camperdown New South Wales Australia
| | - Peter B. Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Sydney Camperdown New South Wales Australia
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8
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Orlando CG, Possell M, Price C, Banks PB, Mercorelli L, McArthur C. A new conceptual and quantitative approach to exploring and defining potential open-access olfactory information. New Phytol 2022; 236:1605-1619. [PMID: 35975694 PMCID: PMC9826502 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
All organisms emit odour, providing 'open-access' olfactory information for any receiver with the right sensory apparatus. Characterizing open-access information emitted by groups of organisms, such as plant species, provides the means to answer significant questions about ecological interactions and their evolution. We present a new conceptual framework defining information reliability and a practical method to characterize and recover information from amongst olfactory noise. We quantified odour emissions from two tree species, one focal group and one outgroup, to demonstrate our approach using two new R statistical functions. We explore the consequences of relaxing or tightening criteria defining information and, from thousands of odour combinations, we identify and quantify those few likely to be informative. Our method uses core general principles characterizing information while incorporating knowledge of how receivers detect and discriminate odours. We can now map information in consistency-precision reliability space, explore the concept of information, and test information-noise boundaries, and between cues and signals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Malcolm Possell
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesThe University of SydneySydneyNSW2006Australia
| | - Catherine Price
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesThe University of SydneySydneyNSW2006Australia
| | - Peter B. Banks
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesThe University of SydneySydneyNSW2006Australia
| | - Louis Mercorelli
- The Sydney Informatics HubThe University of SydneySydneyNSW2006Australia
| | - Clare McArthur
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesThe University of SydneySydneyNSW2006Australia
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9
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Gofton AW, Blasdell KR, Taylor C, Banks PB, Michie M, Roy‐Dufresne E, Poldy J, Wang J, Dunn M, Tachedjian M, Smith I. Metatranscriptomic profiling reveals diverse tick-borne bacteria, protozoans and viruses in ticks and wildlife from Australia. Transbound Emerg Dis 2022; 69:e2389-e2407. [PMID: 35502617 PMCID: PMC9790515 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Tick-borne zoonoses are emerging globally due to changes in climate and land use. While the zoonotic threats associated with ticks are well studied elsewhere, in Australia, the diversity of potentially zoonotic agents carried by ticks and their significance to human and animal health is not sufficiently understood. To this end, we used untargeted metatranscriptomics to audit the prokaryotic, eukaryotic and viral biomes of questing ticks and wildlife blood samples from two urban and rural sites in New South Wales, Australia. Ixodes holocyclus and Haemaphysalis bancrofti were the main tick species collected, and blood samples from Rattus rattus, Rattus fuscipes, Perameles nasuta and Trichosurus vulpecula were also collected and screened for tick-borne microorganisms using metatranscriptomics followed by conventional targeted PCR to identify important microbial taxa to the species level. Our analyses identified 32 unique tick-borne taxa, including 10 novel putative species. Overall, a wide range of tick-borne microorganisms were found in questing ticks including haemoprotozoa such as Babesia, Theileria, Hepatozoon and Trypanosoma spp., bacteria such as Borrelia, Rickettsia, Ehrlichia, Neoehrlichia and Anaplasma spp., and numerous viral taxa including Reoviridiae (including two coltiviruses) and a novel Flaviviridae-like jingmenvirus. Of note, a novel hard tick-borne relapsing fever Borrelia sp. was identified in questing H. bancrofti ticks which is closely related to, but distinct from, cervid-associated Borrelia spp. found throughout Asia. Notably, all tick-borne microorganisms were phylogenetically unique compared to their relatives found outside Australia, and no foreign tick-borne human pathogens such as Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. or Babesia microti were found. This work adds to the growing literature demonstrating that Australian ticks harbour a unique and endemic microbial fauna, including potentially zoonotic agents which should be further studied to determine their relative risk to human and animal health.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kim R. Blasdell
- CSIROHealth and BiosecurityAustralian Centre for Disease PreparednessGeelongVICAustralia
| | - Casey Taylor
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Peter B. Banks
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
| | | | | | | | - Jian Wang
- CSIROHealth and BiosecurityCanberra, ConnecticutAustralia
| | - Michael Dunn
- CSIROHealth and BiosecurityAustralian Centre for Disease PreparednessGeelongVICAustralia
| | - Mary Tachedjian
- CSIROHealth and BiosecurityAustralian Centre for Disease PreparednessGeelongVICAustralia
| | - Ina Smith
- CSIROHealth and BiosecurityCanberra, ConnecticutAustralia
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10
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Egan SL, Taylor CL, Banks PB, Northover AS, Ahlstrom LA, Ryan UM, Irwin PJ, Oskam CL. The bacterial biome of ticks and their wildlife hosts at the urban-wildland interface. Microb Genom 2021; 7. [PMID: 34913864 PMCID: PMC8767321 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Advances in sequencing technologies have revealed the complex and diverse microbial communities present in ticks (Ixodida). As obligate blood-feeding arthropods, ticks are responsible for a number of infectious diseases that can affect humans, livestock, domestic animals and wildlife. While cases of human tick-borne diseases continue to increase in the northern hemisphere, there has been relatively little recognition of zoonotic tick-borne pathogens in Australia. Over the past 5 years, studies using high-throughput sequencing technologies have shown that Australian ticks harbour unique and diverse bacterial communities. In the present study, free-ranging wildlife (n=203), representing ten mammal species, were sampled from urban and peri-urban areas in New South Wales (NSW), Queensland (QLD) and Western Australia (WA). Bacterial metabarcoding targeting the 16S rRNA locus was used to characterize the microbiomes of three sample types collected from wildlife: blood, ticks and tissue samples. Further sequence information was obtained for selected taxa of interest. Six tick species were identified from wildlife: Amblyomma triguttatum, Ixodes antechini, Ixodes australiensis, Ixodes holocyclus, Ixodes tasmani and Ixodes trichosuri. Bacterial 16S rRNA metabarcoding was performed on 536 samples and 65 controls, generating over 100 million sequences. Alpha diversity was significantly different between the three sample types, with tissue samples displaying the highest alpha diversity (P<0.001). Proteobacteria was the most abundant taxon identified across all sample types (37.3 %). Beta diversity analysis and ordination revealed little overlap between the three sample types (P<0.001). Taxa of interest included Anaplasmataceae, Bartonella, Borrelia, Coxiellaceae, Francisella, Midichloria, Mycoplasma and Rickettsia. Anaplasmataceae bacteria were detected in 17.7% (95/536) of samples and included Anaplasma, Ehrlichia and Neoehrlichia species. In samples from NSW, 'Ca. Neoehrlichia australis', 'Ca. Neoehrlichia arcana', Neoehrlichia sp. and Ehrlichia sp. were identified. A putative novel Ehrlichia sp. was identified from WA and Anaplasma platys was identified from QLD. Nine rodent tissue samples were positive for a novel Borrelia sp. that formed a phylogenetically distinct clade separate from the Lyme Borrelia and relapsing fever groups. This novel clade included recently identified rodent-associated Borrelia genotypes, which were described from Spain and North America. Bartonella was identified in 12.9% (69/536) of samples. Over half of these positive samples were obtained from black rats (Rattus rattus), and the dominant bacterial species identified were Bartonella coopersplainsensis and Bartonella queenslandensis. The results from the present study show the value of using unbiased high-throughput sequencing applied to samples collected from wildlife. In addition to understanding the sylvatic cycle of known vector-associated pathogens, surveillance work is important to ensure preparedness for potential zoonotic spillover events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siobhon L Egan
- Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
| | - Casey L Taylor
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
| | - Peter B Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
| | - Amy S Northover
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
| | - Liisa A Ahlstrom
- Elanco Animal Health, Macquarie Park, New South Wales, 2113, Australia
| | - Una M Ryan
- Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
| | - Peter J Irwin
- Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia.,School of Veterinary Medicine, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
| | - Charlotte L Oskam
- Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
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11
