A population of tusked frogs (Adelotus brevis) occurring in the New England Tablelands (NET) and Nandewar (NAN) (NET/NAN) bioregions experienced drastic historical declines. The declines were most likely caused by the amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, Bd) and resulted in the population being listed as Endangered. Few extant populations have been documented in the 25 years since listing, and the current status of the population is unknown. We conducted targeted surveys across three breeding seasons (2022–2024), focusing on abundance, distribution, and population health. Genetic material and Bd swab samples were collected from 13 tusked frogs at two sites, and three individuals (21%) tested positive for Bd. Genomic analyses indicated relatively low genetic diversity, with observed heterozygosity lower than expected, and positive inbreeding coefficients across sampled populations. Population structure analyses identified two major genetic clusters of tusked frogs across New South Wales (NSW) and recovered additional finer-scale substructure in southern NSW. However, the NET/NAN population clustered with geographically adjacent populations rather than form a distinct genetic unit. Our surveys confirm that the NET/NAN population persists at the western and upper elevational limits of the species’ range. Continued surveys are required to elucidate the threat posed by small population sizes, low genetic diversity and Bd, and to determine the full spatial extent of the Endangered Population via scientific surveys and citizen science.
Faced with the threatening processes of land clearing, a warming climate, and spread of disease, accurate monitoring of frog populations is crucial. To achieve this, frogs often require in situ identification or identification from photographs, which is difficult when closely related species exhibit few diagnostic characteristics and/or are polymorphic. By understanding colour, pattern, and texture within and among species and sexes, we can draw clearer species boundaries and aid identification. We used standardised photography to analyse dorsal colouration, ventral colouration, colour patterning, and skin texture within and among four species of Crinia froglets in south-western Australia: C. insignifera, C. pseudinsignifera, C. glauerti, and C. subinsignifera. We found minor, but significant, differences among species, such as a higher frequency of the striped morph pattern in C. insignifera populations. We also found significant differences among sexes and populations within species, such as in the extent of black on the throat and belly. Variation in colour and pattern among- and within-species align with our expectations regarding apostatic selection and background matching, which may explain some of the observed trends. Further research covering additional populations and species will help clarify our understanding of this polymorphic frog genus.
The use of scientific consensus, informed by available evidence, is a method that can be used to identify the conservation requirements for threatened species. Drawing on expert knowledge, we examined questions relating to the management and conservation of the critically endangered Swift Parrot (Lathamus discolor). The questions focused on the coastal forests of New South Wales (NSW), where habitat is under high development pressure. A questionnaire was sent to a panel of experts, and responses were discussed until a consensus was reached. From our discussion, we considered that habitat for the Swift Parrot in coastal NSW is well understood and that the species often occurs in isolated trees or small patches. Negative consequences of competitive exclusion by the Noisy Miner (Manorina melanocephala) and Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus) were noted. We recommend that habitat loss from development is avoided as much as possible, with less reliance on mitigation and offsetting. Government impact assessment material, including habitat maps require updating to incorporate current scientific data and to enable the effective monitoring and evaluation of cumulative impacts. If impacts are unavoidable, ecological offsets must provide a net benefit to the species by protecting and expanding habitats at high risk of decline.
Urban fragmentation threatens biodiversity, particularly for species dependent on continuous habitat corridors. In periurban environments, fragmentation can disrupt gene flow and isolate wildlife populations, especially for arboreal mammals, but these effects are not well known for many species. We investigated the impacts of fragmentation on the eastern pygmy possum (Cercartetus nanus) a threatened small arboreal marsupial, using SNP-based genotyping of 119 individuals across eight habitat patches including across a major arterial road, in northern Sydney. Genetic diversity remained across the population, with low inbreeding and subtle population structure, suggesting ongoing gene flow. While some habitat patches showed minor genetic differentiation, the major arterial road was not a complete barrier to movement. Principal Coordinates Analysis, FST values, and Wilcoxon tests supported patch-level structuring shaped by landscape features rather than distance alone. Least-cost path modelling identified key corridors that will continue to support connectivity and inform the placement of wildlife crossing structures. Genetic methods can guide conservation actions in fragmented urban environments. Our findings suggest that with strategic planning, including the preservation of corridors and the implementation of targeted mitigation such as wildlife crossings, functional connectivity for sensitive species can be maintained, even in heavily modified landscapes.
