tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/native-australian-animals-84787/articlesNative Australian animals – The Conversation2023-08-15T01:04:54Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2103862023-08-15T01:04:54Z2023-08-15T01:04:54ZTwo new Australian mammal species just dropped – and they are very small<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540949/original/file-20230803-17-1x5uk7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=15%2C5%2C3378%2C2258&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Linette Umbrello</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>You probably know about the Tasmanian devil. You might even know about its smaller, less-famous relative, the spotted-tailed quoll.</p>
<p>But these are far from the only meat-eating marsupials. Australia is home to a suite of other carnivorous and insectivorous pouched mammals as well, some of them the size of a mouse or smaller. </p>
<p>Tiniest of all are the planigales, some of which weigh less than a teaspoonful of water. <a href="https://theconversation.com/meet-5-of-australias-tiniest-mammals-who-tread-a-tightrope-between-life-and-death-every-night-159239">Despite their size</a>, these fierce predators often take on prey as big as themselves.</p>
<p>To date, there are four known species of planigale found across Australia. We have recently discovered <a href="https://www.mapress.com/zt/article/view/zootaxa.5330.1.1">another two species</a>, both inhabitants of the Pilbara region of northwest Western Australia: the orange-headed Pilbara planigale (<em>Planigale kendricki</em>) and the cracking-clay Pilbara planigale (<em>P. tealei</em>).</p>
<h2>How many kinds of planigale are there?</h2>
<p>The name planigale translates to “flat weasel”, an allusion to their extremely flat heads, which allow them to shelter in small cracks in rocks and clay soils. Planigales are among Australia’s smallest mammals, with some weighing an average of 4–6 grams (and measuring around 11cm in length), and other species a bit larger at 8–17 grams (and 13cm long).</p>
<p>Scientific studies from the late 1970s onward using body-shape and DNA data have suggested there are many more planigale species than we think.</p>
<p>We put these theories to the test, and found that planigales in the Pilbara display unique body shapes and are genetically unrelated to any of the four known planigale species. </p>
<h2>Why have these species only been described now?</h2>
<p>The process of describing these two new species was actually started more than 20 years ago, by scientists who were working at the Western Australian Museum at the time. </p>
<p>Their work began after ecologists conducting surveys for developing mines in the Pilbara were capturing planigales that didn’t really fit the descriptions of the known species. For want of a better option, they were still usually identified as either the common planigale (<em>P. maculata</em>) or the long-tailed planigale (<em>P. ingrami</em>). </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-has-hundreds-of-mammal-species-we-want-to-find-them-all-before-theyre-gone-185495">Australia has hundreds of mammal species. We want to find them all – before they're gone</a>
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<p>Scientists led by taxonomist Ken Aplin began examining specimens held in the WA Museum and sequencing their DNA. These studies helped to confirm the discovery of two new species. </p>
<p>Sadly, Ken fell ill and passed away in 2019. This is where we stepped in. </p>
<p>Through support from the <a href="https://www.dcceew.gov.au/science-research/abrs">Australian Biological Resources Study</a> and the Queensland University of Technology we were able to finish off Ken’s species descriptions and submit the research for publication. This is a crucial step in taxonomy – the species description has to be published before the new name can be considered official.</p>
<h2>What do we know about the new species?</h2>
<p>Both new species occur in the Pilbara and surrounding areas. The orange-headed Pilbara planigale is the larger of the two, weighing an average of 7g (up to 12g for large males) with a longer, pointier snout and bright orange colouring on the head. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540948/original/file-20230803-19-smi94r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A small brown mouse-like marsupial sitting among reddish soil." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540948/original/file-20230803-19-smi94r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540948/original/file-20230803-19-smi94r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540948/original/file-20230803-19-smi94r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540948/original/file-20230803-19-smi94r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540948/original/file-20230803-19-smi94r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540948/original/file-20230803-19-smi94r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540948/original/file-20230803-19-smi94r.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">The cracking-clay Pilbara planigale (<em>P. tealei</em>) has only been found on cracking-clay soils.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Linette Umbrello</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
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<p>The cracking-clay Pilbara planigale is much smaller, averaging just 4g with darker colouration and a shorter face. It has only been found on cracking clay soils, hence its name. </p>
<p>The orange-headed Pilbara planigale has been found on rocky and sandy soils as well, but both species require a dense cover of native grasses to persist. Both species actively forage during the night, while taking shelter during the day.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-140-year-old-tassie-tiger-brain-sample-survived-two-world-wars-and-made-it-to-our-lab-heres-what-we-found-210634">A 140-year-old Tassie tiger brain sample survived two world wars and made it to our lab. Here's what we found</a>
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<p>This means the two widespread species, the common planigale and the long-tailed planigale, do not occur in the Pilbara or on neighbouring Barrow Island, as was previously thought. </p>
<p>There is still a lot more work for us to do as there remain two “species complexes” of planigales. These are groups where genetic data suggests a species is comprised of multiple different forms. </p>
<p>We’ll be following up on this with more analysis to define more of Australia’s tiniest mammals.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/210386/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Linette Umbrello receives funding from the Australian Biological Resources Study program and the Queensland University of Technology. Linette is a Research Associate at the Western Australian Museum.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew M. Baker receives funding from the Australian Biological Resources Study Program. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kenny Travouillon receives funding from the Australian Biological Resources Study Program, and is an adjunct at Curtin University.</span></em></p>The tiny, mouse-like planigales are some of the smallest marsupials around – and there are two more species of them than anybody realised.Linette Umbrello, Postdoctoral research associate, Queensland University of TechnologyAndrew M. Baker, Academic in Ecology and Environmental Science, Queensland University of TechnologyKenny Travouillon, Curator of Mammals, Western Australian MuseumLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2002622023-03-21T21:56:56Z2023-03-21T21:56:56Z25-million-year-old fossils of a bizarre possum and strange wombat relative reveal Australia’s hidden past<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/516251/original/file-20230320-28-1jgitk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=27%2C129%2C6065%2C3388&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Relative of _Chunia pledgei_ named _Ektopodon serratus_ (top left), with _Wakaleo oldfieldi_.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Reconstruction of the early Miocene Kutjumarpu faunal assemblage by Peter Schouten</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Imagine a vast, lush forest dominated by giant flightless birds and crocodiles. This was Australia’s Red Centre 25 million years ago. There lived several species of koala; early kangaroos the size of possums; and the wombat-sized ancestors of the largest-ever marsupial, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/giant-marsupials-once-migrated-across-an-australian-ice-age-landscape-84762">Diprotodon optatum</a></em> (around 2.5 tonnes).</p>
<p>A window onto this ancient time is provided by a little-studied fossil site near Pwerte Marnte Marnte, south of Alice Springs in central Australia. This late Oligocene site yielded the earliest-known fossils of marsupials that look similar to modern ones, as well as fossils from wholly extinct groups such as the enigmatic ilariids, which were something like a koala crossed with a wombat.</p>
<p>While excavating this site from 2014 to 2022, Flinders University palaeontologists have found fossils from many more wonderful animals. In a pair of recently published studies, we name two of these species: a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03115518.2023.2181397">strange wombat relative</a> and an <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02724634.2023.2171299">even odder possum</a>.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512615/original/file-20230228-2325-bo35k9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A dry orange landscape with small shrubs and a group of people sifting through rocks in the foreground" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512615/original/file-20230228-2325-bo35k9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512615/original/file-20230228-2325-bo35k9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512615/original/file-20230228-2325-bo35k9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512615/original/file-20230228-2325-bo35k9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512615/original/file-20230228-2325-bo35k9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512615/original/file-20230228-2325-bo35k9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512615/original/file-20230228-2325-bo35k9.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">Flinders University palaeontologists at Pwerte Marnte Marnte fossil site.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Arthur Crichton</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
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<h2>A toothy wombat</h2>
<p>We discovered 35 specimens, including a partial skull and several lower jaws, from an animal that would have looked a bit like a modern wombat crossed with a marsupial lion (<a href="https://australian.museum/learn/animals/mammals/thylacoleo-carnifex/"><em>Thylacoleo carnifex</em></a>).</p>
