bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploratory Visualization of Array-Based Comparative Genomic Hybridization
Authors: Kincaid Robert , Ben-Dor Amir , Yakhini Zohar
Published: June 2005

Recent developments in DNA microarray technology have enabled a new and highly effective platform for performing comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) measurements. CGH measures anomalies in DNA copy number. Such copy number changes are now thought to play an important role in a number of diseases, particularly cancer and developmental disorders, and may also lead to important insights relevant to personalized treatments of such diseases. In contrast to gene expression measurements, the genomic positions of probe targets and their correlation to genomic aberrations lead to a natural ordering of the data. This ordering can be leveraged in data visualizations of CGH measurements. This paper describes a research prototype we have named VistaChrom, which provides a highly interactive, exploratory visualization scheme for analyzing array-based CGH data. For efficient navigation, VistaChrom is based on tiled, multi-level coordinated views organized by genome, chromosome, gene and microarray probe. Raw probe data, moving averages, and statistical measures can all be displayed individually or simultaneously to aid visual discovery of significant genomic aberrations. Visual analysis can be performed with single arrays or multi-array studies. The result is a novel and effective environment for visually analyzing CGH data. Example visualization results are shown for two different data sets derived from tumor cell lines. The application also provides a framework for further exploring advanced computational methods for aberration analysis.
Further Observations on the Plants Eaten by Kangaroos and Sheep Grazing Together in a Paddock in South-Western Queensland
Authors: Griffiths M , Barker R , Maclean L
Published: June 2005

In 8 periods between February 1967 and June 1968, covering a severe drought and subsequent rain, samples of 66 species of dicotyledons and 50 species of monocotyledons were collected from a large paddock in semiarid 'mulga-box' country in south-western Queensland. The mean N content of the dicotyledons ranged from 1.51 to 2.85 g/100 g DM, and that of the monocotyledons from 0.70 to 1.86 g/100 g DM.Stomach or faecal samples were analysed for plant parts. When known plant mixtures were given to 2 grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) and two sheep there was no species difference in the digestibility of the different plants or in the size distribution of faecal particles. Comparison of stomach and rectal samples from 5 shot kangaroos and 7 shot sheep showed quite good agreement. Samples of the faeces of sheep, grey kangaroo and a few red kangaroo (Megaleia rufa) were collected from the ground at the same intervals as the plant samples, dried and analysed for N and for plant parts. Detailed results are given. The grey kangaroos consistently ate more grasses than the sheep. The N content of sheep faeces was higher than that of kangaroo faeces, reflecting the higher protein intake of the sheep. The results confirm those of an earlier study (NAR 38, 1829) made in 1963–4 in a period of average rainfall. The authors conclude that competition between sheep and kangaroos is small.
Observations on the Food of the Fox, Vulpes Vulpes (L.), In Kinchega National Park, Menindee, N.s.w.
Authors: Ryan GE , Croft JD
Published: June 2005

In Kinchega National Park, where there is no domestic stock, stomachs were examined of 99 foxes; there was food in 95 of them. Food was mainly rabbits except in autumn, when it was mainly insects and centipedes were an important item. Occurrence and relative importance of other foods are discussed.
The Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos, and Mallard-Black Duck, Anas superciliosa rogersi, Hybridization
Authors: Braithwaite LW , Miller B
Published: June 2005

The buildup of mallard and mallard-black duck hybrid populations in Australia has caused concern for the conservation of the black duck.

Mallard populations are shown to be restricted in size and distribution in comparison to those of the black duck. Hybrids could not be confidently identified, other than those that showed obvious plumage characteristics of both species.

Limited field studies in the Sydney district showed the stability of mallard and hybrid populations in comparison to those of the black duck, and there was evidence of restriction of pairing to intraspecific or intrahybrid matings and of poor hybrid breeding success.

At present mallard hybridization per se does not pose a conservation threat to the black duck in Australia. This assessment might not apply under large-scale increase and perhaps husbandry of the feral mallard. In sufficient numbers mallard might threaten populations of the black duck by a different means, competition for refuge in times of drought.
Food of the Plumed Pigeons, Geophaps Plumifera and G. Ferruginea.
Authors: Frith HJ , Barker RD
Published: June 2005

The plumed pigeon, Geophaps plumifera, and the red plumed pigeon, G. ferruginea, are among the few birds that can live permanently in the arid spinifex grasslands of central, northern and western Australia. They are not found in sandy deserts and are most characteristic of hilly or mountainous places. They are strongly associated with spinifex, though not confined to it. The contents of the crops were analysed for 564 and 386 birds of the two species obtained over a wide area of Northern Territory and Western Australia. Food was almost entirely the seeds of drought-resistant grasses and herbs; animal and vegetative plant material occurred only in traces. Water derived from the food can have little value in body processes. Although the birds are closely associated with the spinifex grasses Triodia and Plectrachne, those were not important sources of food; in one area only was the seed eaten and it then provided about one-quarter of the annual food. Other aspects of the spinifex grassland appear to be more important in determining the birds' distribution than the food value of the spinifex.
Movements of Echidnas, Tachyglossus aculeatus, Determined by Marking-Recapture and Radio-tracking
Authors: Augee ML , Ealey EHM , Price IP
Published: June 2005

Marking-recapture studies have confirmed that echidnas stay within a suitable habitat.

