tag:theconversation.com,2011:/fr/topics/endangered-animals-5720/articlesEndangered animals – The Conversation2024-03-14T19:25:08Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2195982024-03-14T19:25:08Z2024-03-14T19:25:08ZMeet the kowari: a pint-sized predator on the fast track to extinction<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581179/original/file-20240312-24-tb4sa3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Ariana Ananda</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Australia is home to <a href="https://www.publish.csiro.au/book/7010/">more than 350 species</a> of native mammals, <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.1417301112">87% of which are found nowhere else on Earth</a>. But with 39 of these species <a href="https://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicthreatenedlist.pl">already extinct</a> and a further <a href="https://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicthreatenedlist.pl">110 listed as threatened</a>, there’s every chance many will vanish before you even knew they existed. So here’s one we think you simply must know (and save), before it’s too late. </p>
<p>The charismatic <a href="https://teamkowari.com.au/kowari/">kowari</a> is a small carnivorous marsupial. It was once common inland but is now found only in the remote deserts of southwest Queensland and northeastern South Australia, in less than 20% of its former range. </p>
<p>This pint-sized predator fits in the palm of your hand. Its bright eyes, bushy tail and big personality make it the perfect poster child for the Australian outback. But with just 1,200 kowari left in the wild, the federal government upgraded its conservation status in November from <a href="http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=329">vulnerable to endangered</a>. </p>
<p>Reversing the decline of the kowari is within our grasp. But we need public support and political will to achieve this. It requires limiting grazing of cattle and sheep, while keeping feral cat numbers under control. </p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WVAmYlHoqs4?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Introducing the kowari (Arid Recovery)</span></figcaption>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/threatened-species-recover-in-fenced-safe-havens-but-their-safety-is-only-temporary-200548">Threatened species recover in fenced safe havens. But their safety is only temporary</a>
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<h2>Meet the kowari</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://teamkowari.com.au/kowari/">kowari</a> (<em>Dasyuroides byrnei</em>) is a skilled hunter that stalks mice, tarantulas, moths, scorpions and even birds. Alert and efficient, they attack their prey voraciously.</p>
<p>Formerly known as the brushy-tailed marsupial rat, or Byrne’s crest-tailed marsupial rat, the kowari is more closely related to Tasmanian Devil and quolls. </p>
<p>The Wangkangurru Yarluyandi People use the name kowari, while the Dieri and Ngameni peoples use the similar-sounding name kariri.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581171/original/file-20240312-18-mlrrfx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Closeup of the gibber plain showing areas of flat interlocking red pebbles" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581171/original/file-20240312-18-mlrrfx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581171/original/file-20240312-18-mlrrfx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581171/original/file-20240312-18-mlrrfx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581171/original/file-20240312-18-mlrrfx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581171/original/file-20240312-18-mlrrfx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581171/original/file-20240312-18-mlrrfx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581171/original/file-20240312-18-mlrrfx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">The red stony gibber plains could be mistaken for the surface of Mars.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Katherine Moseby</span></span>
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<p>Kowaris live in stony deserts. They mainly inhabit remote treeless “gibber” plains. These areas of flat, interlocking red pebbles form vast pavements that could be mistaken for the surface of Mars. </p>
<p>In the outback, where temperatures can exceed 50°C, kowaris beat the heat by sheltering in burrows dug into sand mounds. At night they emerge to race across the plains, their head and distinctive brushy tail held high, pausing regularly to scan for predators and prey. </p>
<p>During chilly winter days, kowaris slow their metabolism to conserve energy. They go into a state of <a href="https://theconversation.com/torpor-a-neat-survival-trick-once-thought-rare-in-australian-animals-is-actually-widespread-146409">torpor</a>, which is a daily version of hibernation. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/torpor-a-neat-survival-trick-once-thought-rare-in-australian-animals-is-actually-widespread-146409">Torpor: a neat survival trick once thought rare in Australian animals is actually widespread</a>
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<p>At the two main South Australian sites, the number of animals captured in trapping surveys declined by <a href="https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jzo.12605">85% between 2000 and 2015</a>. At this rate, the species could disappear from the area within two decades.</p>
<p>The entire population is estimated to number as few as 1,200 individuals scattered over just 350 square kilometres. That’s a combined area of less than 20km x 20km. </p>
<p>Based on this evidence, the conservation status of kowaris was upgraded from <a href="http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=329">vulnerable to endangered</a> in November last year.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581170/original/file-20240312-18-r54i0o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A kowari standing in the desert facing the camera with its long bushy tail stretched out to the right" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581170/original/file-20240312-18-r54i0o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581170/original/file-20240312-18-r54i0o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581170/original/file-20240312-18-r54i0o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581170/original/file-20240312-18-r54i0o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581170/original/file-20240312-18-r54i0o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581170/original/file-20240312-18-r54i0o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581170/original/file-20240312-18-r54i0o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Kowari are now restricted to refuge populations in northeast South Australia and southwest Queensland.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Andrea Tschirner</span></span>
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<h2>Shrinking populations in the stony desert</h2>
<p>Kowaris have been declining for a while but are suddenly on the fast track to extinction. How can that be, when they live in one of the most vast and remote parts of Australia? </p>
<p>Threats include land degradation from pastoralism, and predation from introduced feral cats and foxes. </p>
<p>But it’s complicated. Threats can combine, having a synergistic effect (greater than the sum of their parts). And then there are climate influences. </p>
<p>Heavy rain in the desert triggers a cascade of events that culminates in an <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-10-10/feral-cats-tear-through-last-wild-bilby-population/5803252">explosion of feral cat numbers</a>. </p>
<p>When conditions dry out again, the cats switch to eating larger or more difficult prey such as bilbies and kowaris, often causing local extinctions. In southwest Queensland, feral cats most likely wiped out one population of kowaris and decimated another. </p>
<p>Huge efforts to control cat plagues have saved the kowari and bilby populations in <a href="https://bioone.org/journals/australian-journal-of-zoology/volume-70/issue-2/ZO22027/Does-reducing-grazing-pressure-or-predation-conserve-kowaris-A-case/10.1071/ZO22027.full">Astrebla Downs National Park</a> from local extinction so far, but other areas have succumbed.</p>
<p>In SA, all the remaining kowari populations are on <a href="https://www.nespthreatenedspecies.edu.au/publications-and-tools/the-kowari-saving-a-central-australian-micro-predator">pastoral stations used for grazing cattle</a>. </p>
<p>Cattle can trample kowari burrows. They can also compact the sand mounds, making it difficult for kowaris to build burrows in the first place. And they eat the plants on the mounds, reducing the availability of both food and shelter. This makes kowaris easy prey. </p>
<p>Over the past few decades, pastoralism has intensified. <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/research/completed/pastoral-leases#:%7E:text=Pastoral%20leases%20exist%20on%20around,to%20facilitate%20and%20support%20pastoralism.">Nearly half of Australia (44%)</a> is covered in pastoral leases where many threatened species occur. </p>
<p>Domestic stock usually graze close to watering points such as bores and troughs. More and more watering points are being established, to make more of the pastoral lease accessible to stock. So the area protected from grazing is shrinking as cattle encroach further into kowari territory. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581168/original/file-20240312-16-mabhg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A sand mound surrounded by the stony desert gibber plain" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581168/original/file-20240312-16-mabhg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/581168/original/file-20240312-16-mabhg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581168/original/file-20240312-16-mabhg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581168/original/file-20240312-16-mabhg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581168/original/file-20240312-16-mabhg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=592&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581168/original/file-20240312-16-mabhg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=592&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/581168/original/file-20240312-16-mabhg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=592&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Kowari burrow in sand mounds that can be trampled and compacted by cattle.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Katherine Moseby</span></span>
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<h2>How can we save the kowari?</h2>
<p>We have the knowledge and tools required to save this species from extinction. We just need decisive leadership and sufficient funding to put these plans into action. </p>
<p>State governments should provide more resources for desert parks so rangers can monitor feral cat numbers and respond rapidly to plagues. We can make use of new technology such as remote camera traps checked via satellite. These measures would also protect the last remaining stronghold of the bilby in Queensland, another nationally threatened mammal. </p>
<p>The pastoral industry and governments must work together to review watering-point placement and reduce grazing pressure in known kowari habitat. </p>
<p>By closing some pastoral watering points and ensuring a portion of each lease (possibly 20%) is away from waters, we can reduce the harm of stock and provide refuges for threatened species. Pastoral companies could show leadership and implement these actions themselves rather than waiting for governments to act.</p>
<p>In the meantime, reintroductions into safe havens is one stopgap measure helping to prevent imminent kowari extinction. In 2022, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=search&v=409398861174893&external_log_id=2222a528-17bb-4f25-b0d5-d45d296c0c73&q=ecological%20horizons">12 kowaris were successfully reintroduced</a> to the 123 square km <a href="https://aridrecovery.org.au/kowari/">fenced Arid Recovery Reserve</a> in northern SA. The population has <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AridRecovery/videos/1165149370645281">expanded since release</a>. Removing cats, foxes and domestic stock from the reserve has given kowaris a chance to reclaim a small portion of their former range. </p>
<p>But safe havens are small and we need to act on a larger scale. If we don’t, the kowari may become yet another Australian species lost before you’ve even seen it.</p>
<p><em>Thanks to Genevieve Hayes, former ecologist at Arid Recovery, for coordinating the reintroduction of the kowari at Arid Recovery and commenting on the draft of this article.</em></p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/so-you-want-to-cat-proof-a-bettong-how-living-with-predators-could-help-native-species-survive-170450">So you want to cat-proof a bettong: how living with predators could help native species survive</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/219598/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Katherine Moseby is co-founder and chief scientist at Arid Recovery. She receives contract work from Arid Recovery to assist with conservation and restoration works. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Katherine Tuft is Chief Executive at Arid Recovery which has received grant funding from the federal government and other sources to support research and conservation for the kowari.</span></em></p>Blink and you’ll miss it. The kowari is a charismatic marsupial carnivore that needs our help.Katherine Moseby, Associate Professor, UNSW SydneyKatherine Tuft, Visiting Research Fellow, University of AdelaideLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2155312023-11-23T19:02:23Z2023-11-23T19:02:23ZMoonlight basking and queer courting: new research reveals the secret lives of Australian freshwater turtles<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/559448/original/file-20231114-15-mr7bow.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=250%2C40%2C5108%2C3540&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/australian-freshwater-turtle-during-day-time-1331621147">Rob D the Pastry Chef, Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Australian freshwater turtles <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-71544-3">support healthy wetlands and rivers</a>. Yet one in three turtle species is <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/aec.13403">threatened with extinction</a>. And there is still much we don’t know about them.</p>
<p>In <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/14429993/2023/48/8">today’s special issue</a> of the journal Austral Ecology, 55 authors present the latest research on Australian freshwater turtles. </p>
<p>Along with other biologists, we have contributed to a series of research papers to inform ecology and conservation of freshwater turtles. </p>
<p>Our research reveals some fresh insights into turtle behaviour, survey methods and conservation strategies. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/theres-a-thriving-global-market-in-turtles-and-much-of-that-trade-is-illegal-205626">There's a thriving global market in turtles, and much of that trade is illegal</a>
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<h2>Spy wear and other turtle tech</h2>
<p>In one study researchers <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/aec.13365">compared data from underwater video cameras</a> to traditional trapping surveys and achieved similar results. They detected 83 turtles from 52 hours of footage and identified all species in the study area.</p>
<p>Overall, baited remote underwater videos proved to be a “useful, time effective, non-invasive technique to collect relative abundance and species richness estimates for freshwater turtles”. </p>
<p>Another study provided the first vision of a wild saw-shelled turtle <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/aec.13364">attempting to court a mate</a>. The male sought affection from the female turtle by waving his feet and pressing his nose into her face. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555110/original/file-20231021-19-ijwufk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="An image showing a male saw-shelled turtle 'kissing' a larger female" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555110/original/file-20231021-19-ijwufk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555110/original/file-20231021-19-ijwufk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555110/original/file-20231021-19-ijwufk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555110/original/file-20231021-19-ijwufk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555110/original/file-20231021-19-ijwufk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555110/original/file-20231021-19-ijwufk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555110/original/file-20231021-19-ijwufk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Underwater cameras captured a male saw-shelled turtle courting a larger female.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Donald McKnight</span></span>
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<p>Meanwhile, a different male was observed trying to mount a larger male. This was the first case of same-sex mounting seen in this species.</p>
<p>We are continuing to unravel curious turtle behaviour known as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989423000793">nocturnal basking</a>. During the day, many reptiles regulate their body temperature by sunning themselves. But some freshwater turtles (and crocodiles) also emerge from the water and <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/aec.13320">bask on logs at night</a>.</p>
<p>To find out why, scientists in Queensland measured the preferred temperature of Krefft’s river turtles and watched them <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/aec.13335">bask more when the water was hot</a>. So it seems they do this to stay cool in hot weather.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/559238/original/file-20231114-27-p5jmht.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A photo showing Krefft's river turtles basking at night, hauled out on a log" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/559238/original/file-20231114-27-p5jmht.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/559238/original/file-20231114-27-p5jmht.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559238/original/file-20231114-27-p5jmht.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559238/original/file-20231114-27-p5jmht.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559238/original/file-20231114-27-p5jmht.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559238/original/file-20231114-27-p5jmht.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559238/original/file-20231114-27-p5jmht.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Krefft’s river turtles basking at night in the Ross River, Townsville, Queensland.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Eric Nordberg</span></span>
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<p>Over in desert country, we <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/aec.13434">recaptured Cooper Creek turtles</a> after two decades. While we were there, the site became surrounded with floodwater – this provided a rare opportunity to find turtles moving onto the floodplain to find food.</p>
<p>We also found lots of baby turtles. This is in contrast to most places around Australia, which have ongoing problems with foxes eating turtle nests.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555112/original/file-20231021-17-kd5oxv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Closeup photo of a large female turtle facing the camera, stretching out its neck to drink from a pool of water" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555112/original/file-20231021-17-kd5oxv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555112/original/file-20231021-17-kd5oxv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555112/original/file-20231021-17-kd5oxv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555112/original/file-20231021-17-kd5oxv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555112/original/file-20231021-17-kd5oxv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555112/original/file-20231021-17-kd5oxv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555112/original/file-20231021-17-kd5oxv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">This large female turtle at Cooper Creek was recaptured after two decades.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Donald McKnight</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Conservation success stories</h2>
<p>Foxes target freshwater turtle nests across Australia, reducing breeding success. Researchers are experimenting with measures to protect nests from predators.</p>
<p>In the New England Tablelands, temporary electric fences served to <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/aec.13385">protect turtle nests from foxes</a> over three breeding spring-summer seasons from 2019 to 2022. But in the Murray River, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/aec.13362">plastic mesh over individual nests only protected some of them</a>. </p>
<p>Nest protection supports conservation of the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/aec.13382">endangered Mary River turtle</a>. Over 22 years, more than 100 members of the local community in the Mary River Catchment have led initiatives to protect Mary River turtles. Working with communities has dual benefits – for research and for the people involved, who enjoy connecting to nature.</p>
<p>These collaborations have helped improve river management, informing delivery of water for the environment and improving the quality of river habitats for turtles.</p>
<p><a href="https://1millionturtles.com/turtle-month-2023">November is Turtle Month</a> for the <a href="https://1millionturtles.com/">1 Million turtles</a> campaign, a national citizen science program bringing together scientists and the community, to support freshwater turtle conservation initiatives. </p>
<p>Through the <a href="https://www.turtlesat.org.au/">free TurtleSAT app</a>, people can do more than just report turtle sightings. They can actively contribute to data-driven turtle management. </p>
<p>The app provides real-time data visualisation. The program website also provides education, helping citizen scientists protect nests, establish predator-free turtle sanctuaries, engage in national experiments, and deepen their understanding of turtles and wetlands.</p>
<p>With more than 18,000 records logged, 1,200 turtles saved from road hazards and 500 nests protected, this initiative is crucial in light of the growing threats faced by freshwater turtle species.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/our-turtle-program-shows-citizen-science-isnt-just-great-for-data-it-makes-science-feel-personal-155142">Our turtle program shows citizen science isn't just great for data, it makes science feel personal</a>
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</em>
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<h2>Challenges and solutions</h2>
<p>Of Australia’s 25 freshwater turtle species, 12 are so poorly known <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/aec.13418">their national conservation status could not be assessed</a> during this 2022 review. Many of these lesser-known species occur in northern Australia. </p>
<p>Of the 15 species or subspecies assessed, we recommended listing a higher level of threat for eight. This included western saw-shelled turtles, which were recently uplisted from <a href="https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/Topics/Animals-and-plants/Threatened-species/NSW-Threatened-Species-Scientific-Committee/Determinations/Final-determinations/2017-2018/Western-Sawshelled-Turtle-Myuchelys-bellii-endangered-species-listing">vulnerable to endangered</a>.</p>
<p>Threats include habitat loss, being eaten by foxes or feral pigs, disease, fire, and moving species into new areas where they breed with existing turtle species. To manage these threats, we need to move beyond engagement to an integrated approach, where conservation advice is co-determined by First Nations people who are closely involved in implementing recovery plans and action plans.</p>
<p>There is immense value in establishing long-term studies to track these long-lived species. And technology continues to provide new opportunities to learn more.</p>
<p>Future conservation and management will require working with communities to learn more about turtles and protect them. If one million people each save one turtle, collectively we will have made a big difference.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/turtles-on-the-tarmac-could-delay-flights-at-western-sydney-airport-208930">Turtles on the tarmac could delay flights at Western Sydney airport</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/215531/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Deborah Bower receives funding from the Australian Research Council, NSW Department of Environment and Planning, and the Northern Tablelands Local Land Services.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Donald McKnight works for the Savanna Field Station and received funding from the Australian Society of Herpetologists and Winifred Violet Scott Charitable Trust.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Eric Nordberg receives funding from the National Environmental Science Program Landscape Hub, Australian Departments of Environment and Planning, and Northern Tablelands Local Land Services.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>James Van Dyke receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Australian Department of Industry, Science and Resources.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael B Thompson has received funding for turtle research from the Australian Research Council. He is also involved with the 1 Million Turtles program funded by a Commonwealth Citizen Science grant. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ricky Spencer receives funding from the Australian Research Council, WIRES and Department of Industry, Science and Resources. </span></em></p>Australian freshwater turtles are a vital part of healthy waterways, but we don’t know enough about them. A new roundup of turtle research aims to buck the trend.Deborah Bower, Associate Professor in Zoology and Ecology, University of New EnglandDonald McKnight, James Cook UniversityEric Nordberg, Senior Lecturer (Applied Ecology and Landscape Management), University of New EnglandJames Van Dyke, Associate Professor in Biomedical Sciences, La Trobe UniversityMichael B Thompson, Emeritus Professor in Zoology, University of SydneyRicky Spencer, Associate Professor of Ecology, Western Sydney UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2165832023-11-08T13:36:45Z2023-11-08T13:36:45ZResources to save ‘every creeping thing of the earth’ are limited. What would Noah do?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/556604/original/file-20231030-30-f88n2o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=37%2C942%2C6179%2C1689&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The Noah's Ark Problem: figuring out which species to conserve with limited resources.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/illustration/noahs-ark-royalty-free-illustration/165747277?phrase=noah%27s+ark&adppopup=true">JoeLena/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The annual <a href="https://www.cop28.com/">United Nations Climate Change Conference</a>, better known as COP, that starts Nov. 30 in the United Arab Emirates will bring together governments, businesses, international organizations and NGOs to shine a spotlight on the climate emergency the world faces and consider solutions to the crisis. The <a href="https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/biodiversity/elements_of_biodiversity/extinction_crisis/">alarming rates</a> at which we are <a>losing species</a> is not just a tragedy of epic proportions – the destruction of biodiversity also robs humanity of one of its <a href="https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/climate-issues/biodiversity">strongest defenses against climate change</a>. </p>
<p>Retaining the earth’s diverse mix of animals and plants is crucial for the planet’s future, yet any plan to halt its loss must grapple with the reality that not every species can be saved from extinction because of the <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2018.00024">limited resources</a> we have for <a href="https://www.amnh.org/research/center-for-biodiversity-conservation/what-is-biodiversity">biodiversity</a> conservation. By one estimate, <a href="https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-insights/reports/financing-nature-biodiversity-report/">about US$598 billion to $824 billion is needed annually to reverse the loss of species worldwide.</a></p>
<h2>Different ways of posing the problem</h2>
<p>Given finite research and practical resources, how should we act to conserve biological diversity? Should we, as I have argued in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-3800(97)00164-6">my research</a> as <a href="https://www.rit.edu/directory/aabgsh-amit-batabyal">an expert in environmental economics</a>, try to regulate the rate at which <a href="https://doi.org/10.1006/jema.2000.0352">habitat is being converted</a> from natural to human-centered uses? </p>
<p>An alternative approach concentrates on conserving what biologists call <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4318579">keystone species</a> that play a critical role in holding the ecosystem together. An example is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1641/0006-3568(2004)054%5B0755:WATEOF%5D2.0.CO;2">the gray wolf in Yellowstone National Park,</a> whose presence regulates prey populations like elk and deer, which in turn have cascading effects on vegetation and the overall ecosystem structure and function. </p>
<p>The Bible suggests a contrasting approach in the <a href="https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/k/kjv/kjv-idx?type=DIV1&byte=1477#:%7E:text=%5B20%5D%20Of%20fowls%20after%20their,for%20thee%2C%20and%20for%20them.">Lord’s dictum</a> to Noah before the great flood: “Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.” </p>
<h2>A solution</h2>
<p>One of the most original and interesting answers to this question was provided by the late Harvard economist <a href="https://scholar.harvard.edu/weitzman/home">Martin Weitzman</a>, who applied economic analysis to address the conservation of endangered species. In a <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2999617">pioneering 1998 paper</a> titled The Noah’s Ark Problem, Weitzman viewed the challenge of figuring out which species to conserve with limited resources as a modern-day equivalent of the problem the biblical patriarch <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Noah">Noah</a> faced when trying to determine what to take with him – and hence save – on his <a href="https://answersingenesis.org/noahs-ark/">ark</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="The late economist Martin Weitzman giving a talk." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/556799/original/file-20231031-23-p56kia.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/556799/original/file-20231031-23-p56kia.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/556799/original/file-20231031-23-p56kia.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/556799/original/file-20231031-23-p56kia.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/556799/original/file-20231031-23-p56kia.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/556799/original/file-20231031-23-p56kia.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/556799/original/file-20231031-23-p56kia.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Martin Weitzman’s research looked at the challenge of figuring out which endangered species to conserve with limited resources.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/Max_Weber_Lecture_Martin_Weitzman_on_21_October_2015_-_Badia_Fiesolana_%286%29_%2822194060719%29.jpg">Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In Weitzman’s view, biodiversity gives rise to two kinds of values. The first is <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/u/utility.asp">utility to humans</a> – insects pollinate crops that yield food, and so on. There is no serious dispute that biodiversity – <a href="https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/biodiversity/">the variety of living species on Earth</a>, including plants, animals, bacteria and fungi – benefits humans. </p>
<p>As the <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/biodiversity-and-health">World Health Organization </a> puts it, “Healthy communities rely on well-functioning ecosystems. They provide clean air, fresh water, medicines and food security. They also limit disease and stabilize the climate.” Yet nearly a third of all monitored species <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/explainers-60823267">are currently endangered because of human activities.</a></p>
<p>The second kind identified by Weitzman is the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK224412/#:%7E:text=Biodiversity%20contributes%20to%20our%20knowledge,about%20human%20biology%20and%20ecology">inherent value</a> of the wide variety of species and the genetic information they contain to biological diversity itself. Biodiversity plays a crucial role in maintaining the stability and resilience of ecosystems. </p>
<p>For example, increased genetic variation is important to wild Alaskan salmon returning to natal streams and rivers to reproduce. Populations in different streams have developed <a href="https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2012.1158">different sets of genetic information</a>; some of these will allow for the earlier migration in streams that will be needed under warming temperatures and earlier snowmelt. </p>
<p>Weitzman likens the task of preserving different species to the task of saving the volumes in a library that represent an accumulation of human knowledge. </p>
<p>While in principle, every volume in the library might be valuable, some may have information that is also available in other libraries. Therefore, the objective would be to save those volumes that have information in them that is not contained anywhere else. According to this view, a conservationist’s goal ought to be to save as much of this genetic information as possible, even if the species concerned provide little direct value to humans.</p>
<p>This line of thinking provides counterintuitive guidance to conservationists. Specifically, it suggests that the best way to conserve biodiversity in an uncertain and resource-constrained world is to pick a species and then save as many members of this species as possible. By following this aggressive or “<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2999617">extreme policy</a>,” the conservationist preserves not only what is informationally distinct about this species but also all the information it shares with other species. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Bumblebees on a yellow flower collect pollen." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/557206/original/file-20231102-27-a8vv0d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/557206/original/file-20231102-27-a8vv0d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/557206/original/file-20231102-27-a8vv0d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/557206/original/file-20231102-27-a8vv0d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/557206/original/file-20231102-27-a8vv0d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/557206/original/file-20231102-27-a8vv0d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/557206/original/file-20231102-27-a8vv0d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Bumblebees on a yellow flower collect pollen.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/bumblebee-on-a-yellow-flower-collects-pollen-royalty-free-image/840997036?phrase=bumble+bee+pollinating&adppopup=true">nnorozoff/Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>An example</h2>