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Johnstone KC, McArthur C, Banks PB. Behavioural drivers of survey bias: interactive effects of personality, the perceived risk and device properties. Oecologia 2021; 197:117-127. [PMID: 34477960 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-05021-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Detecting small mammal species for wildlife research and management typically depends on animals deciding to engage with a device, for instance, by entering a trap. While some animals engage and are detected, others do not, and we often lack a mechanistic understanding of what drives these decisions. As trappability can be influenced by traits of personality, personality has high potential to similarly influence detection success for non-capture devices (chew-track cards, tracking tunnels, etc.). We present a conceptual model of the detection process where animal behaviours which are detected by different devices are grouped into tiers based on the degree of intimacy with a device (e.g., approach, interact, enter). Each tier is associated with an increase in the perceived danger of engaging with a device, and an increase in the potential for personality bias. To test this model, we first surveyed 36 populations of free-living black rats (Rattus rattus), a global pest species, to uniquely mark individuals (n = 128) and quantify personality traits. We then filmed rat behaviour at novel tracking tunnels with different risk-reward treatments. As predicted, detection biases were driven by personality, the bias increased with each tier and differed between the risk treatments. Our findings suggest that personality biases are not limited to live-capture traps but are widespread across devices which detect specific animal behaviours. In showing that biases can be predictable, we also show biases can be managed. We recommend that studies involving small mammal sampling report on steps taken to manage a personality-driven bias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyla C Johnstone
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia. .,Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research, PO Box 69040, Lincoln, 7640, New Zealand.
| | - Clare McArthur
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Peter B Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
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12
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Herath APHM, Wat KKY, Banks PB, McArthur C. Animal personality drives individual dietary specialisation across multiple dimensions in a mammalian herbivore. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Katie K. Y. Wat
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences The University of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Peter B. Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences The University of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Clare McArthur
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences The University of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia
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13
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Bytheway JP, Johnstone KC, Price CJ, Banks PB. A mechanistic understanding of prebaiting to improve interaction with wildlife management devices. Pest Manag Sci 2021; 77:3107-3115. [PMID: 33638268 DOI: 10.1002/ps.6343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prebaiting is a technique involving early deployment of 'unarmed' devices (e.g. baits and traps) to increase efficacy of wildlife management. Although commonly used, the mechanisms by which prebaiting works are poorly understood. We propose three mechanisms by which prebaiting may increase device interaction probabilities; (1) overcoming neophobia towards novel devices, (2) a 'trickle in' effect increasing time for animals to encounter devices; and (3) social information transfer about rewards associated with devices. We conducted a survey of 100 articles to understand how prebaiting has been used. We then tested our proposed prebaiting mechanisms using a global pest (black rats, Rattus rattus) examining how uniquely marked free-living rats responded to a common yet novel monitoring technique (tracking tunnels). RESULTS No studies in our dataset tested how prebaiting functioned. Most studies (61%) did not propose a mechanism for prebaiting, but overcoming neophobia was most commonly mentioned. We only found partial support for the overcoming neophobia hypothesis in our field test. We found the dominant mechanism operating in our system to be the 'trickle in' effect with the proportion of individuals visiting the device increasing over time. We found no support for social information transfer as a mechanism of prebaiting. CONCLUSION Applying a mechanistic understanding of how prebaiting functions will improve the efficacy of management devices. Our results suggest that prebaiting allows time for more rats to encounter a device, hence surveys in our system would benefit from long prebaiting periods. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna P Bytheway
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Kyla C Johnstone
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Catherine J Price
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Peter B Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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Johnstone KC, McArthur C, Banks PB. Testing transgenerational transfer of personality in managed wildlife populations: a house mouse control experiment. Ecol Appl 2021; 31:e02247. [PMID: 33135270 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Pest species control operations are most effective if every individual in a population is targeted. Yet, individual personality drives variation in animal responses to devices such as traps and baits. Failing to account for differences in behavior during control operations may drive a selective removal, resulting in residual animals with biased expressions of personality. If these biased traits are passed onto offspring, control operations would become increasingly problematic. To test if biased trait expressions in founding populations are passed on to offspring, we quantified personality traits in wild-caught house mice (Mus musculus) and created founder populations selected for biased (high, low) or intermediate expressions of activity. We released the behaviorally biased populations into outdoor yards to breed to the F1 generation and, 10 weeks later, removed the mice and quantified the personality traits of the offspring. Despite the strong personality bias in founder populations, we observed no transgenerational transfer of personality and detected no personality bias in the F1 generation. Our results provide reassuring evidence that a single intensive control operation that selects for survivors with a personality bias is unlikely to lead to a recovering population inherently more difficult to eradicate, at least for house mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyla C Johnstone
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence Building, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
| | - Clare McArthur
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence Building, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
| | - Peter B Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence Building, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
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Norbury GL, Price CJ, Latham MC, Brown SJ, Latham ADM, Brownstein GE, Ricardo HC, McArthur NJ, Banks PB. Misinformation tactics protect rare birds from problem predators. Sci Adv 2021; 7:7/11/eabe4164. [PMID: 33692107 PMCID: PMC7946364 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abe4164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Efficient decision-making integrates previous experience with new information. Tactical use of misinformation can alter choice in humans. Whether misinformation affects decision-making in other free-living species, including problem species, is unknown. Here, we show that sensory misinformation tactics can reduce the impacts of predators on vulnerable bird populations as effectively as lethal control. We repeatedly exposed invasive mammalian predators to unprofitable bird odors for 5 weeks before native shorebirds arrived for nesting and for 8 weeks thereafter. Chick production increased 1.7-fold at odor-treated sites over 25 to 35 days, with doubled or tripled odds of successful hatching, resulting in a 127% increase in modeled population size in 25 years. We demonstrate that decision-making processes that respond to changes in information reliability are vulnerable to tactical manipulation by misinformation. Altering perceptions of prey availability offers an innovative, nonlethal approach to managing problem predators and improving conservation outcomes for threatened species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grant L Norbury
- Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research, Alexandra 9340, New Zealand.
| | - Catherine J Price
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Nikki J McArthur
- Wildlife Management International Ltd., Blenheim 7201, New Zealand
| | - Peter B Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
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Egan SL, Taylor CL, Austen JM, Banks PB, Northover AS, Ahlstrom LA, Ryan UM, Irwin PJ, Oskam CL. Haemoprotozoan surveillance in peri-urban native and introduced wildlife from Australia. Current Research in Parasitology & Vector-Borne Diseases 2021; 1:100052. [PMID: 35284862 PMCID: PMC8906138 DOI: 10.1016/j.crpvbd.2021.100052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Siobhon L. Egan
- Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
- Corresponding author.
| | - Casey L. Taylor
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Camperdown, The University of Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
| | - Jill M. Austen
- Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
| | - Peter B. Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Camperdown, The University of Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
| | - Amy S. Northover
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
| | - Liisa A. Ahlstrom
- Elanco Animal Health, Macquarie Park, New South Wales, 2113, Australia
| | - Una M. Ryan
- Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
| | - Peter J. Irwin
- Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
| | - Charlotte L. Oskam
- Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
- Corresponding author.