Radiotracking studies showed that they have a definite home range with a diameter in the order of 800 m, which may overlap with that of a number of conspecifics. Neither males nor females without young used a specific site during inactive periods, although certain sites offering good cover were re-used
during the winter season.

Daily activity periods varied throughout the year and correlated more with ambient temperature than with photoperiod.
Utilization of Appetite for Sodium Salts to Control Rabbit Populations by Poisoning.
Authors: Myers K
Published: June 2005

Rabbits in subalpine areas in south-eastern Australia show a marked avidity for sodium salts during the spring and early summer months.

During that period rabbit populations may be controlled by allowing access to soft wooden meranti pegs impregnated with sodium chloride and sodium luoroacetate (poison 1080).

If the pegs are left out as permanent bait stations they produce long-term effective control.

The method should be applicable to other areas in Australia where soil sodium is very low.
Fox Scat Analysis in a Forest Park in South-Eastern Australia.
Authors: Brunner H , Lloyd JW , Coman BJ
Published: June 2005

The dietary habits of foxes in a small forest park 40 km east of Melbourne were assessed from analysis of dried excreta represented by 1888 scats collected during 1 year. Of the total 67% contained remains of mammals, with rabbits showing the highest incidence, but including also antechinus, possums, rats and mice. Bird feathers were found in 17% of specimens examined and a great variety of insect remains were identified. Vegetable material was also present in 86% of samples, including the seeds of various fruits. Snails were eaten only in winter and spring; land crayfish were commonly eaten during the warmer months. The results also pointed to cannibalism; substantial amounts of fox fur were identified in 10 samples. Buried remains of cats and dogs were dug up and eaten and garbage buried at a small dump in the area was repeatedly exhumed and eaten, presumably by foxes. It is concluded that scat analysis, particularly during the colder months, provides a good indication of the mammalian species preyed upon by foxes in a given area.
The Ecology of Fruit Pigeons in Tropical Northern Queensland.
Authors: Crome FHJ
Published: June 2005

Seven species of fruit pigeon were studied during 3 years in the lowland tropical forest of N. Queensland to find the effect of forest species on pigeon populations and breeding habits and the basis for coexistence of 7 species. Because of the variety of plant species and the differences in their fruiting seasons, fruit was available all the year round and the diet of each species changed according to the fruit available and the selectivity of their feeding habits; none of the species studied ate anything other than fruits or seeds, the latter representing an appreciable fraction (20%) only in the brown pigeon. The foraging habits of all species were recorded and their relative abundance was assessed. Pigeons were most numerous during the dry season, which was also the breeding season. Each species selected a different range of fruiting plants owing to nomadism and migration. At any one time 2 or 3 pigeon species were common, while the rest were rare or absent. The plant family Lauraceae was of major importance. It is suggested that the many species (2250 in all) in this family have developed collaterally with the fruit-eating birds of appropriate feeding habits.
Population Dynamics and Movements of Rattus villosissimus (Waite) during the 1966-69 Plague at Brunette Downs, N.T
Authors: Carstairs JL
Published: June 2005

A population of R. villosissimus was studied during a plague at Brunette Downs cattle station, N.T.

Samples, each of 150 rats, were trapped in December 1967, March, June and November 1968 and April 1969, and the population on a grid was estimated by mark-recapture methods. The rats bred from December 1967 until April 1968 and again in April 1969. The population fluctuated widely during the study; partly because of breeding and partly because of movements of animals through the area. Data from a breeding colony in the laboratory were used to interpret field observations on intrauterine and juvenile mortality.
Observations on the Reproduction and Age Structure of the Fox, Vulpes vulpes L., in New South Wales
Authors: Ryan GE
Published: June 2005

A total of 838 foxes were collected throughout New South Wales from 1969 to 1974. In every month of the year there were some males producing sperm but there was a major peak of activity during June, July and August. The major period of female reproductive activity commenced in July and reached a peak in August.

There were indications that some females ovulated during February and March although no pregnancies were recorded outside June-October. At least 30 % of vixens suffered preplacentation loss of ova or blastocysts, but an accurate estimate was impossible because of an apparently high incidence of polyovuly. Resorption accounted for the loss of 8 % of embryos from 35 pregnant females. A mean litter size of 4.0 was calculated from pregnancies; the mean number of placental scars was 3.7; three deformed embryos were found. The proportion of juvenile animals in the sample decreased from January to the beginning of the breeding season.
The weight of the eye-lens was unsuitable for differentiating between yearling and adult foxes in this type of sample.
The Yellow-footed Rock-Wallaby, Petrogale xanthopus (Macropodidae)
Authors: Wilson GR , Gerritsen J , Milthorpe PL
Published: June 2005

In New South Wales P. xanthopus is limited to an area of 70 by 10 km, about 150 km north-east of Broken Hill. The distinctive habitat consists of cliffs, wind-blown caves and angled boulders jumbled together. The temperature and relative humidity differed by 11�C and 21 % between the outside and the inside of one cave. The vegetation is abundant and diverse, and indicates a moisture
regime more favourable to the species than is that of the surrounding plain. The conservation of the species is discussed.
The Use of Predator Scat Analysis in a Mammal Survey at Dartmouth in North-Eastern Victoria.
Authors: Brunner H , Amor RL , Stevens PL
Published: June 2005