<p>To see this, imagine that there are two libraries that have many volumes (or species members), some unique to each library and some overlapping. If Library 1 burns to the ground, we lose all of the volumes (species members) with the exception of those that are also housed in Library 2. The same is true if Library 2 burns. </p>
<p>If both libraries burn, all is lost. If both are on fire, and we do not have the equipment to save both, and one library takes fewer resources to save, we may be better off using our scarce resources to protect that one and letting the other one go in order to preserve the unique volumes (species members) as well as the knowledge in the overlapping volumes. </p>
<h2>What does it mean in practice?</h2>
<p>The practical meaning is that – when forced to choose – it may not make much sense to use limited conservation funds to protect a highly endangered species such as <a href="https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/23540896/pandas-extinction-conservation-zoos-wwf-climate">cuddly pandas</a> that are very expensive to protect. We may be better off protecting, for example, the <a href="https://www.cbf.org/about-the-bay/chesapeake-wildlife/menhaden/">Atlantic menhaden, or pogy</a>, a primary food source for bigger fish and birds along the Eastern Seaboard and a vital connection between the bottom and top of the food chain. A current lawsuit claims it is subject to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/11/science/menhaden-chesapeake-bay-fishing.html">overfishing in and around the Chesapeake Bay</a>. </p>
<p>Weitzman’s Noah’s Ark model seeks to provide useful guidance in determining how to prioritize our efforts to save endangered species, with the presumption that biodiversity is both of value to humans and that it is inherently valuable. While we lack the resources to save every at-risk species from extinction, further delay in dealing with the climate emergency and its harmful effects on the loss of species is one thing the world cannot afford.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/216583/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Amitrajeet A. Batabyal does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>As COP28 looks for solutions to the climate crisis, retaining biodiversity is crucial to the planet’s future. But not every species can be saved from extinction. Here’s one approach.Amitrajeet A. Batabyal, Distinguished Professor, Arthur J. Gosnell Professor of Economics, & Interim Head, Department of Sustainability, Rochester Institute of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2069072023-06-26T16:14:05Z2023-06-26T16:14:05ZDog detectives can sniff out protected great crested newts and reduce costly construction delays<p>Construction projects often find themselves at odds with the <a href="https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/amphibians/great-crested-newt">great crested newt</a>. In 2020, the then UK prime minister, Boris Johnson, referred to them as a <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-53276461">drag on the economy</a>, citing their presence on development sites as a cause for costly delays. These creatures even <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/06/11/ed-sheeran-launches-hunt-great-crested-newts-objections-plan/">put a stop</a> to Ed Sheeran’s proposal to build a wedding chapel on his Suffolk estate.</p>
<p>Great crested newts play crucial ecological roles. They breed in ponds and ditches during the spring and early summer, before emerging to spend most of their time on land. This behaviour means they are able to recycle nutrients from water to land.</p>
<p>They are also an important part of the food chain. These newts eat small invertebrates and are prey for many species of reptile, mammal and bird. </p>
<p>But great crested newt populations are dwindling due to the widespread loss of suitable habitat, changes in farming practices and climate change. There are now only 478,000 ponds remaining in the UK’s countryside – a <a href="https://freshwaterhabitats.org.uk/news/great-crested-newt-habitat-report/">50% decline compared to a century ago</a> – and only 20% of the remaining ponds are suitable for breeding great crested newts. </p>
<p>So it’s no surprise that harming these creatures or their habitats <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/great-crested-newts-protection-surveys-and-licences#:%7E:text=Great%20crested%20newts%20are%20a,places%20are%20protected%20by%20law.">is now illegal</a>. Developments that may harm great crested newts can proceed only if suitable new habitats are made for them. </p>
<p>But the current methods for relocating newts, which include the installation of drift fencing, pitfall traps (sunken buckets in the ground) and searching by hand, are time-consuming, restricted to certain seasons, expensive and are often hampered by the weather. Great crested newts also tend to hide underground in mammal burrows and other inaccessible refuges, where they are hard to locate. </p>
<p>However, my colleagues and I <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0285084">have discovered</a> that detection dogs can be a valuable addition to the existing toolkit for managing great crested newt populations. </p>
<p>A trained English springer spaniel, called Freya, was highly accurate at detecting great crested newts, even at distances of up to 2 metres above the ground (87% accuracy) and through 20cm of soil (88% accuracy). This approach offers a non-invasive method for locating this species in inaccessible underground shelters.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A female great crested newt." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533471/original/file-20230622-21-sxlihp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533471/original/file-20230622-21-sxlihp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533471/original/file-20230622-21-sxlihp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533471/original/file-20230622-21-sxlihp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533471/original/file-20230622-21-sxlihp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533471/original/file-20230622-21-sxlihp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533471/original/file-20230622-21-sxlihp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Great crested newts have a reputation for holding up construction projects.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/greatcrested-newt-triturus-cristatus-single-female-168592301">Erni/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Dog detectives</h2>
<p>Over 128 trial runs, we conducted experiments to investigate the impact of various distances between target newts and Freya on her ability to locate them. We also tested how well Freya could detect the newts through two different soil types: clay and sand. In some instances, we placed a vent within the soil to mimic a mammal burrow. </p>
<p>Freya accurately located all individual great crested newts across the entire range of tested distances (0.25 metres–2 metres). When Freya detected the smell of a great crested newt, she would lie down and point at where the scent was emerging from. </p>
<p>Freya could locate individual newts both in soils with and without vents. But she was significantly faster and more accurate at detecting newts under clay soil compared to sand. This finding contrasts with previous research that found dogs were able to <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/299522945_The_Effects_of_Soil_Texture_on_the_Ability_of_Human_Remains_Detection_Dogs_to_Detect_Buried_Human_Remains">detect human remains</a> under sandy soil much faster and more accurately than in clay soil. </p>
<p>Our results are likely to do with the type of odour that is emitted and how it reacts with the soil. Great crested newts are amphibians and use moisture to transport pheromones (a chemical that is secreted into the environment to attract a mate for breeding) during their aquatic life phase. The presence of moisture within clay soil may transport their odour to the surface more readily than in sandy soil.</p>
<p>We also found that air temperature influenced how quickly and accurately Freya could detect the newts. Moisture will evaporate at the surface when it’s hot, making it harder for dogs to locate the scent.</p>
<h2>Not so fast</h2>
<p>Using detection dogs to locate great crested newts underground offers valuable insights into the habitat that newts prefer. It also serves practical purposes. Finding and relocating newts is costly and time-consuming at present, but a legal requirement prior to construction activities.</p>
<p>Our findings provide a better understanding of the factors, such as temperature and soil type, that can hinder or improve the chance of detecting these newts. But they also highlight the need for detection dog handlers to be aware of their environmental surroundings and how these factors may impact the dispersal of the newts’ odour.</p>
<p>Furthermore, training dogs and handlers to find great crested newts takes a long time. In fact, it can take up to two years for a dog and its handler to become operational. </p>
<p>This is due to the complexity of the newts’ lifecycle. Great crested newts spend time both above and below the ground, as well as in inaccessible underground hiding places. As a result, the dogs must be exposed to all different types of scenarios during training to ensure they can accurately distinguish between a scent that is accessible above the ground, and a more diluted scent at a distance. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Freya the spaniel and her handler being trained." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/534003/original/file-20230626-23-2smybj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/534003/original/file-20230626-23-2smybj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/534003/original/file-20230626-23-2smybj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/534003/original/file-20230626-23-2smybj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/534003/original/file-20230626-23-2smybj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/534003/original/file-20230626-23-2smybj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/534003/original/file-20230626-23-2smybj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">It can take up to two years to train a dog and its handler to detect great crested newts.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Nick Upton/Wessex Water</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Using detection dogs to locate hidden great crested newts has the potential to protect this rare species and reduce costly construction delays. But the complexity of the newts’ life phases and the time-consuming training process for dogs and handlers means it will take time before this effective new method becomes commonplace.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/206907/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nikki Glover does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Great crested newts cause expensive delays to construction – trained sniffer dogs may offer a solution.Nikki Glover, PhD Candidate in Environmental Biology, University of SalfordLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2069262023-06-08T20:06:58Z2023-06-08T20:06:58ZA Russian ‘spy’ whale? Killer whales biting boats? Here’s how to understand these close encounters of the curious kind<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530773/original/file-20230608-27-7jgap1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5964%2C3916&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/beluga-whale-hvaldimir-northern-norway-2044257650">Anton Berking, Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Off the coast of Spain and Portugal, killer whales <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-has-a-group-of-orcas-suddenly-started-attacking-boats/">have been biting boats</a>. And the famous beluga whale nicknamed “Hvaldimir” has popped up again – this time in Sweden. When first spotted in Norway in 2019, wearing a suspicious harness, some suggested he <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/apr/29/whale-with-harness-could-be-russian-weapon-say-norwegian-experts">could be a Russian spy</a>.</p>
<p>These unusual human-wildlife interactions raise questions about managing risk. Both situations present a maritime safety concern. And the whales are at risk of being injured or killed by the boat. </p>
<p>What’s more, fans of Hvaldimir are also putting themselves in harm’s way – by trying to get too close to a wild animal that lives in the water, leaning from boats and dangling from wharves.</p>
<p>So what’s driving these unusual whale antics? And how and when should we intervene? </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-are-killer-whales-attacking-boats-expert-qanda-206223">Why are killer whales attacking boats? Expert Q&A</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Iberian killers targeting boats</h2>
<p>In southwestern Europe, several killer whales from a <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mms.12947">critically endangered sub-population</a> off the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iberian_Peninsula">Iberian coast </a> have been targeting vessels for the past two years. </p>
<p>Mariners have filmed killer whales biting rudders, causing steering wheels to violently move from side to side. </p>
<p>In extreme cases, the killer whales have broken rudders, created holes in boats and sunk at least three vessels, forcing sailors to seek maritime assistance. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iEpvQKxz5JU?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Feeling helpless, British mariner Martin Even decided to stop for a cup of tea when killer whales bit on their rudder.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A friendly ‘Russian spy’ in Swedish waters</h2>
<p>Hvaldimir the beluga whale came to fame in 2019 when he turned up in Norwegian waters wearing a harness labelled “Equipment St. Petersburg”. (His name is a combination of the Norwegian word for whale “hval” and the Russian name Vladimir.)</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530763/original/file-20230608-19-icn0yy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=50%2C17%2C1937%2C1056&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="a beluga whale first spotted in Arctic Norway in 2019 with an apparent Russian-made harness" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530763/original/file-20230608-19-icn0yy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=50%2C17%2C1937%2C1056&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530763/original/file-20230608-19-icn0yy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=323&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530763/original/file-20230608-19-icn0yy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=323&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530763/original/file-20230608-19-icn0yy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=323&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530763/original/file-20230608-19-icn0yy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=406&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530763/original/file-20230608-19-icn0yy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=406&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530763/original/file-20230608-19-icn0yy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=406&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Hang on, where did that harness come from?</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://photos.aap.com.au/search/beluga">Jorgen Ree Wiig, AP</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Obviously, wild beluga whales don’t wear harnesses. So Hvaldimir must have been taught to do that, just as you teach a dog to wear a collar. </p>
<p>This means it’s likely he spent time in captivity. He appears to enjoy human company. Viral videos show him retrieving mobile phones and playing ball. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1192590475909140481"}"></div></p>
<p>After four years off the coast of Norway, Hvaldimir travelled into Swedish waters. No one is quite sure why. </p>
<p>There are concerns for his safety. This area is busy with boats and fishing activity. His presence may annoy some people, such as boaties and fishers, but attract others. They’re clamouring to get close to him, on boats, jet skis and busy wharves. I call this “Hvaldimir tourism”.</p>
<p>There might also be less fish for him to eat in comparison to Norwegian waters. </p>
<p><iframe id="tc-infographic-874" class="tc-infographic" height="400px" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/infographics/874/3ecd09f9fe055e54006f0998728d3edb8dea94c6/site/index.html" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<h2>Understanding this behaviour</h2>
<p>We don’t know why the killer whales are biting boats. But there are <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-are-killer-whales-attacking-boats-expert-qanda-206223">several theories</a>. </p>
<p>One is that a matriarch killer whale known as White Gladis may have had a negative interaction with a boat and begun biting back at them, prompting others to copy her behaviour. </p>
<p>Or could yachts be a plaything for killer whales? When the rudder moves from side to side it makes a sound, much like a noisy dog toy or baby toy. Recent reports from people monitoring this behaviour have said the killer whales became disinterested and left soon after they broke off boat rudders.</p>
<p>Perhaps over time, the killer whales will lose interest in boats. Maybe it’s a passing fad, just like killer whales’ “salmon hat trend” observed in the 1980s. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1537195403421945856"}"></div></p>
<p>And what about Hvaldimir’s behaviour? His time in care may have taught him that humans are “good”. Beluga whales are very social, often found in pods. So he might just be lonely. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/whale-watching-guidelines-dont-include-boat-noise-its-time-they-did-199977">Whale-watching guidelines don't include boat noise. It's time they did</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What’s the solution?</h2>
<p>Wild animals can choose what they want to do. Hvaldimir chooses to engage with humans. For the killer whales, it’s the vessels they’re interested in. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.orcaiberica.org/">The Atlantic Orca Working Group</a> continues to investigate this “disruptive” whale activity. It’s a collaborative effort with the Iberian maritime community, marine mammal experts, various organisations and the public. </p>
<p>They provide communication around killer whale behaviour and provide a place to <a href="https://www.theca.org.uk/orcas">report sightings</a>. There’s also a <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/gt-orcas/id6446023606">dedicated app</a> mariners can use. And of course, authorities remain in place to help mariners in need of assistance. </p>
<p>Hvaldimir’s presence does present a challenge. He’s very mobile and seeks out humans. Norwegian and Swedish authorities – and dedicated organisations such as <a href="https://www.onewhale.org/">OneWhale</a> – are <a href="https://www.onewhale.org/teamhvaldimir">seeking to protect him</a>. </p>
<p>So should we just let Hvaldimir roam free and continue monitoring him? He’s proven his maritime smarts over the last four years. He’s not dependent on humans, able to feed himself, navigate coastal waters and dodge most human activities (although he has been injured by boats and fishing gear).</p>
<p>Or, do we move him to his own “<a href="https://www.onewhale.org/norwegianwhalereserve">safe fjord</a>” – a closed off area with minimal human interaction and a vet on standby? This would keep him safe from tourists, vessels and fishing gear. Other “rescued” captive whales could also be placed there, with the potential for later release back to the wild. However, this is <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17039-why-freeing-willy-was-the-wrong-thing-to-do/">not always</a> a straightforward endeavour.</p>
<p>Hvaldimir will continue to require human assistance, regardless of whether he remains wild or moves into a captive environment. If left to roam free, he may still feed himself but he will continue to seek opportunities to interact with people. These interactions will have to be monitored. </p>
<p>If he’s taken into human care, he will be removed from the general public but will require food from humans. He may also be visited by people who wish to see him.</p>
<h2>There’s no silver bullet</h2>
<p>Efforts to monitor both situations remain ongoing. Collaborative management involving the maritime community, scientists and the general public is key to protecting these marine mammals.</p>
<p>No doubt lessons will be learnt from the management of both situations and possibly adapted to managing future interactions between wildlife and humans. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/tail-first-and-making-an-early-splash-some-whales-just-cant-wait-to-be-born-204620">Tail first and making an early splash, some whales just can't wait to be born</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/206926/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Vanessa Pirotta does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Unusual human-wildlife interactions raise questions about managing the risks. What’s driving these wacky whale antics? How and when should we intervene?Vanessa Pirotta, Postdoctoral Researcher and Wildlife Scientist, Macquarie UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2014682023-03-15T03:22:02Z2023-03-15T03:22:02ZTasmanian devil whiskers hold the key to protecting these super-scavengers<p>Despite the damage humans cause to the planet, in some cases wildlife can benefit from the presence of people. The Tasmanian devil, for example, frequently feeds on roadkill left by humans.</p>
<p>But our <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-30490-6">new research</a> suggests this apparent benefit can come at a cost.</p>
<p>We compared the diets of Tasmanian devil populations living in three types of habitat, by examining their whiskers. We found in many cases, Tasmanian devils may be mostly eating foods inadvertently provided by humans. Accessing this food changed the behaviours of Tasmanian devils – and potentially put them in harm’s way. </p>
<p>Our findings are especially important given the risks to Tasmanian devils posed by an aggressive facial tumour disease. If we’re to protect this endangered species, we must conserve environments untouched by humans.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="a woman releases a Tasmanian devil from a bag" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/514848/original/file-20230313-22-lo0j4y.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/514848/original/file-20230313-22-lo0j4y.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514848/original/file-20230313-22-lo0j4y.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514848/original/file-20230313-22-lo0j4y.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514848/original/file-20230313-22-lo0j4y.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514848/original/file-20230313-22-lo0j4y.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514848/original/file-20230313-22-lo0j4y.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The author releases a Tasmanian devil into the wild after sampling for diet analysis.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Ariana Ananda</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What are Tasmanian devils eating?</h2>
<p>The Tasmanian devil is the biggest carnivorous marsupial in the world. It used to be found on mainland Australia but now wild populations are only found in Tasmania. </p>
<p>Tasmanian devils <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0230216">rarely hunt prey</a>. But they’re highly effective scavengers, thanks to their sharp sense of smell, bone-crushing jaws and energy-efficient movement.</p>
<p>Animals that scavenge for food are “opportunistic feeders” – in other words, they eat whatever they happen to find. This usually means scavengers have a varied diet. </p>
<p>But our previous research found Tasmanian devils have remarkably <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ece3.8338">restricted diets</a>. To find out why, we examined Tasmanian devil whiskers. A single whisker can provide a window into the animal’s past.</p>
<p>We used a technique called “<a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/how-bones-record-where-grew-up-ate">stable isotope analysis</a>”, which enabled us to measure nitrogen and carbon incorporated into the devil’s whiskers as it grows. We matched the chemical composition of the whiskers with potential food items, to determine what the devil ate weeks or months ago. Then we looked at how this varied between individuals living in different habitats.</p>
<p>The technique has been used to describe the diets of <a href="https://theconversation.com/neanderthals-how-a-carnivore-diet-may-have-led-to-their-demise-193764">early humans</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/extinct-elephant-birds-were-3-metres-tall-and-weighed-700kg-now-dna-from-fossil-eggshells-reveals-how-they-lived-200628">extinct species</a>. It’s also been used to study the migration patterns of wide-ranging <a href="https://theconversation.com/sights-are-set-on-understanding-bird-movements-across-africa-58943">birds</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-right-whales-are-recovering-after-whaling-bans-but-there-are-still-worrying-signs-50379">marine mammals</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/if-wildlife-vigilantes-smuggle-tassie-devils-to-the-australian-mainland-the-animals-could-live-in-secret-for-20-years-160274">If wildlife vigilantes smuggle Tassie devils to the Australian mainland, the animals could live in secret for 20 years</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A whisker is collected from a Tasmanian devil" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/514841/original/file-20230313-19-991dmh.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/514841/original/file-20230313-19-991dmh.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514841/original/file-20230313-19-991dmh.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514841/original/file-20230313-19-991dmh.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514841/original/file-20230313-19-991dmh.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514841/original/file-20230313-19-991dmh.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514841/original/file-20230313-19-991dmh.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A whisker is collected from a Tasmanian devil for stable isotope analysis, a technique used to analyse diet over time.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Caitlin Newton</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>And the results?</h2>
<p>We found devil populations in highly disturbed landscapes, such as cleared farmland, fed on just one type of food - medium-sized mammals such as the Tasmanian pademelon. </p>
<p>This is perhaps unsurprising. Pademelons are very common in farming areas, and often end up as roadkill. So Tasmanian devils have little reason to scavenge for any other types of food.</p>
<p>We also examined the diets of devils in eucalypt forest which had been logged and regenerated. These animals also had relatively restricted diets. The result suggests these forests may not have had time to develop mature features such as tree hollows to shelter bird life, a process which can take <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378112708002594">up to 140 years</a>. </p>
<p>However, the results were different for devil populations in old-growth rainforest habitats which have never been logged. There, devil diets were diverse. Larger devils tended to eat mammals such as Tasmanian pademelons and brushtail possums, and smaller devils consumed birds such as green rosellas.</p>
<p>These populations may offer insight into what devil foraging behaviour was like before European settlement.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/meet-moss-the-detection-dog-helping-tassie-devils-find-love-142909">Meet Moss, the detection dog helping Tassie devils find love</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Saving wild landscapes</h2>
<p>You might think reliable access to food inadvertently provided by humans would benefit Tasmanian devils. But in fact, it can come with hidden dangers.</p>
<p>The presence of roadkill poses risks to devils; they can be attracted to roads and become roadkill themselves. In 2021, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-03/tasmanian-devils-killed-on-woolnorth-road/100875670">more than 100</a> devils were reportedly killed by motorists on just one stretch of road in north-west Tasmania. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="sign warning of the dangers vehicles pose to Tasmanian devils" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/515360/original/file-20230315-28-c915gj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/515360/original/file-20230315-28-c915gj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/515360/original/file-20230315-28-c915gj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/515360/original/file-20230315-28-c915gj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/515360/original/file-20230315-28-c915gj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/515360/original/file-20230315-28-c915gj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/515360/original/file-20230315-28-c915gj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Tasmanian devils eating roadkill can be killed by vehicles.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Barbara Walton/EPA</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>And if members of the same species are interacting around a smaller number of carcasses – or in the case of roadkill, the largest and most desirable carcasses – this could encourage the spread of devil facial tumour disease. </p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/514852/original/file-20230313-18-9ml77s.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/514852/original/file-20230313-18-9ml77s.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514852/original/file-20230313-18-9ml77s.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514852/original/file-20230313-18-9ml77s.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514852/original/file-20230313-18-9ml77s.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514852/original/file-20230313-18-9ml77s.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514852/original/file-20230313-18-9ml77s.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Tasmanian devils are endangered. Pictured, an individual with devil facial tumour disease.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Blake Nisbet</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Over the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ele.13703">past 25 years</a> the disease – an aggressive, transmittable parasitic cancer is – has caused Tasmania’s devil population to fall by 68%. And this year the disease was <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-02/tasmanian-devil-facial-tumour-found-in-disease-free-population/102040992">detected</a> for the first time in Tasmania’s north-west, from the same population as many devils in our study.</p>
<p>A <a href="https://theconversation.com/thousands-of-tasmanian-devils-are-dying-from-cancer-but-a-new-vaccine-approach-could-help-us-save-them-194536">vaccine</a> distributed by edible baits is being developed. But in the meantime, a more diverse diet could reduce a devil’s risk of transmitting the disease to others, or catching it.</p>
<p>Only in old-growth rainforests did devils have a diverse diet that lived up to their reputation as opportunists. The results suggest conserving these wild landscapes is vital to protecting Tasmanian devils.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/thousands-of-tasmanian-devils-are-dying-from-cancer-but-a-new-vaccine-approach-could-help-us-save-them-194536">Thousands of Tasmanian devils are dying from cancer – but a new vaccine approach could help us save them</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/201468/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Anna C. Lewis receives funding from The Winifred Violet Scott Charitable Trust and The Carnivore Conservancy. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tracey Rogers receives funding from Australian Research Council and The Winifred Violet Scott Charitable Foundation</span></em></p>The diets of Tasmanian devil are narrowing in areas where humans have changed the landscape. This has big implications for conserving the species.Anna C. Lewis, PhD Candidate, UNSW SydneyTracey Rogers, Professor Evolution & Ecology, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1989882023-02-17T06:12:27Z2023-02-17T06:12:27ZMapping Iran’s biodiversity hotspots to create new protected areas covering 20% of the landscape<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/510813/original/file-20230217-28-qmzm47.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/persian-leopard-resting-sunset-caspian-hyrcanian-1005688564 ">shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Iran’s ancient forests, rugged mountains, vast deserts and captivating coasts are rich in biodiversity, including animals found nowhere else on Earth. But many of these precious areas are not formally protected from development, potentially endangering the species that live there. </p>
<p>Fortunately, the Iranian government has committed to expanding the network of protected areas to cover 20% of the land. That is a substantial increase from the existing approximately 11% in conservation reserves. </p>
<p>Our <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320723000022">new research</a> pinpoints those areas where threatened species are most in need of conservation. </p>
<p>We hope this will help guide decision-making to maximise the number of species protected for generations to come. </p>
<h2>Honing in on hotspots for conservation</h2>
<p>Visitors to Iran can experience all <a href="https://australia.mfa.gov.ir/en/newsview/607803/Iran-Four-Season-Tourism-Spot#:%7E:text=Iran%20is%20famous%20for%20its,every%20corner%20of%20the%20country.">four seasons</a> at any time of year, from summer in the southern and northern parts of the country by the sea (the Caspian Sea in the north and the Persian Gulf in south), to winter in the snowy mountains of the west.</p>
<p>The variable climate and topography has given rise to a wide variety of plants and animals, such that every corner of the country has outstanding global value.</p>
<p>However, land-use change has contributed to biodiversity decline throughout the broader region, driving the fragmentation and loss of habitat. While 80% of the land in Iran is covered by natural ecosystems, many of these remain unprotected. </p>
<p>These include two of the world’s biologically richest, but highly threatened, areas: more than half of the <a href="https://www.cepf.net/our-work/biodiversity-hotspots/irano-anatolian">Irano-Anatolian</a> and around 10% of the <a href="https://www.cepf.net/our-work/biodiversity-hotspots/caucasus">Caucasus</a> biodiversity hotspots. </p>
<p>To identify the areas most in need of protection we:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>used maps of <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/">internationally listed</a> threatened species found in Iran, placing highest importance on those that breed in Iran, or only occur there</p></li>
<li><p>identified which species already had some level of protection, within Iran’s existing national parks and other protected areas, which currently cover 11% of the land</p></li>
<li><p>accounted for human population density, to avoid urban areas when establishing new protected areas. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>From there, we determined which areas are the most important to protect those species not already represented in existing protected areas.</p>
<h2>A wealth of wildlife worth protecting</h2>