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Price CJ, Banks PB, Brown S, Latham MC, Latham ADM, Pech RP, Norbury GL. Invasive mammalian predators habituate to and generalize avian prey cues: a mechanism for conserving native prey. Ecol Appl 2020; 30:e02200. [PMID: 32573866 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Revised: 04/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Invasive mammalian predators can cause the decline and extinction of vulnerable native species. Many invasive mammalian predators are dietary generalists that hunt a variety of prey. These predators often rely upon olfaction when foraging, particularly at night. Little is understood about how prey odor cues are used to inform foraging decisions. Prey cues can vary spatially and temporally in their association with prey and can either reveal the location of prey or lead to unsuccessful foraging. Here we examine how two wild-caught invasive mammalian bird predator species (European hedgehogs Erinaceus europaeus and ferrets Mustela putorius furo) respond to unrewarded bird odors over successive exposures, first demonstrating that the odors are perceptually different using house mice (Mus musculus) as a biological olfactometer. We aim to test if introduced predators categorize odor cues of similar prey together, a tactic that could increase foraging efficiency. We exposed house mice to the odors using a standard habituation/dishabituation test in a laboratory setting, and wild-caught European hedgehogs and ferrets in an outdoor enclosure using a similar procedure. Mice discriminated among all bird odors presented, showing more interest in chicken odor than quail or gull odor. Both predator species showed a decline in interest toward unrewarded prey odor (i.e., habituation), but only ferrets generalized their response from one unrewarded bird odor to another bird odor. Hedgehog responses to unrewarded bird odors were highly variable between individuals. Taken together, our results reveal interspecific and intraspecific differences in response to prey odors, which we argue are a consequence of different diet breadth, life and evolutionary histories, and the conditions in each experiment. Generalization of prey odors may have enabled some species of invasive predators to efficiently hunt a range of intraguild prey species, for example, ground-nesting shorebirds. Olfactory manipulation of predators may be a useful conservation tool for threatened prey if it reduces the conspicuousness of vulnerable prey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine J Price
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
| | - Peter B Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
| | - Samantha Brown
- Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, PO Box 69040, Lincoln, 7640, New Zealand
| | - M Cecilia Latham
- Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, PO Box 69040, Lincoln, 7640, New Zealand
| | - A David M Latham
- Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, PO Box 69040, Lincoln, 7640, New Zealand
| | - Roger P Pech
- Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, PO Box 69040, Lincoln, 7640, New Zealand
| | - Grant L Norbury
- Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, PO Box 282, Alexandra, 9340, New Zealand
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18
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Garvey PM, Banks PB, Suraci JP, Bodey TW, Glen AS, Jones CJ, McArthur C, Norbury GL, Price CJ, Russell JC, Sih A. Leveraging Motivations, Personality, and Sensory Cues for Vertebrate Pest Management. Trends Ecol Evol 2020; 35:990-1000. [PMID: 32900547 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2020.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Managing vertebrate pests is a global conservation challenge given their undesirable socio-ecological impacts. Pest management often focuses on the 'average' individual, neglecting individual-level behavioural variation ('personalities') and differences in life histories. These differences affect pest impacts and modify attraction to, or avoidance of, sensory cues. Strategies targeting the average individual may fail to mitigate damage by 'rogues' (individuals causing disproportionate impact) or to target 'recalcitrants' (individuals avoiding standard control measures). Effective management leverages animal behaviours that relate primarily to four core motivations: feeding, fleeing, fighting, and fornication. Management success could be greatly increased by identifying and exploiting individual variation in motivations. We provide explicit suggestions for cue-based tools to manipulate these four motivators, thereby improving pest management outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick M Garvey
- Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, PO Box 69040, Lincoln 7640, New Zealand.
| | - Peter B Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Justin P Suraci
- Centre for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Thomas W Bodey
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, Penryn Campus, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9EZ, UK
| | - Alistair S Glen
- Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, Private Bag 92170, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Chris J Jones
- Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, PO Box 69040, Lincoln 7640, New Zealand
| | - Clare McArthur
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Grant L Norbury
- Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, PO Box 69040, Lincoln 7640, New Zealand
| | - Catherine J Price
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - James C Russell
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Andrew Sih
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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Egan SL, Loh SM, Banks PB, Gillett A, Ahlstrom L, Ryan UM, Irwin PJ, Oskam CL. Corrigendum to "Bacterial community profiling highlights complex diversity and novel organisms in wildlife ticks" [Ticks Tick Borne Dis. 11 (3) (2020) 101407]. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2020; 11:101502. [PMID: 32624374 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2020.101502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Siobhon L Egan
- Vector and Waterborne Pathogens Research Group, College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Siew-May Loh
- Vector and Waterborne Pathogens Research Group, College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Peter B Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Amber Gillett
- Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, Beerwah, Queensland, Australia
| | - Liisa Ahlstrom
- Bayer Australia Ltd, Animal Health, Pymble, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Una M Ryan
- Vector and Waterborne Pathogens Research Group, College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Peter J Irwin
- Vector and Waterborne Pathogens Research Group, College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Charlotte L Oskam
- Vector and Waterborne Pathogens Research Group, College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
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20
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Taylor CL, Lydecker HW, Lo N, Hochuli DF, Banks PB. Invasive rabbits host immature Ixodes ticks at the urban-forest interface. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2020; 11:101439. [PMID: 32295737 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2020.101439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2019] [Revised: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Introduced wildlife may be important alternative hosts for generalist ticks that cause health issues for humans and companion animals in urban areas, but to date are rarely considered as part of the tick-host community compared to native wildlife. In Australia, European rabbits, Oryctolagus cuniculus, are a widespread and abundant invasive species common to a range of human-modified ecosystems. To understand the potential role of rabbits in the life cycle of Australian ticks, we investigated the seasonal abundance of all tick life stages (larva, nymph, and adult) on rabbits collected from pest control programs in two urban forest remnants in Sydney, Australia. We also recorded whether larvae, nymphs, and adults were attached to the head, body, or limbs of rabbits to reveal patterns of tick attachment. Of the 2426 Ixodes ticks collected from 42 rabbits, larvae were by far the most abundant life stage (2360), peaking in abundance in autumn, while small numbers of nymphs (62) and adults (4) were present in winter and summer respectively. Larvae were found all over the body, whereas adults and nymphs were predominantly attached to the head, suggesting that the mature life stages use the host landscape differently, or that adults or nymphs may be groomed off the body. The most abundant tick species, as determined by morphology and DNA sequencing, was Ixodes holocyclus, a generalist tick responsible for significant human and companion animal health concerns in Australia. Our findings highlight the importance of understanding the role of introduced wildlife in tick dynamics particularly in novel ecosystems where non-native hosts may be more abundant than native hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casey L Taylor
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia.