<p>Weighing in at around 50kg, it was among the largest marsupials of its time. We named it <em>Mukupirna fortidentata</em>.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512810/original/file-20230301-21-3x3i35.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Two isolated photos of a similarly shaped bone with large protruding teeth at the front" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512810/original/file-20230301-21-3x3i35.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512810/original/file-20230301-21-3x3i35.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=523&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512810/original/file-20230301-21-3x3i35.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=523&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512810/original/file-20230301-21-3x3i35.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=523&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512810/original/file-20230301-21-3x3i35.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=658&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512810/original/file-20230301-21-3x3i35.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=658&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512810/original/file-20230301-21-3x3i35.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=658&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">Left lower jaw of <em>Mukupirna fortidentata</em> compared with that of the southern hairy-nosed wombat.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Arthur Crichton</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
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<p>Everything about its skull and jaws shows this animal had a pretty powerful bite. Its front teeth, for example, were large and spike-shaped, being more like those of squirrels than wombats. These would have enabled them to fracture hard foods, like tough fruits, seeds, nuts and tubers. Its molars, by comparison, were actually quite similar to those of some monkeys, such as macaques.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03115518.2023.2181397"><em>Mukupirna fortidentata</em></a> is only the second known member of a new family of marsupials <a href="https://theconversation.com/meet-the-giant-wombat-relative-that-scratched-out-a-living-in-australia-25-million-years-ago-141296">described in 2020</a> called Mukupirnidae. These animals are thought to have diverged from a common ancestor with wombats over 25 million years ago. Sadly, they went extinct shortly thereafter.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/513450/original/file-20230304-20-xrm8ro.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Illustration of a flat landscape with an odd, grey wombat-like animal with slender legs standing by a pond" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/513450/original/file-20230304-20-xrm8ro.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/513450/original/file-20230304-20-xrm8ro.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=453&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513450/original/file-20230304-20-xrm8ro.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=453&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513450/original/file-20230304-20-xrm8ro.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=453&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513450/original/file-20230304-20-xrm8ro.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=570&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513450/original/file-20230304-20-xrm8ro.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=570&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513450/original/file-20230304-20-xrm8ro.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=570&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">Close relative of <em>Mukupirna fortidentata</em> named <em>Mukupirna nambensis</em>.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Reconstruction of the Pinpa faunal assemblage by Peter Schouten</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
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<h2>A nutcracker possum</h2>
<p>The second species we described is a newly discovered early possum, named <em><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02724634.2023.2171299">Chunia pledgei</a></em>. It had teeth that would be a dentist’s nightmare, with lots of bladed points (cusps) positioned side by side, like lines on a barcode. This tooth shape is characteristic of species in the poorly known, extinct possum family called Ektopodontidae.</p>
<p>The new species is unusual in that it has pyramid-shaped cusps on its front molars. These might have been useful for puncture-crushing hard foods — a bit like a nutcracker.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512815/original/file-20230301-16-xdhza.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Fragmented yellow bone with strange serrated-looking teeth along the top" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512815/original/file-20230301-16-xdhza.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512815/original/file-20230301-16-xdhza.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=419&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512815/original/file-20230301-16-xdhza.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=419&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512815/original/file-20230301-16-xdhza.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=419&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512815/original/file-20230301-16-xdhza.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=527&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512815/original/file-20230301-16-xdhza.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=527&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512815/original/file-20230301-16-xdhza.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=527&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"><em>Chunia pledgei</em> cheek teeth preserved in right lower jaw.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Arthur Crichton</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
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<p>So what did ektopodontids eat? We don’t really know for sure – there’s no animal like them alive today anywhere in the world. Based on aspects of their molar morphology, we infer they were probably eating fruits and seeds or nuts. But they may have been doing something totally different!</p>
<p>Unfortunately, ektopodontids are tantalisingly rare in the fossil record, known only from isolated teeth and several partial jaws. The fossils show they had a lemur-like short face, with particularly large, <a href="https://museumsvictoria.com.au/media/4250/173-187_mmv74_pledge_3_web.pdf">forward-facing eyes</a>. But until we find more complete skeletal material, their ecology will likely remain mysterious.</p>
<p>What remains astonishing is just how little we know about the origins of Australia’s living animals, owing in no small part to a 30-million-year gap in the fossil record – half the time between now and the extinction of the dinosaurs. </p>
<p>At the same time, it’s inspiring to think about the countless strange and fascinating animals that must have once lived on this continent. Fossil evidence of these creatures may still be sitting somewhere in the outback, waiting to be discovered.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/ancient-bilby-and-bandicoot-fossils-shed-light-on-the-mystery-of-marsupial-evolution-159437">Ancient bilby and bandicoot fossils shed light on the mystery of marsupial evolution</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/200262/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gavin Prideaux has received funding from the Australian Research Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Aaron Camens and Arthur Immanuel Crichton 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>Australia’s Red Centre was once a lush forest filled with strange creatures – and we are slowly discovering more about this enigmatic past.Arthur Immanuel Crichton, PhD candidate, Flinders UniversityAaron Camens, Lecturer in Palaeontology, Flinders UniversityGavin Prideaux, Associate professor, Flinders UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1896292022-09-01T01:21:51Z2022-09-01T01:21:51ZScientists release world-first DNA map of an endangered Australian mouse, and it will help to save it<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/481972/original/file-20220831-29-gjvrzk.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C25%2C1914%2C1138&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">David Paul, Museums Victoria</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The native Australian rodent <em>Pseudomys fumeus</em>, named smoky mouse for its colour, was already fighting off extinction when the 2019–20 bushfire season hit.</p>
<p>The Black Summer bushfires, <a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-black-summer-of-fire-was-not-normal-and-we-can-prove-it-172506">which torched more than 24 million hectares</a>, may have killed an estimated 1 billion animals and put more than 100 threatened species at risk. The fires also destroyed more than 90% of the smoky mouse’s habitat, with nine mice even dying at a captive breeding facility near Canberra from bushfire smoke inhalation.</p>
<p>But all is not lost – a newly sequenced reference genome will now help the ongoing conservation efforts of this native Australian species.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/death-by-irony-the-mystery-of-the-mouse-that-died-of-smoke-inhalation-but-went-nowhere-near-a-fire-139906">'Death by irony': The mystery of the mouse that died of smoke inhalation, but went nowhere near a fire</a>
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<h2>Precious pockets of mice</h2>
<p>We haven’t seen wild smoky mice in the Australian Capital Territory <a href="https://www.environment.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/576487/The_Smoky_Mouse_factsheet.pdf">since 1987</a>. In Victoria, the species is only around in the Grampians, Central Highlands and alpine regions, and in New South Wales in the alpine regions of Kosciuszko National Park and southeastern forests near Nullica.</p>
<p>An active recovery plan was established for the mouse in 2006. As part of this, conservationists started two captive populations, with <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-16/endangered-smoky-mouse-released-wild-south-east-nsw/101338246">releases taking place</a> into southeastern forests near Nullica, and a predator-proof reserve in the ACT.</p>
<p>These <a href="https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/threatenedspeciesapp/profile.aspx?id=10686">little native mice</a> are beyond cute, roughly double the size of the introduced house mouse (<em>Mus musculus</em>). Their charcoal fur is soft and silky, and they smell really nice, too. Males especially smell kind of like smoky burnt vanilla; these animals have lovely, calm temperaments.</p>
<p>In the past 12 months, a Museums Victoria Research Institute team has been undertaking surveys to search for surviving pockets of the endangered mouse’s population with an eye towards future reintroduction efforts of captive bred mice.</p>