The results of a localized mammal survey based on analysis of scats [faeces] of foxes and feral dogs (or dingoes) were compared with those from trapping and direct observation. It was concluded that scat analysis, which is based mainly on identification of mammalian hairs, is a valuable supplement to the conventional techniques used in mammal surveys and that it can provide useful information on the diet of these predators. Its main advantages are that more species can sometimes be detected, field collection is rapid and the scats can be stored and processed at a convenient time, the costs are low and there is no effect on wildlife. The main restriction on use of scat analysis is that it can give only limited information on the ecology of the prey species.
The Distribution of Rabbit Warrens at Mitchell, Queensland, in relation to Soil and Vegetation Characteristics
Authors: Parker BS , Hall LS , Myers K , Fullagar PJ
Published: June 2005

In a 42,750-ha survey area in subtropical Queensland, rabbit warrens are confined mainly to sandy soils. Within these favoured areas the population is distributed unevenly, and there is further selection for preferred habitats.

Detailed studies on a 246-ha area of sandhill showed that the open woodland and grassy open woodland associations contain most warrens per unit area, and also the largest warrens. The quality of habitat for rabbits appears to be determined by availability of food, type of soil, and vegetation cover providing protection from predators.

In some vegetation associations, use of burrows varies only slightly, in others there are significant changes.

There is a significant correlation between the estimated numbers of rabbits in the population, the total number of rabbits seen on spotlight transect counts in the evening, the numbers of rabbits seen on warrens during late afternoon watches, and the total number of active burrow entrances present in the study area.

A list of plant species present and a description of the 23 vegetation associations in the study area is presented.
The Occurence of the Dusky Field-rat, Rattus sordidus (Rodentia : Muridae), in New South Wales
Authors: Keith K
Published: June 2005

Description and measurements are given of two young female R. sordidus trapped near Evans Head, N.S.W., in 1968 and 1970.
Moult, Movements, Age and Sex Composition of Mountain Duck, Tadorna tadornoides, Banded at Lake George, N.S.W
Authors: McKean JL , Braithwaite LW
Published: June 2005

Two samples of mountain ducks totalling 1001 birds were trapped and banded at Lake George,N.S.W. A highly significant difference in age structure between the two samples, taken in January 1965 and in February 1970, may be related to major differences in rainfall for the year preceding each sample. The sex ratio was markedly biased in favour of females.

Recoveries of birds were nearly all to the south and west and 300-700 km from the banding site.

Fully 99 % of recoveries were in States other than New South Wales.
Examination of one sample of 679 mountain ducks for moult of primary and secondary wing feathers showed that approximately one-third of the adults were moulting. It was concluded that the birds were possibly normal residents of the region in which most recoveries occurred, and that they make an annual moult migration to Lake George.
Examination of Possible Sociological Influences on Band Return Rates for Mountain Duck, Tadorna tadornoides, in South-eastern Australia
Authors: Braithwaite LW
Published: June 2005

The first week of the duck shooting season provided the highest rate (33 %) of band recoveries of mountain duck; the rate in subsequent weeks varied between 4.8 and 10.4%.

More birds were recovered on Saturdays (48%) and Wednesdays (16.5%) than on other days of the week.
The Terrestrial Vertebrate Fauna of the Dartmouth Dam Inundation Area
Authors: Thomas DJ , Gilmore AM
Published: June 2005

A survey of the terrestrial vertebrate fauna of the Dartmouth Dam inundation area has shown the presence of 24 mammal, 100 bird, 24 reptile, and 10 anuran species.

Some aspects of their ecology, including habitat occupancy, are discussed, and the trapping success for eight small mammal species in different habitats is compared.

A zoogeographic analysis of the fauna demonstrates its heterogeneous and transitional nature, and it is probable that the unique community will be totally lost from the Mitta Mitta River Valley.
The Southern Elephant Seal, Mirounga leonina (L.), in the Vestfold Hills, Antarctica
Authors: Tierney TJ
Published: June 2005

The southern elephant seal regularly hauls out to moult at the Vestfold Hills, Antarctica.

The population comprises mostly immature males. Local distribution and movement were assessed by a marking program. Marked seals returned the following year, demonstrating an annual constancy to site.

The wallow sites of the area are described.

No correlation was found between wallow population and macroclimate. Satellite data on sea ice were used in an attempt to determine the influence of the annual sea ice cycle on this population.
Stomach Contents of Forty-Two Species of Bats From the Australasian Region.
Authors: Vestjens WJM , Hall LS
Published: June 2005

Bats were killed between 1963 and 1973 during surveys in Australia, Papua New Guinea and Bougainville Island. Results are given as number of stomachs containing particular food items, or as number of items in a stomach. Insect remains on the floor of bat caves were examined also. There were 42 species of bat examined, of 16 genera; stomachs of 36 species had Lepidoptera, 29 had Coleoptera, 27 had Hymenoptera and 23 had Hemiphera. Twelve bat species ate wingless insects and 7 ate aquatic insects, though those may be found away from water. Results are discussed in relation to foraging behaviour of bats.
Breeding Behaviour and Ecology of the Australian Pelican, Pelecanus Conspicillatus, in New South Wales.
Authors: Vestjens WJM
Published: June 2005