| | - Henry W Lydecker
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia; Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia
| | - Nathan Lo
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia
| | - Dieter F Hochuli
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia
| | - Peter B Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia
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21
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22
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Egan SL, Taylor CL, Austen JM, Banks PB, Ahlstrom LA, Ryan UM, Irwin PJ, Oskam CL. Molecular identification of the Trypanosoma (Herpetosoma) lewisi clade in black rats (Rattus rattus) from Australia. Parasitol Res 2020; 119:1691-1696. [PMID: 32198627 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-020-06653-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Invasive rodent species are known hosts for a diverse range of infectious microorganisms and have long been associated with the spread of disease globally. The present study describes molecular evidence for the presence of a Trypanosoma sp. from black rats (Rattus rattus) in northern Sydney, Australia. Sequences of the 18S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) locus were obtained in two out of eleven (18%) blood samples with subsequent phylogenetic analysis confirming the identity within the Trypanosoma lewisi clade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siobhon L Egan
- Vector and Waterborne Pathogens Research Group, College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia.
| | - Casey L Taylor
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jill M Austen
- Vector and Waterborne Pathogens Research Group, College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Peter B Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Una M Ryan
- Vector and Waterborne Pathogens Research Group, College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Peter J Irwin
- Vector and Waterborne Pathogens Research Group, College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Charlotte L Oskam
- Vector and Waterborne Pathogens Research Group, College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Hansen
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney 2052Australia
| | | | | | - Peter B. Banks
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney 2052Australia
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
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Abstract
Abstract
Personality traits shape individual perceptions of risks and rewards, and so, should affect how animals value and use their environment. Evidence is emerging that personality affects foraging, space use, and exploitation of novel environments such as urban habitat. But the influence of personality is also hypothesized to be sex-dependent when primary motivation for space use differs between sexes, as often occurs in polygynous species. We tested the influence of personality traits, interacting with sex, on space use by the polygynous common brushtail possum, Trichosurus vulpecula, in an urban-woodland boundary in Sydney, Australia. We quantified personality traits, including exploration, using behavioral assays in an artificial arena. We also GPS-tracked free-ranging individuals, and measured range size, core area: home range, and proportional urban range. We found that personality traits affected space use either as a main effect or, as predicted, an interaction with sex. More exploratory animals, regardless of sex, had higher core area: home range ratios and proportionally larger ranges within urban habitat. However, less exploratory females yet more exploratory males had larger ranges. Our findings provide new insight into movement ecology by demonstrating, for the first time, the sex-dependent influence of personality. The demonstrated influence of personality on urban use by possums also suggests a personality filter for wildlife, as populations transition into urban areas. Finally, as individuals at the interface between urban and natural habitat are also a conduit between the two, a corollary of our findings is that there may be personality-mediated spread of disease across this boundary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie K Y Wat
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence Building (A08), Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Anushika P H M Herath
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence Building (A08), Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Adrian I Rus
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence Building (A08), Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Peter B Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence Building (A08), Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Clare Mcarthur
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence Building (A08), Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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Lydecker HW, Banks PB, Hochuli DF. Counting Ticks (Acari: Ixodida) on Hosts Is Complex: A Review and Comparison of Methods. J Med Entomol 2019; 56:1527-1533. [PMID: 31237338 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjz094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Locating and counting parasites on a host is a fundamental aspect of ecological research and basic veterinary and clinical practice. Variability in the biology and behavior of both hosts and parasites creates many methodological, logistical, and ethical considerations that must be made to collect this deceptively simple measurement. We identified methods that are used to count ticks (Acari: Ixodida, Leach 1815) on hosts by reviewing the methods sections of relevant published studies. Unfortunately, there is no best method agreed upon by scientists to collect ticks from hosts. In general, we suggest that studies focusing purely on counting ticks on hosts should use more sensitive methods to determine patterns of tick distribution on the surfaces of unconscious or deceased hosts in order to provide host body regions to target in future studies to maximize tick detection ability and limit the costs of research for researchers and the host animals involved. As ticks are counted on hosts for many different reasons, researchers must be goal oriented and chose methods that are appropriate for addressing their specific aims.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry W Lydecker
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, the University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead NSW, Australia
| | - Peter B Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, the University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Dieter F Hochuli
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, the University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Sydney Policy Lab, the University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Bytheway JP, Banks PB. Overcoming prey naiveté: Free-living marsupials develop recognition and effective behavioral responses to alien predators in Australia. Glob Chang Biol 2019; 25:1685-1695. [PMID: 30822357 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Naiveté in prey arises from novel ecological mismatches in cue recognition systems and antipredator responses following the arrival of alien predators. The multilevel naiveté framework suggests that animals can progress through levels of naiveté toward predator awareness. Alternatively, native prey may be preadapted to recognize novel predators via common constituents in predator odors or familiar predator archetypes. We tested predictions of these competing hypotheses on the mechanisms driving behavioral responses of native species to alien predators by measuring responses of native free-living northern brown bandicoots (Isoodon macrourus) to alien red fox (Vulpes vulpes) odor. We compared multiple bandicoot populations either sympatric or allopatric with foxes. Bandicoots sympatric with foxes showed recognition and appropriate antipredator behavior toward fox odor via avoidance. On the few occasions bandicoots did visit, their vigilance significantly increased, and their foraging decreased. In contrast, bandicoots allopatric with foxes showed no recognition of this predator cue. Our results suggest that vulnerable Australian mammals were likely naïve to foxes when they first arrived, which explains why so many native mammals declined soon after fox arrival. Our results also suggest such naiveté can be overcome within a relatively short time frame, driven by experience with predators, thus supporting the multilevel naiveté framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna P Bytheway
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Peter B Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Lydecker HW, Hochuli DF, Banks PB. Peri-urban black rats host a rich assembly of ticks and healthier rats have more ticks. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2019; 10:749-753. [PMID: 30894289 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Revised: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The black rat Rattus rattus has a distribution that includes much of Earth's terrestrial surface, and has adapted to exploit both habitats extensively modified by humans and rural habitats. Despite the fact that R. rattus are nearly ubiquitous, few studies have investigated urban or peri-urban R. rattus as potential hosts for ticks. In this study, we identified the species of ticks that parasitize R. rattus in a remnant bush area within Sydney, Australia. We then examined the relationship between ticks and R. rattus by testing several rat body characteristics as predictors of tick abundance. We show that larva and nymphs of five species of native Australian tick parasitize R. rattus in urban Australia. The most abundance species was Ixodes holocyclus, a tick of veterinary and human health concern. We found that ticks were more abundant on R. rattus in better condition, for larva and nymphs of I. holocyclus and I. tasmani. Rattus rattus supports a rich assembly of ticks in a remnant forest in urban Australia, and as the R. rattus in best condition have the most ticks, tick parasitism at the levels observed does not appear to negatively impact R. rattus. Our findings illustrate that R. rattus, and other human commensal species, may be important hosts for ticks in human modified environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry W Lydecker
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, the University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia; Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, the University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia.
