Rattus villosissimus (Rat) release and trapping dataset
This one file dataset contains the information on the Long-haired rats (<i>Rattus villosissimus</i>) used in this study, i.e. data that was collected between October 2011 and May 2013. It contains the exact date (Date) for when a rat was released (Trip_type Release, Trip_number 0) or trapped (Trip_type = Seasonal Trapping, Trip >/= 1) in each of the two enclosures (Enclosure = Enclosure I or Enclosure II), as well as the treatments (Treatment regarding the access of cats into the enclosure: high_fence (no access for cats) or low_fence (access for cats), including information on a rats gender (Sex = M (for male) or F (for female), a rats weight (Animal_weight measured in g), body condition (Body_condition theoretically ranging from 1 (emaciated) to 5 (obese), but only categories 2 (underconditioned), 3 (well-conditioned) and 4 (overconditioned) were scored) and individual identification (PIT.ID) as well as whether they had been recaptured (New_firsttripcap_recap indicating whether the animal was new= released/ caught the very first time, was a firsttripcap = captured before, but first captured during a trapping session, or a recap = recaptured during the same trip).
Simple
Identification info
- Date (Creation)
- 2014-07-04
- Date (Publication)
- 2022-03-23
- Date (Revision)
- 2024-10-22
- Edition
- 1.0
Identifier
Publisher
Author
University of Tasmania - Frank, Anke (Adjunct Researcher)
Churchill Avenue, Hobart, Tasmania, 7005, Australia
Hobart
Tasmania
7005
Australia
Co-author
University of Tasmania - Johnson, Chris (Professor of Wildlife Conservation)
Churchill Avenue, Hobart, Tasmania, 7005, Australia
Hobart
Tasmania
7005
Australia
Co-author
The Analytical Edge Statistical Consulting - Potts, Joanne (Director)
Blackmans Bay, Blackmans Bay, Tasmania, 7052, Australia
Blackmans Bay
Tasmania
7052
Australia
Co-author
Department of Environment, Parks and Water Security, Northern Territory Government - Fisher, Alaric (Executive Director, Flora and Fauna Division)
25 Chung Wah Terrace, Palmerston, Northern Territory, 0830, Australia
Palmerston
Northern Territory
0830
Australia
Co-author
University of KwaZulu-Natal - Lawes, Michael (Honorary Professor at School of Biological Sciences)
College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science (CAES), 62 Carbis Road, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, 3201, South Africa
Scottsville
Pietermaritzburg
3201
South Africa
Co-author
Charles Darwin University - Woinarski, John (NESP Research Professor (Terrestrial Ecology))
Ellengowan Drive, Casuarina, Northern Territory, 0810, Australia
Casuarina
Northern Territory
0810
Australia
Co-author
University of Tasmania - Tuft, Katherine (Chief Executive at Arid Recovery)
Churchill Avenue, Hobart, Tasmania, 7005, Australia
Hobart
Tasmania
7005
Australia
Co-author
Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Western Australian Government - Radford, Ian (Fire Ecologist)
Technology Park, Western Precinct, 17 Dick Perry Avenue, Kensington, Western Australia, 6151, Australia
Kensington
Western Australia
6151
Australia
Co-author
Australian National University - Gordon, Iain (Chair at Gladstone Healthy Harbour Partnership)
10 East Road, Acton, Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
Acton
Australian Capital Territory
2601
Australia
Co-author
Charles Darwin University - Collis, Mary-Anne (Ranger)
Ellengowan Drive, Casuarina, Northern Territory, 0810, Australia
Casuarina
Northern Territory
0810
Australia
Co-author
School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland - Legge, Sarah (Professor at School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, UQ)
Chancellors Place, St Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia
St Lucia
Queensland
4072
Australia
- Website
- https://www.tern.org.au/
- Purpose
- Predation by feral cats <i>Felis sylvestris catus</i> is currently one hypothesized cause for the recent dramatic small mammal declines across northern Australia. We conducted a field experiment to measure the effect of predation by for this areas typically low-density cat populations on the demography of a native small mammal which due to the now natural scarce abundance of small mammals in the wild had to be reintroduced. We established two 12.5-ha enclosures in tropical savanna woodland on Wongalara Sanctuary, south of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. Each enclosure was divided in half, with cats allowed access to one half but not the other. We introduced about 20 individuals of <i>Rattus villosissimus</i>, a native rodent, into each of the four compartments (two enclosures x two predator-access treatments) and monitored rat demography by mark-recapture analysis and radio-tracking, and predator incursions by camera surveillance and track and scat searches. Here we present the data used for the mark-recapture analysis. The radio-tracking data and predator incursions data will be uploaded separately. Australia has already lost many mammal species to extinction. Dramatic and continuing declines of mammals across northern Australia mean that more species could be lost in the near future. There is still time to reverse these declines, but this will depend on a clear understanding of what is causing them. The project will use landscape-scale experiments to discover the factors that threaten mammals in northern Australia, focusing on predation by cats and its interactions with fire and grazing. We will provide knowledge to prevent extinctions and implement management for recovery.
