Vectors encoding a paralytic peptide
The invention relates to recombinant expression vectors encoding a low molecular weight peptide isolated from the submaxiliary saliva glands of shrews of the species 'Blarina' as a paralytic agent. This novel paralytic agent is useful as a neuromuscular blocker and analgesic or as an insecticide.
Wildlife
"When New England was first settled by the Whites, they found the standing nets of the Blacks in many parts of the bush for the purpose of entrapping the wild animals - The tribes of Blacks met by appointment at these places at certain times driving from different directions their game before them, and this from a circle of many miles into these nets... Since the Whites have occupied the Pundarra & Byron plains Countries, the wild animals of every description have left the plains & frequented places occupied by civilised man, and have betaken to the mountains & unfrequented parts." The schoolmaster and chronicler William Gardner thus described the impact of the first twenty years of pastoralism. The Aborigines' hunting infrastructure was destroyed, and the wildlife on which they depended drastically reduced in the developed areas, remaining abundant only in 'the mountains and unfrequented parts'. This chapter takes up the theme of the diversity, distribution and human attitudes to New England's vertebrate fauna - its native and introduced mammals, birds, reptiles, frogs and fishes - with a particular focus on mammals.
Field validation of a Species Distribution Model for the central Evolutionarily Significant Unit of the brush-tailed rock-wallaby through aerial surveys
Understanding the distribution of threatened species is key to informing their conservation. Species Distribution Modelling (SDM) is used for a wide range of conservation purposes, and can identify areas of suitable habitat and guide targeted field surveys to help refine our knowledge of a species' current geographic range. The brush-tailed rock-wallaby (Petrogale penicillata) is listed as endangered in NSW, with the central Evolutionary Significant Unit (cESU) of this species being of particular conservation concern. This species inhabits rocky refugia in rugged and often remote terrain, making it particularly difficult to survey. As a result, there is limited understanding of its current distribution.
Paralytic Peptide For Use In Neuromuscular Therapy
The invention relates to a low molecular weight peptide (or suite of related peptides) isolated from the submaxiliary saliva glands of shrews of the species 'Blarina' as a paralytic agent. This novel paralytic agent is useful as a neuromuscular blocker and analgesic or as an insecticide.
Mycophagy in the larger bodied skinks of the genera 'Tiliqua' and 'Egernia': are there implications for ecosystem health?
The larger bodied skink of the genera 'Tikiqua' (blue-tongued and shingle-back lizards) and 'Egernia' may be contributing to the maintenance of ecosystem health by dispersing fungle spores that form symbiotic relationships with most terrestrial plant species. We observed an Eastern Blue-tongued Lizard 'Tiliqua scincoides' digging for fungi in a garden bed, which prompted us to examine the literature on the consumption of fungi by skinks. Our observation, together with a previous record of 'Tiliqua nigrolutea' having consumed the fruiting bodies of truffle-like fungi (Webb and Simpson 1985), indicates that blue-tongued lizards can detect the presence of subterranean fungi and will readily eat them.
Immediate effects of fire on survivorship of the northern bettong (Bettongia tropica): an endangered Australian marsupial
Fire is being used increasingly to manage natural habitats, however, a paucity of species specific information exists regarding direct effects of fire on animal survival. In this study I assessed post-fire survivorship of an endangered Australian marsupial, the northern bettong (Bettongia tropica), over two burning seasons. During both seasons, a combination of radio-telemetry and capture data indicated that post-fire survivorship of bettongs was high, and not significantly different to survival rates on unburnt sites. During each burning season, I also collected dingo scats before and after fire in order to assess changes in dingo predation on bettongs with fire. Predation levels were found to be very low overall and did not increase after fire. Results are discussed in light of other studies of post-fire survival, with the conclusion that post-fire survival by northern bettongs is high, and dingo predation negligible.