| | - Dieter F Hochuli
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, the University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia
| | - Peter B Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, the University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia
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Latham MC, Anderson DP, Norbury G, Price CJ, Banks PB, Latham ADM. Modeling habituation of introduced predators to unrewarding bird odors for conservation of ground-nesting shorebirds. Ecol Appl 2019; 29:e01814. [PMID: 30312506 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Revised: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Foraging mammalian predators face a myriad of odors from potential prey. To be efficient, they must focus on rewarding odors while ignoring consistently unrewarding ones. This may be exploited as a nonlethal conservation tool if predators can be deceived into ignoring odors of vulnerable secondary prey. To explore critical design components and assess the potential gains to prey survival of this technique, we created an individual-based model that simulated the hunting behavior of three introduced mammalian predators on one of their secondary prey (a migratory shorebird) in the South Island of New Zealand. Within this model, we heuristically assessed the outcome of habituating the predators to human-deployed unrewarding bird odors before the bird's arrival at their breeding grounds, i.e., the predators were "primed." Using known home range sizes and probabilities of predators interacting with food lures, our model suggests that wide-ranging predators should encounter a relatively large number of odor points (between 10 and 115) during 27 d of priming when odor is deployed within high-resolution grids (100-150 m). Using this information, we then modeled the effect of different habituation curves (exponential and sigmoidal) on the probability of predators depredating shorebird nests. Our results show that important gains in nest survival can be achieved regardless of the shape of the habituation curve, but particularly if predators are fast olfactory learners (exponential curve), and even if some level of dishabituation occurs after prey become available. Predictions from our model can inform the amount and pattern in which olfactory stimuli need to be deployed in the field to optimize encounters by predators, and the relative gains that can be expected from reduced predation pressure on secondary prey under different scenarios of predator learning. Habituating predators to odors of threatened secondary prey may have particular efficacy as a conservation tool in areas where lethal predator control is not possible or ethical, or where even low predator densities can be detrimental to prey survival. Our approach is also relevant for determining interaction probabilities for devices other than odor points, such as bait stations and camera traps.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Cecilia Latham
- Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, PO Box 69040, Lincoln, 7640, New Zealand
| | - Dean P Anderson
- Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, PO Box 69040, Lincoln, 7640, New Zealand
| | - Grant Norbury
- Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, PO Box 282, Alexandra, 9340 , New Zealand
| | - Catherine J Price
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
| | - Peter B Banks
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
| | - A David M Latham
- Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, PO Box 69040, Lincoln, 7640, New Zealand
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29
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Parsons MH, Banks PB, Deutsch MA, Munshi-South J. Temporal and Space-Use Changes by Rats in Response to Predation by Feral Cats in an Urban Ecosystem. Front Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2018.00146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
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30
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Banks PB, Carthey AJR, Bytheway JP. Australian native mammals recognize and respond to alien predators: a meta-analysis. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:rspb.2018.0857. [PMID: 30135153 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.0857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Prey naiveté is a failure to recognize novel predators and thought to cause exaggerated impacts of alien predators on native wildlife. Yet there is equivocal evidence in the literature for native prey naiveté towards aliens. To address this, we conducted a meta-analysis of Australian mammal responses to native and alien predators. Australia has the world's worst record of extinction and declines of native mammals, largely owing to two alien predators introduced more than 150 years ago: the feral cat, Felis catus, and European red fox, Vulpes vulpes Analysis of 94 responses to predator cues shows that Australian mammals consistently recognize alien foxes as a predation threat, possibly because of thousands of years of experience with another canid predator, the dingo, Canis lupus dingo We also found recognition responses towards cats; however, in four of the seven studies available, these responses were of risk-taking behaviour rather than antipredator behaviour. Our results suggest that a simple failure to recognize alien predators is not behind the ongoing exaggerated impacts of alien predators in Australia. Instead, our results highlight an urgent need to better understand the appropriateness of antipredator responses in prey towards alien predators in order to understand native prey vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter B Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Alexandra J R Carthey
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia.,Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - Jenna P Bytheway
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter B Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Sydney, in New South Wales, Australia
- PBB developed the idea
- PBB, AEB, RPP, and CRD wrote the article
| | - Andrea E Byrom
- Landcare Research, in Lincoln, New Zealand
- PBB, AEB, RPP, and CRD wrote the article
| | - Roger P Pech
- Landcare Research, in Lincoln, New Zealand
- PBB, AEB, RPP, and CRD wrote the article
| | - Chris R Dickman
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Sydney, in New South Wales, Australia
- PBB, AEB, RPP, and CRD wrote the article
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Carthey AJR, Banks PB. Naïve, bold, or just hungry? An invasive exotic prey species recognises but does not respond to its predators. Biol Invasions 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-018-1782-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
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Loh SM, Egan S, Gillett A, Banks PB, Ryan UM, Irwin PJ, Oskam CL. Molecular surveillance of piroplasms in ticks from small and medium-sized urban and peri-urban mammals in Australia. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2018; 7:197-203. [PMID: 29988853 PMCID: PMC6032040 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2018.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2018] [Revised: 05/22/2018] [Accepted: 05/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Natural landscape alterations as a consequence of urbanisation are one of the main drivers in the movements of wildlife into metropolitan and peri-urban areas. Worldwide, these wildlife species are highly adaptable and may be responsible for the transmission of tick-borne pathogens including piroplasms (Babesia, Theileria and Cytauxzoon spp.) that cause piroplasmosis in animals and occasionally in humans. Little is known about piroplasms in the ticks of urban wildlife in Australia. Ticks from long-nosed bandicoots (Perameles nasuta; n = 71), eastern-barred bandicoots (Perameles gunnii; n = 41), northern-brown bandicoots (Isoodon macrourus; n = 19), southern-brown bandicoots (Isoodon obesulus; n = 4), bandicoot sp. (n = 2), flying foxes (Pteropus sp.; n = 3), black rats (Rattus rattus; n = 7), bush rats (Rattus fuscipes; n = 4), brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula; n = 19), ringtail possums (Pseudocheirus peregrinus; n = 12), short-eared possums (Trichosurus caninus; n = 6), possum sp. (Trichosurus sp.; n = 8), and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes; n = 12) were analysed using piroplasm-specific 18S primers and Sanger sequencing. Seven Ixodes tasmani ticks from long-nosed bandicoots and bandicoots sp., three I. tasmani ticks and one Ixodes holocyclus tick from brushtail possums, and one Haemaphysalis longicornis tick from a red fox were positive for piroplasms. New genotypes, with sequences sharing 98% nucleotide similarities with Theileria sp. K1 detected in a burrowing bettong (Bettongia lesueur), were identified from bandicoot ticks. New genotypes were detected in ticks from brushtail possums, which shared 98% similarity with a Babesia sp. (JQ682877) previously identified in marsupials. Theileria orientalis was identified in the H. longicornis tick from the red fox. Babesia and Theileria spp. in the ticks parasitizing bandicoots and brushtail possums clustered closely with respective Babesia and Theileria clades derived from Australian marsupials. This represents the first detection of piroplasms in ticks parasitizing brushtail possums and a red fox in Australia. First characterisation of novel Babesia sp. in ticks from brushtail possums in Australia. First detection of Theileria orientalis in tick on a red fox in Australia. Theileria sp. derived from Australian marsupials form a unique clade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siew-May Loh