- Credit
- We at TERN acknowledge the Traditional Owners and Custodians throughout Australia, New Zealand and all nations. We honour their profound connections to land, water, biodiversity and culture and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.
- Status
- Completed
Point of contact
University of Tasmania - Frank, Anke (Adjunct Researcher)
Churchill Avenue, Hobart, Tasmania, 7005, Australia
Churchill Avenue
Hobart
Tasmania
7005
Australia
- Topic category
-
- Biota
Extent
- Description
- IBRA region: Gulf Fall and Uplands This study was conducted at Wongalara Wildlife Sanctuary, a 192 200 ha reserve south of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory, Australia. The dominant vegetation is low open savanna woodland.
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S
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W
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Temporal extent
- Time period
- 2011-10-19 2013-06-17
- Title
- Experimental evidence that feral cats cause local extirpation of small mammals in Australia's tropical savannas
- Website
-
Experimental evidence that feral cats cause local extirpation of small mammals in Australia's tropical savannas
Related documentation
- Maintenance and update frequency
- Not planned
- GCMD Science Keywords
- ANZSRC Fields of Research
- TERN Parameter Vocabulary
- QUDT Units of Measure
- GCMD Horizontal Resolution Ranges
- GCMD Temporal Resolution Ranges
- Australian Faunal Directory
- Keywords (Discipline)
-
- Reintroduction experiment
- Species Decline
- Exotic Animal Species
- Interacting Pressures
- Invasive Animal Species
- Translocation/Re-Introduction
- Ex Situ Conservation
- Long-haired Rat
- Mammals
- Native Rodents
- Placentals
Resource constraints
- Use limitation
- The Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license allows others to copy, distribute, display, and create derivative works provided that they credit the original source and any other nominated parties. Details are provided at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
- File name
- 88x31.png
- File description
- CCBy Logo from creativecommons.org
- File type
- png
- Title
- Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence
- Alternate title
- CC-BY
- Edition
- 4.0
- Access constraints
- License
- Use constraints
- Other restrictions
- Other constraints
- TERN services are provided on an “as-is” and “as available” basis. Users use any TERN services at their discretion and risk. They will be solely responsible for any damage or loss whatsoever that results from such use including use of any data obtained through TERN and any analysis performed using the TERN infrastructure. <br /><br />Web links to and from external, third party websites should not be construed as implying any relationships with and/or endorsement of the external site or its content by TERN.<br /><br />Please advise any work or publications that use this data via the online form at https://www.tern.org.au/research-publications/#reporting.
Resource constraints
- Classification
- Unclassified
Distribution Information
Distributor
Distributor
- Distribution format
-
- NetCDF
Distribution Information
Distributor
Distributor
- Distribution format
-
- NetCDF
Distribution Information
Distributor
Distributor
Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network
Building 1019, 80 Meiers Rd, Indooroopilly, QLD, Australia, 4068
Indooroopilly
QLD
4068
Australia
- Distribution format
-
- OnLine resource
- ro-crate-metadata.json
Resource lineage
- Hierarchy level
- Dataset
Process step
- Description
- Sampling Design: Mark-Recapture Repeated Measures Survival Analysis Systematic Sampling
Process step
- Description
- Fauna Sampling Technique: Marking/Tagging Trapping Arrays
Process step
- Description
- Measurements: Raw Observations; Raw Observations - Binary Data; Raw Observations - Categorical Data; Raw Observations - Continuous; Data Raw Observations - Count Data; Raw Observations - Ordinal Data
Process step
- Description
- Measured Attributes: Abundance Location Population Size Population Structure Presence/Absence
Process step
- Description