<p>To support these ongoing conservation efforts, <a href="https://www.dnazoo.org/">DNA Zoo</a> at The University of Western Australia teamed up with <a href="https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/species/8434">Museums Victoria</a> Senior Curator of Mammals Kevin Rowe to sequence a world-first full chromosome-length reference genome for the animal.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A small, grey rodent with round ears looking towards the camera, sitting on a rock" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/481797/original/file-20220830-19040-tvzu0l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=212%2C135%2C1408%2C1376&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/481797/original/file-20220830-19040-tvzu0l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=473&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481797/original/file-20220830-19040-tvzu0l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=473&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481797/original/file-20220830-19040-tvzu0l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=473&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481797/original/file-20220830-19040-tvzu0l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=595&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481797/original/file-20220830-19040-tvzu0l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=595&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481797/original/file-20220830-19040-tvzu0l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=595&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Conservationists have been working to save the smoky mouse with an active recovery plan since 2006.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">David Paul, Museums Victoria</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Protecting what we have</h2>
<p>We can now use this reference genome to inform conservation strategy. Researchers will map 70 individual smoky mouse DNA sequences from across the animal’s habitat range – in the Grampians in western Victoria to southeastern New South Whales.</p>
<p>Increasing our understanding of living wildlife and responsibly stewarding available resources are among the most crucial scientific and social challenges we face today.</p>
<p>Despite great technological advances, there’s much we don’t know about <a href="https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/biodiversity">Australia’s native biodiversity</a>. At the same time, it’s increasingly threatened by wildfires, climate change, habitat destruction, species exploitation and other human-related activities.</p>
<p>Thankfully, we can use genomics to help formulate an informed conservation strategy. That’s because sampling genomic diversity can give us a baseline understanding of how well the species is faring (what biologists call “population fitness”). With that knowledge in hand, we can better design conservation programs.</p>
<p>For example, in endangered species with severely reduced populations, we can avoid inbreeding if we use genomic data to help design breeding programs. That way, the animals will have fewer genes that lead to premature death, and have increased disease resistance.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/weve-decoded-the-numbat-genome-and-it-could-bring-the-thylacines-resurrection-a-step-closer-176528">We've decoded the numbat genome – and it could bring the thylacine's resurrection a step closer</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<h2>Consulting the genetic blueprints</h2>
<p>Obtaining the genetic blueprints for Australian wildlife will create a powerful source of discovery for improving and increasing ecosystem services. A well-designed monitoring framework is crucial to the on-ground success of conservation programs.</p>
<p>As part of the recovery plan for the smoky mouse, we have DNA sequences from individuals in the Grampians, as well as historical samples dating back to 1934 from extinct populations in the Otways and Far East Gippsland. </p>
<p>The Grampians samples are of particular interest. That’s because this population is the most isolated, removed by about 350 kilometres from the nearest known population in the Yarra Ranges of the Central Highlands.</p>
<p>Since 2012, Museums Victoria and partners have trapped, marked and collected samples – ear biopsies and poo pellets, neither of which are harmful to the animals – from more than 200 smoky mice in the Grampians. Thanks to this work, we now have the most numerous and continuous record of the species in Victoria.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="An adorable, rat-like animal with a soft grey coat and cute pink nose" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/481796/original/file-20220830-22-2eix1i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/481796/original/file-20220830-22-2eix1i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=417&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481796/original/file-20220830-22-2eix1i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=417&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481796/original/file-20220830-22-2eix1i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=417&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481796/original/file-20220830-22-2eix1i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=524&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481796/original/file-20220830-22-2eix1i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=524&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481796/original/file-20220830-22-2eix1i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=524&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Some smoky mice have been discovered in the Grampians, far removed from others of their kind.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">David Paul, Museums Victoria</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In addition, <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/295403229_The_status_of_Smoky_Mouse_populations_at_some_historic_sites_in_Victoria_and_survey_methods_for_their_detection">trapping and wildlife camera surveys</a> at more than 100 sites have revealed smoky mouse populations localised to two areas less than 10km from the Victoria Range and Mt William Range, respectively. </p>
<p>Researchers will now be looking for genetic clues on how these animals persisted despite drought, invasive predators and significant fire.</p>
<p>What’s encouraging is how powerful technology – such as genome sequencing, bioinformatics, and more combined together – is now helping us to understand and preserve biodiversity. For the first time in history, we can fast-track and efficiently sequence the genomes of our unique native Australian species.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<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>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/189629/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Parwinder Kaur 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 smoky mouse was already fighting extinction when a devastating bushfire season decimated 90% of its habitat. Thankfully, all is not lost.Parwinder Kaur, Associate Professor | Director, DNA Zoo Australia, The University of Western AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1830282022-07-28T02:59:44Z2022-07-28T02:59:44ZArtificial light at night can change the behaviour of all animals, not just humans<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/474010/original/file-20220714-9357-wgdrw3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C6016%2C4016&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/indian-softshell-turtle-trying-cross-road-742958275">shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>As the Moon rises on a warm evening in early summer, thousands of baby turtles emerge and begin their precarious journey towards the ocean, while millions of moths and fireflies take to the air to begin the complex process of finding a mate. </p>
<p>These nocturnal behaviours, and many others like it, evolved to take advantage of the darkness of night. Yet today, they are under a increasing threat from the presence of artificial lighting.</p>
<p>At its core, artificial light at night (such as from street lights) masks natural light cycles. Its presence blurs the transition from day to night and can dampen the natural cycle of the Moon. Increasingly, we are realising this has dramatic physiological and behavioural consequences, including altering hormones associated with day-night cycles of some species and their seasonal reproduction, and changing the timing of daily activities such as <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-020-01322-x">sleeping, foraging or mating</a>. </p>
<p>The increasing intensity and spread of artificial light at night (<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/13/16/3311/htm">estimates suggest 2-6% per year</a>) makes it one of the fastest-growing global pollutants. Its presence has been linked to changes in the <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2012.0216">structure of animal communities</a> and <a href="https://www.cell.com/trends/ecology-evolution/fulltext/S0169-5347(10)00221-1?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0169534710002211%3Fshowall%3Dtrue">declines in biodiversity</a>. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-attached-tracking-devices-to-west-africas-green-turtles-this-is-what-we-learnt-183858">We attached tracking devices to West Africa's green turtles. This is what we learnt</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>How animals are affected by artificial lighting</h2>
<p>Light at night can both attract and repel. Animals living alongside urban environments are often attracted to artificial lights. Turtles can turn away from the safety of the oceans and head inland, where they may be run over by a vehicle or drown in a swimming pool. Thousands of moths and other invertebrates become trapped and disoriented around urban lights until they drop to the ground or die without ever finding a mate. Female fireflies produce bioluminescent signals to attract a mate, but this light can’t compete with street lighting, so they too may fail to reproduce.</p>
<p>Each year it is estimated <a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-112414-054133">millions of birds</a> are harmed or killed because they are trapped in the beams of bright urban lights. They are disoriented and slam into brightly lit structures, or are drawn away from their <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.1708574114">natural migration pathways</a> into urban environments with limited resources and food, and more predators.</p>
<p>Other animals, such as bats and small mammals, shy away from lights or may avoid them altogether. This effectively reduces the habitats and resources available for them to live and reproduce. For these species, street lighting is a form of habitat destruction, where a light rather than a road (or perhaps both) cuts through the darkness required for their natural habitat. Unlike humans, who can return to their home and block out the lights, wildlife may have no option but to leave.</p>