Indonesian Spitting Cobras (Naja sputatrix) are abundant in agroecosystems on Java and adjacent islands, are a significant cause of snakebite, and are harvested commercially for their skins and meat. We examined carcasses of 159 snakes at processing facilities in and around the city of Cirebon in West Java. Males outnumbered females, and most specimens were adult. Males were more heavy-bodied than females of the same body length, and had longer tails. Gonadal size and condition and energy (fatbody) storage was seasonal, with females in our sample containing oviductal eggs during September–October and in February; we infer wet-season oviposition, although no data were available for December–January. Clutch size averaged 14, ranging from 6 to 23 eggs. Comparison of this sample with one taken 25 years previously in Central Java, using the same methods, revealed a similarity in male-biased sex ratio and the numerical preponderance of adults. Snakes of both sexes averaged larger in the current sample from West Java than in the earlier study from Central Java, likely reflecting geographic variation rather than any impacts of commercial harvesting over the intervening period. Exploitation of agricultural habitats, broad diets, high fecundity and formidable venom render this species resilient to current levels of commercial offtake.
The study was undertaken to determine the composition of neem seed and andrographolide-based NSA bait and to observe its efficacy as a toxic and antifertility agent against female Bandicota bengalensis. GC-MS analysis of NSA bait revealed the presence of antioxidants, phthalates and synthetic compounds (derived from polymer) used during the formulation of NSA bait to enhance the stability, palatability, and bioavailability of bioactive compounds. The compounds were fatty acids and their derivatives, phytosterols, steroidal compounds and their derivatives, triterpenoids, and limonoids with toxic and antifertility effects. Feeding of NSA bait to three groups (Group I (treated), Groups II and III (untreated, plain and control) of female rats (15 days under bi-choice conditions) resulted in 60.00% mortality. Consumption analysis of NSA bait among dead and live rats using plots and models revealed 24.17 g/100 g BW to be the threshold value for consumption to distinguish between survival and mortality in treated rats. The results revealed the sustained effect of NSA bait on folliculogenesis, sex hormones, uterus, and breeding potential of the remaining live rats of NSA-treated groups. These results indicate that NSA bait prepared using two plants has synergistic toxic and antifertility effects. NSA bait also offers a tool for long-term management of rodent pests spreading diseases and causing damage to crops.
Little is known of the number of vertebrates that die during prescribed fire, which has increased in frequency across south-eastern Australia. The ecological implications of changing fire regimes have received research focus, but numbers of animals killed by fire are rarely reported. Optimal timing of post-fire surveys for the detection of animal mortality is poorly known. To determine the relationship between lizard carcass detection and time since fire, we surveyed a post-fire chronosequence ranging from 0 to 20+ years since fire. Following 10 prescribed fires undertaken in stringybark woodlands of southern Australia, we detected 27 carcasses of four lizard species. Carcass detection decreased with time since fire, with carcasses only found up to 12 days post-fire. Fourteen carcasses were detected immediately (28 h) post-fire, representing 52% of all carcasses, and numbers declined rapidly thereafter, potentially because of scavenging. No carcass was found at unburnt sites. Ground cover and shelters had no effect on carcass detection at burnt sites. To estimate accurately prescribed fire-induced mortality of small reptiles, we recommend surveys immediately after fire with considerations for the behavioural ecology, season of burning, and conservation status of affected species. Such data will be essential to evaluate animal welfare and ecological implications of prescribed fire.