<p>Regions in the north, northwest and west of the country consistently ranked highest on the need for urgent conservation action. These areas complement the existing protected areas by protecting species that are currently falling through the gaps.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/510801/original/file-20230217-16-qmzm47.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Map of Iran with the Caspian Sea to the north, Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman to the South, showing global biodiversity hotspots (blue shading), existing protected areas (peach) and high priority areas for conservation." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/510801/original/file-20230217-16-qmzm47.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/510801/original/file-20230217-16-qmzm47.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=463&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510801/original/file-20230217-16-qmzm47.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=463&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510801/original/file-20230217-16-qmzm47.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=463&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510801/original/file-20230217-16-qmzm47.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=582&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510801/original/file-20230217-16-qmzm47.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=582&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510801/original/file-20230217-16-qmzm47.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=582&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Map of Iran showing global biodiversity hotspots (blue), existing protected areas (peach) and high-priority areas for conservation (purple).</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Supplied</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The high-priority areas were globally important ecoregions, including the ancient Caspian Hyrcanian forests in the north, which remain from the Quaternary glaciations that began 2.58 million years ago.</p>
<p>The mixture of mountain and lowland forests next to the Caspian Sea covers 7% of Iran, yet is home to 44% of Iran’s plants, 180 species of birds, and 58 mammal species. Iconic species found here include Persian leopards (<em>Panthera pardus</em>), Asiatic cheetahs (<em>Acinonyx jubatus</em>), and the endemic critically endangered Gorgan mountain salamanders (<em>Paradactylodon gorganensis</em>).</p>
<p>Coastal areas north of the Caspian Sea provide habitat for migratory birds wintering in wetlands and aquatic ecosystems, including the endangered white-headed duck (<em>Oxyura leucocephala</em>), critically endangered Siberian crane, and critically endangered fish species such as Persian sturgeon (<em>Acipenser persicus</em>) and great sturgeon (<em>Huso huso</em>). Elburz Range Forest Steppes provide habitat for the endemic endangered Latifi viper (<em>Montrivipera latifi</em>).</p>
<p>The northwest came out as a high priority for its wetland species found nowhere else, including vulnerable bird species such as marbled teal (<em>Marmaronetta angustirostris</em>), lesser white-fronted goose (<em>Anser erythropus</em>), and dalmatian pelican (<em>Pelecanus crispus</em>). </p>
<p>In contrast, the South Iran Nubo-Sindian desert and semi-desert regions were important for the many threatened species that occur there, such as the critically endangered black bears (<em>Ursus thibetanus</em>) and vulnerable mugger crocodiles (<em>Crocodylus palustris</em>).</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A Mugger crocodile (Crocodylus palustris), also called marsh crocodile, climbing out of the water in the golden light" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/510811/original/file-20230217-18-vdxf7e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/510811/original/file-20230217-18-vdxf7e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510811/original/file-20230217-18-vdxf7e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510811/original/file-20230217-18-vdxf7e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510811/original/file-20230217-18-vdxf7e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510811/original/file-20230217-18-vdxf7e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510811/original/file-20230217-18-vdxf7e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Mugger crocodile or marsh crocodile is native to freshwater habitats in southern Iran.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/mugger-crocodile-crocodylus-palustris-called-marsh-1643177065">Milan Zygmunt from shutterstock.com</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Persian desert basins in the centre of Iran provide habitat for iconic species such as the critically endangered Asiatic wild ass (<em>Equus hemionus</em>) and the Asiatic cheetahs (<em>Acinonyx jubatus</em>) in their central home range.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/saker-falcon-falco-cherrug">endangered saker falcon</a>, one of the largest of its kind, is threatened by illegal and tourism hunting, and needs protection across Iran.</p>
<h2>Different levels of protection</h2>
<p>We also assessed how different levels of protection could benefit our target threatened species in an expanded protected area network. </p>
<p>If 20% of the country is protected, more than 70% of the distribution of fish, amphibians, reptiles and endemic birds would be protected, and up to 45% of all birds and mammals. This demonstrates that it is particularly important to protect birds and mammals in those parts of their distribution that fall within high ranked areas.</p>
<p>Expanding the protected area in Iran from the current 11% to 20% would make a big difference to the variety of wildlife included. </p>
<p>Deciding exactly which areas to protect will make a big difference when it comes to how many species are conserved, or <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-have-more-parks-than-ever-so-why-is-wildlife-still-vanishing-34047">left behind</a>. Furthermore, <a href="https://theconversation.com/national-parks-are-not-enough-we-need-landholders-to-protect-threatened-species-on-their-property-176012">species’ conservation outside</a> national parks and other protected areas is also crucial. </p>
<p>Iran has already lost two of its iconic big cat species: the Caspian tiger in the north and Persian lion in the south, to development and hunting. </p>
<p>Without recognising the areas of greatest importance for conservation, we stand to lose representative ecosystems of global ecoregions and their unique fauna, forever if we fail to protect these areas. </p>
<p><em>The author would like to acknowledge the contributions of Azadeh Karimi of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad (Iran), and Hossein Yazdandad of Tarbiat Modares University (Iran), who led the research and without whom this article would not have been possible.</em></p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/national-parks-are-not-enough-we-need-landholders-to-protect-threatened-species-on-their-property-176012">National parks are not enough – we need landholders to protect threatened species on their property</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/198988/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>April Reside is the Chair of the Black-throated Finch Recovery Team and is on Birdlife Australia's Research and Conservation Committee. April has received funding from the NESP Threatened Species Recovery Hub, and is a member of the Ecological Society of Australia.</span></em></p>Most of Iran is wild and beautiful, but development threatens to degrade highly-prized ecosystems. Now new research is honing in on the hotspots, to preserve biodiversity in expanded protected areas.April Reside, Lecturer, The University of QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1977972023-01-19T19:13:20Z2023-01-19T19:13:20ZIn the Year of the Rabbit, spare a thought for all these wonderful endangered bunny species<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505262/original/file-20230119-21616-yr6324.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4858%2C3236&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A black-tailed jackrabbit.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">ranchorunner/Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>What do you think when you hear the word “rabbit”? Does your mind conjure images of cartoon bunnies eating carrots? Or the fluffy tails and floppy ears of pet bunnies? Maybe you think about their incredible ability to reproduce. </p>
<p>For many Australians, “rabbit” is synonymous with “pest” because of their infamous introduction and subsequent <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2122734119">invasion around 164 years ago</a>. The destruction rabbits cause to Australian landscapes is harmful and serious, but there’s a lot more to bunnies when we cast our thoughts overseas.</p>
<p>With <a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2023/01/01/lifestyle/chinese-zodiac-rabbit-2023/">the Year of the Water Rabbit</a> starting in the Chinese calendar on January 22, it’s the perfect time to expand your rabbit knowledge across the far reaches of the globe, highlighting several species that really need our support.</p>
<h2>What, if anything, is a rabbit?</h2>
<p>Called rabbits and hares in some regions, and cottontails and jackrabbits in others, the long-eared animals <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/2406062">we tend to call bunnies</a> and the lesser-known pikas (small mountain-dwelling animals from Asia and North America) form a group of animals known as <a href="https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Lagomorpha/">Lagomorpha</a>.</p>
<p>There are in fact about 108 lagomorph species currently recognised by science, found on all continents except Antarctica. They are the evolutionary cousins of rodents and sit very closely to our primate branch in the tree of life.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505247/original/file-20230118-9302-2f8ixd.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A small russet rodent perched on a red rock, it has small round ears but otherwise looks like a rabbit" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505247/original/file-20230118-9302-2f8ixd.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505247/original/file-20230118-9302-2f8ixd.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=462&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505247/original/file-20230118-9302-2f8ixd.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=462&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505247/original/file-20230118-9302-2f8ixd.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=462&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505247/original/file-20230118-9302-2f8ixd.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=580&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505247/original/file-20230118-9302-2f8ixd.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=580&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505247/original/file-20230118-9302-2f8ixd.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=580&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The mountain-dwelling pikas are closely related to rabbits.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://inaturalist.ca/observations/33938724">Vladimir Arkhipov/iNaturalist</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In 2013, researchers found that more than two-thirds of rabbit species <a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-change-threatens-more-than-two-thirds-of-rabbit-species-40281">were already threatened by climate change</a>.</p>
<p>Since then, the number of species that are endangered or critically endangered has risen from 13 to 16 on the <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?taxonomies=100228&searchType=species">International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List</a>. The rabbits need our help.</p>
<h2>Real-world water rabbits</h2>
<p>Water rabbits are not just an astrological fancy. The swamp rabbit (<em>Sylvilagus aquaticus</em>) and marsh rabbit (<em>S. palustris</em>) of North America are adapted to living in wetlands and are known to swim. Luckily <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/41303/45192995">these species</a> <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/41296/45190578">are marked</a> as least concern on the conservation IUCN Red List.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iBvKq55uMOc?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>There’s also the riverine rabbit (<em>Bunolagus monticularis</em>), a majestic, reddish-coloured rabbit from South Africa that inhabits the banks of rivers and streams. Critically endangered, this species faces not just the effects of climate change and habitat destruction, but another unexpected threat – other bunnies.</p>
<p>In this case, <a href="https://doi.org/10.3354/esr01106">camera traps</a> have identified <em>Lepus</em> hares are the problem. When resources become scarce, competition is fierce. The hares are larger and generalist in nature. They can eat a broader diet and adapt to more varied environments, and are competitively displacing the riverine rabbits.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505241/original/file-20230118-23-cciwrq.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A large rabbit with reddish ears and a mottled grey back seen from behind in a grassy field" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505241/original/file-20230118-23-cciwrq.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505241/original/file-20230118-23-cciwrq.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505241/original/file-20230118-23-cciwrq.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505241/original/file-20230118-23-cciwrq.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505241/original/file-20230118-23-cciwrq.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505241/original/file-20230118-23-cciwrq.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505241/original/file-20230118-23-cciwrq.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The riverine rabbit is critically endangered as its native habitat continues to shrink.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://inaturalist.ca/observations/70659697">Paul Carter/iNaturalist</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Not all rabbits make endless babies</h2>
<p>The breeding capacity of rabbits is notorious, but not all species have the same voracity for reproduction.</p>
<p>On two subtropical islands in southwestern Japan live Amami rabbits (<em>Pentalagus furnessi</em>), sometimes referred to as a “<a href="https://www.nippon.com/en/images/i00064/">living fossil</a>” because they have primitive characters like small ears and legs better for scurrying than hopping.</p>
<p>Almost black, Amami rabbits inhabit dense tropical forests, and are sadly endangered. This species is unusual among lagomorphs in having only one – rarely two – offspring in a litter. This breeding habit is fitting to an island species with no carnivorous predators (think New Zealand birds). Until, of course, some are introduced.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505248/original/file-20230118-16643-fbw5ft.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A dark grey, short-eared bunny sitting on brown leaf litter" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505248/original/file-20230118-16643-fbw5ft.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505248/original/file-20230118-16643-fbw5ft.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505248/original/file-20230118-16643-fbw5ft.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505248/original/file-20230118-16643-fbw5ft.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505248/original/file-20230118-16643-fbw5ft.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505248/original/file-20230118-16643-fbw5ft.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505248/original/file-20230118-16643-fbw5ft.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Amami rabbit is almost black, and unusually slow to reproduce compared to its rabbit brethren elsewhere in the world.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations/127061303">orthoptera-jp/iNaturalist</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>To combat snakes, <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10530-007-9100-6">Indian mongoose were introduced on the islands in 1979</a>, which inevitably found the rabbits to be a tasty treat. Authorities are now working on a mongoose eradication program to save the endemic rabbits and birds from extinction.</p>
<h2>Mountains as refuges in a changing world</h2>
<p>While the islands in Japan have proven treacherous for the Amami rabbit, elsewhere mountains may become islands for species facing a changing climate.</p>
<p>In the Annamite Range mountains of Vietnam and Laos lives another endemic rabbit (<em>Nesolagus timminsi</em>), striped in black and reddish-brown. This endangered species is among the least understood rabbits, but we do know it’s under threat from <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/oryx/article/littleknown-endemic-caught-in-the-southeast-asian-extinction-crisis-the-annamite-striped-rabbit-nesolagus-timminsi/892C0C7A945017D272682F6AB21AC685">intensive poaching</a>. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5oRbLe4zYvg?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>In the mountains of Mexico resides another endangered bunny – the volcano rabbit (<em>Romerolgaus diazi</em>). It is one of the smallest rabbit species in the world, in trouble due to the effects of cattle grazing <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/oryx/article/factors-affecting-presence-and-relative-abundance-of-the-endangered-volcano-rabbit-romerolagus-diazi-a-habitat-specialist/F41F89A34B08D5F80B7ABC0A01244020">and land conversion for agriculture</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505259/original/file-20230118-8082-a6bi16.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A very small dark brown rabbit hiding in grass" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505259/original/file-20230118-8082-a6bi16.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505259/original/file-20230118-8082-a6bi16.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505259/original/file-20230118-8082-a6bi16.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505259/original/file-20230118-8082-a6bi16.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505259/original/file-20230118-8082-a6bi16.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505259/original/file-20230118-8082-a6bi16.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505259/original/file-20230118-8082-a6bi16.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The tiny and adorable volcano rabbit is endemic to a handful of volcanoes in Mexico.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://inaturalist.nz/observations/40196555">Saúl Saldaña/iNaturalist</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Even the European rabbit is in trouble</h2>
<p>Rabbits may be at plague proportions <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-07/nca-shoots-rabbits-near-parliament-to-control-numbers/100680890">in parts of Australia</a>, but in their place of origin they are struggling.</p>
<p>The European rabbit (<em>Oryctolagus cuniculus</em>) is the only species of rabbit-kind to have been domesticated, and their expansive distribution across the world is a result of hungry humans who used them for food.</p>
<p>But in their native range – the Iberian Peninsula – their numbers are dwindling. In fact, we need conservation action because these rabbits are a keystone prey species for the Iberian lynx, which is making its comeback from being <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/animals/2022/05/how-this-golden-eyed-feline-became-the-biggest-comeback-in-cat-conservation">the most endangered cat in the world</a>. The recent European <a href="https://www.iberconejo.eu/en/home/">LIFE Iberconejo project</a> has been set up for governance, recognising the need for a balance between rabbits in a healthy ecosystem and rabbits as agricultural pests.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505267/original/file-20230119-24-2eec92.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A greyscale shot of a round watering hole almost entirely encircled in rabbits" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505267/original/file-20230119-24-2eec92.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505267/original/file-20230119-24-2eec92.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=500&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505267/original/file-20230119-24-2eec92.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=500&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505267/original/file-20230119-24-2eec92.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=500&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505267/original/file-20230119-24-2eec92.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=628&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505267/original/file-20230119-24-2eec92.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=628&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505267/original/file-20230119-24-2eec92.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=628&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Rabbits on Wardang Island, South Australia during a biological control research trial, 1938.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.naa.gov.au/learn/learning-resources/learning-resource-themes/environment-and-nature/conservation/rabbits-around-waterhole-during-myxomatosis-trial">CSIRO</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Protecting biodiversity</h2>
<p>Many of the endangered lagomorph species have unique traits that are still to be <a href="https://www.worldlagomorphsociety.org/">uncovered by scientists</a>. Limited geographical distributions and habitat preferences make them vulnerable to a changing environment and difficult to study.</p>
<p>That is why citizen science is valuable for these species, because local eyes keenly spotting animals is one of the best methods for data collection. So make your Lunar New Year’s resolution to be a bunny advocate.</p>
<p>For example, you can go to the <a href="https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&taxon_id=43094">iNaturalist</a> network to familiarise yourself with the diversity of species. And next time you’re on holiday and you see a rabbit, be sure to snap a picture and upload your sighting.</p>
<p>Campaigns like “<a href="https://ewt.org.za/sp-feb-2021-begging-for-bunnies/">Begging for Bunnies</a>” by the Endangered Wildlife Trust are also valuable in the effort to preserve our planet’s biodiversity.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/197797/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Emma Sherratt works for University of Adelaide, is an Honorary Researcher at the South Australian Musueum, and receives funding from the Australian Research Council. She is a member of the World Lagomorph Society.</span></em></p>You might think of bunnies as ubiquitous, but it’s actually a relatively small group of species – and many of them are unique, little-known, and in trouble.Emma Sherratt, Senior Research Fellow in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of AdelaideLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1966792023-01-11T06:12:34Z2023-01-11T06:12:34ZMountain environments are key to biodiversity – but the threats to them are being ignored<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503025/original/file-20230104-19747-ka27f3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=20%2C0%2C6693%2C3764&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Mountains are home to a diverse range of plant and animal species.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/mountain-peaks-torres-del-paine-patagonia-1931671382">JMP_Traveler/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Mountains are home to <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aax0149">more than 85%</a> of the world’s amphibian, bird and mammal species. Lowland slopes are rich in animal and plant species. And rugged, high-elevation environments, although lacking such biological diversity, play a key role in maintaining biodiversity in the wider mountain catchment area.</p>
<p>The variation in mountain ecosystems also allows humans to extract <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0376892918000255">multiple benefits</a> from them. These include food, building materials, water, carbon storage, agricultural pasture and nutrient cycling.</p>
<p>Yet, vulnerable to both climate change and human intervention, mountain biodiversity is increasingly under threat. <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aax0149">Roughly half</a> of the world’s <a href="https://www.conservation.org/priorities/biodiversity-hotspots">biodiversity hotspots</a> are now located in mountainous regions. These are areas of the Earth with significant levels of biodiversity but threatened to the extent that up to 70% of the original habitat has been lost. </p>
<p>And high mountain environments are <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nclimate2563">warming faster</a> than the global average. This is accelerating the rate of change in these ecosystems.</p>
<p>Despite this, mountains are largely ignored by attempts to preserve global biodiversity. </p>
<h2>The importance of mountains</h2>
<p>High mountains receive a lot of rain and experience low rates of evaporation at high elevations. They therefore contain large stores of water as snow and ice which are the foundation for biodiversity in the surrounding catchment. </p>
<p>Seasonal snow melt on Africa’s Mount Kilimanjaro feeds into the swamps of the nearby <a href="http://www.kws.go.ke/amboseli-national-park">Amboseli National Park</a>. The park is home to 420 species of bird and 50 large mammal species, including the African elephant.</p>
<p>Due to their steep elevation gradients, mountain environments also consist of many separate habitats. In temperate latitudes, such as Europe and North America, these habitats range from coniferous forests at low elevations to rugged terrain on higher ground. Habitats in tropical mountains instead range from savannas and lowland rainforests to highland <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2021.712748/full">“montane” forest</a> at an elevation of 900 metres to 3,300 metres. </p>
<p>Such habitat diversity supports a wide range of plant and animal species across relatively small spatial scales. Borneo’s lowland rainforests are home to <a href="https://www.oneearth.org/ecoregions/borneo-lowland-rainforests/#:%7E:text=Borneo%20rainforests%20are%20multi%2Dlayered,Vatica%2C%20Burseraceae%2C%20and%20Sapotaceae.">over 15,000 plant species</a> while <a href="https://wwf.panda.org/discover/knowledge_hub/where_we_work/borneo_forests/about_borneo_forests/ecosystems/montane_forests/">over 150 mammal species</a>, including orangutans and gibbons, live in Borneo’s montane forests. </p>
<p>Much of this biodiversity is also exclusive to particular mountain environments. Many mountain ecosystems are islands of suitable and isolated habitat. As a result, they are often home to species characterised by small populations and a limited range.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://ebird.org/species/taithr1">Taita thrush</a>, for example, is confined to the forests of southeast Kenya’s Taita Hills. Here, the species is surrounded by arid savanna within which it could not survive.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A Taita trush perched on a branch." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503067/original/file-20230104-14-uocmr0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503067/original/file-20230104-14-uocmr0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=488&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503067/original/file-20230104-14-uocmr0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=488&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503067/original/file-20230104-14-uocmr0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=488&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503067/original/file-20230104-14-uocmr0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=613&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503067/original/file-20230104-14-uocmr0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=613&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503067/original/file-20230104-14-uocmr0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=613&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Taita thrush is endemic to southeast Kenya’s Taita Hills.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/taita-thrush-ebird-ethiopia-addis-ababa-2222653291">Mounir akaram halabi/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Vulnerable ecosystems</h2>
<p>Snow reflects much of the incoming solar radiation back out to space. But climate change is increasing rates of snow melt, exposing large areas of dark mountain surface to the sun. This is leading to rising solar absorption rates and significant warming. </p>
<p><a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/2015JD024728">Research</a> reveals that the Tibetan plateau (often called the third pole) has warmed by 0.16°C–0.36°C per decade on average since the 1950s. But this decadal rate of warming has increased to 0.5°C–0.67°C since the 1980s. </p>
<p>Increased warming in mountain environments will further amplify snow melt and reduce snow accumulation. Less snow and ice will result in a reduced availability of water downstream in the future, affecting the functioning of habitats in the mountain catchment. </p>
<p>Mountain environments are also vulnerable to human intervention. Mount Kilimanjaro’s fertile volcanic soil has encouraged human habitation of the surrounding area throughout history. But in recent decades, this has accelerated. </p>
<p>For example, agricultural land use in the Upper Pangani catchment to Kilimanjaro’s south <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1642359322000489">expanded</a> from 97,000 hectares in 1987 to over 300,000 hectares by 2017. The amount of groundwater collecting in the mountain’s aquifer decreased by 6.5% over the same period.</p>
<p>Land use change in mountain environments is leading to significant biodiversity loss. The Eastern Arc mountains of Kenya and Tanzania have lost <a href="https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-88987-6">95% of their forest cover</a> since 1500, reducing the diversity of unique flora and fauna that are found in the area. The <a href="https://www.amphibians.org/amazing-amphibians/kihansi-spray-toad/">Kihansi spray toad</a>, for example, is now extinct in the wild. </p>
<h2>Ignoring mountains</h2>
<p>Yet while it’s clear mountains are important for the ecosystems they support, recognition of these environments from governments and policymakers is insufficient. There is currently no effective international policy in place to protect the biodiversity of mountain environments and there is little cooperation between governments, environmental agencies and conservationists to deliver such a strategy.</p>
<p>Establishing a cost for the services provided by mountain ecosystems would be a step towards reducing their exploitation. </p>
<p>Management of rivers with variable stream flows can be achieved by issuing controllable permits for water use. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022169419311345?via%3Dihub">Water market reform</a> in southeastern Australia’s Murray-Darling river basin is a successful example. Landowners and businesses here are able to purchase tradeable water entitlements set to levels that do not compromise the environment. </p>
<p>Since its introduction 30 years ago, this system has improved water quality and has allowed more water to be retained in the river basin. The expanding wetlands are also proving a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128181522000103">successful nursery habitat</a> for the native Murray cod and silver perch fish species.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="An aerial shot of a river lined with trees." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503460/original/file-20230106-25-u0sftr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503460/original/file-20230106-25-u0sftr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503460/original/file-20230106-25-u0sftr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503460/original/file-20230106-25-u0sftr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503460/original/file-20230106-25-u0sftr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503460/original/file-20230106-25-u0sftr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503460/original/file-20230106-25-u0sftr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Murray-Darling river basin in southeastern Australia.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/aerial-view-murray-darling-junction-flood-594574802">Hypervision Creative/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But schemes such as this are open to regulatory challenges and issues over who manages the resource. <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2020WR028378">Unreliable and inaccurate data</a> on agricultural water and groundwater abstraction also constrains global water management. </p>
<p>Both the recent <a href="https://theconversation.com/cop27-will-be-remembered-as-a-failure-heres-what-went-wrong-194982">UN climate change summit (COP27)</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/biodiversity-treaty-un-deal-fails-to-address-the-root-causes-of-natures-destruction-196905">UN biodiversity conference (COP15)</a> ended short of ambition over protecting mountain biodiversity. A series of agreements and targets were established with little disclosure over how they will be financed and enforced. An international treaty that accepts the value of mountain ecosystems and puts measures in place to protect their environmental, economic and biological importance is urgently required.</p>
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<img alt="Imagine weekly climate newsletter" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><strong><em>Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?</em></strong>
<br><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeTop">Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead.</a> Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeBottom">Join the 10,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.</a></em></p>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rob Marchant receives funding from a number of grant-giving organisations for this work including UKRI, the Royal Society, the European Union and SIDA.</span></em></p>Mountain environments are rich in plant and animal species, but the dual threat of human habitation and climate change means urgent action is needed to protect them.Rob Marchant, Professor of Tropical Ecology, University of YorkLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1949032022-11-18T01:41:28Z2022-11-18T01:41:28ZWe created the world’s first donkey embryo using IVF in a bid to save species from extinction<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496040/original/file-20221118-21-8wy465.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C40%2C5463%2C3596&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>You may not realise it, but the world’s donkeys are in trouble: many domestic breeds and wild species are headed for extinction. But my colleagues and I have developed a scientific breakthrough that may contribute to saving them.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0093691X22004447?via%3Dihub">We created</a> the world’s first successful donkey embryo using in-vitro fertilisation (IVF). The embryo, from an endangered European breed, is frozen in liquid nitrogen. We’re now searching for a suitable female donkey to grow the embryo into a baby.</p>
<p>We hope to apply our findings to help conserve other endangered animals. Hopefully one day, we’ll have a genetic bank of embryos that form a “frozen zoo” – creating another weapon in our conservation ass-enal, so to speak.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="donkey face against blue sky" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496044/original/file-20221118-25-kjhzwj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496044/original/file-20221118-25-kjhzwj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496044/original/file-20221118-25-kjhzwj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496044/original/file-20221118-25-kjhzwj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496044/original/file-20221118-25-kjhzwj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496044/original/file-20221118-25-kjhzwj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496044/original/file-20221118-25-kjhzwj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Researchers have developed a scientific breakthrough that may help save donkeys.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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<h2>Donkeys in decline</h2>