- Vector and Water-Borne Pathogens Research Group, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Siobhon Egan
- Vector and Water-Borne Pathogens Research Group, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Amber Gillett
- Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, Beerwah, Queensland, Australia
| | - Peter B Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Una M Ryan
- Vector and Water-Borne Pathogens Research Group, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Peter J Irwin
- Vector and Water-Borne Pathogens Research Group, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Charlotte L Oskam
- Vector and Water-Borne Pathogens Research Group, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
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Price CJ, Banks PB. Food quality and conspicuousness shape improvements in olfactory discrimination by mice. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2016.2629. [PMID: 28123093 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.2629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2016] [Accepted: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
How animals locate nutritious but camouflaged prey items with increasing accuracy is not well understood. Olfactory foraging is common in vertebrates and the nutritional desirability of food should influence the salience of odour cues. We used signal detection analysis to test the effect of nutritional value relative to the conspicuousness of food patches on rates of foraging improvement of wild house mice Mus musculus searching for buried food (preferred peanuts or non-preferred barley). Olfactory cues were arranged to make food patches conspicuous or difficult to distinguish using a novel form of olfactory camouflage. Regardless of food type or abundance, mice searching for conspicuous food patches performed significantly better than mice searching for camouflaged patches. However, food type influenced how mice responded to different levels of conspicuousness. Mice searching for peanuts improved by similar rates regardless of whether food was easy or hard to find, but mice searching for barley showed significant differences, improving rapidly when food was conspicuous but declining in accuracy when food was camouflaged. Our results demonstrate a fundamental tenet of olfactory foraging that nutritional desirability influences rates of improvement in odour discrimination, enabling nutritious but camouflaged prey to be located with increasing efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine J Price
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Randwick, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Peter B Banks
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Randwick, New South Wales 2052, Australia
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Banks PB, Daly A, Bytheway JP. Predator odours attract other predators, creating an olfactory web of information. Biol Lett 2017; 12:rsbl.2015.1053. [PMID: 27194283 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2015.1053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2015] [Accepted: 04/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many studies have reported the aversive reactions of prey towards a predator's odour signals (e.g. urine marks), a behaviour widely thought to reduce the risk of predation by the predator. However, because odour signals persist in the environment, they are vulnerable to exploitation and eavesdropping by predators, prey and conspecifics. As such, scent patches created by one species might attract other species interested in information about their enemies. We studied this phenomenon by examining red fox investigation of odours from conspecifics and competing species in order to understand what prey are responding to when avoiding the odours of a predator. Surprisingly, foxes showed limited interest in conspecific odours but were highly interested in the odours of their competitors (wild dogs and feral cats), suggesting that odours are likely to play an important role in mediating competitive interactions. Importantly, our results identify that simple, dyadic interpretations of prey responses to a predator odour (i.e. cat odour = risk of cat encounter = fear of cats) can no longer be assumed in ecological or psychology research. Instead, interactions mediated by olfactory cues are more complex than previously thought and are likely to form a complicated olfactory web of interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter B Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Andrew Daly
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Jenna P Bytheway
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
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Carthey AJR, Bucknall MP, Wierucka K, Banks PB. Novel predators emit novel cues: a mechanism for prey naivety towards alien predators. Sci Rep 2017; 7:16377. [PMID: 29180825 PMCID: PMC5703908 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-16656-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Detecting enemies is crucial for survival and a trait that develops over an evolutionary timeframe. Introduced species disrupt coevolved systems of communication and detection in their new ranges, often leading to devastating impacts. The classic example is prey naivety towards alien predators, whereby prey fail to recognise a new predator. Yet exactly why native prey fail to recognise alien predators remains puzzling. Naivety theory predicts that it is because novel predators emit novel cues. Distantly related animals have distinct evolutionary histories, physiologies and ecologies, predicting they will emit different cues. Yet it also possible that all predators emit similar cues because they are carnivorous. We investigate whether odour cues differ between placental and marsupial carnivores in Australia, where native prey experienced only marsupial mammal predation until ~4000 years ago. We compared volatile chemical profiles of urine, scats and bedding from four placental and three marsupial predators. Chemical profiles showed little overlap between placental and marsupial carnivores across all odour types, suggesting that cue novelty is a plausible mechanism for prey naivety towards alien predators. Our results also suggest a role for olfactory cues to complement visual appearance and vocalisations as biologically meaningful ways to differentiate species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Martin P Bucknall
- Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry Facility, Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052, Australia
| | - Kaja Wierucka
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, 2109, Australia.,Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS (UMR 9197), Université Paris-Sud, Orsay, 91405, France
| | - Peter B Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, 2006, Australia
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Finnerty PB, Stutz RS, Price CJ, Banks PB, McArthur C. Leaf odour cues enable non‐random foraging by mammalian herbivores. J Anim Ecol 2017; 86:1317-1328. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2017] [Accepted: 08/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Patrick B. Finnerty
- School of Life & Environmental SciencesThe University of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Rebecca S. Stutz
- School of Life & Environmental SciencesThe University of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia
- Department of ZoologyStockholm University Stockholm Sweden
| | - Catherine J. Price
- School of Life & Environmental SciencesThe University of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Peter B. Banks
- School of Life & Environmental SciencesThe University of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Clare McArthur
- School of Life & Environmental SciencesThe University of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia
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Parsons MH, Banks PB, Deutsch MA, Corrigan RF, Munshi-South J. Trends in urban rat ecology: a framework to define the prevailing knowledge gaps and incentives for academia, pest management professionals (PMPs) and public health agencies to participate. Journal of Urban Ecology 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/jue/jux005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
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39
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Parsons MH, Apfelbach R, Banks PB, Cameron EZ, Dickman CR, Frank ASK, Jones ME, McGregor IS, McLean S, Müller-Schwarze D, Sparrow EE, Blumstein DT. Biologically meaningful scents: a framework for understanding predator-prey research across disciplines. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2017; 93:98-114. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2016] [Revised: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 03/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael H. Parsons
- Department of Biology; Hofstra University; Hempstead NY 11549 U.S.A
- Department of Biological Sciences; Fordham University; Bronx NY 10458 U.S.A
| | - Raimund Apfelbach
- Institut für Neurobiologie; Universität Tübingen; Tübingen 72076 Germany
| | - Peter B. Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences; The University of Sydney; Camperdown 2006 Australia
| | - Elissa Z. Cameron