Australian native rodent species have experienced disproportionately high rates of extinction, and many face ongoing declines. The Pookila or New Holland mouse (Pseudomys novaehollandiae), has experienced a marked reduction in range in recent years. While previous research has focused on the southern populations, little is known about the species’ distribution or ecology in Queensland, the northernmost extent of its national range. This research aimed to conduct the first targeted survey of Pookila in Queensland to assess its current distribution within the state. We surveyed previous Pookila capture locations, with over 10,500 trap nights over a 31-month period from 2023 to 2026, detecting just a single individual. These results suggest the species may be experiencing a local population decline, population fluctuations in abundance or fine-scale distribution, or a combination of the two, potentially exacerbated by several threatening processes. Further long-term surveys incorporating additional monitoring techniques to improve the species’ detectability are required to clarify population trends in this state. Our study has implications for the persistence of the species in Queensland and contributes to the growing national concern for the Pookila. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of conducting targeted and continuing surveys for threatened rodent species.
In mammals, social transmission of information from mother to offspring can help young to develop specialised and complex foraging behaviours. Although this social transmission is well recognised in some marine mammals, no conclusive evidence has been reported for otariids (fur seals and sea lions). Here, using animal-borne video and movement data from an adult female Australian sea lion, we provide evidence for mother-to-pup social transmission of foraging behaviour. Social transmission of foraging behaviour may be a component of development in Australian sea lions, whereby prolonged maternal care (~18 months) could provide mothers the opportunity to demonstrate foraging behaviours to pups.
Pentapedal locomotion was investigated in the three extant families of macropodiform marsupials using videos, photographs and tracks. These methods in combination with published information reveal that the gait is utilized by at least 23 extant macropodiform species including many that have been identified as users of ‘slow progression’. However, it is not used by the sole extant hypsiprymnodontid. In potoroids most slow locomotion is by quadrupedal bounding, although Potorous tridactylus sometimes uses pentapedal locomotion. Whether other potoroids do is unclear. The situation in the macropodid subfamily Lagostrophinae is also unclear. In the subfamily Macropodinae pentapedal locomotion is used by 8 of the 11 extant genera and at least 22 of the 61 species and the two slow gaits are not mutually exclusive. Previous failure to observe pentapedal locomotion in small-bodied macropodids may reflect agoraphobia and the greater speed that quadrupedal bounding allows in the open. Pentapedal locomotion evidently appeared within the superfamily Macropodoidea after it diverged from hypsiprymnodontids and its taxonomic distribution suggests early adoption by macropodines. Ignorance about slow gait usage in Lagostrophus and potoroids makes it difficult to assess the broader history of the gait. Energy savings likely explain replacement of quadrupedal bounding by pentapedal locomotion in macropodids.
The Pilbara Olive Python (Liasis olivaceus barroni) is a large-bodied python endemic to the Pilbara and northern Gascoyne regions of Western Australia. Despite its national listing as Vulnerable, data on its morphology, sexual size dimorphism, and reproductive ecology remain limited. We present data from a 4-year monitoring and radio-tracking program comparing measurements from 100 individuals sampled across 12 locations. Allometrically scaled morphometric analyses found minimal evidence of sexual size dimorphism, with males and females showing largely overlapping body proportions. Breakpoint analyses of body mass relative to snout-vent length indicated that males reach sexual maturity at smaller sizes (similar to 1320 mm SVL) than females (similar to 1805 mm SVL). Observations of reproductive activity showed a defined seasonal cycle, with females ovulating in September, gravid in October, and brooding in refuges between October and February. Juveniles were most frequently detected from November to February, with neonate-sized individuals detected in January. Both natural (caves, rocky outcrops, burrows) and artificial shelters (engineered rock wall) were used for brooding, highlighting flexibility in reproductive behaviour. These findings provide the first population-level assessment of sexual size dimorphism and reproductive timing in this subspecies and offer critical baseline data to inform conservation management.
