The dingo is thought to have arrived in Australia from Asia about 5,000 years ago. It is currently in danger because of interbreeding with domestic dogs. Several morphological, behavioral, and reproductive characteristics distinguish dingoes from domestic dog. Skull morphometrics are currently used to try to classify wild canids as pure dingo, dog, or hybrid. Molecular techniques based on diagnostic DNA differences between dogs and dingoes would make a much more reliable and practical test. A small number of markers (about 10) would allow detection of animals with domestic dog in their ancestry several generations back. We have typed 16 dingoes and 16 dogs of mixed breed for 14 microsatellites. The amount of variation in the Australian dingo is much less than in domestic dogs. The size distributions of microsatellites in the two groups usually overlap. The number of alleles in the dingo is much smaller in all cases. One dinucleotide repeat locus shows a size difference of 1 bp in allele classes between dog and dingo. This locus may be diagnostic for dog or dingo ancestry. The differences in distributions of alleles at other loci can also be used to classify animals using a likelihood method.

Author(s): Sweitzer, Rick A. | Abstract: Feral pigs (Sus scrofa) are an exotic ungulate which have been widely introduced worldwide with multiple ecosystem and economic consequences. The author conducted a semi-comprehensive literature review directed at identifying the current state of knowledge related to the effects of feral pigs on island and mainland plant and animal communities. Also, the author describes the situation in California where feral pigs that were introduced in the late 1700s are now widespread due to hunting-related introductions and natural range extensions. Feral pigs on predator-free oceanic islands are a serious conservation problem because they attain high densities and have contributed to near-extinctions and extinctions of multiple endemic plants and vertebrates. In mainland ecosystems, however, feral pigs can have both positive and negative effects depending on the local circumstances. Rooting, for example, can have both positive and negative effects on growth and survival of some trees, soils and soil processes, and the distribution of native and exotic grasses. In general, however, the negative effects of rooting by feral pigs are amplified when population densities are high. Feral pigs may compete with native species for limited resources, but there are limited data relevant to this hypothesis. Based on observations of small amounts of animal matter in their diets, feral pigs eat terrestrial vertebrates and eggs of ground nesting birds, but the importance of predation by feral pigs on native vertebrates is poorly known. Feral pigs also may have important indirect effects in mainland ecosystems by providing a new prey base for native predators which may then increase. In areas of Europe with extant wolf (Canis lupus) populations, wild boar (Sus scrofa) are an important prey species which may be facilitating numerical and geographic recoveries of wolves. Because wild boar are important prey for endangered Amur tigers (Panthera tigris), they are considered important for recovering tiger populations. In Australia, feral pigs are potentially important prey for dingoes (Canis familiaris dingo); whereas, in the United States, endangered Florida panthers (Felis concolor coryi) consumed 23% to 59% feral pigs, and mountain lions (Felis concolor) in Texas and California consumed 5% to 38% feral pigs. Research needs for feral pigs include quantitatively assessing: 1) how acorn foraging by feral pigs limits or influences regeneration of oaks (Quercus sp.); 2) the competitive effects of feral pigs on native species; 3) whether direct predation by feral pigs suppresses small vertebrate populations; and 4) how the availability of feral pigs as prey influences native predator populations.

A total of 1,554 dogs from 5 countries on 3 continents were tested for antibodies to Neospora caninum using an indirect fluorescent antibody test. In Australia, overall, 42/451 (9%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 6-12%) dogs were seropositive (Melbourne 11/207 [5%, 95% CI 2-9%]; Sydney 18/150 [12%, 95% CI 7-18%]; Perth 13/94 [14%, 95% CI 8-22%]). Antibodies to N. caninum were also detected in dogs in South America (Uruguay [20%, 95% CI 16-24%, n = 414]) and sub-Saharan Africa (Tanzania [22%, 95% CI 12-36%, n = 49]). In contrast, only 1 of 500 dogs tested from the Falkland Islands and none of 140 dogs from Kenya was seropositive. Of wild canids, 1/54 (2%, 95% CI 0-10%) British foxes and 15/169 (9%, 95% CI 5-14%) Australian dingoes had antibodies to N. caninum.