<p>Donkeys share the same genus with horses and zebras. They’re thought to have been <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.0709692105">domesticated</a> about 6,000 years ago and used for transport and food redistribution. They were particularly essential in the overland trade in Africa and western Asia.</p>
<p>Domestic donkeys are <a href="https://spana.org/au/blog/what-are-working-donkeys/">still used</a> for transport in parts of Asia, South America and Africa. They are also kept for meat and milk production and as companion animals.</p>
<p>Seven of the 28 European domestic breeds are critically endangered and 20 are endangered. Populations of wild donkey species are also dwindling.</p>
<p>There are several reasons for this. People are using and breeding them less, and their grazing land has declined. Donkeys are also slaughtered for “ejiao”, a key ingredient in traditional Chinese food and remedies produced from collagen in donkey skin.</p>
<p>There’s an urgent need to improve donkey conservation programs to increase the animal’s numbers and distribution, and to broaden the genetic pool.</p>
<p>My research team set out to produce donkey embryos in the laboratory, in the hope of helping to repopulate species. I worked with colleagues from Argentina’s National University of Río Cuarto, and Spain’s University of Córdoba and Autonomous University of Barcelona. </p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/feral-desert-donkeys-are-digging-wells-giving-water-to-parched-wildlife-159909">Feral desert donkeys are digging wells, giving water to parched wildlife</a>
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<img alt="traditional Chinese food made from donkey hide" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496043/original/file-20221118-17-q8bz6r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496043/original/file-20221118-17-q8bz6r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496043/original/file-20221118-17-q8bz6r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496043/original/file-20221118-17-q8bz6r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496043/original/file-20221118-17-q8bz6r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496043/original/file-20221118-17-q8bz6r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496043/original/file-20221118-17-q8bz6r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Traditional Chinese food and remedies, such as the food pictured, use ‘ejiao’ produced from collagen in donkey skin.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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</figure>
<h2>What we did</h2>
<p>An embryo is the group of cells that form when a female egg is fertilised by male sperm. </p>
<p>Creating a viable donkey embryo is not easy. Once an egg is fertilised in the lab, it has only a 5% to 10% chance of growing into a good embryo that can be implanted into a female. By comparison, for horses the success rate is up to 30%.</p>
<p>We used an IVF process known as intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). It involves injecting a single sperm into the centre of an egg using very fine, specialist equipment.</p>
<p>Importantly, we added a step to the process. Before fertilising the egg, we immersed it for two days in fluids from the female donkey’s ovary. This simulates ovary conditions and gives the egg the molecules and hormones it needs to grow.</p>
<p>After three years of work, we produced the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0093691X22004447?via%3Dihub">world’s first viable donkey embryo</a>. It is currently frozen in a lab at the University of Cordoba in Spain.</p>
<p>Our research suggests that using ovary fluids as an egg matures in the lab supports the IVF process and could be more likely to lead to a viable embryo. These findings are a step forward in donkey conservation.</p>
<p>We produced the embryo by combining donkey semen with an egg from a different part of Spain. This aimed to avoid inbreeding problems that can occur when trying to reproduce an endangered species.</p>
<p>We hope to create more viable embryos and find suitable female donkeys to implant before the breeding season ends next year.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/human-reproductive-technologies-like-sperm-freezing-and-ivf-could-be-used-to-save-threatened-species-148637">Human reproductive technologies like sperm freezing and IVF could be used to save threatened species</a>
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<img alt="four donkeys in dry landscape" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496045/original/file-20221118-17-jzu9ro.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496045/original/file-20221118-17-jzu9ro.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496045/original/file-20221118-17-jzu9ro.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496045/original/file-20221118-17-jzu9ro.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496045/original/file-20221118-17-jzu9ro.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496045/original/file-20221118-17-jzu9ro.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496045/original/file-20221118-17-jzu9ro.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The researchers hope to find suitable female donkeys to implant before the breeding season ends.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>So what next?</h2>
<p>Throughout my research career, I’ve used assisted reproductive technologies to improve the genetic progress in a range of domestic animals. In 2020, for example, I and my colleagues reported the first in vitro <a href="https://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0238948">zebra embryos</a>. We now have ten frozen zebra embryos in storage, including clones.</p>
<p>We hope to build on our donkey embryo development, using IVF to improve the prospects of other endangered species. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/scientists-release-world-first-dna-map-of-an-endangered-australian-mouse-and-it-will-help-to-save-it-189629">Scientists release world-first DNA map of an endangered Australian mouse, and it will help to save it</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/194903/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andres Gambini does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The embryo is frozen in liquid nitrogen until a suitable female donkey is found to grow it into a baby.Andres Gambini, Senior Lecturer, School of Agriculture and Food Science, The University of QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1909442022-09-22T18:45:33Z2022-09-22T18:45:33ZWhen monkeys use the forest as a pharmacy<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/485355/original/file-20220919-875-k96p53.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C32%2C5472%2C3604&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A golden-rumped lion tamarin</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Olivier Kaisin</span>, <span class="license">Fourni par l'auteur</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Have you ever seen your cat or dog eating grass? They do so because it can help their digestion, and many wild species use natural substances to prevent and control diseases or to repel parasites. This is called “zoopharmacognosy” or, more commonly, animal self-medication. </p>
<p>This practice, which can have prophylactic (intended to prevent disease) or therapeutic (intended to heal it) functions, includes a wide variety of behaviours, such as the consumption of medicinal plants, soil, or the application of substances to the body. For example, many species consume dirt to acquire essential minerals and also facilitate digestion. In mammals, zoopharmacognosy has been observed in elephants, bears, elk and several carnivore species, and it’s especially well known in primates. </p>
<p>At the Laboratory of Primatology of the State University of São Paulo (UNESP) in Brazil, our team studies the behavioural ecology of the black lion tamarin (<em>Leontopithecus chrysopygus</em>), also known as the golden-rumped tamarin. This is a small neotropical primate, endemic to the Brazilian Atlantic forest and currently threatened with extinction.</p>
<p>One part of this project, which is the subject of my PhD, focuses on the study of the physiological and behavioural responses of tamarins to fragmentation and decline in habitat quality.</p>
<h2>An expedition to Brazil</h2>
<p>In the field, we follow several groups of tamarins within fragments of the Atlantic forest to collect behavioural data and faecal samples for subsequent hormonal analysis. Typically, we woke up at dawn and followed the tamarins from the time they left their sleeping site until they returned to sleep, a little before sunset.</p>
<p>During one of these daily studies, we observed them rubbing their bodies on the trunk of a tree covered with resin. At first we thought that the tamarins were marking their territory, a behaviour that is common in this species. But we soon realised that it was something else. In fact, the individuals in the group were collectively rubbing the area of the trunk from which the resin emanated and were also coating their fur with it. Our first instinct was to record the scene and take samples of the bark and resin to identify the essence of the tree.</p>
<p>When we took the bark sample back to the family that was hosting us during our field campaigns, the hostess immediately recognised the peculiar smell of this tree, which the locals call <em>cabreúva</em>. Indeed, the resin produced has a very woody scent with tones of cinnamon, clove, honey and pine. Our botanical expert later confirmed that it was a species of cabreúva, <em>Myroxylon peruiferum</em>, a tree well known in traditional medicine for its antibiotic, anti-inflammatory and anti-parasitic properties.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/482488/original/file-20220902-22-ao60pn.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/482488/original/file-20220902-22-ao60pn.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482488/original/file-20220902-22-ao60pn.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482488/original/file-20220902-22-ao60pn.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482488/original/file-20220902-22-ao60pn.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482488/original/file-20220902-22-ao60pn.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482488/original/file-20220902-22-ao60pn.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A golden-rumped lion tamarin.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Olivier Kaisin</span>, <span class="license">Fourni par l'auteur</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The use of this tree by the tamarins was quite intriguing, so we decided to place camera-traps at the foot of the cabreúvas to record future visits by the tamarins. We installed them in three different sites in the state of São Paolo: the Morro do Diabo State Park and in two forest fragments, in Guareí and Santa Maria. The camera-trap records surprisingly revealed that many mammals living in the Atlantic forest visited the cabreúvas. In total, 10 different species were observed rubbing or licking the resin exuding from the trunks of these trees. These included several emblematic neotropical mammals such as the ocelot, the collared anteater, the ring-tailed coati, the tayra, the collared peccary and the red daguet.</p>
<p>For many of these species, this was the first time that behaviour similar to self-medication was observed and described. For example, anteaters used their large claws to rip open the bark and stimulate resin secretion before rubbing their bodies against the exposed trunk. Even more surprisingly, peccaries spread resin on each other’s fur in pairs and head to head. In general, the species seemed to specifically visit the tree to acquire the resin and presumably benefit from its many virtues. </p>
<p>While further studies are needed to identify the properties of the resin sought by the animals and thus confirm that this is indeed zoopharmacognosy, the use of this essence in traditional medicine suggests that mammals visit cabreúvas to heal their wounds and repel parasites. For lion tamarins, the use of cabreúva resin could play an important role in the fight against yellow fever, a mosquito-borne disease that decimates primate populations.</p>
<p>Cabreúva could therefore represent a common and universal pharmacy for the residents of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. <em>Myroxylon peruiferum</em> is likely to be a valuable – and contested – resource that could help the species that use it to maintain their populations by improving their health and increasing their reproductive success. This discovery could have an important conservation implications, as the disappearance of this species from degraded forest fragments could potentially affect the survival of some species.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/190944/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Olivier Kaisin received funding from the Belgian Scientific Research Fund. This study was funded by several Brazilian organisations: the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel, the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development and the São Paulo Research Foundation.</span></em></p>Do you know zoopharmacognosy is? Some animals use trees to treat themselves.Olivier Kaisin, PhD Student, Université de LiègeLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1663972021-11-23T13:30:30Z2021-11-23T13:30:30ZScientist at work: Endangered ocelots and their genetic diversity may benefit from artificial insemination<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/432290/original/file-20211116-25-1e4gv3m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=1384%2C1010%2C3607%2C2267&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Wild ocelots hunt alone at night.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/ocelot-is-hunting-at-night-at-the-san-francisco-ranch-in-news-photo/1219080513">Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The female ocelot lay anesthetized on the exam table, behind the scenes at the Albuquerque Biopark Zoo. As a veterinarian on the team preparing to artificially inseminate this animal, my palms were sweating at the thought of missing a step, dropping the sperm sample, or finding out our sample did not survive freezing. Any of these possibilities would end the procedure.</p>
<p>It was the first time anyone was trying to produce a pregnancy in a zoo-born female ocelot using sperm recovered from a deceased wild male ocelot. If the July 2021 operation worked, it would give his genes a way to live on past his death. This procedure was an important step in efforts to conserve endangered cat species so they can persist into the future.</p>
<p>Ocelots are medium-sized felines weighing around 20 to 30 pounds (9 to 13 kilograms) with sleek spotted coats. Their diet consists of small mammals, rodents, amphibians, reptiles and birds. Ocelots are primarily solitary cats, most active in the evening from dusk to dawn.</p>
<p>While people manage zoo-housed ocelots’ reproduction to maintain genetic diversity, it’s a different story for their wild relatives. There are <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T11509A50653476.en">currently only 50 to 80 ocelots</a> (<em>Leopardus pardalis</em>) known to exist in the wild in the U.S., and that population is too small to be sustainable long term. <a href="https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp/species/4474">These endangered animals</a> face ongoing threats of habitat loss and fragmentation, and vehicle strikes. And because of their diminished numbers, they are at risk of inbreeding. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/432291/original/file-20211116-17-y7xeen.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="street sign warning of ocelot crossing" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/432291/original/file-20211116-17-y7xeen.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/432291/original/file-20211116-17-y7xeen.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/432291/original/file-20211116-17-y7xeen.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/432291/original/file-20211116-17-y7xeen.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/432291/original/file-20211116-17-y7xeen.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/432291/original/file-20211116-17-y7xeen.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/432291/original/file-20211116-17-y7xeen.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">With so few individuals left in the wild in the U.S., each ocelot hit by a car could affect the species’ survival.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/ocelot-crossing-road-sign-royalty-free-image/855966216">kzubrycki/iStock via Getty Images Plus</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Over the past 25 years, scientists at the <a href="http://cincinnatizoo.org/conservation/crew/">Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife</a>, or CREW, led by veterinarian Bill Swanson, have been working on technologies that may eventually help add some more genetic diversity to the wild ocelot population. They’ve <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/rda.12069">developed and refined techniques</a> for sperm collection, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1530/jrf.0.1060087">frozen storage</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1095/biolreprod.112.105353">artificial insemination of ocelots</a> and other endangered cat species.</p>
<p>These innovations have played a key role in sustaining the genetic diversity of cat populations within zoos. Now, we’re trying to go a step further and apply these techniques in wild ocelots.</p>
<p>By creating gene flow among zoo-based ocelots and wild ocelots in different regions, we can increase the genetic diversity of both populations. With wild ocelots, we hope to combat their declining ability to produce offspring, fight infection and maintain adequate numbers in the wild for conservation of the species in the U.S.</p>
<h2>Salvaging sperm to increase diversity</h2>
<p><a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=JyYbknYAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">As a recently graduated veterinarian</a>, I joined my mentor, Debra Miller, at the University of Tennessee’s Comparative and Experimental Medicine Department and in her work at UT’s Center for Wildlife Health. From there, my interests in wildlife conservation led me to this multi-institutional collaboration focusing on the conservation of wild Texas ocelots.</p>
<p>This project relies on the routine collection and freezing of semen from wild ocelots in the field – usually living animals, but sometimes ones that have been found dead. Our semen stockpile lets us preserve genetic material even if these cats are killed by disease, natural disasters or road collisions.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/430877/original/file-20211108-19-fkek42.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="tanks containing many frozen animal semen samples" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/430877/original/file-20211108-19-fkek42.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/430877/original/file-20211108-19-fkek42.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/430877/original/file-20211108-19-fkek42.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/430877/original/file-20211108-19-fkek42.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/430877/original/file-20211108-19-fkek42.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/430877/original/file-20211108-19-fkek42.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/430877/original/file-20211108-19-fkek42.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The CREW CryoBioBank at the Cincinnati Zoo currently holds over 20,000 total semen samples from 82 animal species ranging from elephants to salamanders – including 30 cat species/subspecies – at temperatures of -320 F (-196 C) in liquid nitrogen.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Tom Uhlman</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>For the artificial insemination procedure this past summer, the sperm donor was <a href="https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/species/ocelot/">a Texas ocelot</a> that died after being hit by a car. While this male’s death was a tragedy, there is a chance his genes may live on in future offspring thanks to the quick report of his death and the retrieval, shipping and processing of his gonads.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/430875/original/file-20211108-21-1kd1vi0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Placing cryovial of animal semen in a storage tank" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/430875/original/file-20211108-21-1kd1vi0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/430875/original/file-20211108-21-1kd1vi0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=708&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/430875/original/file-20211108-21-1kd1vi0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=708&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/430875/original/file-20211108-21-1kd1vi0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=708&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/430875/original/file-20211108-21-1kd1vi0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=890&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/430875/original/file-20211108-21-1kd1vi0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=890&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/430875/original/file-20211108-21-1kd1vi0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=890&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Thirteen 0.25-milliliter semen straws are in each goblet tube within the canisters inside the frozen storage tank.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Tom Uhlman</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Back at CREW in Cincinnati, Bill Swanson worked to recover the cat’s sperm for future artificial insemination procedures. He froze 20 plastic straws, each containing about 8 million viable sperm. In addition to this deceased male, I have collected and cryopreserved semen from several living wild males for future use. </p>
<p>By testing thawed semen, our team has found that many of these sperm samples were capable of fertilizing cat eggs in vitro. The next step is figuring out whether the frozen wild ocelot semen really can produce kittens via artificial insemination. So Swanson packed up three frozen straws to ship to Albuquerque in a liquid nitrogen dry shipper tank to make sure they remain at -320 F (-196 C) throughout the journey.</p>
<h2>After the thaw, hoping for kittens</h2>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/zoo.1010">Ocelots are induced ovulators</a>, meaning <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.theriogenology.2006.03.011">a female must mate in order to release an egg</a> into her reproductive tract. The female we were working with was treated with hormones to help her ovulate at the proper time relative to the insemination procedure. The relief was overwhelming when we confirmed, by laparoscopically looking at the surface of the ovary, that the female had ovulated multiple eggs. </p>
<p>After thawing the semen straws, my excitement began to increase because we could see the deceased ocelot’s sperm swimming rapidly across a slide under the microscope. The sperm had survived the freezing and thawing process and was still in great shape.</p>
<p>I took multiple deep breaths to steady my hands as my smile spread from ear to ear. Bill Swanson positioned the insemination needle within each oviduct, I injected the sperm into both sides of the female’s reproductive tract, and the procedure was complete. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, although the female responded well to the ovulation synchronization protocol, and the artificial insemination procedure was performed without a hitch, she did not conceive. That’s not an uncommon outcome when <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-4320(00)00099-3">using frozen semen</a>.</p>
<p>However, we are optimistic that future procedures – using semen samples from this specific male and other frozen samples from living, wild ocelots – will successfully produce pregnancies. By the end of 2021, we plan to conduct two additional artificial insemination procedures with zoo-managed ocelots, followed by three or four more in 2022.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/431082/original/file-20211109-27-zdrke4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="leashed ocelot stands atop cryo tanks" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/431082/original/file-20211109-27-zdrke4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/431082/original/file-20211109-27-zdrke4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=772&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431082/original/file-20211109-27-zdrke4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=772&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431082/original/file-20211109-27-zdrke4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=772&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431082/original/file-20211109-27-zdrke4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=970&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431082/original/file-20211109-27-zdrke4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=970&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431082/original/file-20211109-27-zdrke4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=970&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Sihil the ocelot began life as a frozen embryo in one of these liquid nitrogen cold storage tanks. Kittens born via artificial insemination will be the next step.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Tom Uhlman</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>If any of these artificial insemination procedures result in the birth of offspring, it will be the first time kittens have been produced with frozen semen from a wild ocelot. They’ll add greater diversity to the ocelot population managed in North American zoos, while improving our understanding of possibilities for increasing genetic diversity within wild ocelot populations. This success would help demonstrate the feasibility of producing kittens using frozen semen from the endangered Texas ocelot population.</p>
<p>Further refinement of the knowledge and techniques to create genetic exchange between wild and zoo-managed ocelot populations or among wild ocelot populations living in fragmented habitats will help ensure that these animals survive into the future.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/166397/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ashley Reeves is a PhD student within the University of Tennessee Comparative and Experimental Medicine Department and The Center for Wildlife Health. She receives funding from The University of Tennessee and The East Foundation. </span></em></p>There are so few wild ocelots in the US that the cats are becoming inbred, with a bad prognosis for their ultimate survival. But researchers are perfecting ways to get new genes into the population.Ashley Reeves, DVM, PhD Candidate in Comparative and Experimental Medicine, University of TennesseeLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1630862021-06-30T09:43:12Z2021-06-30T09:43:12ZWe discovered a new fossil species of horseshoe crab (and named it after David Attenborough)<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/409198/original/file-20210701-21243-1fzmbee.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C3%2C2316%2C1611&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Katrina Kenny</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>There are only four known species of horseshoe crabs alive today. But the fossil record shows that hundreds of millions of years ago they came in a huge range of shapes and sizes. </p>
<p>In our research, published today in the open-access journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.11709">PeerJ</a>, we describe one of these extinct species — <em>Attenborolimulus superspinosus</em> — for the first time. </p>
<p>We named this fossil crab after the famous naturalist and documentary host Sir David Attenborough, in honour of his contributions to conservation and science communication.</p>
<h2>When life peaked for horseshoe crabs</h2>
<p>Today’s horseshoe crabs live along the east coast of North America, as well as the coasts of China, India, Indonesia and Japan. But despite this distribution, the four species are only minutely different from each other.</p>
<p>During the Triassic period, however, between 250 million and 200 million years ago, a whole host of bizarre horseshoe crabs had evolved. We call these austrolimulids. </p>
<p>They lived alongside horseshoe crabs that look broadly similar to limulids — the curious critters we see along the beaches of the United States and Asia today. </p>
<p>The concurrence of two major horseshoe crab groups reflected a recovery from the <a href="https://theconversation.com/new-analysis-sheds-important-light-on-an-ancient-mass-extinction-event-132105">end-Permian extinction</a>. This event defined the end of the Paleozoic and the beginning of the Triassic, and 95% of marine organisms died out during it!</p>
<p>The newly described animal in our study comes from the early part of the Middle Triassic. We think <em>Attenborolimulus superspinosus</em> lived in marginal marine to freshwater conditions. This is in contrast with modern horseshoe crabs, which are almost exclusively marine animals.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/ancient-marvels-the-first-shell-crushing-predators-ground-up-their-prey-between-their-legs-153381">Ancient marvels: the first shell-crushing predators ground up their prey between their legs</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>A new austrolimulid from Russia</h2>
<p>During research trips to the Ural Mountains of Russia that spanned 2018 and 2019, a team of Russian fossil collectors, palaeontologists and geologists collected fossils from a rock section thought to represent a Triassic-aged floodplain.</p>
<p>One particular group of fossil-rich rocks had preserved a host of animals, including the very rare specimens we examined and published on today.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/408375/original/file-20210625-24-yej9zs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/408375/original/file-20210625-24-yej9zs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/408375/original/file-20210625-24-yej9zs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=1059&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/408375/original/file-20210625-24-yej9zs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=1059&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/408375/original/file-20210625-24-yej9zs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=1059&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/408375/original/file-20210625-24-yej9zs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1331&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/408375/original/file-20210625-24-yej9zs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1331&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/408375/original/file-20210625-24-yej9zs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1331&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A fossil of the newly described species.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><em>Attenborolimulus superspinosus</em> is a unique austrolimulid as it has very developed spines on its head section (called “genal spines”), but notably rounded and somewhat reduced spines on other sections of its segmented body.</p>
<p>This condition of overdeveloping and reducing spines, as well as other body sections, is observed in other austrolimulids. However, the combination of spine size, shape and structure in the new material was unique enough to warrant a new genus and species. </p>
<p><em>Attenborolimulus superspinosus</em> was over an order of magnitude smaller than modern horseshoe crabs. It was likely a bottom-dwelling organism that fed on whatever it could get into its mouth, which is effectively how modern horseshoe crabs feed today.</p>
<p>What’s rather interesting about some of the fossils we studied is evidence of worms and other arthropods having lived on top of the horseshoe crabs. This tells us they may have been hosts for other parts of their ecosystem, effectively becoming “micro-habitats” for other species in the Triassic floodplain. </p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/409014/original/file-20210630-28-e5d87z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/409014/original/file-20210630-28-e5d87z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/409014/original/file-20210630-28-e5d87z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=581&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/409014/original/file-20210630-28-e5d87z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=581&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/409014/original/file-20210630-28-e5d87z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=581&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/409014/original/file-20210630-28-e5d87z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=730&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/409014/original/file-20210630-28-e5d87z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=730&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/409014/original/file-20210630-28-e5d87z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=730&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The head section of another <em>Attenborolimulus superspinosus</em> specimen.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We don’t really know why austrolimulids didn’t make it into modern ecosystems. But the best explanation relates to how the group inhabited conditions that were closer to freshwater than marine (saltwater) environments.</p>
<p>They may have been outmatched by the resilience of other animals that arose as Jurassic ecosystems developed. This would suggest austrolimulids were simply not very well adapted for the ecosystems that flourished during the Jurassic.</p>
<h2>In honour of the great naturalist</h2>
<p>We named the new genus after Sir David Attenborough, who has influenced generations of people from all walks of life to understand the natural world and the importance of conservation. </p>
<p>This is especially important for horseshoe crabs now, as two of the four living species are considered endangered. And this is due to negative interactions with humans, including habitat modification and harvesting for their blood (which has applications in modern medicine).</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/living-fossils-we-mapped-half-a-billion-years-of-horseshoe-crabs-to-save-them-from-blood-harvests-141042">'Living fossils': we mapped half a billion years of horseshoe crabs to save them from blood harvests</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<p><em>Attenborolimulus superspinosus</em> is one of more than <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/topics/science/nature/article/2016/08/25/here-are-all-12-species-named-after-sir-david-attenborough">12 animals</a> named after Sir David Attenborough, who has dedicated his life to helping us appreciate the beauty and vitality of the natural world.</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cfpeyALO03c?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">This BBC documentary clip details some of the physical traits and breeding habits of modern horseshoe crabs.</span></figcaption>