Australian pelicans (Pelecanus conspicillatus) were studied in colonies at 2 lakes in New South Wales. Adults regurgitated food for the young. Those up to 2 weeks old took liquid food from inside the tip of the adult's upper beak. Older ones took solid food from the adult's gullet, to age of about 3.5 months. After being fed, the young had convulsions lasting about 1 min; that did not happen after a second feeding immediately after the convulsion. Where there were 2 young of different sizes, only the larger convulsed, and sometimes the smaller was prevented from feeding and died of starvation. The survivor continued to have convulsions after feeding, as did single young, when there was no competition for food. Food was mainly fish; the most abundant fish was goldfish (Carassius auratus); a minor item was perch (Perca fluviatilis). Fish were 60 to 247 mm long and weighed 17 to 320 g. Crustaceans were less important and included freshwater crayfish (Cherax destructor) and shrimp (Macrobrachius sp.).
The Foods Eaten by Some Australian Rodents (Muridae).
Authors: Watts CHS
Published: June 2005

From microscopic examination of faeces found in live-traps, the diets of 21 species of Australian rodents were studied. Results are tabulated for species and subspecies, and for different places of origin throughout Australia, for 1 to 14 rodents of the main species Rattus colletti, R. fuscipes, R. leucopus, R. lutreolus, R. rattus, R. sordidus, R. tunneyi, R. villosissimus, Melomys littoralis, Mesembriomys gouldi, Pseudomys gracilicandatus, P. nanus, Uromys candimaculatus, Zyzomys argurus and Z. woodwardi and their subspecies. The text gives results for 1 or 2 rodents each of Conilurus penicillatus, Mastacomys fuscus, Notomys alexis, Pseudomys delicatulus, P. occidentalis and P. shortridgei. The Rattus spp. were separated into 3 groups by diet; R. tumeyi and R. sordidus ate 80% grass and under 5% insects by volume. R. villosissimus, R. colletti and R. lutreolus ate 20 to 50% grass and 5 to 20% insects; R. rattus may be of that group. R. leucopus and R. fuscipes ate less than 10% grass and 20 to 90% insects. For the last 2 groups seeds were important.
The Population Ecology of the Wild Rabbit (Oryctolagus Cuniculus (L)), in a Mediterranean-Type Climate in New South Wales.
Authors: Parer I
Published: June 2005

A 3-yr study (1967-70) in a 280-ha enclosure on the Riverine Plain, where the rabbit population had not returned to its pre-myxomatosis high level. Rabbit warrens were concentrated in sandy Callitris columellaris woodland. Although myxomatosis still caused significant (4-14%) mortality of young rabbits, the main population control was predation by feral cats (Felis catus) and birds of prey. The effectiveness of predation since myxomatosis is probably due to cessation of trapping and poisoning, measures which destroyed relatively more predators than rabbits.
Comparing the Two Usual Methods for Aging Macropodidae on Tooth-Classes in the Agile Wallaby
Authors: Dudzinski ML , Newsome AE , Merchant JC , Bolton BL
Published: June 2005

The usual estimator of age in Macropodidae is the pattern of molar eruption obtained by direct observation. The pattern of molar progression anteriorly with age is compared in captive agile wallabies, Macropus agilis. The latter required X-rays of the skull, but improved the precision of estimation by about 21%.

The two patterns are shown to be linearly related even though they differ between sexes.
Extreme Tooth Loss in a Specimen of Isoodon macrourus (Peramelidae : Marsupialia)
Authors: Miller WA
Published: June 2005

The skull of an almost edentulous Isoodon macvourus was examined radiographically. A detailed description of the bony findings indicated that tooth loss was of a postnatal pathological origin rather than developmental anodontia.
A relationship between plagues of the house mouse, Mus musculus (Rodentia : Muridae) and prolonged periods of dry weather in south-eastern Australia
Authors: Saunders G. R. , Giles J. R.
Published: June 2005

A review was conducted of literature relating to plagues of the house mouse in three agricultural regions of south-eastern Australia for the period 1900–70. Meteorological data, particularly in relation to rainfall, was surveyed during the same period. The two sets of data indicated that in each region plagues of the house mouse were preceded by drought conditions. The role of mouse predators and disease agents are discussed as possible explanations of this relationship.
Observations on Myxomatosis in a Rabbit Population With Immune Adults.
Authors: Fullagar PJ
Published: June 2005