From catchment to consumer: safeguarding potable water supply through understanding contamination risks in source water catchments
The Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG) Framework for the Management of Drinking Water Quality (NHMRC, NRMMC 2011) promotes a structured and systematic preventative management approach to assure safety of drinking water at point of supply. Central to the ADWG Framework are 12 Elements considered good practice by which to manage drinking water supply from catchment to tap. Application of key ADWG Elements to the treatment and distribution components of a water supply system tends to be relatively straightforward, but less so to the source water catchments and raw water reservoirs components. This can lead to a breakdown in the integrated approach for managing water contamination risks across all stages of water supply. Accordingly, the leading aim of this study was to practically demonstrate how Element 2 (Assessment of the drinking water supply system) of the ADWG framework can be applied to a source water catchment to improve recognition and knowledge of water quality at this key juncture in the water supply system.
Representing the Dingo: An Examination of Dingo-Human Encounters in Australian Cultural and Environmental Heritage
The aim of my thesis is to document the cultural history and heritage of the ancient Australian canine, the dingo. An analysis of the complex symbiotic relationship between the dingo and human society for over 4,600 years reveals an animal uniquely positioned as both a human companion and top-order predator - fulfilling important ecosystem services across the Australian mainland, complementary to their role in traditional Aboriginal society. The thesis collates ethnographic, scientific and social representations of the dingo, and interrogates the legacy of 200 years of dingo control across the south-eastern third of the continent. I use a writing technique called a prosopography to explore areas of knowledge about dingoes, and the culture and heritage surrounding them. This involves recording human-animal encounters in the form of the stories of individual animals within a contextual history, revealing themes, patterns, inconsistencies and anomalies in dingo-human history. The listing of the species as endangered on the IUCN Red List (2004) and as a threatened species in the State of Victoria (2008) underscores the importance of critical analysis, revealing processes underlying the construction and dissemination of dingo knowledge that reinforce their cultural and physical marginalization. The study reveals a complex human-dingo history, and strives to present this information in a comprehensible format as a basis for discussion - allowing new insights into the unique history of the dingo's survival at the heart of traditional Aboriginal society and at the limits and borderlands of contemporary environmental management.
Truffle consumption by New Guinea forest wallabies
Although the fungal diet of Australian mammals, including macropodids (kangaroos and wallabies), is reasonably well understood, no work has been done on mycophagy among New Guinea mammals. We examined stomach samples from the black forest wallaby, 'Dorcopsis atrata' (one sample), greater forest wallaby, 'Dorcopsis hageni' (two samples), lesser forest wallaby, 'Dorcopsulus vanheurni' (five samples), and the dusky pademelon, 'Thylogale brunii' (one sample), for the presence of spores of epigeous (mushroom-like) and hypogeous (truffle-like) macrofungi. All wallaby species were found to have consumed a range of fungal taxa as part of their diet, including those taxa that form symbiotic relationships with forest trees and produce truffle-like fruit-bodies. This is the first record of truffle consumption of fungi by mammals in New Guinea. Our work suggests that forest wallabies are important dispersers of fungi, and may play a significant role in maintaining mycorrhizal communities and healthy forest ecosystems in New Guinea.
Dog and Cat Interactions in a Remote Aboriginal Community
Australian remote Aboriginal communities commonly have large, free-roaming dog populations and relatively small cat populations. However, cats are becoming increasingly popular pets in these communities and it is essential to determine their potential impacts on wildlife to inform animal management practices. In a small island community, this study provided baseline population demographics and investigated dog and cat roaming behaviours and interspecific interactions. The dog population, estimated at 343 dogs, showed active periods at dawn and dusk. The cat population had doubled in 6 months to approximately 83 cats. Cats were observed roaming mainly from dawn until dusk, possibly avoiding periods when dogs were most active. The majority of cats were observed nonroaming. Three cats, however, were captured roaming during the night when all flightless wildlife were observed on our camera traps, suggesting potential impact on local wildlife through their hunting activities. These baseline data provide evidence on which to base management programs that include cats and their impacts on native wildlife. Further research using the multiple methods piloted in this study are warranted to monitor dog and cat populations and their interactions in this island community.