Identification of suitable habitat is critical to guide site selection for brush-tailed rock-wallaby (Petrogale penicillata) reintroduction attempts. This study aimed to develop a species distribution model of diurnal refuge sites suitable for selecting release sites for future brush-tailed rock-wallaby translocations into the Grampians and Black Range State Park. A presence-only modelling approach was used to predict the potential distribution of P. penicillata refuge habitat available within the parks based upon known historic scat locations. Environmental variables relating to habitat complexity yielded the greatest overall contribution to models (90.5%), with only minor contributions by vegetation (4.6%), elevation (3.2%) and lithology (1.6%). No relationship was observed for proximity to areas of high water flow accumulation, although sampling may have confounded results. The distribution model underlines the importance of habitat complexity for this species, particularly in the presence of exotic predators and competitors, and identifies eight key areas of high habitat suitability for future reintroductions within the Grampians region. These results highlight the strong potential for species distribution modelling to help guide the management and reintroduction of threatened species.
The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is a unique monotreme mammal from eastern Australia which can be difficult to study due to its semiaquatic lifestyle and nocturnal nature. Understanding which methods are most effective for studying this elusive species is key to optimising conservation actions. We compared the effectiveness of detecting platypuses using eDNA surveys with qPCR and metabarcoding analysis, camera trapping and visual stakeouts in waterways across the New England Tablelands and quantified activity patterns to optimise survey design. Out of ten survey sites, eDNA surveys with qPCR analysis, camera trapping and visual stakeouts were all effective, detecting platypuses at eight, seven and six sites, respectively. The least effective method was eDNA surveys using metabarcoding, which detected platypuses at only three sites. Camera traps showed platypuses were most active immediately after sunrise and just before sunset. For occupancy surveys, eDNA sampling using qPCR analysis is the most effective method; however, camera trapping and visual stakeouts were also useful, particularly in providing additional data on platypus behaviour.
In the male emu, the annual breeding cycle includes an obligatory, complete fast during incubation, suggesting physiological mechanisms that coordinate loss of body mass and metabolite supply with reproductive activity. The onset of incubation is quickly followed by changes in the secretion of metabolic hormones and the induction of a physiological state near to torpor in which metabolic fuels are used sparingly. As soon as incubation ends, there are large changes in the secretion of thyroid hormones and insulin, and appetite recovers after only a few days, and body mass is recovered within three weeks. This sequence of hormonal and metabolic changes is similar to that observed in other birds that go through a natural fast, but differs from that in which starvation is imposed by food deprivation. Moreover, the general control of appetite throughout the year is integrated with the control of reproduction so the male emu is either storing fuels in preparation for the next breeding season, or utilising stored fuels during the present breeding season. There seems little doubt that testosterone is important in these processes, a hypothesis to be tested in future studies, along with investigation of the control of appetite suppression and recovery.
Dryland biodiversity is increasingly threatened by habitat loss, land use change, and climate extremes, particularly drought. The endangered eastern subspecies of the endemic Pink Cockatoo (Cacatua leadbeateri leadbeateri) is a rarely studied, iconic parrot inhabiting Australia's drylands. This study used passive acoustic monitoring and artificial intelligence to investigate the spatial and temporal habitat use of Pink Cockatoos across three dryland ecosystems in eastern Australia. A total of 91,646 h of recordings, collected from an array of 26 sensors for the spatial analysis and eight sensors for the temporal analysis, were processed using a convolutional neural network recogniser, with detections related to environmental variables including rainfall, temperature, vegetation greenness, and distance to water. Detections were highest in riparian habitats, with proximity to permanent water and River Red Gum +/- Coolabah vegetation emerging as key predictors. Tree diameter at breast height was also significant, suggesting a reliance on mature hollows for nesting. Detection rates increased during droughts and declined after rainfall, highlighting reliance on climate refugia and potential dispersal or population decline after drought. These findings demonstrate the importance of riparian zones and large trees for dryland specialists and show the value of ecoacoustic monitoring for conservation in remote regions. The study provides critical ecological insight into a declining species and informs future habitat protection and climate-adaptive conservation planning in arid Australia.
