Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2017C00220:reg:1:p6
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2017C00220
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 1 (pt 6/9)
Character Range: 18634–21431

and four amphibians.  The mammal species and subspecies are identified in the 2014 Mammal Action Plan (Woinarski et al. 2014). The birds, reptiles and amphibians are all listed as threatened under the EPBC Act, and there are 19 bird species listed as migratory or marine whose profiles identify predation by feral cats as a threat (see Appendix A). It should be noted that the impacts of predation by feral cats is not restricted to these species.
Cats have direct negative impacts on native fauna through predation (Copley, 1991; Coutts-Smith et al. 2007; Dickman 1994; Dickman, 2009; Dowling et al. 1994; Risbey et al. 2000). They prey on mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates depending on resource availability. Live prey is almost the sole source of food for cats.  Mammals tend to be the dominant prey item when available. They also eat introduced mammals including rabbits, hares, rats and mice (Doherty, 2014; Holden and Mutze, 2002; Read and Bowen, 2001; Risby et al, 1999).
Feral cats have contributed to the extinction of many small to medium-sized mammals and ground-nesting birds in the arid zone, and have seriously affected or caused extinction of populations of species such as mala and woylie. (e.g. Gibson et al 1994; Start et al. 1995; Department of the Environment 2015a). The ongoing decline of small mammals across northern Australia to very low numbers is also believed to be due, for a major part, to predation by the feral cat (Christensen and Burrows, 1995; Frank et al. 2014; Gibson et al. 1994; Woinarski et al. 2014; Fisher et al. 2013).
Typically terrestrial vertebrates consumed by feral cats will weigh less than 220 grams (Dickman 1996) but individuals up to three to four kilograms (Fancourt 2015) are at risk. Birds are also a major prey item with species up to 200 grams being taken, mostly ground-dwelling birds. Reptiles are also an important dietary component, especially in arid areas (Doherty et al. 2015). Examples of other prey items include grasshoppers, centipedes, fish, frogs, freshwater crustaceans and marine turtle hatchlings (Doherty et al. 2015). Some cats become specialists in particular types of prey while others remain generalists (Dickman & Newsome 2014).
Feral cats have direct and indirect impacts on native predators. Dasyurids, such as quolls, may be killed by feral cats and have a dietary overlap. As well as quolls, other native predators such as raptors and varanids may also compete with feral cats for dietary resources (Sutherland et al. 2011; Debus, 2012).
Feral cats in Australia are hosts to a number of disease causing agents including viruses (three species), bacteria (>40 species), fungi (>17 species), protozoa (21 species), helminths (26 species) and arthropods (19 species) (Moodie 1995). Some of these