<p>For some species, light at night does provide some benefits. Species that are typically only active during the day can extend their foraging time. Nocturnal spiders and geckos frequent areas around lights because they can feast on the multitude of insects they attract. However, while these species may gain on the surface, this doesn’t mean there are no hidden costs. Research with insects and spiders suggests exposure to light at night can affect <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30720239/">immune function</a> and health and alter their <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30324009/">growth, development and number of offspring</a>.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1526201563999522817"}"></div></p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/sex-on-the-beach-might-be-fun-for-people-but-its-bad-for-dunes-and-wildlife-171591">Sex on the beach might be fun for people – but it's bad for dunes and wildlife</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>How can we fix this?</h2>
<p>There are some real-world examples of effective mitigation strategies. In Florida, many urban beaches use amber-coloured lights (which are less attractive to turtles) and <a href="https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/sea-turtle/lighting/">turn off street lights</a> during the turtle nesting season. On Philip Island, Victoria, home to more than a million short-tailed shearwaters, many new street lights are also amber and are <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0110114">turned off along known migration pathways</a> during the fledging period to reduce deaths. </p>
<p>In New York, the Tribute in Light (which consists of 88 vertical searchlights that can be seen nearly 100km away) is <a href="https://nycaudubon.org/our-work/conservation/project-safe-flight">turned off for 20-minute periods</a> to allow disoriented birds (and bats) to escape and to reduce the attraction of the structure to migrating animals. </p>
<p>In all cases, these strategies have reduced the ecological impact of night lighting and saved the lives of countless animals.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1542965769444679681"}"></div></p>
<p>However, while these targeted measures are effective, they do not solve what might be yet another global biodiversity crisis. Many countries have outdoor lighting standards, and several independent guidelines have been written but these are not always enforceable and often open to interpretation.</p>
<p>As an individual there are things you can do to help, such as:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>default to darkness: only light areas for a specific purpose</p></li>
<li><p>embrace technology: use sensors and dimmers to manage lighting frequency and intensity</p></li>
<li><p>location, location, location: keep lights close to the ground, shield at the rear, and direct light below the horizontal</p></li>
<li><p>respect the spectrum: choose low-intensity lights that limit the blue, violet and ultraviolet wavelengths. Wildlife is less sensitive to red, orange and amber light</p></li>
<li><p>all that glitters: choose non-reflective finishes for your home. This reduces the scattered light that contributes to sky glow.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>In one sense, light pollution is relatively easy to fix – we can simply not turn on the lights and allow the night to be illuminated naturally by moonlight. </p>
<p>Logistically, this is mostly not feasible as lights are deployed for the benefit of humans who are often reluctant to give them up. However, while artificial light allows humans to exploit the night for work, leisure and play, in doing so we catastrophically change the environment for many other species.</p>
<p>In the absence of turning off the lights, there are other management approaches we can take to mitigate their impact. We can limit their number; reduce their intensity and the time they are on; and, potentially change their colour. Animal species differ in their sensitivity to different colours of light and research suggests some colours (ambers and reds) may be less harmful than the blue-rich white lights becoming commonplace around the world.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/183028/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Therésa Jones receives funding from the Australian Research Council (DP210101915). She is a co-director of the Australasian Dark Sky Alliance (ADSA). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kathryn McNamara is employed as a research associate on an ARC grant awarded to Therésa Jones (DP210101915). </span></em></p>While artificially illuminating the night allows humans to make use of the the night, in doing so we catastrophically change the environment for all other species. How can we fix this?Therésa Jones, Associate Professor in Evolution and Behaviour, The University of MelbourneKathryn McNamara, Post-doctoral research associate, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1594372021-06-04T04:19:52Z2021-06-04T04:19:52ZAncient bilby and bandicoot fossils shed light on the mystery of marsupial evolution<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/396706/original/file-20210423-19-13qlt19.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C2308%2C1136&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">George Aldridge</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Bilbies and bandicoots are less famous than koalas and kangaroos, but several species of these small Australian marsupials are highly threatened. Most of us are unlikely to encounter the nocturnal mammals in the wild, though some species of bandicoots are familiar visitors to gardens in urban areas. </p>
<p>Bandicoots and bilbies are also elusive in the fossil record. Fewer than 25 fossil species have been named to date.</p>
<p>Our <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03115518.2021.1921274">research</a> published in Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology, describes the discovery of new fossil species. These include the oldest known bilby and bandicoot fossils, which will allow us to understand better the evolution of these enigmatic marsupials.</p>
<h2>Pieces of a very incomplete puzzle</h2>
<p>The first fossil bilby ever recovered was discovered by an American palaeontologist, Ruben Stirton, in South Australia in 1955. This fossil was 3.9 million years old, and consisted of a single lower jaw with a few teeth from a species dubbed <em>Ischnodon australis</em>. No other specimens of that species have been recovered since. </p>
<p>Despite many decades of fossil collecting around Australia, no other fossil bilbies were found until 2014. I was researching fossils from the Riversleigh Word Heritage Area in Queensland when I was lucky enough to spot a few teeth which turned out to belong to a primitive bilby. </p>
<p>The new fossil was about ten million years older than <em>Ischnodon australis</em>, and I named the new species <em>Liyamayi dayi</em>. Until now, that was the end of what we know about fossil bilbies.</p>
<p>We have done much better with bandicoot fossils. The first fossil bandicoot, <em>Perameles allinghamensis</em>, was discovered by Michael Archer in 1976 in northern Queensland. </p>
<p>Since then more than 20 species of fossil bandicoots have been named, the bulk of which came from the Riversleigh World Heritage Area. The oldest bandicoot known to date, <em>Bulungu muirheadae</em>, was found in South Australia, and it is about 24.9 million years old.</p>
<h2>The discovery of the oldest fossils known</h2>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/404433/original/file-20210604-25-24uxgi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/404433/original/file-20210604-25-24uxgi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/404433/original/file-20210604-25-24uxgi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=495&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/404433/original/file-20210604-25-24uxgi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=495&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/404433/original/file-20210604-25-24uxgi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=495&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/404433/original/file-20210604-25-24uxgi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=622&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/404433/original/file-20210604-25-24uxgi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=622&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/404433/original/file-20210604-25-24uxgi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=622&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Reconstruction and fossil of the oldest bilby Bulbadon warburtonae.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Art by George Aldridge / photo by Kenny Travouillon.</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>For many years, I was lucky enough to work with Michael Archer and colleagues on the fossils from Riversleigh World Heritage Area. The diversity of marsupials discovered there has massively increased our knowledge of their evolution. </p>
<p>I was later able to work with Judd Case at the Eastern Washington University in Spokane. Case has visited Australia on several occasions to collect fossils in South Australia. Fossil sites around Lake Eyre and surrounding lakes have produced some of the oldest fossil marsupials related to our modern species. </p>
<p>Case had also worked with Michael Archer, hunting fossils in the Lake Eyre reigion. During my visit to the US, Case invited me to study all the bilby and bandicoot fossils he had collected. </p>
<p>In this material, I identified four new species. Two of these are the oldest known fossil bandicoot (<em>Bulungu minkinaensis</em>) and the oldest known bilby (<em>Bulbadon warburtonae</em>).</p>
<h2>Putting a clock on the evolution of endangered species</h2>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/404436/original/file-20210604-15-5r2a5o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/404436/original/file-20210604-15-5r2a5o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/404436/original/file-20210604-15-5r2a5o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=690&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/404436/original/file-20210604-15-5r2a5o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=690&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/404436/original/file-20210604-15-5r2a5o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=690&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/404436/original/file-20210604-15-5r2a5o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=867&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/404436/original/file-20210604-15-5r2a5o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=867&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/404436/original/file-20210604-15-5r2a5o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=867&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Fossils of three newly discovered bandicoot species.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Kenny Travouillon</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Once a new species is discovered, the next step is to work out how it is related to all other known species. This is done with a phylogenetic analysis, which produces a sort of family tree placing the most similar species close together. </p>
<p>My colleague Robin Beck and I found that our oldest bandicoots were part of an ancient group of bandicoots that went extinct around 10 million years ago. In contrast, modern bandicoots have evolved more recently. </p>