</figure><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/163086/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Russell Dean Christopher Bicknell does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Between 250 and 200 million years ago, a whole host of bizarre horseshoe crabs had evolved in two distinct groups. Only one of these groups survives.Russell Dean Christopher Bicknell, Post-doctoral researcher in Palaeobiology, University of New EnglandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1614072021-05-26T20:08:12Z2021-05-26T20:08:12ZAustralia’s threatened species plan sends in the ambulances but ignores glaring dangers<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/402778/original/file-20210526-13-z2iy6y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=46%2C0%2C5184%2C3422&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Australia is unquestionably in the midst of an extinction crisis. Some 34 native mammal species have been driven to <a href="https://theconversation.com/scientists-re-counted-australias-extinct-species-and-the-result-is-devastating-127611">extinction</a> since European invasion, and threatened species and ecological communities now <a href="http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/sprat.pl">number more than 1,900</a>. </p>
<p>On Friday, federal environment minister Sussan Ley released Australia’s <a href="https://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/strategy-home">second Threatened Species Strategy</a> – a roadmap for combating threats to native plants, animals and ecological communities. </p>
<p>The ten-year plan builds on the first strategy launched in 2015, and contains welcome changes. But there remain serious questions about how the plan will be funded and implemented – and quite possibly undermined by other <a href="https://theconversation.com/4-reasons-why-a-gas-led-economic-recovery-is-a-terrible-na-ve-idea-145009">federal government policies</a>.</p>
<p>In essence, the strategy sends a few extra ambulances to the bottom of the cliff, rather than installing a fence at the top to stop species tumbling over. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="orange bellied parrot" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/402776/original/file-20210526-19-1mvjhmp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C3786%2C2816&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/402776/original/file-20210526-19-1mvjhmp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=447&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/402776/original/file-20210526-19-1mvjhmp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=447&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/402776/original/file-20210526-19-1mvjhmp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=447&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/402776/original/file-20210526-19-1mvjhmp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=562&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/402776/original/file-20210526-19-1mvjhmp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=562&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/402776/original/file-20210526-19-1mvjhmp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=562&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">The plan to save threatened species, such as the orange-bellied parrot, contains both improvements and concerns.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>First, the good news</h2>
<p>It would be useful when assessing the new strategy to know how the <a href="https://theconversation.com/its-not-too-late-to-save-them-5-ways-to-improve-the-governments-plan-to-protect-threatened-wildlife-147669">previous one</a> measured up. Unfortunately, federal environment officials have <a href="https://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/strategy-home">not yet released</a> the last report card for that strategy, which makes it hard to identify what worked and what didn’t.</p>
<p>Nonetheless, the second strategy differs from the first in important ways.</p>
<p>The first strategy was criticised for its <a href="https://theconversation.com/feral-cat-cull-why-the-2-million-target-is-on-scientifically-shaky-ground-111824">heavy focus on feral cats</a>. Other <a href="https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202010.0372/v1">problems</a> which are just as (and often more) threatening to vulnerable species were not given the same attention. These include altered fire regimes, land clearing and other invasive species such as weeds and <a href="https://www.nespthreatenedspecies.edu.au/news-and-media/media-releases/australia-s-10-worst-invasive-species-study">rabbits</a>. Importantly, the new strategy recognises a greater number of key threats to wildlife and their habitats.</p>
<p>It also expands the number of actions for threatened species recovery from four to eight. Such actions may include tackling weeds and diseases, relocating species and identifying climate refuges.</p>
<p>The first strategy was rightly questioned for a somewhat myopic focus on 20 mammal, 20 bird and 30 plant species. It also lacked a transparent and evidence-based process for determining how a species was selected as a priority. </p>
<p>The new strategy could expand the types of species targeted for conservation to include fish, amphibian, reptile and invertebrate species. Also, the process for prioritising species for action promises to be more rigorous – assessed against six principles supported by <a href="https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2008.01124.x">science</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/pilbara-shows-how-to-save-the-most-species-per-dollar-26971">existing conservation frameworks</a>. </p>
<p>Significantly, priority places in need of conservation will likewise be assessed through a formal process. This is welcome if it ultimately protects habitats and broader <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gcb.15539">ecosystems</a>, an essential element of avoiding species extinctions.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/its-not-too-late-to-save-them-5-ways-to-improve-the-governments-plan-to-protect-threatened-wildlife-147669">It's not too late to save them: 5 ways to improve the government's plan to protect threatened wildlife</a>
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<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/402479/original/file-20210525-21-5516ac.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/402479/original/file-20210525-21-5516ac.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/402479/original/file-20210525-21-5516ac.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/402479/original/file-20210525-21-5516ac.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/402479/original/file-20210525-21-5516ac.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/402479/original/file-20210525-21-5516ac.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/402479/original/file-20210525-21-5516ac.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Tropical savanna in good condition.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Suzanne Prober</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>But challenges remain</h2>
<p>The strategy talks of improving species trajectories, but it’s unclear what would constitute success in this regard. </p>
<p>If a threatened species’ population numbers were declining at a slower rate due to an intervention, would that intervention be deemed a success? Will successful actions be attributed to the strategy (and, by association, the federal government), even if they were entirely funded by philanthropic or community efforts? </p>
<p>Scientists have gone to great lengths to improve our knowledge about trends in threatened <a href="https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/csp2.322">bird</a>, <a href="https://www.nespthreatenedspecies.edu.au/media/clojbxpk/3-1-tmx-national-factsheet_v5.pdf">mammal</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-first-research-reveals-staggering-loss-of-threatened-plants-over-20-years-151408">plant</a> species for which monitoring programs exist. However data for threatened species remains deficient, due to <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/357/6351/557.1.abstract">funding cuts for monitoring</a> and <a href="https://ecosystemscience.org.au/key-directions-2/supporting-long-term-research/">associated infrastructure</a>.</p>
<p>This means measuring progress on the strategy will be difficult, because we simply don’t have enough reliable data. And the strategy does not appear to remedy this situation with funding.</p>
<p>The strategy makes references to six important principles to guide decisions on which species are to be prioritised for assistance. These include how close a species is to extinction, a species’ ‘uniqueness’, the <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2017.00168/full">likelihood an intervention will work</a> and whether the species is <a href="https://www.nespthreatenedspecies.edu.au/news-and-media/latest-news/looking-after-culturally-significant-and-threatened-species-on-the-tiwi-islands">culturally significant</a>. But these principles should not be applied in isolation from each other.</p>
<p>For example, it may be more cost efficient to save species with both a high chance of extinction and relatively cheap and effective interventions. But the most unique species may not be the cheapest to save, and the most endangered species may not be the species of greatest importance to <a href="https://www.nespthreatenedspecies.edu.au/news-and-media/latest-news/looking-after-culturally-significant-and-threatened-species-on-the-tiwi-islands">one sector of the community</a>. </p>
<p>So prioritisation may require trade-offs between different principles. There is no magic “one size fits all” solution, but excellent scientific guidance <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0201413">exists</a> on how to keep this process objective, transparent and, most of all, repeatable. </p>
<p>The strategy acknowledges major drivers of biodiversity decline and extinction, including climate change, habitat destruction and pollution. However, nowhere is there an explicit declaration that to conserve or recover our species and environments we must tackle the <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-018-0504-8">underlying causes</a> of these drivers.</p>
<p>The strategy also fails to acknowledge the key role legislation plays in reining in – or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/may/24/coalition-approves-queensland-mine-that-would-clear-endangered-species-habitat">enabling</a> – threats such as <a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-is-a-global-top-ten-deforester-and-queensland-is-leading-the-way-87259">land clearing</a>. An independent review earlier this year confirmed federal environment laws are <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-major-report-excoriated-australias-environment-laws-sussan-leys-response-is-confused-and-risky-154254">failing abysmally</a>. But fundamental recommendations stemming from the review, such as independent oversight and adequate resourcing, are not included in the strategy.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-major-report-excoriated-australias-environment-laws-sussan-leys-response-is-confused-and-risky-154254">A major report excoriated Australia's environment laws. Sussan Ley's response is confused and risky</a>
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<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/402742/original/file-20210525-13-1w3ha81.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/402742/original/file-20210525-13-1w3ha81.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/402742/original/file-20210525-13-1w3ha81.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/402742/original/file-20210525-13-1w3ha81.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/402742/original/file-20210525-13-1w3ha81.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/402742/original/file-20210525-13-1w3ha81.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/402742/original/file-20210525-13-1w3ha81.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/402742/original/file-20210525-13-1w3ha81.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Without stronger laws and funding, the southern brown bandicoot’s future is uncertain.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Sarah Maclagan</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A better deal for nature</h2>
<p>To be effective, the strategy must chart a path to effective environmental law reform. </p>
<p>And saving our threatened species and <a href="https://theconversation.com/existential-threat-to-our-survival-see-the-19-australian-ecosystems-already-collapsing-154077">ecosystems</a> shouldn’t be seen as a cost, but rather a <a href="https://theconversation.com/taking-care-of-business-the-private-sector-is-waking-up-to-natures-value-153786">savvy investment</a>. </p>
<p>Increased and targeted funding for on-ground actions, such as weed and pest animal control, species re-introductions, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/indigenous-rangers-dont-receive-the-funding-they-deserve-heres-why-115916">Indigenous ranger programs</a>, could generate many <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0128339">thousands of jobs</a>. Such measures would also <a href="https://www.wri.org/insights/nature-economic-winner-covid-19-recovery">boost local economies</a> and support industries such as tourism. </p>
<p>A 2019 study <a href="https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/conl.12682?af=R">found</a> Australia’s listed threatened species could be recovered for about A$1.7 billion a year. </p>
<p>The Morrison government recently announced it would spend A$7 billion <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/may/19/australian-military-to-set-up-space-division-with-7bn-budget">setting up a military space division</a> to better protect satellites from attack. </p>
<p>What’s our best defence for an uncertain future? We argue it’s ensuring Earth’s life support systems, including its remarkable species and landscapes, are also protected.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/research-reveals-shocking-detail-on-how-australias-environmental-scientists-are-being-silenced-140026">Research reveals shocking detail on how Australia's environmental scientists are being silenced</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/161407/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Euan Ritchie receives funding from the Australian Research Council, Australian Government Bushfire Recovery program, Australian Geographic, Parks Victoria, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, WWF, and the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC. Euan Ritchie is a Director (Media Working Group) of the Ecological Society of Australia, and a member of the Australian Mammal Society.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ayesha Tulloch receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the NSW Government's Department of Planning, Industry and Environment. She is the Vice President of Public Policy and Outreach and co-convenes the Science Communication Chapter for the Ecological Society of Australia, and sits on Birdlife Australia's Research and Conservation Committee and Threatened Species Committee. She is a member of eBird Australia and the Society for Conservation Biology.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Don Driscoll receives funding from the Herman Slade Foundation, OEH NSW Environmental Grants program, DELWP Vic, National Geographic, Rufford Foundation, WWF and Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, Australian Government Bushfire Recovery program. He is Director of the Centre of Integrative Ecology and Director of the TechnEcology Research Network at Deakin University. Don is a member of the Ecological Society of Australia and Society for Conservation Biology.</span></em></p>Saving our threatened species shouldn’t be seen as a cost, but rather a very savvy investment to ensure the support systems sustaining life on Earth remain intact.Euan Ritchie, Professor in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin UniversityAyesha Tulloch, DECRA Research Fellow, University of SydneyDon Driscoll, Professor in Terrestrial Ecology, Deakin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1569102021-05-19T16:02:07Z2021-05-19T16:02:07ZGreening the planet: we can’t just plant trees, we have to restore forests<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401614/original/file-20210519-19-19t24iq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=24%2C8%2C5439%2C3039&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/tropical-rainforest-stunning-view-borneo-sunrise-1474114256">Borneo Rimbawan/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57137057">Queen’s Green Canopy</a>, a campaign to celebrate Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee next year, involves asking people in the UK to plant trees: a “treebilee” as her son, Prince Charles puts it. This is one of a number of public and private campaigns underway, including initiatives by big corporations from <a href="https://www.nestle.com/stories/reforestation-project-one-tree-planted-biodiversity-climate-change">Nestle</a> to <a href="https://www.audi-umweltstiftung.de/umweltstiftung/en/projects/responsibility/planting-trees-against-climate-change.html">Audi</a> which are also planting millions of trees in an attempt to mitigate a portion of their environmental impact.</p>
<p>But, at a much smaller scale, there are thousands of community reforestation projects around the word whose goals differ depending on the environment and desires of local people. For example, planting native trees along the Kinabatangan river in Borneo can support local ecotourism businesses, while forest projects on the east coast of New Zealand are designed to protect agricultural soils from erosion. </p>
<p>Local context makes each community project unique and of more value, as people are more likely to plant the right trees in the right places for the right purpose. But these projects cost money and securing financing can be challenging when funders are so often focused on measurable goals and on removing carbon from the atmosphere to offset emissions-generating activities. Inevitably, small local projects bear the brunt, incurring the <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-real-cost-of-planting-trees/">steep cost</a> of monitoring and certification.</p>
<p>In 2019, we developed <a href="http://www.regrowborneo.org">Regrow Borneo</a>, a community-based reforestation project in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, that thrust us into this complicated world. Our work prompted us to examine these trade-offs from the perspective of the cost of trees, the importance of traditional knowledge and the price of reforestation. </p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/B9KLHQOgESw?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
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<h2>Cost of trees v value of forests</h2>
<p>The number of trees planted is often seen as an indicator of the success of reforestation projects. We’ve all seen adverts suggesting that if we buy a product a company will plant a tree to offset the cost of producing the item. Trees are relatively easy to count and, if planted in the right place, may reflect successful restoration. But reforestation occurs over hundreds of years and poorly managed projects that plant millions of trees can sometimes end with the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/30/most-of-11m-trees-planted-in-turkish-project-may-be-dead">majority dying</a>. </p>
<p>That is why successful forest restoration projects take a <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/rec.13035">long-term approach</a>, through comparing progress to existing forests, taking “before and after” snapshots, and measuring the social cost and benefits. But none of this can be captured by counting trees. A tree census will not tell you about the health of the ecosystem, soil, insect, bird or mammal populations. Neither will it tell you about a loss or gain of economic opportunities for local communities, their health, or spiritual wellbeing. We need new measures for evaluating projects, but none of these approaches is as simple, or easily explained to funders as a tree census.</p>
<p>Regrow Borneo plans to measure success in terms of restored forest area – a simple metric for reporting to donors that can be independently verified by drone footage or through advanced satellite and airborne technologies that can measure how the restored <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0169534714002249">ecosystem functions</a>. </p>
<h2>Synergy between science and local knowledge</h2>
<p>Effective forest restoration relies on a combination of scientific understanding, knowledge and experience. In the case of Regrow Borneo, the rich local knowledge allows us to predict how fast particular species grow, which species provide food for animals (such as orang-utans) and which are flood tolerant.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.2980/19-3-3530?needAccess=true">most effective local projects</a> rely on this knowledge throughout their lifespan. But incorporating knowledge into measures of success for projects is difficult because often it simply can’t be measured. Demanding scientific rigour in local projects can lead communities to abandon this knowledge, which can <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/abd7ac/pdf">reduce the effectiveness</a> of the projects. The problem is that science needs to catch up and design better ways of incorporating this knowledge into its experiments. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A baby orangutan peeping out from behind a tree in a rainforest in Borneo." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401615/original/file-20210519-17-47qhsn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401615/original/file-20210519-17-47qhsn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401615/original/file-20210519-17-47qhsn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401615/original/file-20210519-17-47qhsn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401615/original/file-20210519-17-47qhsn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401615/original/file-20210519-17-47qhsn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401615/original/file-20210519-17-47qhsn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Reforestation helps protect endangered species such as the orangutan.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/orangutans-babies-freedom-tanjung-puting-national-1395399326">Ignacio Salaverria/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<h2>Who pays?</h2>
<p>The goals of community reforestation projects and those of funders don’t always align, which can place a huge burden on the community involved. Funders are sometimes focused on paying a fixed price that might cover planting a tree – but it cannot cover ensuring that a healthy tree flourishes. Other funders concerned about their reputation seek guarantees from projects through checks, certification and monitoring, which – though commendable – may not capture the whole picture of “success”. </p>
<p>For example, companies which burn carbon are allowed to offset this by paying forest projects for the amount of carbon they store. In return, companies want guarantees, so will seek projects that are independently certified. The rules of certification are designed to protect forests, but can also limit local access to forest resources and benefits. And the cost of certification and staff training falls on the projects themselves. </p>
<p>Models in which funders coordinate and pay for monitoring may help overcome some of the financial barriers for small projects. Within Regrow Borneo it has so far been difficult to develop a viable price for reforesting a healthy hectare as our commitment to fair wages, monitoring growth and replacing trees lost to flooding or eaten by monkeys can seriously raise costs. </p>
<p>Riskier reforestation sites such as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/24/what-is-carbon-capture-usage-and-storage-and-can-it-trap-emissions">carbon-rich peat swamps</a> and nature reserves involve frequent monitoring for biodiversity, adding further costs and pushing prices well above the rate that carbon is traded. Every community has different wage expectations, every forest requires different resources to restore, so a single price per tree or per tonne of carbon is an unreasonable expectation.</p>
<p>As a restoration community, we believe in a change of thinking. We need to bridge the gap between funders and projects by reducing the barriers to financing small projects. Flexible funding models and less rigid certification processes support the development of community-based forestry initiatives in a more pragmatic way. Projects such as <a href="https://trilliontrees.org">Trillion Trees</a> or <a href="https://restor.eco">Restor</a> that seek to network and fund community-based projects across the globe are excellent examples of good working models. Instead of funding a million trees, we should think of funding a million forests.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/156910/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tristram Hales is a trustee and founding member of Regrow Borneo. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Benoit Goossensi s a trustee and founding member of Regrow Borneo. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mike Bruford is a trustee and founding member of Regrow Borneo. </span></em></p>Planting trees can sometimes be a carbon-offset box-ticking exercise, but reforestation is a long-term commitment that supports communities, promotes biodiversity and tackles the climate emergency.Tristram Hales, Director, Sustainable Places Research Institute, Cardiff UniversityBenoit Goossens, Professor of Biology, Cardiff UniversityMike Bruford, Professor of Organisms and Environment, Cardiff UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1388182020-07-12T20:12:01Z2020-07-12T20:12:01ZOur helicopter rescue may seem a lot of effort for a plain little bird, but it was worth it<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/341661/original/file-20200614-153812-wyw1vf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=36%2C12%2C4023%2C2676&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">John Harrison/WIkimedia</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>This article is part of Flora, Fauna, Fire, a special project by The Conversation that tracks the recovery of Australia’s native plants and animals after last summer’s bushfire tragedy. Explore the project <a href="https://bushfires2020.netlify.app/">here</a> and read more articles <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=%23bushfire+recovery+2020&sort=relevancy&language=en&date=all&date_from=&date_to=">here</a>.</em></p>
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<p>As we stepped out of a military helicopter on Victoria’s east coast in February, smoke towered into the sky. We’d just flown over a blackened landscape extending as far as the eye could see. Now we were standing in an active fireground, and the stakes were high. </p>
<p>Emergency helicopter rescues aren’t usually part of a day’s work for conservation scientists. But for eastern bristlebirds, a potential disaster loomed. </p>
<p>Our mission was to catch 15-20 bristlebirds and evacuate them to Melbourne Zoo. This would provide an insurance population of this globally endangered species if their habitat was razed by the approaching fire.</p>
<p>As climate change grows ever worse, such rescues will be more common. Ours showed how it can be done.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/337542/original/file-20200526-106842-1yqqds8.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/337542/original/file-20200526-106842-1yqqds8.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337542/original/file-20200526-106842-1yqqds8.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337542/original/file-20200526-106842-1yqqds8.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337542/original/file-20200526-106842-1yqqds8.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337542/original/file-20200526-106842-1yqqds8.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/337542/original/file-20200526-106842-1yqqds8.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A Chinook helicopter, with the bristlebird field team on board, lands in far eastern Victoria.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Tony Mitchell</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The plight of the eastern bristlebird</h2>
<p>Such a rescue may seem like a lot of effort for a small, plain brown bird. But eastern bristlebirds are important to Australia’s biodiversity.</p>
<p>They continue an ancient lineage of songbirds that <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2004/07/20/1157172.htm">dates back to</a> the Gondwanan supercontinent millions of years ago. They’re reminders of wild places that used to exist, unchanged by humans.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/yes-the-australian-bush-is-recovering-from-bushfires-but-it-may-never-be-the-same-131390">Yes, the Australian bush is recovering from bushfires – but it may never be the same</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<p>These days, coastal development has shrunk the eastern bristlebird’s habitat. The birds are feeble flyers, and so populations die out when their habitat patches become too small.</p>
<p>Fewer than 2,500 individuals remain, spread across three locations on Australia’s east coast including a 400-strong population that straddles the Victoria-New South Wales border at Cape Howe. Losing them would be a huge blow to the species’ long term prospects.</p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/341681/original/file-20200614-153858-177m527.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/341681/original/file-20200614-153858-177m527.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=615&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/341681/original/file-20200614-153858-177m527.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=615&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/341681/original/file-20200614-153858-177m527.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=615&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/341681/original/file-20200614-153858-177m527.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=772&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/341681/original/file-20200614-153858-177m527.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=772&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/341681/original/file-20200614-153858-177m527.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=772&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">One of 15 eastern bristlebirds caught and evacuated from Cape Howe.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A rollercoaster ride</h2>
<p>On the day of our rescue, bushfires had been raging on Australia’s east coast for several months. The so-called Snowy complex fire that started in late December had razed parts of Mallacoota on New Year’s Eve then burnt into NSW. Now, more than a month later, that same fire had crossed back over the state border and was burning into Cape Howe.</p>
<p>Our 11-person field team had two chances over consecutive mornings. Using special nets, we caught nine eastern bristlebirds on one morning, and six the next. As we worked, burnt leaves caught in our nets – a tangible reminder of how close the fire was.</p>
<p>The captured birds were health-checked then whisked – first by 4WD, then boat and car – to a waiting flight to Melbourne. From there they were driven to special enclosures at Melbourne Zoo. </p>
<p>On the second day a wind change intensified the bushfire and cut short our time. As we evacuated under a darkening sky, it seemed unlikely Cape Howe would escape the flames.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/338135/original/file-20200528-143720-dknnve.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/338135/original/file-20200528-143720-dknnve.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/338135/original/file-20200528-143720-dknnve.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/338135/original/file-20200528-143720-dknnve.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/338135/original/file-20200528-143720-dknnve.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/338135/original/file-20200528-143720-dknnve.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/338135/original/file-20200528-143720-dknnve.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A box containing eastern bristlebirds about to be loaded onto a boat.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In the ensuing days, the fire moved agonisingly close to the site until a favourable wind change spared it. </p>
<p>But tragedy struck days later when fire tore through eastern bristlebird habitat on the NSW side of Cape Howe. Many of the 250 individuals that lived there are presumed dead. </p>
<p>And despite the best efforts of vets and expert keepers at Melbourne Zoo, six of our captive birds succumbed to a fungal respiratory infection in the weeks after their arrival, which they were all likely carrying when captured.</p>
<h2>Return to Cape Howe</h2>
<p>Against the odds, bristlebird habitat on the Victorian side of Cape Howe remained unburnt. So in early April, we released a little flock of seven back into the wild.</p>
<p>We’d initially planned to attach tiny transmitters to some released bristlebirds to monitor how they settled back into their home. But COVID-19 restrictions forced us to cancel this intensive fieldwork. </p>
<p>Instead, each bristlebird was fitted with a uniquely coloured leg band. As restrictions ease, our team will return to Cape Howe to see how the colour-banded birds have fared.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/338109/original/file-20200528-20219-1te0dwz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/338109/original/file-20200528-20219-1te0dwz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=476&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/338109/original/file-20200528-20219-1te0dwz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=476&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/338109/original/file-20200528-20219-1te0dwz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=476&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/338109/original/file-20200528-20219-1te0dwz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=598&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/338109/original/file-20200528-20219-1te0dwz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=598&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/338109/original/file-20200528-20219-1te0dwz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=598&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Eastern bristlebirds released back into the wild at Howe Flat.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Darryl Whitaker/DELWP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A model for the future</h2>
<p>The evacuation involved collaboration between government agencies and non-government organisations, with especially important coordination and oversight by Zoos Victoria, the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, and Parks Victoria. </p>
<p>This team moved mountains of logistical hurdles. A rescue mission that would ordinarily take more than a year to plan was completed in weeks.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/after-the-bushfires-we-helped-choose-the-animals-and-plants-in-most-need-heres-how-we-did-it-138736">After the bushfires, we helped choose the animals and plants in most need. Here's how we did it</a>
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</em>
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<hr>
<p>So was it all worth it? We strongly believe the answer is yes. The team did what was needed for the worst-case scenario; ultimately that scenario was avoided by a mere whisker.</p>
<p>But climate change is heightening fire danger and increasing the frequency of extreme weather events. Soberingly, further emergency wildlife evacuations will probably be needed to prevent extinctions in future. Our mission will serve as a model for these interventions.</p>