To study the efficacy of multiple striate keratotomy for the treatment of persistent corneal erosions suspected to be caused by primary corneal epithelial basement membrane disease. A retrospective study. 16 dogs, three cats and one Australian dingo. A technique called multiple striate keratotomy was used to treat twenty animals suffering from persistent corneal erosions. All persistent corneal erosions healed with only one treatment. Most cases healed within 2 weeks. One case developed a second erosion in the same eye but in a different position to the original erosion. Multiple striate keratotomy is a safe, effective and well tolerated technique for the treatment of persistent corneal erosions thought to be caused by corneal epithelial basement membrane disease.

The current knowledge is reviewed of the diet and predator–prey relationships of the feral cat (Felis catus), fox (Vulpes vulpes) and dingo (Canis familiaris dingo) (including wild dogs). The effect of forest fragmentation by roads on the use of native forest ecosystems by these species and the significance of this for native fauna is considered. The cat, fox and dingo are significant predators in Australia that interact with native fauna in various ways, including predation, competition for resources, and transmission of disease. On the basis of current knowledge, it is clear that the nature and impact of predation by the cat, fox and dingo on native fauna are primarily determined by prey availability, although there are exceptions to this rule. Generally, dingoes prey upon large to medium-sized prey species (e.g. wallabies, common wombats, and possums), foxes prey upon medium-sized to small prey (e.g. possums and rats) and consume a significant component of scavenged material and vegetation, while cats also prey upon medium-sized to small prey, but may have a greater proportion of reptiles and birds in their diet. The cat is generally considered to be an opportunistic predator and to have contributed to the demise of a number of mammals. The fox is considered more of a threat to small native mammals and it has been asserted that all species of mammals that fall within the critical weight range (CWR) of 120–5000 g are at risk of local extinction when the fox is present. The severity of the impact of the dingo upon the native fauna is considered to be minimal, at least in comparison with the impact that the cat and fox can have on populations. The dingo is not considered a threat to CWR mammals in undisturbed environments. The fox, feral cat and dingo are all considered to have the ability to selectivity prey upon species and, to some extent, individual sexes and age-classes of a number of larger prey species. Although many of Australia's forested areas are relatively heavily fragmented by roads, there are no published studies specifically investigating the use of roads by feral predators. Information on the distribution and abundance of foxes, cats and dingoes in these ecosystems, their ecology and their impact on native fauna is particularly limited. Further, the extent to which roads influence the distribution and abundance of these species and the consequences of these for native fauna are poorly known. One of the most important research needs is to establish the relative impact that exotic predators may have on native fauna under varying degrees of road construction within native forests. For example, are areas with and without roads in forests used differently by exotic predators and what is the significance of this in terms of the potential impact on fauna? The extent to which feral predators forage away from roads needs further investigation, as does the rates of predation within edges, because this may have several consequences for the design, location and size of retained strips and wildlife corridors as well as restoration programmes. Further observations on regional differences influencing predator–prey interactions are required, as is research on the potential impacts on native fauna resulting from prey selection in forests subjected to various degrees of fragmentation and modification.

Patterns and causes of extinction and decline in Australian conilurine rodents

A total of 131 non-marine species of native mammals, including the Dingo Canis familiaris dingo, has been recorded in New South Wales since the early days of European settlement in 1788. Twenty-nine of these species are now extinct in the State; 21 species remain extant beyond the borders of New South Wales while eight species are entirely extinct. Most losses (21 species) occurred before 1900, particularly in the arid western region of the State. Overall, State-level extinctions represent 39.3 per cent of native rodents (11 of 28 species), 27.0 per cent of marsupials (17 of 63 species) and 2.7 per cent of bats (one of 37 species). Forty-eight extant species of native mammals are considered to be presently endangered, including 20 species of marsupials, nine rodents and 19 ba1s; the distributions of most encompass eastern New South Wales. Three scenarios are presented for the State's native mammals for the year 2038, ranging from optimistic (16 species are added to the present list by discoveries and taxo...

The Last Pack of Dingos

The dimensions of testes, epididymides and spermatozoa of Australian dingoes (Canis familiaris dingo) and a sample of domestic dogs (Canis familiaris familiaris), chosen to lie within the range of dingo body weights, were compared. There were no significant differences for body weight or testis weight but total epididymal weight, the caput + corpus weights and sperm numbers in the cauda epididymidis were significantly larger in dogs. Dimensions of the spermatozoa were similar for dogs and dingoes except for a small but significantly larger head length in dingoes. Seminiferous tubule diameters were significantly larger in dingoes and epididymal tubule diameters were similar in dogs and dingoes except for significantly wider tubules in the cauda of dogs. The estimated length of tubules in the total epididymis and in the cauda was significantly greater in dogs than in dingoes. Greater size of the epididymis and especially of the cauda epididymidis probably reflect selection for larger sperm stores in free-ranging domestic dogs where there is a greater chance of intermale sperm competition. Two possible hybrids (determined by skull morphometry) were intermediate between dogs and dingoes for some of these dimensions.