- School of Biological Sciences; University of Tasmania; Hobart TAS 7001 Australia
| | - Chris R. Dickman
- Desert Ecology Research Group, School of Life and Environmental Sciences; The University of Sydney; Camperdown 2006 Australia
| | - Anke S. K. Frank
- School of Biological Sciences; University of Tasmania; Hobart TAS 7001 Australia
- Botanisches Institut, AG Linstädter; Universität zu Köln; D-50674 Köln Germany
| | - Menna E. Jones
- School of Biological Sciences; University of Tasmania; Hobart TAS 7001 Australia
| | - Ian S. McGregor
- School of Psychology, Brain and Mind Centre; University of Sydney; Camperdown 2050 Australia
| | - Stuart McLean
- School of Medicine; University of Tasmania; Hobart TAS 7001 Australia
| | - Dietland Müller-Schwarze
- College of Environmental Science and Forestry; State University of New York; Syracuse NY 13210 U.S.A
| | - Elisa E. Sparrow
- Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources; Natural Resources Adelaide and Mt Lofty Ranges; Willunga 5172 Australia
| | - Daniel T. Blumstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; University of California; Los Angeles CA 90095-1606 U.S.A
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Smith HM, Dickman CR, Banks PB. Using effect size benchmarks to assess when alien impacts are actually alien. Sci Rep 2017; 7:38627. [PMID: 28128305 PMCID: PMC5269578 DOI: 10.1038/srep38627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2016] [Accepted: 11/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Alien predators have on average twice the impact on native prey populations than do native predators, and are a severe threat to wildlife globally. Manipulation experiments can be used to quantify the impact of an alien predator on its prey population/s, but unless the results are compared to benchmarks, it is unclear whether this impact is indeed greater than that of a native predator. Here we use the Australian garden skink Lampropholis delicata and alien black rat Rattus rattus to test if black rats are an additive source of predation for the skink, and to judge whether the effect size of rat-impact on the skink represents that of an alien or native predator. We used replicated experiments to exclude black rats at local and landscape scales to test how rats affect skink activity and trapping frequency. Both manipulations had positive effects on skinks, however, the population-level effect size was lower than that described for alien predators but similar to that expected for native predators. We suggest that Australian skinks may respond appropriately to predatory alien rats because they coevolved with endemic Rattus species. This adds novel insights into the varying levels of impact that alien predators have on native prey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen M Smith
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The Cottage (A10), Room 321, Heydon Laurence Building (A08), Science Road, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Chris R Dickman
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The Cottage (A10), Room 321, Heydon Laurence Building (A08), Science Road, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Peter B Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The Cottage (A10), Room 321, Heydon Laurence Building (A08), Science Road, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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Dick JT, Laverty C, Lennon JJ, Barrios-O'Neill D, Mensink PJ, Robert Britton J, Médoc V, Boets P, Alexander ME, Taylor NG, Dunn AM, Hatcher MJ, Rosewarne PJ, Crookes S, MacIsaac HJ, Xu M, Ricciardi A, Wasserman RJ, Ellender BR, Weyl OL, Lucy FE, Banks PB, Dodd JA, MacNeil C, Penk MR, Aldridge DC, Caffrey JM. Invader Relative Impact Potential: a new metric to understand and predict the ecological impacts of existing, emerging and future invasive alien species. J Appl Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jaimie T.A. Dick
- Institute for Global Food Security; School of Biological Sciences; Queen's University Belfast; MBC, 97 Lisburn Road Belfast BT9 7BL UK
| | - Ciaran Laverty
- Institute for Global Food Security; School of Biological Sciences; Queen's University Belfast; MBC, 97 Lisburn Road Belfast BT9 7BL UK
| | - Jack J. Lennon
- Institute for Global Food Security; School of Biological Sciences; Queen's University Belfast; MBC, 97 Lisburn Road Belfast BT9 7BL UK
| | - Daniel Barrios-O'Neill
- Institute for Global Food Security; School of Biological Sciences; Queen's University Belfast; MBC, 97 Lisburn Road Belfast BT9 7BL UK
| | - Paul J. Mensink
- Institute for Global Food Security; School of Biological Sciences; Queen's University Belfast; MBC, 97 Lisburn Road Belfast BT9 7BL UK
| | - J. Robert Britton
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences; Faculty of Science and Technology; Bournemouth University; Fern Barrow, Poole Dorset BH12 5BB UK
| | - Vincent Médoc
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences; Université Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris 6); 75005 Paris France
| | - Pieter Boets
- Provinciaal Centrum voor Milieuonderzoek; Godshuizenlaan 95 9000 Ghent Belgium
| | - Mhairi E. Alexander
- Institute for Biomedical and Environmental Health Research (IBEHR); School of Science and Sport; University of the West of Scotland; Paisley PA1 2BE UK
| | - Nigel G. Taylor
- School of Biology; Faculty of Biological Sciences; University of Leeds; Leeds LS2 9JT UK
| | - Alison M. Dunn
- School of Biology; Faculty of Biological Sciences; University of Leeds; Leeds LS2 9JT UK
| | - Melanie J. Hatcher
- School of Biology; Faculty of Biological Sciences; University of Leeds; Leeds LS2 9JT UK
| | - Paula J. Rosewarne
- School of Biology; Faculty of Biological Sciences; University of Leeds; Leeds LS2 9JT UK
| | - Steven Crookes
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research; University of Windsor; Windsor ON N9B 3P4 Canada
| | - Hugh J. MacIsaac
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research; University of Windsor; Windsor ON N9B 3P4 Canada
| | - Meng Xu
- Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute; Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences; Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fishery Resource Application and Cultivation; Ministry of Agriculture; Guangzhou 510380 China
| | - Anthony Ricciardi
- Redpath Museum; McGill University; 859 Sherbrooke Street West Montreal QC H3A 0C4 Canada
| | - Ryan J. Wasserman
- South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB); P. Bag 1015 Grahamstown 6140 South Africa
- Centre for Invasion Biology; South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB); P. Bag 1015 Grahamstown 6140 South Africa
| | - Bruce R. Ellender
- South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB); P. Bag 1015 Grahamstown 6140 South Africa
- Centre for Invasion Biology; South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB); P. Bag 1015 Grahamstown 6140 South Africa
| | - Olaf L.F. Weyl
- South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB); P. Bag 1015 Grahamstown 6140 South Africa
- Centre for Invasion Biology; South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB); P. Bag 1015 Grahamstown 6140 South Africa
| | - Frances E. Lucy
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences; Faculty of Science and Technology; Bournemouth University; Fern Barrow, Poole Dorset BH12 5BB UK
- Centre for Environmental Research, Innovation & Sustainability; Institute of Technology Sligo; Ash Lane, Co. Sligo Ireland
| | - Peter B. Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences; The University of Sydney; Science Road Cottage A10 Camperdown NSW 2006 Australia
| | - Jennifer A. Dodd
- Scottish Centre for Ecology & the Natural Environment; IBAHCM; University of Glasgow; Rowardennan Glasgow G63 0AW UK
| | - Calum MacNeil
- Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture; This Slieau Whallian; Foxdale Road St. Johns IM4 3AS Isle of Man
| | - Marcin R. Penk
- Department of Zoology; School of Natural Sciences; Trinity College Dublin; Dublin 2 Ireland
| | - David C. Aldridge
- Department of Zoology; University of Cambridge; David Attenborough Building, Downing Street Cambridge CB2 3EJ UK
| | - Joseph M. Caffrey
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences; Faculty of Science and Technology; Bournemouth University; Fern Barrow, Poole Dorset BH12 5BB UK
- INVAS Biosecurity; 6 Lower Ballymount Road, Walkinstown Dublin 12 Ireland
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Jones ME, Apfelbach R, Banks PB, Cameron EZ, Dickman CR, Frank A, McLean S, McGregor IS, Müller-Schwarze D, Parsons MH, Sparrow E, Blumstein DT. A Nose for Death: Integrating Trophic and Informational Networks for Conservation and Management. Front Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2016.00124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca S. Stutz
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences; Univ. of Sydney; Camperdown New South Wales 2006 Australia
- Dept of Zoology; Stockholm Univ.; SE-106 91 Stockholm Sweden
| | - Benjamin M. Croak
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences; Univ. of Sydney; Camperdown New South Wales 2006 Australia
| | - Nicholas Proschogo
- School of Chemistry; Univ. of Sydney; Camperdown New South Wales Australia
| | - Peter B. Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences; Univ. of Sydney; Camperdown New South Wales 2006 Australia
| | - Clare McArthur
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences; Univ. of Sydney; Camperdown New South Wales 2006 Australia