High mortality (88-100%) was observed during two outbreaks of myxomatosis between 1973 and 1974 in a population of Oryctolagus cuniculus at Canberra. The presence of immune adult rabbits predisposed the disease to be confined either to the young kittens or to susceptible immature rabbits surviving from the period between the outbreaks. A virulent Lausanne strain myxoma virus was deliberately introduced by means of infective fleas (Spilopsyllus cuniculi). Field strains were present. Reactivation and transmission of virus in natural populations is discussed. The possibility of contact rather than vector (flea) transmission is examined in respect of failure to maintaining the outbreaks. Some observations were made on rabbits that recovered from myxomatosis and on the occurrence in some individuals of persistent sublethal signs of myxomatosis. Frequency of raptor predation is compared between periods with and without myxomatous rabbits. The duration of survival of infected rabbits is not significantly reduced by predation, but some raptors, such as brown hawk and little eagle, may concentrate more on the youngest available rabbits during an outbreak. ADDITIONAL ABSTRACT: High case mortalities (88-100%) were observed during two outbreaks of myxomatosis between 1973 and 1974 in a population of rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), at Canberra, Australia. The presence of immune adult rabbits predisposed the disease to be confined either to the young kittens or to susceptible immature rabbits surviving from the period between the epizootics. A virulent Lausanne strain myxoma virus was deliberately introduced by means of infective Spilopsyllus cuniculi (Dale). Field strains were present. Reactivation and transmission of virus in natural populations is discussed. The possibility of contact rather than vector (flea) transmission is examined in respect of failure to maintaining the epizootics. Some observations were made on rabbits that recovered from myxomatosis and on the occurrence in some individuals of persistent sublethal signs of myxomatosis. The duration of survival of infected rabbits was not significantly reduced by predation, but some raptors sometimes concentrated more on the youngest available rabbits during an epizootic.
Abnormalities and Injuries in the Estuarine Crocodile Crocodylus Porosus.
Authors: Webb GJW , Messel H
Published: June 2005

Abnormalities and injuries in C, porosus are described, and their frequency in different size classes determined.

There is no significant increase in injury frequency in size classes up to 70cm snoutvent length (SVL), which suggests that juvenile injuries are obtained soon after hatching.

In size classes above 70cm SVL, injury frequency is high; 80% of individuals between 151 and 210cm SVL had scars.
The Diet of Rattus Lutreolus and Five Other Rodents in Southern Victoria.
Authors: Watts CHS , Braithwaite RW
Published: June 2005

Faeces were studied during 1 to 3 years for rodents live-trapped in 7 areas of Victoria. Diet changed with season for all 6 species studied. In general the staple diet of Rattus lutreolus was basal stem and young rhizome of monocotyledons, probably sedge, and of R. rattus was fungus. Fungus was a main food item for most species and places, especially in winter. Some was basidiomycete but by far the most, especially for R. rattus on coastal heath, was an underground phycomycete tentatively identified as Endogone incrassata. R. fuscipes ate various foods, mainly seeds, insects, fungus and fibrous plant material, whatever was seasonally abundant. Mus musculus ate mostly insects for most of the year, though it is usually considered granivorous and seed was available in summer. Only in June and July were insects less than half the value of food eaten. Pseudomys novaehollandiae ate many foods and almost no insects, but the sample of mice was too small to allow a general conslusion. P. shortridgei ate grass and fungus in autumn and winter but more variety in spring and summer, including flowers, seeds and insects.
A Mammal Study of the Kinglake Area, Victoria.
Authors: Nicol SL
Published: June 2005

Sample surveys were made between 1967 and 1975 in the Kinglake area, north-east of Melbourne, to determine the distribution of native mammals. The vegetation is various types of eucalypt forest, nearly all burned in the 1920's and 1930's, subsequently logged, and in some places artificially regenerated.
The Effect of Rainfall and Moisture on the 1080 and Pindone Content of Vacuum-Impregnated Oats used for Control of Rabbits, Oryctolagus cuniculus
Authors: Wheeler SH , Oliver AJ
Published: June 2005

The effects of rainfall, dew and soil moisture on the losses of pindone (2-pivalyl-l,3-indandione) and 1080 (sodium monofluoroacetate) from vacuum-impregnated oat grains used for rabbit control are described. 1080 is lost much faster than pindone. The practical significance of these results is discussed.
An Ecological Study of Sminthopsis crassicaudata (Marsupialia : Dasyuridae) II.* Behaviour and Social Organization
Authors: Morton SR
Published: June 2005

The behaviour of Sminthopsis crassicaudata was studied by mark-recapture techniques at Werribee, Vic., from 1972 to 1976. Observations of nocturnal behaviour were also made at Fowlers Gap Station, N.S.W. S. crassicaudata usually nest solitarily in the breeding period (August–March), but up to 70% of individuals share nests in groups of from two to eight during the non-breeding period (April–July). These nest-sharing groups are impermanent and appear to be random aggregations of individuals. Most nest-sharing in the breeding period involves pairs of a male with an oestrous female. Both males and females inhabit large overlapping ranges in the breeding and non-breeding periods. Males seem to move their nest sites more frequently than females; this supposition is supported by observations of nocturnal behaviour. The ranges of individuals are unstable in space and are best described as 'drifting home ranges'. The only animals that may become territorial are breeding females, and these probably defend only a small area around the nest. Males do not appear to defend their range at any time. The adaptive significance of the social system is discussed.
* Part I, Aust. Wildl. Res., 1978, 5, 151–62.
An Ecological Study of Sminthopsis carasicaudata (Marsupialia : Dasyuridae) III.* Reproduction and Life History.
Authors: Morton SR
Published: June 2005