<p><a href="https://bushfires2020.netlify.app"><img src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/static_files/files/1103/Explore.gif?1594552012" width="100%"></a></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/138818/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rohan Clarke receives funding from Zoos Victoria, Parks Victoria, Parks Australia, Victorian Department of Environment Land, Water and Planning, and the Australian Research Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Katherine Selwood works for Zoos Victoria, a non-for-profit zoo-based conservation organisation. The Eastern Bristlebird rescue was funded by the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning and Zoos Victoria with significant support from Parks Victoria, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Victorian State Control Centre, Australian Defence Force, Victorian Fisheries Authority.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rowan Mott does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Scientists and bureaucrats moved logistical mountains to rescue the eastern bristlebird from bushfires this year. As climate change worsens, wildlife evacuations will become more common.Rohan Clarke, Director, Monash Drone Discovery Platform, and Senior Lecturer in Ecology, Monash UniversityKatherine Selwood, Threatened Species Biologist, Wildlife Conservation & Science, Zoos Victoria and Honorary Research Fellow, Biosciences, The University of MelbourneRowan Mott, Biologist, Monash UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1395562020-07-12T20:11:44Z2020-07-12T20:11:44ZI’m searching firegrounds for surviving Kangaroo Island Micro-trapdoor spiders. 6 months on, I’m yet to find any<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/339064/original/file-20200602-95065-1q44hg0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=12%2C30%2C4013%2C2987&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Jess Marsh</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>This article is part of Flora, Fauna, Fire, a special project by The Conversation that tracks the recovery of Australia’s native plants and animals after last summer’s bushfire tragedy. Explore the project <a href="https://bushfires2020.netlify.app/">here</a> and read more articles <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=%23bushfire+recovery+2020&sort=relevancy&language=en&date=all&date_from=&date_to=">here</a>.</em></p>
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<p>I’m standing on a hill in Kangaroo Island’s Western River Wilderness Protection Area, looking over steep gullies and sweeping hillsides. As far as I can see, the landscape is burnt: bright patches of regrowth contrast with skeletal, blackened trunks. It’s stark, yet strangely beautiful. </p>
<p>It’s late May, five months after the catastrophic summer fires burned 90% of the park. I’m here to assess the damage to some of our tiniest Australians. </p>
<p>Much attention has been given to the plight of Kangaroo Island’s iconic birds and mammals – the Glossy Black Cockatoo and the Kangaroo Island Dunnart, for example. However, the invertebrates – spiders, insects and myriad other groups – have largely been overlooked. These groups contain some of Australia’s most threatened species. </p>
<p>Among the invertebrates listed by the federal government as a priority for intervention is an unassuming, brownish-black spider with squat legs and a body about the size of a A$2 coin. Its name: the Kangaroo Island Micro-trapdoor spider (<em>Moggridgea rainbowi</em>).</p>
<p>The trials it now faces offer an insight into the enormous challenges ahead for invertebrates – the tiny engines of Australia’s biodiversity – in the wake of last summer’s cataclysmic fires.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/339066/original/file-20200602-95028-1spv458.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/339066/original/file-20200602-95028-1spv458.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/339066/original/file-20200602-95028-1spv458.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339066/original/file-20200602-95028-1spv458.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339066/original/file-20200602-95028-1spv458.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339066/original/file-20200602-95028-1spv458.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339066/original/file-20200602-95028-1spv458.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339066/original/file-20200602-95028-1spv458.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A female Kangaroo Island Micro-trapdoor spider (<em>Moggridgea rainbowi</em>)</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Jess Marsh</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-like-spiders-here-are-10-reasons-to-change-your-mind-126433">Don't like spiders? Here are 10 reasons to change your mind</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<h2>The sea-faring spider</h2>
<p>The Kangaroo Island Micro-trapdoor spider has an interesting history. It is the only member of its genus found in Australia, its closest relative being in Africa. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0180139">Studies</a> show it arrived here between 2 and 16 million years ago, likely rafting across the ocean on vegetation! A true voyager. </p>
<p>Kangaroo Island Micro-trapdoor spiders exist only on Kangaroo Island. They live in short, 6cm burrows, built neatly into creek banks. They are slow, calm spiders, spending most of their time in their burrow, determinedly holding the door shut with their fangs.</p>
<p>The females care for their young; I have opened a trapdoor to find 20 tiny spiders living together with their mother. When ready, the young disperse short distances to build burrows of their own, tiny versions of the adult’s.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/339072/original/file-20200602-95065-1tchq7k.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/339072/original/file-20200602-95065-1tchq7k.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/339072/original/file-20200602-95065-1tchq7k.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339072/original/file-20200602-95065-1tchq7k.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339072/original/file-20200602-95065-1tchq7k.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339072/original/file-20200602-95065-1tchq7k.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339072/original/file-20200602-95065-1tchq7k.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339072/original/file-20200602-95065-1tchq7k.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">When ready, young Kangaroo Island Micro-trapdoor spiders build their own burrows not far from their mothers’.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Jess Marsh</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Assessing the damage</h2>
<p>My colleagues and I are in this conservation park today to locate patches of less fiercely burnt land in which to look for survivors. Sadly, all the known western populations of this enigmatic spider were destroyed. I am yet to find any survivors in the fire ground, but it is early days. </p>
<p>We will be out here for the next year or so, walking hundreds of kilometres of creek lines, searching for signs of life. There is a lot of land out there. Around 210,000 hectares was burnt, almost half of Kangaroo Island. I remain hopeful that some colonies have survived. </p>
<h2>If we find some Kangaroo Island Micro-trapdoor spiders - what then?</h2>
<p>Surviving the initial blaze is the first step in the struggle for survival. The post-fire environment has many threats – habitat loss, exposure to hungry predators, weeds. Today, I noticed areas where soil, loosened by fire, has washed into creeks, completely burying them. </p>
<p>If we find some surviving individuals, we’ll protect them by installing sediment control, removing weeds and monitoring them in future. </p>
<h2>Why should we care?</h2>
<p>Not everyone loves spiders. I get that. But the functions invertebrates perform are vital. Our ecosystem relies on them; humans rely on them. Yet collectively our understanding of invertebrates – their importance and their value – is dangerously low. </p>
<p>The Kangaroo Island Micro-trapdoor Spider plays its own role the ecosystem. It is a predator, but we don’t really know what it eats. It’s a food source for birds, mammals or reptiles, but we don’t know what eats it. So, why should we care?</p>
<p>Firstly, I firmly believe every species has its own intrinsic value; every extinction, although a natural part of life, is a loss.</p>
<p>Secondly, the ecosystem is so complicated we don’t know exactly how the loss of one species will impact its prey, the parasites that live on it or its predators. And when we’re facing multiple extinctions, these effects could be devastating.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/339090/original/file-20200602-95032-1iq4l4a.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/339090/original/file-20200602-95032-1iq4l4a.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/339090/original/file-20200602-95032-1iq4l4a.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339090/original/file-20200602-95032-1iq4l4a.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339090/original/file-20200602-95032-1iq4l4a.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339090/original/file-20200602-95032-1iq4l4a.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339090/original/file-20200602-95032-1iq4l4a.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339090/original/file-20200602-95032-1iq4l4a.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Kelly Hill Conservation Park in Kangaroo Island was badly burnt in last summer’s fires.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Jess Marsh</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Kangaroo Island Micro-trapdoor spider, the Kangaroo Island Assassin Spider, the Green Carpenter Bee – we only know these species are threatened because scientists like me have spent years or decades studying them. </p>
<p>But the majority of Australia’s invertebrate species are yet to be discovered. Many will be similarly at risk, but we have no way of measuring the scale of risk or the repercussions. That’s a fact we should all find scary.</p>
<p>There is hope, though. It’s not yet over for these species. Work such as ours is a step towards understanding how worsening bushfires will affect these vital, but often forgotten, members of our ecosystem.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/bushfires-can-ecosystems-recover-from-such-dramatic-losses-of-biodiversity-129836">Bushfires: can ecosystems recover from such dramatic losses of biodiversity?</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<p><a href="https://bushfires2020.netlify.app"><img src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/static_files/files/1103/Explore.gif?1594552012" width="100%"></a></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/139556/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jess Marsh does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The story of the Kangaroo Island Micro-trapdoor spider offer insight into the challenges ahead for invertebrates – the tiny engines of Australia’s biodiversity – after this year’s cataclysmic fires.Jess Marsh, Research fellow at the Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1399212020-07-12T20:11:24Z2020-07-12T20:11:24ZDouble trouble: this plucky little fish survived Black Summer, but there’s worse to come<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/342675/original/file-20200618-41221-183s5vn.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=7%2C296%2C5056%2C2558&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Tarmo A. Raadik</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>This article is part of Flora, Fauna, Fire, a special project by The Conversation that tracks the recovery of Australia’s native plants and animals after last summer’s bushfire tragedy. Explore the project <a href="https://bushfires2020.netlify.app/">here</a> and read more articles <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=%23bushfire+recovery+2020&sort=relevancy&language=en&date=all&date_from=&date_to=">here</a>.</em></p>
<hr>
<p>On a coastal holiday last summer, I was preoccupied. Bushfires were tearing through southeast Australia, and one in particular had me worried. Online maps showed it moving towards the last remaining population of a plucky little fish, the stocky galaxias.</p>
<p>I’ve worked in threatened fish conservation and management for more than 35 years, but this species is special to me. </p>
<p>The stocky galaxias was formally described as a new species in 2014. Its only known population lives in a short stretch of stream in Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales. A single event could wipe them out.</p>
<p>On January 2 the bushfires forced my family and I to evacuate our holiday home. As we returned to Canberra, I was still worried. Fire maps showed the stocky’s stream virtually surrounded by fire.</p>
<p>A few days later, I prepared for an emergency rescue. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/340331/original/file-20200608-176580-1x2m9uk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/340331/original/file-20200608-176580-1x2m9uk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=349&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340331/original/file-20200608-176580-1x2m9uk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=349&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340331/original/file-20200608-176580-1x2m9uk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=349&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340331/original/file-20200608-176580-1x2m9uk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=439&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340331/original/file-20200608-176580-1x2m9uk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=439&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340331/original/file-20200608-176580-1x2m9uk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=439&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Fire tore through south east Australia in January, threatening the stocky galaxias.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Victorian government</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>In critical danger</h2>
<p>The stocky galaxias is the monarch of its small stream; the only fish species present. I’ve been trying to protect the stocky galaxias before it was even formally recognised. </p>
<p>Over the last century or more, the species has seen off threats from predatory trout, storms, droughts and bushfires. Snowy 2.0 is the latest danger. </p>
<p>It’s listed as critically endangered in NSW and is being assessed for a federal threatened listing. Before the fires, there were probably no more than 1,000-2,000 adults left in the wild.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/after-the-bushfires-we-helped-choose-the-animals-and-plants-in-most-need-heres-how-we-did-it-138736">After the bushfires, we helped choose the animals and plants in most need. Here's how we did it</a>
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<p>As the fires burned, I knew we had to move quickly. I wanted to collect up to 200 stocky galaxias and take them away for safekeeping.</p>
<p>Rainfall after bushfires is major threat to fish, because it washes ash and sediment into streams. Storms were forecast for the afternoon of January 15. So early that morning, myself and two colleagues, escorted by two staff from the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, drove to the stocky galaxias stream. </p>
<p>A colleague and I waded in and began electrofishing. This involved passing an electrical current through water, stunning fish momentarily so we could catch them. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/340334/original/file-20200608-176546-g5x2f9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/340334/original/file-20200608-176546-g5x2f9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=666&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340334/original/file-20200608-176546-g5x2f9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=666&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340334/original/file-20200608-176546-g5x2f9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=666&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340334/original/file-20200608-176546-g5x2f9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=837&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340334/original/file-20200608-176546-g5x2f9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=837&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340334/original/file-20200608-176546-g5x2f9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=837&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The author and his colleagues used electrofishing to catch the fish.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Mark Lintermans</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>After 45 minutes we’d collected 68 healthy stocky galaxias. Woohoo! Further downstream we collected 74 more. By now, fire burned along the stream edge. We packed the fish into drums in the back of my car and drove out. </p>
<p>We headed to the NSW Department of Primary Industries’ trout hatchery at Jindabyne, where we measured each fish and took a genetic sample. I felt immensely relieved and satisfied that we’d potentially saved a species from extinction.</p>
<p>The fish have been thriving in the hatchery building. Stocky galaxias have never been kept in captivity before, but our years of field work told us the temperatures they encountered in the wild, so holding tanks could be set up appropriately.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/conservation-scientists-are-grieving-after-the-bushfires-but-we-must-not-give-up-130195">Conservation scientists are grieving after the bushfires -- but we must not give up</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Back to the stream</h2>
<p>The captive fish can be used for breeding, but the species has never been captive-bred before and this is not a trivial task. </p>
<p>When they’re reintroduced to the wild, the sites must be free of trout, and other invasive fish like climbing galaxias. Natural or artificial barriers should be in place to prevent invasive fish invasion. </p>
<p>In late March I finally got back to the stocky galaxias’ stream to see whether they’d survived. At the lower stretch of its habitat, the fire was not severe and the stream habitat looked good, with only a small amount of ash and sediment. </p>
<p>Upstream, the fire had been more severe. At the edge of the stream, heath was razed and patches of sphagnum moss were burnt. Again, sediment in the stream was not too abundant. But fish numbers were lower than normal, suggesting some there had not survived.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/340332/original/file-20200608-176538-1ambjlp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/340332/original/file-20200608-176538-1ambjlp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340332/original/file-20200608-176538-1ambjlp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340332/original/file-20200608-176538-1ambjlp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340332/original/file-20200608-176538-1ambjlp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340332/original/file-20200608-176538-1ambjlp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340332/original/file-20200608-176538-1ambjlp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Stocky Galaxias live in a short stretch of a single stream.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Credit to come</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The fight’s not over</h2>
<p>The stocky galaxias species might have survived yet another peril, but the battle isn’t over. </p>
<p>Feral horse numbers in Kosciuszko National Park have <a href="https://theconversation.com/double-trouble-as-feral-horse-numbers-gallop-past-25-000-in-the-australian-alps-128852">increased dramatically</a> in the last decade. They’ve degraded the banks of the stocky galaxias’ stream, making it wider and shallower and filling sections with fine sediment. This smothers the fish’s food resources, spawning sites and eggs.</p>
<p>Before the fires, plans were already afoot to fence off much of the stocky galaxias habitat to keep horses out. Fire damage to the park has delayed construction until early 2021.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/snowy-2-0-threatens-to-pollute-our-rivers-and-wipe-out-native-fish-135194">Snowy 2.0 threatens to pollute our rivers and wipe out native fish</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The biggest long-term threat to the species is the Snowy 2.0 pumped hydro development. It threatens to transfer an invasive native fish, the climbing galaxias, to within reach of stocky galaxias habitat. There, it would compete for food with, and prey on, stocky galaxias – probably pushing it into extinction.</p>
<p>Despite this risk, in May this year the <a href="https://theconversation.com/nsw-has-approved-snowy-2-0-here-are-six-reasons-why-thats-a-bad-move-139112">NSW government approved</a> the Snowy 2.0 expansion, with approval conditions that I believe fail to adequately protect the stocky galaxias population. The project has also received federal approval. </p>
<h2>Future in the balance</h2>
<p>The stocky galaxias is unique and irreplaceable. I want my grandchildren to be able to show their grandchildren this little Aussie battler thriving in the wild.</p>
<p>The damage wrought by Snowy 2.0 may not be apparent for several decades. By then many politicians and bureaucrats now deciding the future of the stocky galaxias will be gone, as will I.</p>
<p>But 2020 will go down in history as the year the species was saved from fire, then condemned to possible extinction.</p>
<p><a href="https://bushfires2020.netlify.app"><img src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/static_files/files/1103/Explore.gif?1594552012" width="100%"></a></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/139921/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mark Lintermans was previously the Chair of the NSW Fisheries Scientific Committee that listed the species as critically endangered. He received funding from NSW DPI to assist with the stocky galaxias rescue.</span></em></p>I’ve worked in threatened fish conservation and management for more than 35 years, but this species is special to me.Mark Lintermans, Associate professor, University of CanberraLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1403562020-07-12T20:11:05Z2020-07-12T20:11:05ZA few months ago, science gave this rare lizard a name – and it may already be headed for extinction<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/344278/original/file-20200626-104499-oyhise.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=8%2C0%2C1924%2C1292&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Australian Museum</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>This article is part of Flora, Fauna, Fire, a special project by The Conversation that tracks the recovery of Australia’s native plants and animals after last summer’s bushfire tragedy. Explore the project <a href="https://bushfires2020.netlify.app/">here</a> and read more articles <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=%23bushfire+recovery+2020&sort=relevancy&language=en&date=all&date_from=&date_to=">here</a>.</em></p>
<hr>
<p>Bushfires are a threat to most animal species. But for one rare lizard living on a rocky island in the sky, a single blaze could wipe the species off the planet.</p>
<p>The Kaputar rock skink (<em>Egernia roomi</em>) is thought to have have one of the smallest ranges of any reptile in New South Wales – at the summit of a single extinct volcano, Mount Kaputar.</p>
<p>The existence of this mysterious skink was informally known for decades, and in August last year the species was finally <a href="https://journals.australianmuseum.net.au/sadlier-2019-rec-aust-mus-715-183197/">scientifically described</a>. But months later, it may already be headed for extinction.</p>
<p>Late last year, bushfires are thought to have ripped through <a href="https://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/bushfire-recovery/priority-animals">more than half</a> the Kaputar rock skink’s habitat. We don’t yet know what this means for its survival, but the outlook is not good. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/344282/original/file-20200626-104499-gs1eyu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/344282/original/file-20200626-104499-gs1eyu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=292&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344282/original/file-20200626-104499-gs1eyu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=292&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344282/original/file-20200626-104499-gs1eyu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=292&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344282/original/file-20200626-104499-gs1eyu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=366&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344282/original/file-20200626-104499-gs1eyu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=366&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344282/original/file-20200626-104499-gs1eyu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=366&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The fire in Kaputar National Park that tore through the skink’s habitat.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Narrabri Rural Fire Brigade</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A very special skink</h2>
<p>The Kaputar rock skink is handsome lizard, typically around 10 centimetres in body length, with dark chocolate brown and grey scales and an orange belly.</p>
<p>It’s found in the Nandewar Ranges near Narrabri. The ranges – weathered remnants of ancient volcanic eruptions between 21 and 17 million years ago – rise out of the surrounding plains in a series of breathtaking rock formations. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/double-trouble-this-plucky-little-fish-survived-black-summer-but-theres-worse-to-come-139921">Double trouble: this plucky little fish survived Black Summer, but there's worse to come</a>
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<p>The <a href="https://australianmuseum.net.au/blog/amri-news/kaputar-rock-skink/">Kaputar rock skink</a> lives on one of these outcrops, Mount Kaputar. It exists on a narrow band of rock at the summit, more than 1,300 metres above sea level. </p>
<p>This high elevation areas is cooler than the surrounding plains, which suits this cool-adapted species perfectly. But the species’ tiny range means it’s highly vulnerable. When danger strikes, the Kaputar rock skink has nowhere to go.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/343148/original/file-20200622-160665-129ac6a.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/343148/original/file-20200622-160665-129ac6a.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/343148/original/file-20200622-160665-129ac6a.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/343148/original/file-20200622-160665-129ac6a.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/343148/original/file-20200622-160665-129ac6a.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/343148/original/file-20200622-160665-129ac6a.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/343148/original/file-20200622-160665-129ac6a.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/343148/original/file-20200622-160665-129ac6a.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The skink lives at the highest point of Mount Kaputar.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Jodi Rowley</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>When the fires hit</h2>
<p>Bushfires tore through the Nandewar Ranges in October and November last year, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-29/giant-pink-slug-mount-kaputar-national-park-survived-bushfire/11911308">reportedly burning</a> more than 17,000 hectares of bush. More than half of Kaputar rock skink habitat is believed to have burned. </p>
<p>The expert panel advising the federal government on bushfire recovery has named the skink as one of 119 severely-affected species needing urgent conservation intervention. But the species’ rugged, remote habitat, combined with COVID-19 restrictions, have delayed efforts to assess the extent of the damage.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/after-the-bushfires-we-helped-choose-the-animals-and-plants-in-most-need-heres-how-we-did-it-138736">After the bushfires, we helped choose the animals and plants in most need. Here's how we did it</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>It’s likely that many Kaputar rock skinks died during the fires themselves, although we hope others survived by crawling deep into rock cracks. </p>
<p>But after the fires, threats remain. Vegetation loss may make the skinks easy prey, and in a charred landscape, there may be little for the reptiles to eat. </p>
<p>History tells us fires do affect high-elevation skinks. For example, fire is thought to have driven the rock-dwelling Guthega skink (<em>Liopholis guthega</em>) to become <a href="https://journalofherpetology.org/doi/abs/10.1670/13-194">locally extinct</a> at some sites on the Bogong High Plains in northeast Victoria.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1185464106041540608"}"></div></p>
<h2>A mountain of threats</h2>
<p>Species restricted to a small area are vulnerable to any loss of habitat. And fire is not the only threat to the Kaputar rock skink.</p>
<p>Climate change is a big concern. While many species respond to increasing temperatures by migrating uphill to cooler climes, that’s not possible for the skink, which is already precariously perched on a summit. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/sure-save-furry-animals-after-the-bushfires-but-our-river-creatures-are-suffering-too-133004">Sure, save furry animals after the bushfires – but our river creatures are suffering too</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Introduced goats may also be <a href="https://journals.australianmuseum.net.au/sadlier-2019-rec-aust-mus-715-183197/">taking a toll</a> as they trample through the rocky terrain.</p>
<p><a href="https://media.australianmuseum.net.au/media/dd/documents/1716_complete.f27b407.pdf">Evidence</a> suggests humans are also a disturbance to the Kaputar rock skink’s habitat. The reptiles live close to the edge of cliff lines that are readily accessible by walking tracks. Trampling of low vegetation has been observed at many sites, as have disturbed rocks – the latter possibly from people wanting to find and photograph the species.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/343151/original/file-20200622-160700-1vcmmpe.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=4%2C0%2C2998%2C1999&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/343151/original/file-20200622-160700-1vcmmpe.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/343151/original/file-20200622-160700-1vcmmpe.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/343151/original/file-20200622-160700-1vcmmpe.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/343151/original/file-20200622-160700-1vcmmpe.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/343151/original/file-20200622-160700-1vcmmpe.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/343151/original/file-20200622-160700-1vcmmpe.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Kaputar rock skink’s tiny habitat was badly affected by fire.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Mark Eldridge</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Where to now?</h2>
<p>Scientists know relatively little about the Kaputar rock skink. One thing we’re sure of, though, is that the species’ existence is threatened.</p>
<p>Surveys are needed at known skink locations, as well as surrounding areas where it might lie undiscovered. Understanding where the species occurs and how it responds to fires, drought and other disturbances is critical to conservation efforts.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/our-field-cameras-melted-in-the-bushfires-when-we-opened-them-the-results-were-startling-139922">Our field cameras melted in the bushfires. When we opened them, the results were startling</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Of course it’s the middle of winter now, so the skinks may not be very active on their cold mountain top. But my colleagues and I hope to travel to Mount Kaputar soon to survey the skink’s habitat and find out how the species fared.</p>
<p>It’s just months since science officially <a href="https://twitter.com/skinks_iucn/status/1168266798757662720">welcomed</a> the Kaputar rock skink to the world. It’s far too early to say goodbye.</p>
<p><em>Dane Trembath, an Australian Museum biologist with a focus on reptiles, contributed to this article.</em></p>
<p><a href="https://bushfires2020.netlify.app"><img src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/static_files/files/1103/Explore.gif?1594552012" width="100%"></a></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/140356/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jodi Rowley is a member of the NSW Threatened Species Scientific Committee involved in determining the threat status of the Kaputar Rock Skink and was a co-author of the scientific publication formally describing the species.</span></em></p>The Kaputar rock skink is thought to have have one of the smallest ranges of any reptile in New South Wales – at the summit of a single extinct volcano, Mount Kaputar.Jodi Rowley, Curator, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation Biology, Australian MuseumLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1399062020-07-12T20:01:42Z2020-07-12T20:01:42Z‘Death by irony’: The mystery of the mouse that died of smoke inhalation, but went nowhere near a fire<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/344413/original/file-20200629-104494-bs7tcm.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=3%2C0%2C2531%2C1687&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Source: Museums Victoria/David Paul</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>This article is part of Flora, Fauna, Fire, a special project by The Conversation that tracks the recovery of Australia’s native plants and animals after last summer’s bushfire tragedy. Explore the project <a href="https://bushfires2020.netlify.app/">here</a> and read more articles <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=%23bushfire+recovery+2020&sort=relevancy&language=en&date=all&date_from=&date_to=">here</a>.</em></p>
<hr>
<p>I looked through the microscope at the insides of a dead smoky mouse, and could barely believe my eyes. Thousands of tiny smoke particles lined its lungs. But the mouse had been kept more than 50 kilometres from the nearest bushfires. How could this be? </p>
<p>As it turned out, the critically endangered mouse had died from <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-27/smoky-mice-die-from-bushfire-smoke-inhalation/12005790">smoke inhalation</a>. Some 45 had been held at a captive breeding facility near Canberra. Nine ultimately died - the first recorded wildlife in the world killed by bushfire smoke far outside a fire zone.</p>
<p>The deaths were a blow for conservation efforts. But in recent weeks, there’s been good news: smoky mice have been spotted at seven sites burnt in the fires. For now, at least, the species lives on.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/344389/original/file-20200628-104499-1ys63ab.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/344389/original/file-20200628-104499-1ys63ab.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344389/original/file-20200628-104499-1ys63ab.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344389/original/file-20200628-104499-1ys63ab.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344389/original/file-20200628-104499-1ys63ab.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344389/original/file-20200628-104499-1ys63ab.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344389/original/file-20200628-104499-1ys63ab.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The smoky mouse case shows bushfire smoke can affect wildlife far from the fire zone.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">NASA Earth Observatory</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A unique, bulgy-eyed rodent</h2>
<p>The smoky mouse is <a href="https://www.environment.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/576487/The_Smoky_Mouse_factsheet.pdf">shy</a>, <a href="https://www.zoo.org.au/fighting-extinction/local-threatened-species/smoky-mouse/">gentle</a> and small – usually about nine centimetres in body length, plus its tail. They are <a href="https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/specimens/2367974">rather cute</a>, with bulgy eyes and very soft grey fur which inspired the species’ name.</p>