In 1995 we published a database of mammal species recorded on the islands of Australia comprising 1716 records of 128 terrestrial, non-volant species (105 indigenous, 23 exotic). This paper provides a revised update: 2755 records (similar to 60% increase) of 176 species (147 indigenous, 29 exotic), on 682 islands. Of the 253 species of Australia's indigenous, non-volant mammal species, 56.7% have or had at least one insular occurrence. There have been 70 extinctions of island populations of 38 indigenous species on 34 islands. Thirteen indigenous species with threatened status have been translocated from islands to other islands and six to mainland exclosures. Of the 29 exotic species recorded on islands, we found 1344 occurrences, of which similar to 320 are now absent. We reviewed the analysis of Abbott (1980) on the occurrence of macropods on islands in relation to their accessibility to Aboriginal people and confirmed the impact of humans and dingoes taken by Aboriginal people to islands on mammals: macropods can persist for millennia on smaller islands not occupied or visited by Aboriginal people (median area 1060 ha) compared with islands that are or were occupied or visited (median area 4437 ha).
Scolecophidians (blind or thread snakes) are a diverse taxon typically characterized as strictly fossorial snakes that are highly adapted to subterranean lifestyle. However, reports of climbing behaviour in various species underline the gaps in our knowledge regarding the behaviour of these secretive animals. Here, we present the first record of arboreality in the Madagascar-endemic typhlopid Madatyphlops ocularis (Parker, 1927) based on observations of three individuals, constituting the second published report of climbing behaviour in Malagasy blind snakes. We furthermore provide the first reliably identified photographs of this species in life, review the distribution of this species, and discuss possible functions of the climbing behaviour such as mate attraction.
Following the 2019-2020 wildfires of Kangaroo Island, the threatened little pygmy-possum (Cercartetus lepidus) lost 88% of its range. We determined whether supplementary nectar could be delivered successfully for wildlife recovery and developed a proof of concept for Cercartetus spp. We created the Stonor feeder, which can be made cheaply, and was used by C. concinnus, brushtail possums, several bird species, and even the marbled gecko, not previously known to feed on nectar. Although the deployment of such a feeding program might assist some threatened species, whether it should be conducted needs serious evaluation, planning, and scientific investigation.
Dissections of 427 Javan Keelbacks, Fowlea melanzosta (Gravenhorst, 1807) - 263 females, 164 males, collected by commercial hunters in the Cirebon area of West Java, Indonesia, provided information on sexual dimorphism and reproduction. The harvest consisted mostly of adult snakes, especially females, perhaps reflecting greater commercial value of larger animals. Females grew much larger than males but had shorter tails relative to body length. Clutch sizes ranged from 5 to 46 (mean = 21.0) and increased with maternal body size. Adult females produce a single clutch of eggs annually, prior to the onset of the rainy season, and likely remain with those eggs until hatching (based on behaviour of the closely related F. piscator in India). Testis volumes in adult males showed strong seasonal variation. The high fecundity and ecological flexibility (diverse diets, use of disturbed habitats) of this species is likely to buffer it against any population-level impact of commercial harvesting.
Reducing wildfire risk is a key responsibility of land managers, particularly in Australia, where prescribed burning is a common management tool. Concerns about the effects of prescribed burning on biodiversity can serve as a catalyst for the improvement and refinement of fire management and these discussions benefit from clear and rigorous use of evidence. Here, I provide a scientific assessment of information relating to fire and fauna in a recent publication titled 'To burn, or not to burn: a critical perspective', wherein it is asserted that prescribed burning in south-western Australia is harmful to biodiversity. I show that the fauna fire response information used to support that view is either inaccurate or incomplete for most of the 13 animal species and communities discussed. In several cases, there are statements that are not supported by, or differ from, published research findings. Many relevant peer-reviewed studies are also not cited. Misinformation can distort understanding of how management activities affect biodiversity. Accurate and comprehensive communication of knowledge is essential for informed and constructive discourse on fire management. Existing tools such as systematic reviews and weight of evidence approaches could aid in synthesising and distilling diverse evidence about the effects of fire on biodiversity.