- Elliott Trapping, PIT-tagging, weighing, scoring body condition, determining gender : We constructed two 12.5-ha rat-proof enclosures, each divided in half, one half allowing cats and dingoes access (the fence was low enough at 0.9 m that cats could easily jump over) and the other half surrounded by a taller (2 m) electrified floppy-top fence to exclude mammalian predators. We refer to these as low-fence and high-fence treatments. To prevent small mammals from moving in or out of these treatments, a strip of smooth poly-belt, 40 cm high was attached to the inside lower section of all fences. The two enclosures were ~13 km apart. Enclosure I was in low (~10 m high) open woodland co-dominated by mixed <i>Eucalyptus</i> spp. and <i>Terminalia</i> spp., over a mixed <i>Triodia</i> spp. hummock grassland and mixed shrub understorey on sandy soils. Enclosure II was in similar low open woodland, but tree cover comprised Eucalyptus spp. and Cooktown Ironwood <i>Erythrophleum chlorostachys</i>, over a tussock grassland dominated by <i>Chrysopogon</i> spp., on sandy/lateritic soils. Mean percentage vegetation cover at rat height (10 cm above ground) was higher in Enclosure I than Enclosure II, but similar between the low and the high fence treatments within each enclosure. We introduced populations of the long-haired rat <i>Rattus villosissimus</i> (Status Least Concern, IUCN 2013), to all enclosure compartments for the purpose of this experiment. We collected 20 free-ranging <i>R. villosissimus</i> from Quoin Island about 530 km west of Wongalara (14°730'87'' S, 126°730'56'' E, 219 ha), NT, in April 2011. To provide the numbers needed for introductions, these rats were initially housed and captive-bred, with handling kept to a minimum, at the Territory Wildlife Park before each release. In April 2012 we released 46 captive-bred rats as many as available into Enclosure I: 13 females and 10 males in the low-fence treatment and 11 females and 12 males in the high-fence treatment, with similar age composition in each group. In October 2011 we released 31 rats into Enclosure II, five rats (three females, two males) originating from Quoin Island, and the rest bred in captivity. Seven females and nine males were released into the low-fence treatment, and nine females and six males into the high-fence treatment. All were at least 1.5 months old and fully weaned; most (66%) were adults (> 60 g). All were marked with passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags. Rats of sufficient size (~ 100 g) were fitted with radio-collars (~ 4 g). In Enclosure I, seven rats (five males, two females) were radio-collared at release in each treatment. In Enclosure II, 10 rats (five males and five females) were radio-collared at release in each treatment. The fate of released rats was also monitored using live-trapping at intervals of approximately two months. Thirty-six aluminium box-traps (Elliott design) were arranged in a uniform pattern in 0.4-ha grids in each of the four enclosure halves. Traps were baited with a mixture of rolled oats and peanut butter, set in the late afternoon and checked at first light on the following day. Due to logistical constraints, the number of trapping sessions and their duration (number of nights) differed between enclosure sites, but not between the paired compartments (low fence and high fence) of each enclosure. In Enclosure I, trapping commenced two months after release of rats. Seven trapping sessions of between two and four consecutive trap nights were carried out (24 trap nights in total). In Enclosure II trapping commenced six months after the release of rats because of limited access during the wet season. In this enclosure, nine trapping sessions of between two and four consecutive nights occurred (29 nights in total). At each capture, individuals were identified, weighed and sexed. Body condition was scored using the method of Ullmann-Culleré & Foltz (1999), from category 1 = emaciated to 5 = obese. Recruits (i.e. individuals trapped in the enclosures that were not part of the initial release) were PIT-tagged at first capture.
Reference System Information
- Reference system identifier
- EPSG/EPSG:4326
- Reference system type
- Geodetic Geographic 2D
Metadata
- Metadata identifier
-
urn:uuid/0e16279b-3a42-4410-8449-48a021a83694
- Title
- TERN GeoNetwork UUID
- Language
- English
- Character encoding
- UTF8
Point of contact
Type of resource
- Resource scope
- Dataset
- Metadata linkage
-
https://geonetwork.tern.org.au/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/0e16279b-3a42-4410-8449-48a021a83694
Point-of-truth metadata URL
- Date info (Creation)
- 2014-07-04T00:00:00
- Date info (Revision)
- 2024-10-22T00:00:00
Metadata standard
- Title
- ISO 19115-1:2014/AMD 1:2018 Geographic information - Metadata - Fundamentals
- Edition
- 1
Metadata standard
- Title
- ISO/TS 19115-3:2016
- Edition
- 1.0
Metadata standard
- Title
- ISO/TS 19157-2:2016
- Edition
- 1.0
- Title
- Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) Metadata Profile of ISO 19115-3:2016 and ISO 19157-2:2016
- Date (published)
- 2021
- Edition
- 1.0
Identifier
Overviews
Spatial extent
N
S
E
W
Provided by
Associated resources
Not available