<p>In the wild, the smoky mouse is limited to a few sites in Victoria’s Grampians and East Gippsland, as well as in Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales. It lives in underground communal nests, in heath and forest habitats.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/after-the-bushfires-we-helped-choose-the-animals-and-plants-in-most-need-heres-how-we-did-it-138736">After the bushfires, we helped choose the animals and plants in most need. Here's how we did it</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Ancestors of the smoky mouse arrived in Australia <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1055790308000043?via%3Dihub">more than five million years ago</a> when the Australian continent finally drifted close enough to Southeast Asia for rodents to raft across.</p>
<p>These ancient rodents diversified into more than 50 species. Many, like the smoky mouse, <a href="https://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/31499c6a-d455-4488-93eb-effe012550ff/files/pseudomys-fumeus.pdf">are in decline</a>. Others, like the <a href="https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/threatenedSpeciesApp/profile.aspx?id=20199">white-footed rabbit-rat</a> have already <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/000632079600002X">become extinct</a>.</p>
<p>Several threats are reducing smoky mouse numbers, but feral cats and foxes are a <a href="https://theconversation.com/invasive-species-are-australias-number-one-extinction-threat-116809">major cause</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/344387/original/file-20200628-104522-18euf6w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/344387/original/file-20200628-104522-18euf6w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=656&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344387/original/file-20200628-104522-18euf6w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=656&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344387/original/file-20200628-104522-18euf6w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=656&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344387/original/file-20200628-104522-18euf6w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=825&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344387/original/file-20200628-104522-18euf6w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=825&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344387/original/file-20200628-104522-18euf6w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=825&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Baby smoky mice photographed in 2017 at the captive breeding facility.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Office of Environment and Heritage</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Death by irony?</h2>
<p>Some <a href="http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/bushfire-recovery/priority-animals">119 animal species</a> were identified for urgent conservation intervention following the fires. The smoky mouse was among them. Modelling showed 26% of its distribution overlapped with burnt areas, and in NSW <a href="https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/news/endangered-kosciuszko-mouse-survives-fires">more than 90% of the species’ habitat burned</a>.</p>
<p>I am a wildlife health and pathology expert based in Wagga Wagga in NSW, and part of my job is to diagnose why animals have died. The first dead smoky mouse I encountered had come from a Canberra breeding facility. It was sent by a vet and arrived via courier in mid-January. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/343117/original/file-20200622-75479-8ydlu3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/343117/original/file-20200622-75479-8ydlu3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/343117/original/file-20200622-75479-8ydlu3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=750&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/343117/original/file-20200622-75479-8ydlu3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=750&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/343117/original/file-20200622-75479-8ydlu3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=750&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/343117/original/file-20200622-75479-8ydlu3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=942&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/343117/original/file-20200622-75479-8ydlu3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=942&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/343117/original/file-20200622-75479-8ydlu3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=942&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Through the microscope: smoke particles in the lungs of a smoky mouse suffering smoke inhalation.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In a note attached, the vet suggested bushfire smoke had killed the smoky mouse – and asked, in a nod to the species’ name, if this was a case of “death by irony”. </p>
<p>Canberra, like many other cities and towns, was <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/canberra-s-air-quality-is-the-worst-in-the-world-as-bushfire-smoke-shrouds-capital">shrouded in thick smoke</a> in January. But the <a href="https://www.edenmagnet.com.au/story/5088469/playing-cupid-with-mice/">breeding facility</a> was more than 50 kilometres from the nearest fire zone, so I thought the vet’s theory was unlikely.</p>
<p>When I and other veterinary pathologists examined organs of the mouse under the microscope, the only abnormality we could find was fluid and congestion in the mouse’s lungs.</p>
<p>Over the following month, eight more smoky mice died. I inspected the lungs of one – to my shock, it contained thousands of brown smoke particles. Once I knew the distribution of particles to look for, I found them in most of the other dead mice too. </p>
<p>The mice didn’t die immediately after inhaling the smoke. They hung on, but when temperatures in Canberra spiked at more than 40°C, they went into respiratory distress and died.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-season-in-hell-bushfires-push-at-least-20-threatened-species-closer-to-extinction-129533">A season in hell: bushfires push at least 20 threatened species closer to extinction</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Death from smoke inhalation has long been suspected in wildlife. But it’s poorly recorded because after bushfires, the bodies of dead animals are usually incinerated or too decomposed to make a diagnosis. </p>
<p>The smoky mouse case shows bushfire smoke can damage wild animals far beyond fire zones. That means the impact of bushfires on wildlife may be greater than we thought.</p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/343115/original/file-20200622-75487-1b7ftjn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/343115/original/file-20200622-75487-1b7ftjn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=767&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/343115/original/file-20200622-75487-1b7ftjn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=767&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/343115/original/file-20200622-75487-1b7ftjn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=767&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/343115/original/file-20200622-75487-1b7ftjn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=964&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/343115/original/file-20200622-75487-1b7ftjn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=964&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/343115/original/file-20200622-75487-1b7ftjn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=964&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Seven smoky mice have been spotted in the wild since the bushfires.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Museums Victoria</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A bit of good news</h2>
<p>There is hope for the smoky mouse. Motion-sensing cameras set up in Kosciuszko National Park after the fires have <a href="https://mattkean.com.au/news/media-release/endangered-kosciuszko-mouse-survives-fires">recorded smoky mice</a> at seven burnt sites. Over the next year, more sites will be surveyed to better understand how many individuals remain, and where they live.</p>
<p>Most smoky mice at the Canberra captive breeding facility survived, and there are plans to release some into the wild. This captive breeding program has also been <a href="https://minister.awe.gov.au/ley/media-releases/5-million-funding-boost-for-bushfire-affected-wildlife-in-nsw">identified as a priority for federal funding</a>.</p>
<p>But as global warming escalates, fires in Australia are predicted to become <a href="https://theconversation.com/some-say-weve-seen-bushfires-worse-than-this-before-but-theyre-ignoring-a-few-key-facts-129391">even worse</a>. Now more than ever, the future of the smoky mouse, along with many other Australian animals, hinges on decisive climate action. Captive breeding programs and blind hope will not be enough.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/conservation-scientists-are-grieving-after-the-bushfires-but-we-must-not-give-up-130195">Conservation scientists are grieving after the bushfires -- but we must not give up</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<p><a href="https://bushfires2020.netlify.app"><img src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/static_files/files/1103/Explore.gif?1594552012" width="100%"></a></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/139906/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew Peters is deputy chair of Wildlife Health Australia.</span></em></p>One vet suggested bushfire smoke had killed the smoky mouse – and asked, in a nod to the species’ name, if this was a case of “death by irony”.Andrew Peters, Associate Professor of Wildlife Health and Pathology, Charles Sturt UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1399192020-07-10T04:16:32Z2020-07-10T04:16:32ZBefore and after: see how bushfire and rain turned the Macquarie perch’s home to sludge<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/340525/original/file-20200609-21201-1rw4yug.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=12%2C169%2C4013%2C2848&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Mannus Creek in NSW during the 2020 bushfire period.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Luke Pearce</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>This article is part of Flora, Fauna, Fire, a special project by The Conversation that tracks the recovery of Australia’s native plants and animals after last summer’s bushfire tragedy. Explore the project <a href="https://bushfires2020.netlify.app/">here</a> and read more articles <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=%23bushfire+recovery+2020&sort=relevancy&language=en&date=all&date_from=&date_to=">here</a>.</em></p>
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<p>The unprecedented intensity and scale of Australia’s recent bushfires left a trail of destruction across Australia. Millions of hectares burned and <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-09/nsw-bushfires-kill-over-a-billion-animals-experts-say/11854836">more than a billion animals were affected or died</a>. When the rains finally arrived, the situation for many fish species went from dangerous to catastrophic.</p>
<p>A slurry of ash and mud washed into waterways, turning freshwater systems brown and sludgy. Oxygen levels plummeted and <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/01/australian-fires-threaten-to-pollute-water/">water quality</a> deteriorated rapidly. </p>
<p>Hundreds of thousands of fish <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-sweet-relief-of-rain-after-bushfires-threatens-disaster-for-our-rivers-129449">suffocated</a>. It was akin to filling your fish tank with mud and expecting your goldfish to survive.</p>
<p>Take, for example, the plight of the endangered <a href="https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/threatened-species/what-current/endangered-species2/macquarie-perch">Macquarie perch</a> (<em>Macquaria australasica</em>), an Australian native freshwater fish of the Murray-Darling river system.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/340489/original/file-20200609-165349-ektyd1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/340489/original/file-20200609-165349-ektyd1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/340489/original/file-20200609-165349-ektyd1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=406&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340489/original/file-20200609-165349-ektyd1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=406&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340489/original/file-20200609-165349-ektyd1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=406&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340489/original/file-20200609-165349-ektyd1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=510&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340489/original/file-20200609-165349-ektyd1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=510&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340489/original/file-20200609-165349-ektyd1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=510&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">A Macquarie perch.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Luke Pearce</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/fish-kills-and-undrinkable-water-heres-what-to-expect-for-the-murray-darling-this-summer-126940">Fish kills and undrinkable water: here's what to expect for the Murray Darling this summer</a>
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<h2>A special fish</h2>
<p>Macquarie perch were once <a href="https://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/8e9c5e38-7b7f-4b91-9f8d-66fd90eca1c2/files/draft-recovery-plan-macquarie-perch.pdf">one of the most abundant fish</a> in the Murray-Darling Basin. Revered by the community and once responsible for supporting extensive <a href="https://finterest.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/True_tales_of_the_trout_cod_book.pdf">Indigenous, recreational, commercial and subsistence fisheries</a>, they are an iconic species found nowhere else in the world. However, they have very specific needs. </p>
<p>Macquarie perch like rocky river sections with clear, fast-flowing water, shaded by trees and bushes on the banks.</p>
<p>Massive change wrought on our rivers over the past century means Macquarie perch are now only found at a handful of locations <a href="http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=66632">in the Murray-Darling Basin</a>. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-sweet-relief-of-rain-after-bushfires-threatens-disaster-for-our-rivers-129449">The sweet relief of rain after bushfires threatens disaster for our rivers</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<p>One habitat - Mannus Creek near the NSW Snowy Mountains - is particularly special because it was relatively pristine before the fires. In fact, this creek contained the last population of the threatened Macquarie perch in the NSW Murray catchment. A <a href="https://researchoutput.csu.edu.au/en/publications/maccas-in-the-mannus-macquarie-perch-refuge-in-the-upper-murray">study in 2017</a> found a Macquarie perch population that was restricted to a 9km section of the creek but was doing quite well. </p>
<p>That was until bushfire rapidly swept through the catchment <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/15/last-population-macquarie-perch-nsw-river-carnage-bushfire-ash-fish-species">in January</a> this year. </p>
<p>Some of us visited the creek three weeks after the fires. The intensity, ferocity and speed of the fires meant nothing was spared. The former forest floor was literally a trail of death and destruction – <a href="https://e360.yale.edu/features/fire-fallout-how-ash-and-debris-are-choking-australias-rivers">dead and charred kangaroos, wallabies, deer, possums and birds</a> were everywhere. </p>
<p>All that remained of Mannus Creek was green pools in a blackened landscape, still smouldering days after the fire front passed. We immediately feared for the Macquarie perch we’d sampled, which were quite healthy less than a year before.</p>
<p>To our surprise, some Macquarie perch had survived. But with most of the catchment fully burnt, and no vegetation to stop runoff, we knew it was a ticking time bomb. </p>
<h2>A desperate rescue attempt</h2>
<p>With little time, researchers had to remove as many fish as possible from Mannus Creek before the rains arrived. The plan was to create an “insurance population” in case rain caused the water conditions to <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-12/native-fish-rescued-from-bushfires-in-kosciuszko-national-park/11953776">deteriorate</a>. </p>
<p>They rescued ten fish. Days later, rain washed ash and silt into the channel. Within hours, the once-pristine creek became flowing mud with the consistency of cake mix. </p>
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<p>A government rescue team arrived a few days later to rescue more fish, and despaired at the “<a href="https://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/wall-of-mud-and-ash-fish-disaster-moves-across-murray-darling-basin-20200123-p53u6i.html">wall of ash and mud</a>”. </p>
<h2>An ark across Australia</h2>
<p>Those ten individual Macquarie perch now live in an “ark” of at-risk species, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/15/last-population-macquarie-perch-nsw-river-carnage-bushfire-ash-fish-species">spanning government and private hatchery facilities</a>. </p>
<p>The ark is housing not only the Macquarie perch <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/05/freshwater-hell-scientists-race-save-endangered-fish--bushfire-ash-stocky-galaxias">but other threatened species</a> too. The rescued individuals, and perhaps their entire species, would have almost certainly perished during runoff events without these interventions. </p>
<p>Now a waiting game begins. </p>
<h2>What next for the Macquarie perch?</h2>
<p>Nobody knows for sure how many fish survived in Mannus Creek, nor how long it will take for the creek to recover. It could be <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/12/triple-whammy-hits-push-australian-rivers-crisis">years</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/340488/original/file-20200609-165375-1rxofrh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/340488/original/file-20200609-165375-1rxofrh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/340488/original/file-20200609-165375-1rxofrh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340488/original/file-20200609-165375-1rxofrh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340488/original/file-20200609-165375-1rxofrh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340488/original/file-20200609-165375-1rxofrh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340488/original/file-20200609-165375-1rxofrh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340488/original/file-20200609-165375-1rxofrh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Ash and mud flow into Mannus Creek after the fires.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Luke Pearce</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
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<p>The challenge now is to support the rescued fish until it’s safe to either return them to the creek, or breed offspring and introduce them to their natural habitat. </p>
<p>Fish must be kept healthy and disease-free in captivity, and enough genetic diversity must be maintained for the population to remain viable.</p>
<p>If these rescued fish are held in captivity for too long, they might die. But equally worrying is that affected waterways may not recover in time to allow reintroduction. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/sure-save-furry-animals-after-the-bushfires-but-our-river-creatures-are-suffering-too-133004">Sure, save furry animals after the bushfires – but our river creatures are suffering too</a>
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<p>While maintaining the rescued populations, we must redouble our efforts to improve their <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/229658153_Smoke_on_the_water_Can_riverine_fish_populations_recover_following_a_catastrophic_fire-related_sediment_slug">natural habitats</a>. </p>
<p>Burnt areas can allow pest plant and animal species to take hold and change habitats, so these threats need to be controlled. Finding similar, unburnt refuge areas is also crucial to prepare for future events and protect ecosystem resilience. </p>
<p>Working through these considerations - and quickly - is essential to giving these species the best hope of survival.</p>
<p>Funding, equipment and human resources are desperately needed to help our rivers recover. But we know that without an effective on-ground intervention, recovery could take decades. </p>
<p>For the iconic Macquarie perch, that would be too late.</p>
<p><a href="https://bushfires2020.netlify.app"><img src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/static_files/files/1103/Explore.gif?1594552012" width="100%"></a></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/139919/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lee Baumgartner receives funding from the Australian government to perform critical research into the impacts of human activities on fish and aquatic systems in South East Asia. He sits on a range of state and federal advisory panels and is a passionate advocate for sustainable practices in the Murray-Darling Basin. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Katie Doyle receives funding from the Ian Potter Foundation and NSW State Government to undertake research relating to protecting Australian freshwater fish and aquatic biotic from human activities and a changing climate. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Luiz G M Silva received funding from state and federal agencies, as well as private enterprises, to conduct studies to understand the impacts of anthropogenic activities, particularly dams and irrigation infrastructure, on freshwater fish. He is affiliated with various scientific societies on fisheries and aquatic sciences with a broad experience on Neotropical fish ecology. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Luke Pearce is employed by the NSW Department of Primary Industries and receives funding from the NSW Recreational Fishing Trust</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nathan Ning receives funding from the Australian government to undertake research relating to the impacts of human activities on fish and aquatic ecosystems in both Australia and South East Asia. </span></em></p>When the post-bushfire rains finally arrived, the situation for many fish species went from dangerous to catastrophic. A slurry of ash and mud washed into waterways, sending oxygen levels plummeting.Lee Baumgartner, Professor of Fisheries and River Management, Institute for Land, Water, and Society, Charles Sturt UniversityKatie Doyle, Freshwater Ecologist, Charles Sturt UniversityLuiz G M Silva, Freshwater Fish Scientist, Charles Sturt UniversityLuke Pearce, Fisheries ManagerNathan Ning, Freshwater Ecologist, Charles Sturt UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1410422020-07-09T04:02:08Z2020-07-09T04:02:08Z‘Living fossils’: we mapped half a billion years of horseshoe crabs to save them from blood harvests<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/345986/original/file-20200707-27858-x1kgcv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=15%2C0%2C5160%2C3445&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>If you ventured to the New York seaside in summer, you might see a large dome-shaped animal with a spiky tail, slowly moving towards the water. These are horseshoe crabs – the animals time forgot.</p>
<p>Fossil records for horseshoe crabs extend back about 480 million years. This is well over 200 million years before the dinosaurs. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-giant-species-of-trilobite-inhabited-australian-waters-half-a-billion-years-ago-118452">A giant species of trilobite inhabited Australian waters half a billion years ago</a>
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<p>More recently, horseshoe crabs have greatly helped advance modern medicine. Their blood is used to identify <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/endotoxin">endotoxins</a> in solutions. These are toxins found in bacteria, so anyone who has had an injection or surgery has been kept safe from dangerous toxins thanks to these creatures.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the harvesting of their blood for this purpose is one reason horseshoe crabs are becoming an <a href="https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/biology-fields/horseshoe-crabs-endangered-biomedical-bloodletting.htm">endangered group</a>. Our <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2020.00098/abstract">research</a> published today in Frontiers in Earth Science will hopefully aid conservation efforts to protect these enigmatic creatures.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/342637/original/file-20200618-41200-1grm5ca.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/342637/original/file-20200618-41200-1grm5ca.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/342637/original/file-20200618-41200-1grm5ca.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/342637/original/file-20200618-41200-1grm5ca.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/342637/original/file-20200618-41200-1grm5ca.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/342637/original/file-20200618-41200-1grm5ca.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/342637/original/file-20200618-41200-1grm5ca.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">The American horseshoe crab <em>Limulus polyphemus</em>.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">WikiCommons.</span></span>
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<h2>A modern medical marvel</h2>
<p>Completely harmless, but spiky like a cactus, horseshoe crabs are not actually crabs. They don’t have the antennae or jaws their crustacean cousins do, and have additional pairs of legs (13 in total). In fact, they’re more closely related to spiders and scorpions than crabs. </p>
<p>Defined within their own order, <a href="https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda/chelicerata/xiphosura.html">Xiphosura</a>, these animals are characterised by a horseshoe-shaped head section, a roundish hexagonal backside and a long tail. They are, in essence, a spider in a suit of armour that can swim upside down. </p>
<p>Horseshoe crabs have been used in medicine for at least the <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.2006607">past 40 years</a>. Their endotoxin-revealing blood is blue and copper-based (unlike our red, iron-based blood). </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/blood-in-your-veins-is-not-blue-heres-why-its-always-red-97064">Blood in your veins is not blue – here's why it's always red</a>
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<p>A chemical refined from their blood can be used to identify contaminants in medical equipment that is inserted into <a href="https://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/how-horseshoe-crab-blood-saves-millions-lives/">humans</a>. </p>
<p>Blue blood is used to make sure injections, IV drips, and any implanted medical devices are safe for human use.</p>
<h2>Blue bloodletting</h2>
<p>However, to access this natural medicinal miracle, humans must collect horseshoe crabs and harvest their blood. While blood loss itself may not be the main cause of death, other factors such as capture and transport can impact group survival. </p>
<p>At present, with improved practices, between <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2018.00185/full?utm_source=FWEB&utm_medium=NBLOG&utm_campaign=ECO_FMARS_horseshoe-crab-blood#h11">6-15.4% </a> of horseshoe crabs die from harvesting.</p>
<p>This process represents one of the main threats to them today, even though a <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/05/blood-in-the-water/559229/">synthetic substitute</a> for blue blood has been available for nearly two decades. However, there is uncertainty around the efficacy of this alternative, so horseshoe crabs are <a href="https://blogs.unimelb.edu.au/sciencecommunication/2019/10/22/horseshoe-crab-the-blue-blood-that-saves-millions-of-lives/">still harvested</a>.</p>
<p>As a result, two of the four living species – the Chinese horseshoe crab and American horseshoe crab (also called the Atlantic horseshoe crab) – have been placed on the <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?taxonomies=101493&searchType=species">International Union for Conservation of Nature’s</a> vulnerable and endangered species list.</p>
<p>Apart from bloodletting for biomedical use, <a href="https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Invertebrates/Horseshoe-Crab">other threats</a> facing horseshoe crabs include overharvesting, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989419306997">human interaction and serious habitat modification</a>.</p>
<h2>Fantastic beasts, and where to find them (online)</h2>
<p>To help raise awareness about the challenges horseshoe crabs face, we created an <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2020.00098/abstract">atlas of all fossil and living Xiphosura</a>. This free, open access collection contains photos of every horseshoe crab species ever described in the group’s 480-million-year history. </p>
<p>Alongside the photos, we provide outlines of how the four living species survived until now. </p>
<p>Building this atlas took three years. It involved emailing more than 100 researchers and museum managers, and even travelling from Australia to England, Germany, Russia, Slovenia and the United States to collect photographs.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/342937/original/file-20200619-70381-16myyr1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/342937/original/file-20200619-70381-16myyr1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/342937/original/file-20200619-70381-16myyr1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=241&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/342937/original/file-20200619-70381-16myyr1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=241&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/342937/original/file-20200619-70381-16myyr1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=241&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/342937/original/file-20200619-70381-16myyr1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=302&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/342937/original/file-20200619-70381-16myyr1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=302&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/342937/original/file-20200619-70381-16myyr1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=302&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Examples of fossil horseshoe crabs. Left to right: <em>Pickettia carteri</em>, <em>Albalimulus bottoni</em>, <em>Sloveniolimulus rudkini</em>, and <em>Tasmaniolimulus patersoni</em>.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Reconstructions by Elissa Johnson and Katrina Kenny</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The result is an example of every single horseshoe crab species ever documented, living or extinct – more than 110 in total.</p>
<h2>The ‘living fossil’ that roamed with dinosaurs</h2>
<p>Our atlas can help highlight the unique and complex evolutionary history of horseshoe crabs. </p>
<p>These arthropods (invertebrates with an exoskeleton and jointed legs) survived all mass extinctions. Some have changed in appearance through time. For example, we have completely bizarre fossil forms, such as <em>Austrolimulus</em> – essentially a pick-axe in horseshoe crab form.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/342654/original/file-20200618-41221-18cmqhd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/342654/original/file-20200618-41221-18cmqhd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=440&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/342654/original/file-20200618-41221-18cmqhd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=440&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/342654/original/file-20200618-41221-18cmqhd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=440&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/342654/original/file-20200618-41221-18cmqhd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=553&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/342654/original/file-20200618-41221-18cmqhd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=553&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/342654/original/file-20200618-41221-18cmqhd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=553&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"><em>Austrolimulus fletcheri</em> lived in the New South Wales area during the Triassic. They’re a truly unique species.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Patrick Smith.</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>However, some fossil species look very similar to modern ones. </p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/342656/original/file-20200618-41242-hdtdm7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/342656/original/file-20200618-41242-hdtdm7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=973&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/342656/original/file-20200618-41242-hdtdm7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=973&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/342656/original/file-20200618-41242-hdtdm7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=973&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/342656/original/file-20200618-41242-hdtdm7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1223&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/342656/original/file-20200618-41242-hdtdm7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1223&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/342656/original/file-20200618-41242-hdtdm7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1223&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"><em>Mesolimulus walchi</em>, from the Solnhofen Limestone in Germany.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Russell Bicknell/Paläontologisches Museum, München specimen.</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Compare the Jurassic-aged fossil <em>Mesolimulus</em>, found in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solnhofen_Limestone">Solnhofen Limestone</a> in Germany, to American horseshoe crabs walking along the North American coast today. They are practically the same. </p>
<p>Apart from size differences, horseshoes crabs have changed very little over the past 150 million years or so, earning them the moniker “living fossils”. But while specimens in the fossil record are between 3-30cm long, horseshoe crabs today can grow to more than 80cm.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, horseshoe crab populations have been decreasing significantly due to blood harvesting. There’s now <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/03/horseshoe-crab-population-at-risk-blood-big-pharma">genuine concern</a> humans will drive these organisms to extinction.</p>
<p>Expanding our collective knowledge could help fuel future conservation efforts. Let’s prevent these unique icons of a bygone era from passing into the annals of history. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/giant-sea-scorpions-were-the-underwater-titans-of-prehistoric-australia-141290">Giant sea scorpions were the underwater titans of prehistoric Australia</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/141042/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Russell Dean Christopher Bicknell received funding for this project in the following forms: a University of New England Post Doctoral Fellowship, Betty Mayne Scientific Research Fund, James R Welch Scholarship, and a Schuchert and Dunbar Grants in Aid Program. He is also a member of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Horseshoe Crab Species Specialist Group.