<p>Our oldest bilby, however, confirmed previous genetic work showing that bilbies evolved around 30 million years ago. They have slowly adapted as Australia has become more arid, especially since the climate change of the middle Miocene around 15 million years ago.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/159437/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kenny Travouillon receives funding from Churchill Trust (Churchill Fellowship, sponsored by the Australians Biological Resources Study (ABRS)) . </span></em></p>Very few bilby and bandicoot fossils have ever been found. Four new discoveries help fill in the picture of how these elusive animals evolved.Kenny Travouillon, Curator of Mammals, Western Australian MuseumLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1618102021-06-03T03:02:37Z2021-06-03T03:02:37ZCurious Kids: if trees are cut down in the city, where will possums live?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/403904/original/file-20210602-25-1wdv8rh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C45%2C6016%2C3962&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><blockquote>
<p>If trees are cut down in the city, where will possums live? - Millie, age 9, Sydney.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Hi Millie.</p>
<p>Thanks for your question. I worry about this too. </p>
<p>Trees are really important to possums in the city. Like lots of Australian animals, possums depend on hollows — a hole that forms in trees as they get older. Because possums are nocturnal (meaning they only come out at night), they need somewhere safe to curl up and sleep during the day. A nice cosy tree hollow is the perfect place. </p>
<p>Tree hollows are special because they take a long time to make. They usually happen when a tree gets injured and the place where it broke starts to rot away, eventually forming a hole. Most types of gum tree don’t even start making hollows until they’re more than 100 years old. Usually, the bigger the tree, the more hollows you’re likely to find. </p>
<p>Out in the bush, a possum might have lots of different trees and hollows to choose from. Some kinds of possum might have 12 different hollows – 12 bedrooms! Can you imagine?</p>
<p>But in the city, we don’t have as many big trees with hollows, so possums can’t be as picky about their bedrooms. And when a big old tree dies or is cut down, even if we plant a new one we might have to wait hundreds of years before it provides a good possum house. This means the possums have to look for somewhere else to live. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/403906/original/file-20210602-27-18i6ae6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Possums shelter in a roof." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/403906/original/file-20210602-27-18i6ae6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/403906/original/file-20210602-27-18i6ae6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403906/original/file-20210602-27-18i6ae6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403906/original/file-20210602-27-18i6ae6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403906/original/file-20210602-27-18i6ae6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403906/original/file-20210602-27-18i6ae6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403906/original/file-20210602-27-18i6ae6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">People often find possums sleeping in their roof.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-if-our-bodies-are-happy-at-37-why-do-we-feel-so-unhappy-when-its-too-hot-outside-159134">Curious Kids: if our bodies are happy at 37℃, why do we feel so unhappy when it's too hot outside?</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Other possum places in the city</h2>
<p>Now, there are a few other places that possums might find in the city. </p>
<p>They want somewhere dark, dry and warm, and they don’t mind if they’re not supposed to be there.</p>
<p>That’s why people often find possums sleeping in their roof, in old pots in the garden, or even inside a barbecue! </p>
<p>Tiny possums can squeeze into even smaller places. Sugar gliders are sometimes found in electricity boxes, and feathertail gliders might nest in a drainpipe. </p>
<p>It’s amazing how resourceful animals can be! But these aren’t very safe places for possums to make a home. So there are two things we can do to help. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/403905/original/file-20210602-17-12u4l9l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A sugar glider sits on a branch." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/403905/original/file-20210602-17-12u4l9l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/403905/original/file-20210602-17-12u4l9l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=426&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403905/original/file-20210602-17-12u4l9l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=426&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403905/original/file-20210602-17-12u4l9l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=426&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403905/original/file-20210602-17-12u4l9l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=535&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403905/original/file-20210602-17-12u4l9l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=535&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403905/original/file-20210602-17-12u4l9l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=535&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Tiny possums can squeeze into even smaller places. Sugar gliders are sometimes found in electricity boxes.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>1. Protect our city’s big trees</h2>
<p>There aren’t many left, so every single tree is important. And it’s not just gum trees — lots of types of trees make hollows or provide food for native animals. Even dead trees! </p>
<p>Great big trees can get dangerous as they get older because if they drop branches or fall over they could hurt someone. Sometimes tree experts can use cables to keep the trees upright and safe, <a href="https://addiroad.org.au/urban-habitat-tree/">or only cut down the dangerous branches</a>. </p>
<p>Or sometimes we can fence the area so that people don’t walk underneath. If a tree does have to be cut down, scientists came up with an idea to move the <em>whole</em> tree to a new spot — <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-15/giant-gum-tree-older-than-canberra-destined-for-new-home/8027924">like a tree transplant</a>! The tree can’t grow anymore, but it still has all the hollows possums and other animals need to make their homes.</p>
<h2>2. Build new possum homes</h2>
<p>There are lots of different ways to build new hollows for wildlife. Nest boxes (sometimes known as dreys) might be <a href="https://www.wires.org.au/wildlife-info/wildlife-factsheets/making-a-ringtail-possum-home">made out of wood, or old hollow logs, or even pot plant liners</a>.</p>
<p>Sometimes local councils will use a chainsaw to carve holes into trees to make new homes for wildlife.</p>
<p>And other scientists are <a href="https://theconversation.com/urban-owls-are-losing-their-homes-so-were-3d-printing-them-new-ones-133626">using 3D printers</a> to make hollows that mimic the same shapes as real hollows (but we need to make sure the designs are safe).</p>
<p>City trees are so important. They help keep us cool in summer, make the air nice and fresh, and they’re nice to look at. Some of them have been here longer than the buildings.</p>
<p>So protecting trees in the city isn’t just good for possums. It’s good for humans, too.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-why-does-the-suns-bright-light-make-me-sneeze-158133">Curious Kids: why does the sun's bright light make me sneeze?</a>
</strong>
</em>
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<p><em>Hello, Curious Kids! Have you got a question you’d like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to curiouskids@theconversation.edu.au</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/161810/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kylie Soanes has previously received funding from the Clean Air and Urban Landscapes Hub and the Threatened Species Recovery Hub of the Australian Government's National Environmental Science Program. She provides advice to local councils and other land managers on ways to promote biodiversity in cities and towns. </span></em></p>When a big old tree dies or is cut down, even if we plant a new one we might have to wait hundreds of years before it provides a good possum house.Kylie Soanes, Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1371682020-04-30T06:16:02Z2020-04-30T06:16:02ZNo, Aussie bats won’t give you COVID-19. We rely on them more than you think<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/331221/original/file-20200429-110779-bo7bnd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=33%2C92%2C5570%2C2714&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Justin Welbergen</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In this pandemic it’s tempting to look for someone, or something, to blame. Bats are a common scapegoat and the community is misled to believe getting rid of them could be a quick fix. But are bats really the problem?</p>
<p>Australian bats have been in the news recently for two main reasons: the misplaced fear they might carry COVID-19, and overblown reports they carry a koala-killing virus. </p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/newsletter"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/320030/original/file-20200312-116261-a6ugi0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=90&fit=crop&dpr=2" alt="Sign up to The Conversation" width="100%"></a></p>
<p>This recent bad press has seen increased <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-09/bat-deaths-grey-headed-flying-fox/12039936">incidences of disturbing cruelty</a> against Australia’s bats, as well as <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/expert-bats-away-call-for-ridiculous-cull-of-yarra-bend-flying-foxes-20200421-p54lvb.html">calls to cull</a> or “move on” bats that live close to people. Because fewer bats would mean less disease, right? Wrong. Here’s why.</p>
<h2>Debunking bad press</h2>
<p>COVID-19 is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This virus is one of thousands of coronaviruses found in mammals all over the world, most with no impact on people. </p>