Reproduction in Sminthopsis crassicaudata was studied at three sites in south-eastern Australia: Werribee, Vic., Fowlers Gap Station, N.S.W., and Willandra National Park, N.S.W. At Werribee, the breeding season covered the period July-February. Individual females attempted to raise two litters during this season; there was no significant difference between the numbers of young weaned from first and second litters. Some females bred in two seasons, but it is unlikely that any males did so. At Fowlers Gap Station, breeding occurred in the same months as at Werribee, but there was variation between years in the onset of reproduction. At Willandra National Park, breeding occurred in the period June-December. There was no evidence of unseasonal, opportunistic breeding at either of these sites.
As judged by pit-trapping, populations of invertebrate animals peaked in summer at Fowlers
Gap Station, and probably at Werribee. Changes in weight and fat reserves also suggest that autumn and winter were periods of depressed food supply.
The adaptive significance of the double-litter system and polyoestry is discussed. It is concluded that the overall biology of S. crassicaudata reflects adaptation to a fluctuating food supply.
* Part II, Aust. Wildl. Res., 1978, 5, 163–82.
A Study of Rattus exulans (Peale) (Rodentia : Muridae) in the New Guinea Highlands
Authors: Dwyer PD
Published: June 2005

A 10-month study of R. exulans in the Eastern Highlands District combined a mark-recapture study on a 1.42-ha grid in grassland with an autopsy study of populations utilizing gardens and houses. The grid study is based on 4-day trapping runs at monthly intervals; the autopsy study on more than 600 specimens. Grassland, garden and house populations differ in basic characteristics (e.g. weights, litter sizes, breeding regimes, injuries, population composition and annual dynamics) with a continuum recognizable from grassland through gardens to houses. Garden and house populations may exist at some hazard; their survival may often require recruitment from grassland areas. For the grid population, spatial segregation by age and sex is apparent, with adults occupying areas of higher and more continuous cover and subadults differentially present in areas of low and often sparse cover. Numerical changes in grassland populations of R. exulans may follow a 3- or 4-y cycle linked to a culturally determined cycle in the domestic pig population. It is suggested thatthe close association between people and pigs may serve to reduce R. exulans populations nearcentres of human habitation and gardens.
Populations of Four Small Mammals in Radiata Pine Plantations and Eucalypt Forests of North-Eastern Victoria.
Authors: Suckling GC , Heislers A
Published: June 2005

[See also FA 39, 2088] A 2-yr trapping study was made on (a) Rattus fuscipes, (b) Antechinus stuartii, (c) Mus musculus and (d) A. swainsonii in mature eucalypt forest, a narrow stream-side strip of eucalypt forest, and in 3 pine plantations, 8, 22 and 42 yr old. In each area (a) and (d) were largely and (c) always confined to dense native vegetation along streams, whilst (b) was more frequent along streams than on slopes. More animals were found away from streams in young pine plantations than in other forest types.
Growth Rates of Crocodylus Porosus (Reptilia: Crocodilia) From Arnhem Land, Northern Australia.
Authors: Webb GJW , Messel H , Crawford J , Yerbury MJ
Published: June 2005

In C. porosus < 80 cm SVL (snout-vent length), growth rate decreases as body size increases; males grow faster than females, and both sexes grow faster in the wet season than in the dry season.

If the exponential growth curve for specimens < 80cm SVL is extrapolated, it underestimates the maximum size of C. porosus. A second growth curve for specimens > 80cm SVL has been derived separately, and the two curves intersect in the vicinity of 70 cm SVL. The size at which C. porosus cease growing seems quite variable and some data indicate a range of 3.9-6.0 m total length for males. The twocurve growth model is thought to reflect an energetic advantage in feeding on large rather than small prey.
Reproduction in the Plain Rock-Wallaby, Petrogale penicillata inornata Gould, in Captivity, with Age Estimation of the Pouch Young
Authors: Johnson PM
Published: June 2005

'Reproduction in the plain rock-wallaby was studied in captivity. The oestrous cycle ranged from 30.2 to 32.0 days and the gestation period from 30.0 to 32.0 days. A post-partum mating usually followed birth; the resultant quiescent embryo developed and was born 28-30 days after premature removal of pouch young. The pouch life of the young ranged from 189 to 227 days, males and females maturing sexually at approximately 590 and 540 days respectively. Tail and hind foot lengths were found to be useful indicators of age of young up to the end of pouch life.
Age Determination in Bennett's Wallaby, Macropus rufogriseus fruticus (Marsupialia), in South Canterbury, New Zealand
Authors: Catt DC
Published: June 2005

The ages of 325 Bennett's wallabies were determined from annuli laid down in the periosteal zone of the mandible just in front of the cheek tooth row. The regression of age so determined on molar index was: In (age in months) = 1.8979+0.7727M.

There were no significant differences between ages estimated from this regression and those given by Kirkpatrick, who used captive red-necked wallabies of known age. Age could not be estimated from the complex layer structure of tooth
cementum.