</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stephen Pates is a postdoctoral fellow funded by the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University.</span></em></p>A chemical refined from the blue, copper-based blood of horseshoe crabs helps identify contaminants in medical equipment inserted into humans.Russell Dean Christopher Bicknell, Post-doctoral researcher in Palaeobiology , University of New EnglandStephen Pates, Postdoctoral fellow, Harvard UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1403322020-07-06T19:55:31Z2020-07-06T19:55:31ZHeat-detecting drones are a cheaper, more efficient way to find koalas<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/341754/original/file-20200615-65942-136zydg.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=11%2C2%2C1905%2C1273&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Pixabay </span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>This article is part of Flora, Fauna, Fire, a special project by The Conversation that tracks the recovery of Australia’s native plants and animals after last summer’s bushfire tragedy. Explore the project <a href="https://bushfires2020.netlify.app/">here</a> and read more articles <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=%23bushfire+recovery+2020&sort=relevancy&language=en&date=all&date_from=&date_to=">here</a>.</em></p>
<hr>
<p>Last summer’s catastrophic bushfires burnt about <a href="https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/-/media/OEH/Corporate-Site/Documents/Parks-reserves-and-protected-areas/Fire/fire-and-the-environment-2019-20-summary-200108.pdf">one quarter</a> of New South Wales’ best koala habitat. On the state’s mid-north coast, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/dec/27/australias-environment-minister-says-up-to-30-of-koalas-killed-in-nsw-mid-north-coast-fires">an estimated 30% </a>of koalas were killed.</p>
<p>Collecting the most accurate possible information about surviving koala populations, in both burnt and unburnt areas, will help save these precious few.</p>
<p>But at the moment, accurate information can be hard to come by. A NSW parliamentary inquiry into koala populations <a href="https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/lcdocs/inquiries/2536/Koala%20populations%20and%20habitat%20in%20New%20South%20Wales%20-%20Report%203.pdf">last week found</a> that the fires, and general population decline, meant the current estimate of 36,000 koalas in the state was “outdated and unreliable”. </p>
<p>The report warned that without government intervention, wild koalas in NSW were on track for extinction by 2050. It recommended exploring the use of drones, among other detection methods, next fire season. </p>
<p>For the last year, we’ve been <a href="https://doi.org/10.1071/AM20043">developing the use</a> of heat-detecting drones to find koalas at night. This efficient method will save on costs. It will also help better assess koala numbers – a key step in saving the species.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/341755/original/file-20200615-65956-1araab0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/341755/original/file-20200615-65956-1araab0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/341755/original/file-20200615-65956-1araab0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/341755/original/file-20200615-65956-1araab0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/341755/original/file-20200615-65956-1araab0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/341755/original/file-20200615-65956-1araab0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/341755/original/file-20200615-65956-1araab0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Accurate koala counts are key to successful conservation efforts.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">IFAW</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Promising results</h2>
<p>Koalas camouflage well and are notoriously difficult to detect. Traditional methods such as scat surveys or spotlighting with head torches are often considered either too localised, or <a href="https://wildlife.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2193/0022-541X(2006)70%5B8:OPSFDP%5D2.0.CO;">too labour intensive and costly</a> to efficiently locate and count koalas.</p>
<p>We tested our new koala-locating technique in Port Stephens, NSW, in the winter of 2019. Fortunately, the bush we visited did not burn in the later summer fires. Our method, published today as a study in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1071/AM20043">Australian Mammalogy</a>, was more efficient and cost effective than traditional koala population survey techniques.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/scientists-find-burnt-starving-koalas-weeks-after-the-bushfires-133519">Scientists find burnt, starving koalas weeks after the bushfires</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>How much more efficient? Well, by searching forests at night on foot with spotlights we found, on average, about one koala every seven hours. </p>
<p>Flying the thermal drone at night in the same forests, we found an average of one koala every two hours. And this was in an area with a notoriously dispersed population. </p>
<p>This method could potentially be used to assess koala populations in fire-burnt areas over winter this year.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/341657/original/file-20200614-153827-mbexvu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/341657/original/file-20200614-153827-mbexvu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/341657/original/file-20200614-153827-mbexvu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=239&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/341657/original/file-20200614-153827-mbexvu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=239&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/341657/original/file-20200614-153827-mbexvu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=239&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/341657/original/file-20200614-153827-mbexvu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=301&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/341657/original/file-20200614-153827-mbexvu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=301&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/341657/original/file-20200614-153827-mbexvu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=301&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Koala night-time detection and daylight verification. On average, a koala is 17.1% brighter than the surrounding canopy.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">A. Roff/NSW DPIE</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Drones have big potential</h2>
<p>Victorian authorities used <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/gallery/2020/feb/11/drones-thermal-imaging-australia-koalas-bushfire-crisis">drones</a> during the 2020 summer fires - while fires were still active - to assess the damage in remote areas. Scientists also used drones to help detection dogs find <a href="https://theconversation.com/scientists-find-burnt-starving-koalas-weeks-after-the-bushfires-133519">starving koalas</a> in the weeks after fire. </p>
<p>Our work takes the use of drones further, by detecting koala heat signatures at night. </p>
<p>On several occasions we flew the drone back to a possible koala detection at first light and confirmed the thermal signatures were indeed koalas.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/koalas-are-the-face-of-australian-tourism-what-now-after-the-fires-129347">Koalas are the face of Australian tourism. What now after the fires?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>We travelled to potential koala habitat in the Port Stephens area. Using a drone with a thermal and a colour camera, we flew a lawnmower pattern (meaning back and forth, so no spots are missed) about 70 metres above the ground. We then checked the results in real-time on a handheld tablet. </p>
<p>We flew the drones mostly at night, as initial surveys suggested koalas were more likely to be detected in the early morning before sunrise. Each flight was around 22 minutes long and simultaneously captured thermal and colour video recordings.</p>
<p>During and immediately after each flight, we checked the footage for signs of koalas. If we saw a large infrared “blob” in the tree canopy, we paused the drone to capture GPS data and detailed images.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Qqfwy6yi9Lw?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<h2>Real-life checks</h2>
<p>To make sure these “blobs” really were koalas, we needed to lay eyes on the animals. We did this at first light in two ways: one, by physically walking to the suspected koala location to check with binoculars and two, by programming the drone to fly back over the potential koala detection during the day.</p>
<p>This allowed us to simultaneously collect thermal and very high-resolution colour images. It also meant we could verify night-time detections, even in difficult to reach places. </p>
<p>We learnt that koalas noticed the drone approaching but were not bothered by it.</p>
<p>The drone also detected wallabies, possums, grey-headed flying foxes and a number of birds, highlighting the future potential applications of the technology.</p>
<p>Our team comprised experts from the <a href="https://www.newcastle.edu.au">University of Newcastle</a> and the <a href="https://www.dpie.nsw.gov.au/our-work/environment-energy-and-science">NSW Environment, Energy and Science Group</a> of the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment. We were helped by several local government and not-for-profit groups such as <a href="https://portstephenskoalas.com.au/">Port Stephens Koalas</a>, <a href="https://www.tilligerryhabitat.org.au/">Tilligerry Habitat</a> and <a href="https://faunaresearchalliance.com/">FAUNA Research Alliance</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/341634/original/file-20200614-153812-1p767cr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/341634/original/file-20200614-153812-1p767cr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/341634/original/file-20200614-153812-1p767cr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=199&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/341634/original/file-20200614-153812-1p767cr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=199&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/341634/original/file-20200614-153812-1p767cr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=199&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/341634/original/file-20200614-153812-1p767cr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=250&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/341634/original/file-20200614-153812-1p767cr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=250&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/341634/original/file-20200614-153812-1p767cr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=250&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">On ground observers sight drone detected koalas and identify tree species.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">A. Roff/NSW DPIE</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>How could this help in future?</h2>
<p>Under climate change, increasingly <a href="https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/animals-and-plants/threatened-species/about-threatened-species/key-threatening-processes">frequent and severe fires</a> are likely to drive animal population declines.</p>
<p>A thermal camera won’t be much help in a recently burned area that’s still hot. But our technique could be used to monitor fire-affected bushland in the weeks, months and years following bushfire - even in isolated refuges or difficult terrain.</p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/341756/original/file-20200615-65908-1t1ozlj.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/341756/original/file-20200615-65908-1t1ozlj.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=790&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/341756/original/file-20200615-65908-1t1ozlj.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=790&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/341756/original/file-20200615-65908-1t1ozlj.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=790&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/341756/original/file-20200615-65908-1t1ozlj.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=992&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/341756/original/file-20200615-65908-1t1ozlj.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=992&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/341756/original/file-20200615-65908-1t1ozlj.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=992&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Heat-detecting drones can help koalas after future fire seasons.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Ben Beaden/AAP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In future fire seasons, our method may also be useful for <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/kangaroo-island-koala-rescue-volunteer-kailas-wild-going-home/12008088">wildlife rescue</a>, localised population monitoring, pre-land use surveys (such as before development, logging or <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-back-burning-and-fuel-reduction-20605">hazard reduction burning</a>), and after rehabilitation to check on <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/bushfire-impacted-koalas-in-nsw-monitored-in-new-study-set-to-boost-survival-rates">released koalas</a>.</p>
<p>Australia has an opportunity to lead the innovative use of <a href="https://theconversation.com/to-save-koalas-from-fire-we-need-to-start-putting-their-genetic-material-on-ice-128049">emerging technologies</a> such as drones to help find koalas and other hard-to-detect wildlife.</p>
<p>Other species that can be monitored using drones include <a href="https://wildlife.org/black-bears-become-habituated-to-drones/">bears</a>, <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/3/2/34">monkeys</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/sharkspotter-combines-ai-and-drone-technology-to-spot-sharks-and-aid-swimmers-on-australian-beaches-92667">sharks</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/i-measure-whales-with-drones-to-find-out-if-theyre-fat-enough-to-breed-135684">whales</a>, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global/video/2020/jun/10/great-barrier-reef-drone-footage-allows-researchers-to-count-64000-green-sea-turtles-video?CMP=twt_gu&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium#Echobox=1591759872">green sea turtles</a> and <a href="https://www.acap.aq/en/news/latest-news/2548-surveying-inaccessible-island-s-tristan-albatrosses-with-a-drone">albatrosses</a>. </p>
<p>We plan to continue this work in the winter of 2020 in fire-affected areas of NSW to help understand and conserve koala populations. </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/stopping-koala-extinction-is-agonisingly-simple-but-heres-why-im-not-optimistic-141696">Stopping koala extinction is agonisingly simple. But here's why I'm not optimistic</a>
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<p><a href="https://bushfires2020.netlify.app"><img src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/static_files/files/1103/Explore.gif?1594552012" width="100%"></a></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/140332/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ryan R. Witt receives funding from Taronga Conservation Society Australia and has received funding from the Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment and the Ecological Society of Australia. He is affiliated with the University of Newcastle, FAUNA Research Alliance and is a member of Port Stephens Koala and Wildlife Preservation Society.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Adam Roff is a senior scientist for the Environment, Energy and Science Group at the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment. He is affiliated with the University of Newcastle.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Chad T. Beranek is affiliated with the University of Newcastle and FAUNA Research Alliance, and is a member Port Stephens Koala and Wildlife Preservation Society.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lachlan G. Howell is affiliated with the University of Newcastle and FAUNA Research Alliance, and is a member of Port Stephens Koala and Wildlife Preservation Society. </span></em></p>Koalas are notoriously difficult to detect. Traditional methods are costly and labour intensive. So we found a more efficient way to locate koalas in eastern NSW, using drones.Ryan R. Witt, Conjoint Lecturer | School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of NewcastleAdam Roff, Conjoint Lecturer | School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of NewcastleChad T. Beranek, PhD candidate, University of NewcastleLachlan G. Howell, PhD Candidate | School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of NewcastleLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1370712020-06-07T11:20:21Z2020-06-07T11:20:21ZRattlesnakes on a plain: How cars, pollution and suburbia threaten these mysterious creatures<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/339857/original/file-20200604-67372-1lalp9k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=262%2C305%2C4369%2C3529&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">An adult male western rattlesnake soaking up some sun after emerging from hibernation.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Marcus Atkins)</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Just like the hordes of mountain bikers, hikers and trail runners that migrate from their comfortable couches to more open spaces in spring, western rattlesnakes are also on the move, emerging from deep winter dens to their summer foraging grounds. </p>
<p>For years, <a href="https://karllarsen.sites.tru.ca/publications/">our research group</a> at Thompson Rivers University has been investigating population trends and movements of the world’s most northerly populations of rattlesnakes, found in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia. The western rattlesnake (<em>Crotalus oreganus</em>) is one of three species of rattlesnake found in Canada, and the only one in B.C., although they also live as far south as Baja California.</p>
<p>Snakes are particularly interesting in Canada because their active season — warm temperatures that allow them to go about their lives — is far shorter than it is for their relatives to the south. The harsh Canadian winters limit the places where a rattlesnake can hole up and wait out the snow. This historically lead to dozens of snakes of all different species using communal dens, but this phenomenon is becoming increasingly rare. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/339858/original/file-20200604-67399-6607lg.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/339858/original/file-20200604-67399-6607lg.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339858/original/file-20200604-67399-6607lg.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339858/original/file-20200604-67399-6607lg.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339858/original/file-20200604-67399-6607lg.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339858/original/file-20200604-67399-6607lg.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339858/original/file-20200604-67399-6607lg.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Western rattlesnakes emerging from a winter den.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Marcus Atkins)</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Rattlesnakes are threatened in B.C., and many populations are declining at alarming rates. Although the idea of being rid of snakes may be inviting to some, it will surely have cascading consequences for already threatened grassland ecosystems. For example, rattlesnakes are key players in grassland food chains, acting as mid-level predators that control rodent populations and serve as a food source for larger predators like the endangered North American badger. </p>
<h2>What can you learn from following rattlesnakes?</h2>
<p>Rattlesnakes often <a href="https://doi.org/10.1670/13-138">make substantial migrations from their winter dens to their summer habitat</a>, sometimes several kilometres. The dens are often in secluded areas, yet snakes can encounter a number of dangers on their path. </p>
<p>Perhaps the biggest threat to snakes in Canada is roads, where even low traffic back-roads can have catastrophic impacts on otherwise healthy snake populations. Road mortality is a leading cause of the decline for snakes in B.C. One study found the population was being reduced by <a href="https://doi.org/10.3354/esr01017">6.6 per cent per year, which would lead to a 97 per cent decrease in the population in just 40 years</a>.</p>
<p>Snakes are also threatened by pollution, human persecution and steady habitat degradation and fragmentation. When their habitat overlaps with human landscapes, such as vineyards, orchards, golf courses, campgrounds or hiking trails, they tend to be of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/acv.12208">poorer body condition</a> than snakes that inhabit relatively natural environments. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/339859/original/file-20200604-67368-bjgol0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/339859/original/file-20200604-67368-bjgol0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339859/original/file-20200604-67368-bjgol0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339859/original/file-20200604-67368-bjgol0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339859/original/file-20200604-67368-bjgol0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339859/original/file-20200604-67368-bjgol0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339859/original/file-20200604-67368-bjgol0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A rattlesnake eating a squirrel.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Marcus Atkins)</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Historically a large number of the rattlesnakes in B.C. were found in the Okanagan Valley, a region that is <a href="https://www.investkelowna.com/application/files/7715/3815/6564/2018_Central_Okanagan_Economic_Profile_-_RSPDF.pdf">experiencing one of the fastest rates of urban and agricultural growth in Canada</a>. Unfortunately, this means snake habitat isn’t about to improve. Still, the animals persist in select pockets of quality habitat.</p>
<h2>Beware the ‘danger noodle’</h2>
<p>Despite their iconic buzzing rattle, the warning display for which these animals are named, rattlesnakes are notoriously difficult to find. This is because the rattle that tips off unsuspecting hikers to the presence of a “<a href="https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/blogs/boaty-mcboatface-inspires-internet-rename-animals">danger noodle</a>” is really the last-ditch effort to scare off intruders before the animals resort to biting. </p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/339860/original/file-20200604-67351-1fcbjhp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/339860/original/file-20200604-67351-1fcbjhp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/339860/original/file-20200604-67351-1fcbjhp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=810&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339860/original/file-20200604-67351-1fcbjhp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=810&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339860/original/file-20200604-67351-1fcbjhp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=810&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339860/original/file-20200604-67351-1fcbjhp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1018&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339860/original/file-20200604-67351-1fcbjhp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1018&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/339860/original/file-20200604-67351-1fcbjhp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1018&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Watch your step! Can you spot the rattler?</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Marcus Atkins)</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Rattlesnakes rely heavily on their mottled camouflage to hide among rocks and bushes to avoid detection completely — and they are quite good at it. Their skill at hide-and-seek means it is incredibly difficult for scientists to estimate their population numbers — how can you count something you can’t see? </p>
<p>Because rattlesnakes are so difficult to count, there has only been <a href="http://bcparks.ca/eco_reserve/campbellb_er/ecology_of_northern_pacific_rattlesnake.pdf?v=1587081600179">one comprehensive study of a rattlesnake population in B.C., which dates back to 1985</a>, when graduate J. Malcolm Macartney studied a population on a private cattle ranch.</p>
<p>In an effort to determine how rattlesnake populations have changed over the past 35 years, we have been scrambling up cliff faces in search of the same rattlesnake dens that Macartney surveyed decades ago.</p>
<p>These steep cliff faces, dotted with towering ponderosa pines, give way to lush grassland meadows fringed by azure lake waters. Although the location has not changed, the landscape certainly has. In 1986, just one year after Macartney wrapped up his rattlesnake population study, half of the area was fenced off and established as a provincial park dedicated to recreation. </p>
<p>This creates a unique natural experiment where half of the rattlesnake population has remained on an active cattle ranch closed to the public, and the other half within one of the busiest parks in the area seeing nearly 250,000 visitors per summer. </p>
<h2>Keeping snakes for years to come</h2>
<p>Although we may still be several months away from fully understanding the trends of this rattlesnake population, we have learned much about how these animals interact with the land, and those who share it with them.</p>
<p>Are rattlesnakes that dwell on landscapes largely devoid of humans more likely to be larger and more abundant than snakes in areas with high levels of human visitation? We are currently analyzing our data to answer this very question. </p>
<p>Rattlesnakes living in areas where humans seldom visit also appear more likely to rattle at passersby. Snakes that regularly encounter people are 10 times less likely to rattle than those living in areas undisturbed by humans. </p>
<p>Although this work is very preliminary, it suggests that rattlesnakes are altering their behaviour according to the presence of humans in their foraging grounds. Perhaps they are learning that they don’t necessarily need to waste precious energy with exuberant warnings. </p>
<p>Understanding exactly why these animals are declining and shifting their behaviour is a much more complicated issue, but it brings to attention the delicate balance between conservation and recreation. If we hope to keep rattlesnakes around, we will have to adjust how we interact with the limited amount of habitat available to them. </p>
<p>So, if you plan to spend some time in B.C.’s beautiful grasslands, remember to stay snake awake!</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/137071/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Karl Larsen receives funding from NSERC (federal), the Habitat Conservation Trust Fund (BC) and the Forest Enhancement Society (BC)</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Marcus Atkins receives funding from the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, the Forest Enhancement Society of BC, and BC Parks.</span></em></p>At current rates, the rattlesnake population in British Columbia could be severely depleted by 2060.Karl Larsen, Professor, Department of Natural Resource Sciences, Thompson Rivers UniversityMarcus Atkins, MSc. Student, Environmental Science, Thompson Rivers UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1386212020-06-04T04:20:30Z2020-06-04T04:20:30ZBack from extinction: a world first effort to return threatened pangolins to the wild<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/335527/original/file-20200517-138629-1y8hfvn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=11%2C449%2C3049%2C1746&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Alex Braczkowski</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Pangolins are <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/what-is-a-pangolin">one of the most</a> illegally trafficked animals on the planet and are <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/30/global-report-new-clues-about-how-coronavirus-formed-as-us-severs-ties-with-who">suspected to be linked</a> to the current coronavirus pandemic.</p>
<p>Pangolins are also one of the world’s most <a href="https://www.pangolins.org/tag/endangered-species/">threatened species</a> but new efforts are underway to reintroduce pangolins to parts of Africa where the animal has been extinct for decades.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-australian-birds-can-teach-us-about-choosing-a-partner-and-making-it-last-125734">What Australian birds can teach us about choosing a partner and making it last</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<p>The reintroduction of pangolins has not been easy. But it’s vital to prevent this shy, mysterious creature from being lost forever.</p>
<h2>A cute but threatened species</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/what-is-a-pangolin">Pangolins</a> are the only mammals wholly-covered in scales, which they use to protect themselves from predators. They can also curl up into a tight ball.</p>
<p>They eat mainly ants, termites and larvae which they pick up with their sticky tongue. They can grow up to 1m in length from nose to tail and are sometimes referred to as scaly anteaters.</p>
<p>But <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128155073000332" title="Chapter 33 - Conservation strategies and priority actions for pangolins">all eight</a> pangolin species are classified as “<a href="https://www.pangolins.org/tag/endangered-species/">threatened</a>” under International Union for Conservation of Nature <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=pangolin&searchType=species">criteria</a>. </p>
<p>There is an unprecedented demand for their scales, primarily from countries in Asia and <a href="https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/conl.12389" title="Assessing Africa‐Wide Pangolin Exploitation by Scaling Local Data">Africa</a> where they are used in food, cultural remedies and <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/141072b0" title="Chinese Medicine and the Pangolin">medicine</a>. </p>
<p>Between 2017 and 2019, seizures of pangolin scales <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2020/02/pangolin-scale-trade-shipments-growing/">tripled in volume</a>. In 2019 alone, 97 tons of pangolin scales, equivalent to about 150,000 animals, were <a href="https://oxpeckers.org/2020/03/nigeria-steps-up-for-pangolins/">reportedly</a> intercepted leaving Africa.</p>
<p>There is further evidence of the illegal trade in pangolin species openly on <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/coronavirus-pangolins-outbreak-endangered-species-wildlife-trafficking-a9504776.html">social media platforms</a> such as Facebook.</p>
<p>The intense global trafficking of the species means the entire order (<em>Pholidota</em>) is threatened with <a href="https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/conl.12389" title="Assessing Africa‐Wide Pangolin Exploitation by Scaling Local Data">extinction</a>. For example, the Temminck’s pangolins (<em>Smutsia temminckii</em>) went extinct in South Africa’s KwaZulu Natal Province three decades ago.</p>
<h2>Reintroduction of an extinct species</h2>
<p>Each year in South Africa the African Pangolin Working Group (<a href="https://africanpangolin.org/">APWG</a>) retrieves between 20 and 40 pangolins through intelligence operations with security forces.</p>
<p>These pangolins are often-traumatised and injured and are admitted to the <a href="http://www.johannesburgwildlifevet.com/our-hospital">Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital</a> for extensive medical treatment and rehabilitation before they can be considered for release.</p>
<p>In 2019, seven rescued Temminck’s pangolins were reintroduced into South Africa’s <a href="https://www.andbeyond.com/destinations/africa/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/phinda-private-game-reserve/">Phinda Private Game Reserve</a>in the KwaZulu Natal Province.</p>
<p>Nine months on, five have survived. This reintroduction is a world first for a region that last saw a viable population of this species in the 1980s.</p>
<p>During the release, every individual pangolin followed a strict regime. They needed to become familiar with their new surroundings and be able to forage efficiently.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/335954/original/file-20200519-83384-16p7a3e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/335954/original/file-20200519-83384-16p7a3e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/335954/original/file-20200519-83384-16p7a3e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335954/original/file-20200519-83384-16p7a3e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335954/original/file-20200519-83384-16p7a3e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335954/original/file-20200519-83384-16p7a3e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335954/original/file-20200519-83384-16p7a3e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335954/original/file-20200519-83384-16p7a3e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Pangolins curl up into a tight ball of scales.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Alex Braczkowski</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Previous releases, including early on in South Africa and in other countries such as the <a href="https://pcsd.gov.ph/igov/2020/01/30/twenty-philippine-pangolins-released-back-into-the-wild/">Philippines</a>, the <a href="https://newsroom.wcs.org/News-Releases/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/13877/Its-UN-World-Wildlife-Day-Today-March-3-Rare-Giant-Pangolin-Seized-from-Poachers-Rescued-and-Released-by-WCS-and-Partners-in-Congo.aspx">Democratic Republic of the Congo</a> and <a href="https://www.discoverwildlife.com/news/rescued-pangolin-released-back-into-the-wild/">Thailand</a> had minimal post-release monitoring.</p>
<p>Pangolins released immediately following medical treatment had a low level of survival for various reasons, including inability to adapt to their release sites. </p>
<h2>A ‘soft release’ in to the wild</h2>
<p>The process on Phinda game reserve involved a more gentle ease into re-wilding a population in a region that had not seen pangolins for many decades. </p>
<p>The soft release had two phases:</p>
<ol>
<li>a pre-release observational period</li>
<li>an intensive monitoring period post release employing GPS satellite as well as VHF tracking tags. </li>
</ol>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/335533/original/file-20200517-138610-1w0ip8s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/335533/original/file-20200517-138610-1w0ip8s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/335533/original/file-20200517-138610-1w0ip8s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335533/original/file-20200517-138610-1w0ip8s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335533/original/file-20200517-138610-1w0ip8s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335533/original/file-20200517-138610-1w0ip8s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335533/original/file-20200517-138610-1w0ip8s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335533/original/file-20200517-138610-1w0ip8s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A satellite tag is fitted to each pangolin before release and transmits its location on an hourly basis.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Alex Braczkowski</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The pre-release period lasted between two to three weeks and were characterised by daily walks (three to five hours) of individuals on the reserves. These walks were critical for acclimatising individuals to the local habitat, its sounds, smells and possible threats. It also helped them source suitable and sufficient ant and termite species for food.</p>
<p>Following that, the post release period of two to three months involved locating released pangolins daily at first, and then twice per week where they were weighed, a rapid health assessment was made and habitat features such as burrows and refuges monitored. </p>
<p>Phinda reserve manager Simon Naylor said: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>A key component of the post release period was whether individuals gained or maintained their weight.</p>
<p>The way the animals move after release also reveals important clues to whether they will stay in an area; if they feed, roll in dung, enter burrows. Much of this behaviour indicates site fidelity and habitat acceptance.</p>
</blockquote>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/no-aussie-bats-wont-give-you-covid-19-we-rely-on-them-more-than-you-think-137168">No, Aussie bats won’t give you COVID-19. We rely on them more than you think</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Following nine months of monitoring and tracking, five of the seven survived in the region. One died of illness while the other was killed by a Nile crocodile. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/335534/original/file-20200517-138665-ll321d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/335534/original/file-20200517-138665-ll321d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/335534/original/file-20200517-138665-ll321d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335534/original/file-20200517-138665-ll321d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335534/original/file-20200517-138665-ll321d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335534/original/file-20200517-138665-ll321d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335534/original/file-20200517-138665-ll321d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335534/original/file-20200517-138665-ll321d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Released pangolins are located at burrows like this one.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Alex Braczkowski</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Why pangolin reintroduction is important</h2>
<p>We know so little about this group of mammals that are vastly understudied and hold many secrets yet to be discovered by science but are on the verge of collapse.</p>
<p>The South African and Phinda story is one of hope for the Temminck’s pangolin where they once again roam the savanna hills and plains of Zululand.</p>
<p>The process of relocating these trade animals back into the wild has taken many turns, failures and tribulations but, the recipe of the “soft release” is working.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/138621/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Duan Biggs receives funding from Australian Research Council, Luc Hoffmann Institute.
</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Raymond Jansen is affiliated with the African Pangolin Working Group as founder and chairman of this non-profit organisation. Furthermore, I was responsible for retrieving these pangolins out of the illegal wildlife trade. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alexander Richard Braczkowski and Christopher J. O'Bryan do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Pangolins are illegally traded, linked to the coronavirus pandemic and driven to extinction in some areas. That’s why it’s vital to reintroduce this threatened species back into the wild.Alexander Richard Braczkowski, Research Associate, Griffith UniversityChristopher J. O'Bryan, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of QueenslandDuan Biggs, Senior Research Fellow Social-Ecological Systems & Resilience, Griffith UniversityRaymond Jansen, Professor: Zoology & Ecology, Tshwane University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.