<p>A closely related virus has previously been identified in a species of horseshoe bat in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-0820-9">China</a>, so it’s probable the ancestor of the SARS-CoV-2 virus originated in bats.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-is-a-wake-up-call-our-war-with-the-environment-is-leading-to-pandemics-135023">Coronavirus is a wake-up call: our war with the environment is leading to pandemics</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>While several coronaviruses have been detected in various Australian bat species, none are closely related to those viruses associated with zoonotic (animal-borne) diseases like COVID-19, SARS and MERS. And none have been recorded to infect people.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/331650/original/file-20200430-42929-1cbxlp8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/331650/original/file-20200430-42929-1cbxlp8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/331650/original/file-20200430-42929-1cbxlp8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=430&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/331650/original/file-20200430-42929-1cbxlp8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=430&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/331650/original/file-20200430-42929-1cbxlp8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=430&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/331650/original/file-20200430-42929-1cbxlp8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=541&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/331650/original/file-20200430-42929-1cbxlp8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=541&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/331650/original/file-20200430-42929-1cbxlp8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=541&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">More contact between humans and wildlife, through activities such as unregulated wildlife trade can lead to potentially harmful novel viruses spilling over from their natural hosts into new species.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Hume Field, Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Australian bats also recently appeared in the news because of the discovery of a retrovirus in black flying-foxes related to koala immune deficiency syndrome. Some news outlets have falsely suggested bats pose a risk to koala populations. </p>
<p>But <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/117/17/9529.short">the original scientific paper</a> clearly stated the proposed transmission from bats to koalas happened long ago, on evolutionary time scales. What we see in these species today are two separate viruses - there’s no evidence the virus detected in today’s bats can infect koalas, let alone cause disease.</p>
<h2>Aussie bats have had it tough</h2>
<p>There are about <a href="https://mammaldiversity.org/#Y2hpcm9wdGVyYSZnbG9iYWxfc2VhcmNoPXRydWUmbG9vc2U9dHJ1ZQ">1,400 species of bats worldwide</a>, including 81 in Australia. </p>
<p>All of our bat species are native and unique. Most are small, nocturnal, and call outside of the human hearing range, so the average Australian <a href="https://www.artthyneighbour.com/artists/wildlife-photographer-doug-gimesy-puts-faces-to-the-animal-victims-of-human-activity">would be lucky</a> to see more than a couple of species in their lifetime. </p>
<p>This is important to remember when it comes to thinking about how often they actually interact with people.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/331646/original/file-20200430-42942-19a24mr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/331646/original/file-20200430-42942-19a24mr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/331646/original/file-20200430-42942-19a24mr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=334&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/331646/original/file-20200430-42942-19a24mr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=334&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/331646/original/file-20200430-42942-19a24mr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=334&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/331646/original/file-20200430-42942-19a24mr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=419&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/331646/original/file-20200430-42942-19a24mr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=419&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/331646/original/file-20200430-42942-19a24mr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=419&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 selection of Australia’s bat diversity (Top row from left: grey-headed flying-fox; orange leaf-nosed bat; common blossom bat; southern myotis; Bottom row: golden-tipped bat; eastern horseshoe bat; common sheath-tailed bat; ghost bat)</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Justin Welbergen (grey-headed flying-fox, eastern horseshoe bat); Nicola Hanrahan (ghost bat); Bruce Thomson (golden-tipped bat); Steve Parish & Les Hall for remainder of species</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Most Australians tend to think of “bats” as the two species of flying-foxes (or “fruit bats”) we commonly see in our cities: <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/18751/8554062">grey-headed flying-foxes</a> (in the south) and <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/18715/22080057">black flying-foxes</a> (in the north). </p>
<p>Flying-foxes have had a tough few months. Many Eucalypts failed to flower, so food shortages saw <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-19/bat-population-under-threat-in-queensland-mass-starvation-event/11528566">thousands of flying-foxes perish from starvation</a>, and then many more <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/flying-foxes-are-dying-en-masse-in-australias-extreme-heat.aspx">died en masse</a> in this summer’s extreme heat. </p>
<p>They were also <a href="https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/flying-foxes-koalas-worst-affected-by-bushfires-as-australia-zoo-struggles-for-space-20200204-p53xsq.html">heavily affected by the summer bushfires</a> that burnt large tracts of the bats’ winter feeding areas.</p>
<h2>What are bats doing in urban areas?</h2>
<p>Flying-foxes show up in urban areas in search of food. Many residents equate seeing more flying-foxes to the species increasing in numbers, and are frustrated that the bats are classified as threatened. </p>
<p>In fact, grey-headed flying-foxes have experienced substantial <a href="https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/animals-and-plants/native-animals/native-animal-facts/flying-foxes/flying-fox-a-threatened-species">population declines</a> in recent years. While there are currently hundreds of thousands, historical data indicate that <a href="https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/animals-and-plants/threatened-species/nsw-threatened-species-scientific-committee/determinations/final-determinations/2000-2003/grey-headed-flying-fox-pteropus-poliocephalus-vulnerable-species-listing">there were once millions</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/331429/original/file-20200429-51485-1ieos0q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/331429/original/file-20200429-51485-1ieos0q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/331429/original/file-20200429-51485-1ieos0q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=207&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/331429/original/file-20200429-51485-1ieos0q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=207&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/331429/original/file-20200429-51485-1ieos0q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=207&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/331429/original/file-20200429-51485-1ieos0q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=260&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/331429/original/file-20200429-51485-1ieos0q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=260&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/331429/original/file-20200429-51485-1ieos0q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=260&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Part of a flying-fox colony, asleep during the day before they fly out for breakfast at dusk.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Justin Welbergen</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Nonetheless, bats are not always easy to live close to. Their fly-outs make for <a href="http://www.parraparents.com.au/things-to-do/batty-about-bats-parramatta-park/">spectacular shows</a>, but colonies can also create a lot of noise, smell and mess.</p>
<p>This, plus <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-we-shouldnt-be-so-quick-to-demonise-bats-87693">misunderstandings around disease risks</a>, including from COVID-19, has meant <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/in-the-battle-between-humans-and-flying-foxes-bats-win/ar-AAGsKWG">loud voices</a> are calling for the eviction of bats from urban areas by any means possible. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/not-in-my-backyard-how-to-live-alongside-flying-foxes-in-urban-australia-59893">Not in my backyard? How to live alongside flying-foxes in urban Australia</a>
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<h2>Why can’t we just move or cull them?</h2>
<p>Managing bats in urban environments <a href="https://www.ecolsoc.org.au/hot-topics/managing-tensions-around-urban-flying-fox-roosts">is no straightforward matter</a>. Flying-foxes have complex movement dynamics, which makes “dispersing” them from urban areas extremely difficult. </p>
<p>Those who advocate for <a href="https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/animals-and-plants/wildlife-management/flying-fox-management/flying-fox-camp-management/camp-disturbance-or-dispersal-level-3-actions">dispersals</a> to be carried out often cite the Sydney and Melbourne Botanic Gardens as examples of successes. But these took place over months and years, large areas, and cost more than A$2 million each. Relatively cheaper dispersals have also been attempted, but <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/10/2/39">ultimately failed</a>. </p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/most-laws-ignore-human-wildlife-conflict-this-makes-us-vulnerable-to-pandemics-135191">Most laws ignore ‘human-wildlife conflict’. This makes us vulnerable to pandemics</a>
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<p>Culling is an equally <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3411823/">impractical and extremely controversial suggestion</a>. Most Australians accept that needless killing and harming of native wildlife is unacceptable, and <a href="https://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/#/view/act/1979/200">our laws</a> reflect this. </p>
<p>There are the obvious <a href="https://publications.rzsnsw.org.au/doi/pdf/10.7882/AZ.2011.022">animal ethics issues</a>, but from a practical perspective, proposing we could cull (by shooting) flying-foxes in densely-populated urban areas to effectively reduce populations is also completely unrealistic. </p>
<p>What’s more, attempts at both dispersals and culling are known to have the undesirable effect of splintering colonies, and driving stressed bats into surrounding areas (parks, residential backyards, school grounds). Essentially, increasing people’s exposure to bats. </p>