Millions of dollars are spent trapping and poisoning dingoes (Canis familiaris dingo) in Australia but these methods are very inefficient because of the lack of an effective lure. Consequently, we designed a screening test of potential lures that would accurately reflect the attractiveness of lures to free-living dingoes. We elicited responses from captive dingoes to a range of chemicals, and a field trial was conducted to correlate pen test and field trial results

Environmental influences on the ability of captive dingoes (Canis familiaris dingo) to find meat baits were studied, because the ability of dingoes to find a bait or lure is important to their control in Australia. The time of day, temperature, wind speed, and humidity had little effect. There was a tendency for dingoes to take longer to find European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and offal, and when a tail wind was present dingoes were slower (P=0.002) finding baits. In general, environmental effects were small and these factors are likely to have little influence on a dingo's ability to find a poison bait, or detect the odor of an attractant associated with a trap

The dingo (Canis familiaris dingo) had one breeding period per year. Most matings took place in April/May and most births in June/July. All males in their first year exhibited a testis response similar to that in older males, but the peak in that response was reached two months later and the prostate reached only half the weight of the prostate of old males. Some older females did not produce young and only a small percentage of females bred in their first year. Crossbreed canids [dingo xferal dog (Canis familiaris familiaris)] did not follow the same reproductive pattern as the dingo. Several testis parameters did not show the marked seasonal variation seen in the dingo. Also, crossbreeds had larger litters than dingoes and some bred throughout the year. A major difference in reproductive response was detected between flush and drought periods in arid central Australia. Males and females responded one month later during drought periods. During drought, fewer older females and no first-year females bred and males demonstrated a reduced and delayed reproductive response. Social constraints on reproduction have been shown in young dingoes, but in this study a lack of food due to drought may have had a greater influence.

Between 1975 and 1984, 105 radio-collared dingoes, Canis familiaris dingo, were tracked and observed from aircraft on the Fortescue River in Western Australia. Dingoes maintained strong site fidelity and seldom travelled far beyond their territories. In total, 81 forays (moves > 2km beyond territory boundaries) were identified from 6598 independent locations of pack members; 80 were < 10km from territory boundaries. Forays involved individuals as well as small groups; 68.2% of 22 confirmed individual forays were made by males. Forays occurred in all seasons and years. Some forays appeared to be related to subsequent dispersal. A total of 25 dingoes dispersed as solitary individuals. Mean dispersal distance beyond known pack territories was 20.1km (n = 19, range = 1-184 km). Males tended to disperse further than females and had a higher incidence of dispersal. Five groups of pack members and one entire pack also dispersed. The incidence of dispersal was highest when population density was high and food supply was low. Dispersal was facilitated by the availability of vacant areas. Humans caused much of the mortality of dispersing dingoes. The patterns of dispersal by individuals and groups, and the factors that influence them are similar for dingoes and the related canid, the wolf, Canis lupus. Control work in buffer zones must provide a satisfactory dispersal sink to minimise the risk of incursions by dingoes into livestock-grazing areas.

Between 1975 and 1984, 105 radio-collared dingoes, Canis familiaris dingo, were tracked and observed from aircraft on the Fortescue River in Western Australia. The majority of dingoes were members of 18 territorial packs, including four pairs. Five packs were monitored for more than three years. Most bitches became pregnant, including those 9-10 months old, although not all litters were raised. Packs raised an average of 1.1 litters per year. Instances of packs raising the litters of two bitches in a year were recorded. The area (up to 400km*2) was covered initially (1975-78) by a mosaic of stable pack territories. Little emigration occurred and population density rose to a peak of 22.2 dingoes per 100km*2 in 1978 due to an increase in pack size. Perturbations to the social system, including disintegration of some packs, an increase in emigration, shifts of pack territories and contraction of territories into the most favoured areas, coincided with high population density and a reduced food supply. After aerial baiting in 1980 killed all the dingoes from the study site, immigrants from surrounding areas established a new population. The increase in density was moderated by the formation of new pairs or packs that occupied surrounding vacant areas. The dispersal strategy of pack members was a major factor affecting the population density of dingoes in the study area.