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Bytheway JP, Price CJ, Banks PB. Deadly intentions: naïve introduced foxes show rapid attraction to odour cues of an unfamiliar native prey. Sci Rep 2016; 6:30078. [PMID: 27416966 PMCID: PMC4945945 DOI: 10.1038/srep30078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2016] [Accepted: 06/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduced predators have caused declines and extinctions of native species worldwide, seemingly able to find and hunt new, unfamiliar prey from the time of their introduction. Yet, just as native species are often naïve to introduced predators, in theory, introduced predators should initially be naïve in their response to novel native prey. Here we examine the response of free-living introduced red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) to their first encounter with the odour cues of a novel native prey, the long-nosed bandicoot (Perameles nasuta). Despite no experience with bandicoots at the study site, foxes were significantly more interested in bandicoot odour compared to untreated controls and to a co-evolved prey, the black rat (Rattus rattus). So what gives introduced predators a novelty advantage over native prey? Such neophilia towards novel potential food sources carries little costs, however naïve native prey often lack analogous neophobic responses towards novel predators, possibly because predator avoidance is so costly. We propose that this nexus between the costs and benefits of responding to novel information is different for alien predators and native prey, giving alien predators a novelty advantage over native prey. This may explain why some introduced predators have rapid and devastating impacts on native fauna.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna P Bytheway
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.,School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Randwick, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Catherine J Price
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.,School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Randwick, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Peter B Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.,School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Randwick, NSW 2052, Australia
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Price CJ, Banks PB. Increased olfactory search costs change foraging behaviour in an alien mustelid: a precursor to prey switching? Oecologia 2016; 182:119-28. [PMID: 27230396 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-016-3660-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2015] [Accepted: 05/11/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
If generalist predators are to hunt efficiently, they must track the changing costs and benefits of multiple prey types. Decisions to switch from hunting preferred prey to alternate prey have been assumed to be driven by decreasing availability of preferred prey, with less regard for accessibility of alternate prey. Olfactory cues from prey provide information about prey availability and its location, and are exploited by many predators to reduce search costs. We show that stoats Mustela erminea, an alien olfactory predator in New Zealand, are sensitive to the search costs of hunting both their preferred rodent prey (mice) and a less desirable alternate prey (locust). We manipulated search costs for stoats using a novel form of olfactory camouflage of both prey, and found that stoats altered their foraging strategy depending on whether mice were camouflaged or conspicuous, but only when locusts were also camouflaged. Stoats gave up foraging four times more often when both prey were camouflaged, compared to when mice were conspicuous and locusts camouflaged. There were no differences in the foraging strategies used to hunt camouflaged or conspicuous mice when locusts were easy to find. Consequently, camouflaged mice survived longer than conspicuous mice when locusts were hard to find, but not when locusts were easy to find. Our results demonstrate that predators can integrate search costs from multiple prey types when making foraging decisions. Manipulating olfactory search costs to alter foraging strategies offers new methods for understanding the factors that foreshadow prey switching.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine J Price
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Randwick, NSW, 2052, Australia. .,School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
| | - Peter B Banks
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Randwick, NSW, 2052, Australia.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
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Abstract
Abstract
Males typically adjust their reproductive strategies based on the perceived density and relative abilities of nearby competitors. In high-density populations, repeated encounters facilitate reliable, learned associations between individuals and their relative competitive abilities. In contrast, opportunities to form such associations are limited when densities are low or in flux, increasing the risk that individuals will unintentionally engage in potentially costly interactions with higher-quality or aggressive opponents. To maximize their fitness, individuals in low-density and fluctuating populations therefore need a general way to assess their current social environment, and thus their relative competitive ability. Here, we investigate how olfactory social signals (scent marks) might perform this function. We manipulated the perceived social environment of isolated, male house mice ( Mus domesticus ) via their periodic contact with scent marks from 3 or 9 male conspecifics, or a control of no scents, over 15 days. We then paired them with an unknown opponent and examined how the diversity of recent scent contact mediated their behavior towards dominant or subordinate opponents. There was an overall pattern for increasing scent diversity to significantly reduce male mice’s aggression (tail rattling and lunging) towards their opponents, and also their willingness to engage in reciprocal investigation. Such cautiousness was not indicative of perceived subordinance, however; the diversity of recent scent contact did not affect mice’s investigation of their opponent’s scents, and some measures of aggression were greater when mice faced dominant opponents. These results suggest that house mice can use scent signals to assess their current social environment in the absence of physical interactions, modifying their behavior in ways that are predicted to reduce their risks of injury when the likelihood of encountering unknown opponents increases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelika K. Hughes
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales , Sydney, New South Wales 2052 , Australia (NKH, PBB)
| | - Peter B. Banks
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales , Sydney, New South Wales 2052 , Australia (NKH, PBB)
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Mella VSA, Krucler J, Sunderasan L, Hawkins J, Herath APHM, Johnstone KC, Troxell-Smith SM, Banks PB, McArthur C. Effective field-based methods to quantify personality in brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula). Wildl Res 2016. [DOI: 10.1071/wr15216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Context
There is growing recognition of the importance of animal personality in wildlife ecology and management. Individuals that differ consistently in their behaviours from others of the same population are considered to exhibit different personalities. Personality can be easily quantified with repeat tests on animals held in captivity. However, captive-based tests may not always be possible for logistical reasons and tests conducted in captivity can alter naturally occurring behaviours. Development of methods to assess personality in the field over short-term capture is an important alternative to long-term captive tests.
Aims
To develop and refine field-based tests that can be used to easily define personality traits of wild common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula), eliminating the need to bring individuals into captivity for an extended period of time.
Methods
We developed a series of short-term capture protocols to quantify personality traits of the common brushtail possum in the field, using handling-bag tests, modified open-field tests, trap-behaviour tests and release tests.
Key results
Personality traits of brushtail possums could be measured in several different ways, but refining methods was crucial to reveal traits efficiently. Behaviours related to several personality traits (boldness, docility and activity/exploration) could be measured rapidly in the field with our methods, and were repeatable over time.
Conclusions
Rapid, reliable and easy-to-perform quantification of personality of brushtail possums in the field is possible. This may sometimes be the only available option, and has advantages over long captive trials in terms of animal welfare and cost.
Implications
The present study provides a baseline for future research on the personality of common brushtail possums and its application to management and control strategies for the species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra J. R. Carthey
- Dept of Environmental Sciences; Macquarie University; North Ryde NSW 2109 Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, Univ. of Sydney; Camperdown NSW 2006 Australia
| | - Peter B. Banks
- School of Biological Sciences, Univ. of Sydney; Camperdown NSW 2006 Australia
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