Pouch young were aged from foot and tail lengths by use of data from Kirkpatrick
(1965) for captive red-necked wallabies. The problems involved with age determination of pouch young from those data are discussed; the method is considered to be adequate at present.
The Dispersal of Fumigant Gases in Warrens of the European Rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus (L.)
Authors: Oliver AJ , Blackshaw DD
Published: June 2005

Comparative data are presented on the dispersal in rabbit warrens of four fumigant gases: chloropicrin,
phosphine, hydrocyanic acid gas and carbon monoxide in exhaust gases from petrol engines.
Investigations of the characteristics which affect their performance as warren fumigants are described.
Factors affecting the success of warren fumigation are discussed.
A Simple Mechanical Device for Counting Animals
Authors: Naarding JA
Published: June 2005

The construction and operation are described of a robust, inexpensive device for counting animals
moving in either direction through a fence. It was developed for counting macropods weighing
4-70 kg, but could be scaled down for smaller animals.
Helminth Parasites of Grey Kangaroos, Macropus Giganteus Shaw and M. Fuliginosus (Desmarest), in Eastern Australia.
Authors: Beveridge I , Arundel JH
Published: June 2005

In a survey in eastern Australia, 104 Macropus giganteus and 40 M. fuliginosus were examined at autopsy for helminths. 32 species of nematodes (28 strongyloids 2 oxyuroids and 2 filarioids) and 6 species of anoplocephalid cestodes were found. Most species occurred in both hosts. The most prevalent and numerous nematode in both species was Rugopharynx australis which reached numbers up to 290 000 in M. fuliginosus. Pharyngostrongylus kappa was also common and widespread but occurred only in M. giganteus. The most striking stomach worms were Labiostrongylus kungi and L. bipapillosus which occurred in both hosts. Various Cloacina spp. were found, some specific to one host, others occurring in both. Other species of stomach nematodes were relatively uncommon. The parasites of the small intestine were 2 species of Globocephaloides, 2 of Triplotaenia and 2 of Progamotaenia. 2 other species of the latter genus occurred in the bile ducts. The large intestine harboured 6 species of nematodes, including Macropoxyuris spp. which were very numerous in both hosts. The 2 species of filariids found (both in Macropus giganteus) were Breinlia mundayi (new host record) in the abdominal cavity and Dirofilaria roemeri in the connective tissues.
Waterbirds: Indices and Fluctuations in Dry-Season Refuge Areas, Northern Territory
Authors: Crawford DN
Published: June 2005

Results are presented of a weekly census carried out on Fogg Dam from April 1970 until January 1972,
with additional information for adjacent dams and lagoons from 1967 to 1971. General seasonal
fluctuations, as indicated by data from 39 species, are evaluated by use of sums of monthly means,
species richness equitability and comparative index (Qs) values for Fogg Dam in 1970-71. The
summation of monthly means of these species was correlated with species richness. The seasonal
expansion and contraction of the wet habitat seems to be the most important factor controlling
fluctuations in numbers. When conditions were highly favourable over wide areas, numbers of all
species in the census areas were low, indicating its status as a refuge. Anseranus semipalmata appears
to have an important role in clearing vegetation and so modifying the environment for other species.
Behaviour of the Koala, Phascolarctos Cinereus Goldfuss, in Captivity. 1. Non-Social Behaviour.
Authors: Smith M
Published: June 2005

1. Feeding behaviour of koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) was observed at a sanctuary near Brisbane, Australia. They fed sporadically throughout the day, for a total of at least 19 h daily, on leaves; they ingested soil and gravel, and drank water when it was provided, but infrequently. Young were seen to leave the pouch at 220 days old and to eat leaves at 217 days old. None under 10 months old was seen to pull leaves forward before biting them.
Behaviour of the Koala, Phascolarctos Cinereus Goldfuss, in Captivity. 2. Parental and Infantile Behaviour.
Authors: Smith M
Published: June 2005

2. Young koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) began to eat leaves after they left the pouch but before they left the mother's back. The oldest seen sucking was about 13 months old and small for its age. Young koalas still in or returning to the pouch, one of them 240 days old, were seen to eat faeces directly from the mother; adults did not practise coprophagy.
The Response of Small Mammals to Clearing and Burning of Eucalypt Forest in South-eastern Australia
Authors: Friend GR
Published: June 2005

Before, during and after a clearing operation for pine plantation establishment, small mammals
were trapped on ridges which were to be cleared of all vegetation, and in adjacent gullies which were
to be permanently retained under native forest.
Rattus fuscipes was the most abundant native species on all grids throughout the study, while
R. lutreolus, Antechinus stuartii and A. swainsonii were in low abundance. Clearing in early summer,
the breeding season in most of these species, resulted in an acceleration and accentuation of population
turnover. Some juveniles and subadults may have moved from the ridges during clearing, while
breeding adults remained and probably perished. Populations of R. fuscipes on ridge areas were
drastically reduced by clearing and windrowing, but subadults recolonized the affected areas within
1-2 months. Results for the other three native species were inconclusive, due to the few individuals
captured at any time during the study. The exotic species Mus musculus began to invade immediately
following windrow burning.
The Ecology of Rattus Lutreolus. 1. A Victorian Heathland Population.
Authors: Braithwaite RW , Lee AK
Published: June 2005

1. Rattus lutreolus was studied for 28 months in Victoria, Australia, by marking and recapturing. The population fell gradually, owing possibly to decrease of food supply with low rainfall. There was more food in a wet area than in dry areas. Differences in demography and social organization of R. lutreolus and R. fuscipes seemed to be due to differences in their food and feeding habits.
Eggshell Thinning in the Peregrine, Falco Peregrinus (Aves: Falconidae), in Australia.
Authors: Olsen P , Olsen J
Published: June 2005

From measurement of 472 eggs of the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) collected in Australia between 1885 and 1977 inclusive, shells were thinner by 10.4 to 38% after 1947-49 and corresponded with the introduction of DDT into Australia. Victoria seemed to have the greatest mean thinning.
The Size and Composition of Groups in the Red Kangaroo, Macropus rufus
Authors: Russell EM
Published: June 2005

Red kangaroos, observed in the field in western New South Wales, were dispersed in small groups which, although aggregated near shelter, food or water, appeared to move independently.