<p><a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2007.1260">Physiological stress</a> could also promote viral shedding. Flying-fox populations are already struggling to recover from severe food shortages, extreme heat events and bushfires. So advocating such actions is misguided, with the potential to amplify, rather than alleviate disease risk.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/331473/original/file-20200429-51508-xenhc4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/331473/original/file-20200429-51508-xenhc4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=303&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/331473/original/file-20200429-51508-xenhc4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=303&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/331473/original/file-20200429-51508-xenhc4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=303&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/331473/original/file-20200429-51508-xenhc4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/331473/original/file-20200429-51508-xenhc4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/331473/original/file-20200429-51508-xenhc4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A Mexican free-tailed bat with insect prey, and a Christmas Island flying-fox covered in pollen.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Flickr: US Department of Agriculture (left); Carol de Jong (right)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Are bats to blame?</h2>
<p>No, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/apr/24/should-we-blame-bats-for-the-terrible-coronavirus-we-should-not-bats-are-our-friends">bats are our friends</a> – we rely on them more than most people realise. </p>
<p>Many bats are voracious predators of insects and their service to the global agricultural industry is worth <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/332/6025/41">billions of dollars each year</a>. </p>
<p>Flying-foxes also help maintain the integrity of forests by providing <a href="https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1523-1739.1991.tb00352.x">long-distance pollination and seed-dispersal services</a>. That makes them integral to the recovery of Australia’s forests from <a href="https://theconversation.com/some-say-weve-seen-bushfires-worse-than-this-before-but-theyre-ignoring-a-few-key-facts-129391">last summer’s fires</a>.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-live-animals-are-stressed-in-wet-markets-and-stressed-animals-are-more-likely-to-carry-diseases-135479">Coronavirus: live animals are stressed in wet markets, and stressed animals are more likely to carry diseases</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The fundamental issue is not the viruses in bats. SARS-CoV-2 is now a human virus, and we are responsible, knowingly or not, for its global spread. </p>
<p>The “epidemiological bridges” that we’ve inadvertently created – which increase our contact with wildlife through encroachment into natural areas, habitat destruction, and unregulated wildlife trade – are what’s really to blame.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/137168/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Pia Lentini receives funding from the Australian Research Council Linkage scheme (LP160100439). She is a Board Member of Wildlife Victoria.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alison Peel receives funding from the Australian Research Council (DE190100710), the US National Science Foundation (DEB1716698) and the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (D18AC00031). She is a member of the Wildlife Health Australia Bat Health Focus Group.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Hume Field has previously been part-supported by the PREDICT project of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) ‘Emerging Pandemic Threats’ program (Cooperative Agreement No. AID-OAA-A-14-00102) and the ‘Understanding the Risk of Bat Coronavirus Emergence’ project of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health (Award No. R01AI110964). He is a member of the Wildlife Health Australia Bat Health Focus Group.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Justin Welbergen receives funding from the Australian Research Council (DP170104272, LP160100439). He is President of the Australasian Bat Society, a not-for-profit organisation that aims to promote the conservation of bats; and is a member of the Wildlife Health Australia Bat Health Focus Group that considers bat health issues in relation to biosecurity, public health, livestock health and environmental impacts.
</span></em></p>Australian bats are getting unfairly targeted. Here’s why we should be giving them a fair go instead.Pia Lentini, Research Fellow, School of BioSciences, The University of MelbourneAlison Peel, Senior Research Fellow in Wildlife Disease Ecology, Griffith UniversityHume Field, Science and Policy Advisor for China & Southeast Asia, EcoHealth Alliance | Honorary Professor, School of Veterinary Science, The University of QueenslandJustin A. Welbergen, President of the Australasian Bat Society | Associate Professor of Animal Ecology, Western Sydney UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1350332020-03-31T19:16:11Z2020-03-31T19:16:11ZMeet Chimbu, the blue-eyed, bear-eared tree kangaroo. Your cuppa can help save his species<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/324195/original/file-20200331-65503-1aa3csp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C7%2C1197%2C665&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Healesville Sanctuary</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Tree kangaroos are so unusual that when Europeans first encountered them in Australia in 1872, <a href="https://epdf.pub/tree-kangaroos-of-australia-and-new-guinea.html">they were sceptical</a>. Who would believe a kangaroo could climb a tree?</p>
<p>But the recent <a href="https://www.zoo.org.au/healesville/whats-on/news/all-hail-chimbu-the-cutest-little-tree-roo-in-the-world/">birth of Chimbu</a> – a Goodfellow’s tree kangaroo at Healesville Sanctuary – gives us the chance to watch one of these unique, and very rare, creatures grow up.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/in-the-remote-cambodian-jungles-we-made-sure-rare-siamese-crocodiles-would-have-enough-food-118264">In the remote Cambodian jungles, we made sure rare Siamese crocodiles would have enough food</a>
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</p>
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<p>The Goodfellow’s tree kangaroo is a <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/6429/21957524">threatened species</a> found in forests in the Central Cordillera mountain ranges of Papua New Guinea, from sea level to high in the clouds. </p>
<p>Chimbu’s birth in September is the latest success of a complex web of international conservation. Zoos and other organisations around the world transfer and match tree-kangaroos to avoid inbreeding and sustain a genetically healthy captive population.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nkEyOk4Kthw?wmode=transparent&start=3" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Chimbu is named after an area in Papua New Guinea where his wild cousins live.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A climbing kangaroo? That’s roo-diculous!</h2>
<p>Europeans in New Guinea <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/24046057?seq=1">first described tree kangaroos in 1828</a>. While there have been plenty of disagreements about who is related to whom, we now know there are <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/tree-kangaroo-facts-about-these-declining-species">14 distinct species</a>.</p>
<p>Early explorers considered the very idea of a climbing roo ridiculous, but these animals are specially adapted to life in the trees. They likely all evolved from a terrestrial ancestor earlier in the Pliocene, 5.3 million to 2.5 million years ago.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/323905/original/file-20200330-146671-1nz1jhs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/323905/original/file-20200330-146671-1nz1jhs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/323905/original/file-20200330-146671-1nz1jhs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=898&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323905/original/file-20200330-146671-1nz1jhs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=898&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323905/original/file-20200330-146671-1nz1jhs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=898&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323905/original/file-20200330-146671-1nz1jhs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1129&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323905/original/file-20200330-146671-1nz1jhs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1129&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323905/original/file-20200330-146671-1nz1jhs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1129&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Tree kangaroos look like marsupial bears, but can climb trees like monkeys.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Healesville Sanctuary</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Tree kangaroos have much longer forelimbs than their ground-dwelling cousins and their claws are much larger and strongly curved. This provides much stronger grip when climbing trees and gripping smaller branches. </p>
<p>They still have large strong hind limbs, but their feet are shorter, broader and have a long curved claw on each toe.</p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/newsletter"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/320030/original/file-20200312-116261-a6ugi0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=90&fit=crop&dpr=2" alt="Sign up to The Conversation" width="100%"></a></p>
<p>The pad of the hindfoot is single, large and with prominent grooves, all of which enhance the animal’s grip when climbing and walking in the canopy. The tails of tree kangaroos aren’t capable of grasping things like a monkey’s, but they’re long and often held out behind the animal for balance.</p>
<p>But perhaps one of the most obvious differences between tree kangaroos and their terrestrial cousins is their adorably small bear-like ears.</p>
<h2>Threatened with extinction</h2>
<p>Two species of tree kangaroos are found in the forests of northeast Australia and 12 species in the jungles of New Guinea. All species of tree kangaroos are <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=tree%20kangaroo&searchType=species">threatened with extinction in New Guinea</a>, although much about these animals is unknown.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/323909/original/file-20200330-146724-50zac7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/323909/original/file-20200330-146724-50zac7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/323909/original/file-20200330-146724-50zac7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323909/original/file-20200330-146724-50zac7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323909/original/file-20200330-146724-50zac7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323909/original/file-20200330-146724-50zac7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323909/original/file-20200330-146724-50zac7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323909/original/file-20200330-146724-50zac7.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>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The current population size is unknown, but this species of tree kangaroo is thought to be declining in the wild.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Healesville Sanctuary</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Traditionally hunted for food, hassled by dogs and threatened by the destruction of their forest habitat, the soft thud of tree roo feet among the trees is falling silent. </p>