This paper reports aspects of a long-term study (1975-84) of the ecology, social organisation and behaviour of dingoes, Canis familiaris dingo, on the lower Fortescue River in Western Australia. In all, 170 dingoes were fitted with radio-collars and tracked from aircraft. Dingoes were sighted during 59% of the 13 618 occasions that they were being radio-tracked during the day. Radio-tracking yielded 31 229 daytime and 3016 night-time locations of radio-collared dingoes. The average duration of radio contact with 146 dingoes was 9 months (range 1-35 months). Dingoes were most active around sunrise and sunset, moderately active during the night, and least active during the heat of the day. Travelling (local meandering and more purposeful movement) was the most commonly witnessed activity. Levels of scent-marking (raised-leg urination and ground-scratching), howling and general activity increased over the 2-3 months prior to the mating period, suggesting that dingoes may have a long pro-oestrus (1-2 months). Whelping took place from mid-May to mid-August (mean date 18 July). The characteristics of natal dens are described. The pattern of activities associated with pup-rearing, including alloparental behaviour, closely followed that of related canids.

Observations from aerial radio-tracking were used together with analysis of scat and stomach samples to investigate the feeding ecology of dingoes, Canis familiaris dingo, on the lower Fortescue River in Western Australia. Between 1977 and 1984, 1948 records of hunting and feeding were obtained, and 352 scats and 119 stomachs were collected. Dingoes preyed predominantly on kangaroos, Macropus robustus and M. rufus, the most abundant and widely distributed of the larger native mammals in the area. In one site dingoes partially switched to alternative food (smaller prey and cattle carrion) when kangaroo abundance declined. However, they continued to hunt and kill kangaroos even when easyto- obtain cattle carrion was available. The increased utilisation of smaller prey by dingoes coincided with changes in sociality (disintegration of packs and an increased number of solitary dingoes). In a sheepgrazing area, sheep were 'easy' prey and dingoes killed sheep and kangaroos in excess of their needs for food, although kangaroo remained a major component of their diet. Dingoes cooperating in groups were more successful than solitary dingoes in hunting large prey (kangaroos, calves). Cooperative effort was not required for dingoes to catch or kill sheep.

Dingoes, Canis familiaris dingo, were studied on the lower Fortescue River during a period when minimal natural or artificial disturbances occurred. From 1975 to 1978, 34 radio-collared dingoes were tracked and observed from aircraft for 2-36 months (mean 11 months). Tracking yielded 9179 daytime and 2229 night-time locations. In all, 25% of dingoes sighted were alone, 21% were in pairs, and 54% were in groups of three or more. Most dingoes were members of five discrete packs (mean monthly pack size 3-12 members) that occupied long-term essentially non-overlapping territories. Territory size (44.5-113.2km*2) was not correlated with pack size. Between-pack encounters were extremely rare. Members of packs were most often seen in smaller groups of variable size (mean 2.2, range 1-12); the largest observed groups of pack members were associated with feeding and hunting activities involving large prey. Dingoes were most gregarious during the prebreeding season. Lone dingoes (n = 3) displayed no pack affiliations, occupied large ranges that overlapped the mosaic of pack territories, and avoided encounters with packs. Dingoes utilised some habitats more heavily than others, with activity often being centred on riverine areas. The greatest seasonal influence on movement patterns occurred during the nursing period when breeding females were mostly confined to den areas. Implications for the control of dingoes, including the strategy of confining control work to buffer zones, are discussed.

Restoration of a wildlife sanctuary in an urban setting: P. F. Rice, Journal of Arboriculture, 17(1), 1991, pp 21–25

Growth curves were derived for captive known-age dingoes, Canis familiaris dingo, and their crosses with similarly sized domestic dogs, C. f. familiaris. Regular body measurements including weight and dried eye-lens weights were used. Age calibration curves and confidence limits were then produced to enable age estimation of animals of unknown birth date. Head length was the better predictor of age up to about 120 days, and eye-lens weight to about 500 days. The only difference in growth patterns in dingoes and crossbreeds from central and southern Australia was between sexes.

Serum samples from 62 dingoes (Canis familiaris dingo) trapped in five areas of southeastern New South Wales, Australia were tested for antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii. Six (10%) of the dingoes had direct agglutination test titers for T. gondii of greater than or equal to 1:64, and four of these animals had T. gondii-specific IgM, suggesting recent exposure.