The temporal stability of these small groups is not known. Mean group size was 2.6, and more animals were seen in groups of two, three or four than were seen alone. Groups of two were most common, more than half of them containing one female with young-at-foot. Mixed-sex groups with one or several adult males were found.
The Water Buffalo, Bubalus Bubalis, in Australia: Reproductive and Parent-Offspring Behaviour.
Authors: Tulloch DG
Published: June 2005

Water buffalo in the Northern Territory of Australia have a well defined breeding season in the wet or very early dry season. The birth of a calf is of major importance for the clan and for the family group of which that clan is a part.

A number of calves are left in the care of an adult while their
mothers go to graze. The female calf remains with its mother for many years, possibly for life, but at 2-3 y old the male calf is driven from the group by an adult bull when a cow in the group comes into oestrus.

Most buffalo cows will readily adopt an orphan calf and within 8 days it is impossible to distinguish between the orphan and the group calves.
An objective Method of Measuring the Vegetation Structure of Animal Habitats
Authors: Fox BJ
Published: June 2005

The importance of habitat structure has been illustrated for many groups of animals. A method to objectively measure the vegetation structure of animal habitats is presented. Factors contributing to
the index are evaluated and an attempt is made to show how this index relates to other methods of measuring habitat structure.

A technique to measure crop leaf area is adapted and applied to assessing structure (the vertical distribution of vegetation) in natural vegetation.

A light meter is used to determine a vegetation index for each of several layers. The index is compared with projected cover, cover estimated with a cover board and cover repetition using pin contacts. All correlations are highly significant. In heath the dry weight of clipped vegetation contributed more to the vegetation index than did the leaf area, reflecting a greater contribution of woody stems and branches than of the small ericoid leaves. The technique has been successfully applied to the measurement of habitat requirements for small mammals and an example of such an application is included.
Food of the Black Duck and Grey Teal in Coastal Northern New South Wales.
Authors: Goodrick GN
Published: June 2005

The study area of 500 km2 was humid and subtropical, on flood plain near Coraki, New South Wales. Gut contents were examined and the percentage by volume of different food items is tabulated for black duck (Anas superciliosa) and grey teal (A. gibberifrons). Black duck fed on flooded meadow-grass flats in autumn, moving when the flats dried to seasonal swamps, and when those also dried, to lagoons. Diet varied with place. Seeds of grasses, swamp plants and lagoon plants were eaten, with water snails and water beetle adults and larvae, water spiders and ostracods, and terrestrial invertebrates being eaten when the dry flats became flooded. They ate also waste maize grain from harvested fields before ploughing. Grey teal fed in the seasonal swamps in winter and then left the area almost completely; they ate almost the same items as black duck but fed by the muddy edges of seasonal swamps more than the black duck did. It was known that black duck strip seed from the growing plant and grey teal pick up the fallen seed.
The Foods and Feeding Habits of Subadult Crocodylus Porosus Schneider in Northern Australia.
Authors: Taylor JA
Published: June 2005

Stomach contents were studied for 289 live young crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus) less than 180 cm long, collected from coast, river and swamp of Arnhem Land, Melville Island and Grant Island, Northern Territory, Australia; the crocodiles were then released. Tables give orders and families and some generic and specific names for prey or carrion eaten and for 3 parasites on the crocodiles, for a dry and a wet season in 1975-76. Between crocodiles 50 to 120 cm long and those smaller or larger there was no significant difference in the proportion of crocodiles having eaten crabs, shrimps, fish or insects or with empty stomachs, but only the larger crocodiles ate mammals or birds. Frequency of different foods eaten differed significantly with type of habitat or with salinity. Weight of food or incidence of empty stomachs did not differ between seasons, habitats or salinities. Condition of the crocodiles was significantly poorer for those from freshwater swamps than for those from lower mangrove or flood plains, and highest for those from upper mangrove. Main foods in both seasons were crustaceans, mainly crabs of subfamily Sesarminae and shrimps of genus Macrobrachium. The only fish eaten regularly was Pseudogobius sp., a slow-moving fish found by the water's edge. Amphibians were not found in the stomach.
The Ecology of Rattus lutreolus II*. Reproductive Tactics
Authors: Braithwaite RW
Published: June 2005

Litter size and total number of placental scars were obtained by autopsy of specimens of Rattus lutreolus from south-eastern Australia. Mean litter size in Victoria was 5 - 0, whereas on Hogan I. it was 3 -9. Although mean litter size within Victoria did not appear to vary between populations, mean number of litters per reproductive female varied between habitats. It was 1 - 5 for riparian, 2 -4 for heathland, and 3 -7 for commensal populations. The proportion of young of the year breeding also increase in this order. With the aid of information from the mark-recapture studies, it is deduced that the usual number of litters per breeding female per full breeding season is one for riparian, two for heathland, two for Hogan I., and for or five for commensal populations. Demography of populations in these habitats is discussed and possible selective pressures moulding the reproductive parameters are identified.