<p>But conservation work in their natural habitat and through a globally managed tree kangaroo <a href="https://www.waza.org/priorities/conservation/conservation-breeding-programmes/global-species-management-plans/goodfellows-tree-kangaroo/">captive breeding program</a> is helping not only the species, but the people who live alongside them.</p>
<h2>Baby Chimbu – a new hope</h2>
<p>Chimbu was born in Victoria, but is really an international fellow. His mother Mani came from the National Zoo and Aquarium in Canberra, and his father Bagam arriving from Kreffeld Zoo in Germany.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/323900/original/file-20200330-146712-ve9kgo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=5%2C3%2C1191%2C669&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/323900/original/file-20200330-146712-ve9kgo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=5%2C3%2C1191%2C669&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/323900/original/file-20200330-146712-ve9kgo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323900/original/file-20200330-146712-ve9kgo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323900/original/file-20200330-146712-ve9kgo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323900/original/file-20200330-146712-ve9kgo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323900/original/file-20200330-146712-ve9kgo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323900/original/file-20200330-146712-ve9kgo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Baby Chimbu brings hope to a species nearing extinction.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Healesville Sanctuary</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Mani and <a href="https://www.zoo.org.au/healesville/whats-on/news/healesvilles-first-time-father-turns-five/">Bagam</a> were paired based on the recommendation of scientists and managers who maintain a studbook of Goodfellow’s tree kangaroos around the world.</p>
<p>These gorgeous animals are generally chocolate brown on the back, shading to pale brown or cream on the face and belly, and often with a single or double narrow pale stripe down the back.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/give-us-a-sniff-love-giving-marsupials-scents-from-suitors-helps-breeding-programs-113641">'Give us a sniff, love': giving marsupials scents from suitors helps breeding programs</a>
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<p>Their beautiful striped tails are one of their most noticeable features. And while the current population size is unknown, this tree kangaroo is thought to be declining due to hunting for food, local trading for cultural purposes, and habitat destruction through local deforestation and shifting cultivation.</p>
<h2>Managing tree kangaroos around the globe</h2>
<p>The captive population of Goodfellow’s tree kangaroos in our region is coordinated by the <a href="https://www.zooaquarium.org.au/public/Public/Conservation/Species-Programs.aspx">Australasian Zoos and Aquarium Association</a>. </p>
<p>The plan is to maintain long-term healthy populations that are genetically diverse, stable and <a href="https://theconversation.com/give-us-a-sniff-love-giving-marsupials-scents-from-suitors-helps-breeding-programs-113641">show natural behaviours</a> to ensure the animals are thriving in their zoo homes.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/323911/original/file-20200330-146719-h66f5c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/323911/original/file-20200330-146719-h66f5c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/323911/original/file-20200330-146719-h66f5c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323911/original/file-20200330-146719-h66f5c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323911/original/file-20200330-146719-h66f5c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323911/original/file-20200330-146719-h66f5c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323911/original/file-20200330-146719-h66f5c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323911/original/file-20200330-146719-h66f5c.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>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Chimbu ventured out of his mum’s pouch to sample some tasty salad.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Healesville Sanctuary</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In turn, the regional program is part of a <a href="https://www.waza.org/priorities/conservation/conservation-breeding-programmes/global-species-management-plans/goodfellows-tree-kangaroo/">global species management plan</a> coordinated by the <a href="https://www.waza.org/">World Association of Zoos and Aquariums</a>.</p>
<p>A key feature of these regional/global management programs is to avoid any inbreeding. Detailed histories of all animals in the population are closely managed, and suitable breeding pairs are identified by specialist zoo keepers called “Studbook Keepers”. </p>
<p>This is why Chimbu was born from a long-distance romance and travel by his parents.</p>
<h2>Your cuppa can help</h2>
<p>Supporting wildlife conservation in the wild and with local communities is the driving force for zoos globally. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/323912/original/file-20200330-146695-1bxcwdt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/323912/original/file-20200330-146695-1bxcwdt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/323912/original/file-20200330-146695-1bxcwdt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=1067&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323912/original/file-20200330-146695-1bxcwdt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=1067&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323912/original/file-20200330-146695-1bxcwdt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=1067&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323912/original/file-20200330-146695-1bxcwdt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1341&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323912/original/file-20200330-146695-1bxcwdt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1341&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323912/original/file-20200330-146695-1bxcwdt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1341&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">An international network of captive tree kangaroos helps conserve this species.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Healesville Sanctuary</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
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<p>Although the Goodfellow’s tree kangaroos are officially endangered, we don’t know much about them in the wild. Right now, the <a href="https://png.wcs.org/Wildlife/Good-Fellows-Tree-Kangaroo.aspx">Wildlife Conservation Society</a> is working out how many are in the wild and where, so scientists can develop a detailed conservation program.</p>
<p>Cousins of the Goodfellow’s tree kangaroo, such as the <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/6433/21956650">Matschie’s tree kangaroo</a>, are more well-known and already have conservation programs in place.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/yes-kangaroos-are-endangered-but-not-the-species-you-think-93203">Yes, kangaroos are endangered – but not the species you think</a>
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<p>To help save Matschie’s tree kangaroo, <a href="https://www.conservationevidence.com/individual-study/2218">community programs</a> have emerged to address the economic conditions fuelling their over-hunting. <a href="https://www.zoo.org.au/fighting-extinction/global-programs/international-partnerships/">Zoos Victoria </a>has partnered with the <a href="https://www.zoo.org/tkcp">Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program</a> to <a href="https://shop.zoo.org.au/products/conservation-coffee-jasper-whole-beans">sell coffee</a> grown by Papua New Guinean villagers. This helps create sustainable alternative income and fund conservation.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/324189/original/file-20200331-65528-hbc6cb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/324189/original/file-20200331-65528-hbc6cb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/324189/original/file-20200331-65528-hbc6cb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/324189/original/file-20200331-65528-hbc6cb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/324189/original/file-20200331-65528-hbc6cb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/324189/original/file-20200331-65528-hbc6cb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/324189/original/file-20200331-65528-hbc6cb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/324189/original/file-20200331-65528-hbc6cb.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"></a>
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<span class="caption">Collecting coffee beans for YUS conservation coffee in Papua New Guinea.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Ryan Hawke/Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
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<p>Income from coffee sales generates much <a href="https://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=817607536379617;res=IELAPA">greater access to healthcare and education</a>, major hurdles in these remote villages. Money from sale of the <a href="https://www.iucn.org/sites/dev/files/factsheet11_tkcp_coffee.pdf">coffee beans</a> is the only regular income into these villages.</p>
<p>So if you do decide to visit Chimbu at the Healesville Sanctuary (in person or <a href="https://www.zoo.org.au/animal-house/">virtually</a>) remember you can also <a href="https://shop.zoo.org.au/products/conservation-coffee-jasper-whole-beans">buy some coffee</a> to help his wild cousins.</p>
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<p><em>This article is co-authored by Chris Banks, Manager International Conservation, Zoos Victoria, who has worked with tree kangaroo and community conservation for over 20 years</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/135033/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Marissa Parrott works for Zoos Victoria, a not-for-profit zoo-based conservation organisation, and is an adviser for the global tree kangaroo captive breeding program. Zoos Victoria raises funds for local Papua New Guinean communities and tree kangaroo conservation through the sale of YUS conservation coffee with the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program.</span></em></p>Chimbu is a baby tree kangaroo, and he is the latest success in a complex web of international conservation.Marissa Parrott, Reproductive Biologist, Wildlife Conservation & Science, Zoos Victoria, and Honorary Research Associate, BioSciences, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.