Rodents In Australia Research Articles

Continental‐scale identification and prioritisation of potential refugee species; a case study for rodents in Australia

A species is expected to be most resilient to environmental change when it occurs across a broad diversity of habitats. However, there is often no visual representation of the past (i.e. prehistoric and historical) context for a species in the range maps published by national and global authorities. Therefore, it is easy to overlook the fact that many species once occupied a broader geographic range, or greater diversity of habitats. Such oversights hinder the effective conservation of species that have become restricted to a subset of their formerly occupied habitats. Here, we quantified the shifted baseline that may underpin some of the ecological misconceptions about species, and developed a rapid assessment method to aid the identification and prioritisation of ‘potential refugee species' (i.e. species that have become restricted to a subset of their formerly occupied niche). The assessment of potential refugee status is different from, but complementary to, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List and Green Status frameworks. Our framework defines a continuum of potential refugee status, which was demonstratable in continent‐scale maps drawn from biogeographic regionalisation. Applying this framework to all native rodent species across the continent of Australia (a group that has suffered several extinctions and notable declines), we found that the risk of ecological misconceptions caused by shifted baselines (i.e. resulting from ‘shifting baseline syndrome') was prevalent. This suggests that in many cases, translocation opportunities that might be avoided because they are perceived as conservation introductions (as defined by the IUCN translocation guidelines), may in fact fall within the indigenous range, and should therefore be considered reasonable reintroductions. Ultimately, our potential refugee assessment framework will help to facilitate the undertaking of ambitious translocations that will build species' resilience to environmental change by resuming their adaptation to habitats across all formerly occupied bioregions.

Eight New Species of Sucking Lice (Psocodea: Phthiraptera) From Endemic Murine Rodents in Australia and an Updated Identification Key.

Based on a comprehensive study of museum specimens, eight new species of sucking lice of the genus Hoplopleura Enderlein, 1904 (Psocodea: Phthiraptera: Hoplopleuridae), are described from six genera of Australian Old Endemic rodents: Conilurus Ogilby, 1838 (Rodentia: Muridae), Leggadina Thomas, 1910 (Rodentia: Muridae), Leporillus Thomas, 1906 (Rodentia: Muridae), Mesembriomys Palmer, 1906 (Rodentia: Muridae), Pogonomys Milne-Edwards, 1877 (Rodentia: Muridae), and Xeromys Thomas, 1889 (Rodentia: Muridae). The description of these new species increases the number of sucking louse species from endemic Australian rodents from 13 to 21 and extends the records of sucking lice to all of the 14 genera of endemic rodents in Australia. Our results show that sucking lice are much more diverse among rodents in Australia than previously known. Furthermore, the Australian Hoplopleura species are host specific-each Hoplopleura species, including the eight new species described in the present study, parasitizes only a single host species, except Hoplopleura irritans Kuhn and Ludwig, 1967 (Psocodea: Phthiraptera: Hoplopleuridae) and Hoplopleura melomydis Weaver, 2017 (Psocodea: Phthiraptera: Hoplopleuridae), each of which is found on two host species. An updated dichotomous key for identifying Australian Hoplopleura species is included.

Rapid host expansion of an introduced parasite, the spiny rat louse Polyplax spinulosa (Psocodea: Phthiraptera: Polyplacidae), among endemic rodents in Australia

BackgroundHistorical European exploration and colonization resulted in the introduction of four species of rodents to the Australian continent from Eurasia: the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus, the black rat, R. rattus, the Pacific rat, R. exulans, and the house mouse, Mus musculus. The spread of these rodents created opportunities for their co-introduced sucking lice to parasitize and adapt to endemic rodents in Australia.MethodsWe collected sucking lice from rodent specimens in seven museums across Australia. We identified the spiny rat louse, Polyplax spinulosa, based on morphology. We sequenced the mitochondrial cox1 and rrnL genes of P. spinulosa specimens and constructed a phylogenetic tree with rrnL sequences.ResultsWe examined 989 rodent specimens of 54 species and collected 2111 adult sucking lice and 1064 nymphal sucking lice. We found that P. spinulosa had nearly doubled its host range by parasitizing at least six endemic rodent species in Australia. The other two introduced lice, P. serrata and Hoplopleura pacifica, however, have apparently failed to expand to any endemic rodents in Australia. Our analysis of mitochondrial rrnL gene sequences divided P. spinulosa into two genotypes (European vs Southeast Asian), which differ by 7.5%; both genotypes were introduced into Australia and then expanded their host ranges to include endemic rodents.ConclusionsThe earliest record of a European ship landing in Australia was in 1606, followed by British settlement in 1788. The expansion of P. spinulosa to at least six endemic rodent species in Australia has therefore occurred in the time frame of 200 to 400 years, which is extremely rapid relative to its host expansion to eight native rat species in Eurasia in ~ 16 million years since it diverged from P. serrata. The host expansion of P. spinulosa is remarkable for a blood-sucking louse and is in stark contrast to the absence of host expansion by P. serrata and H. pacifica. Comparison among these three introduced sucking lice indicated that both louse-specific factors and host-specific factors can contribute to the success or failure of host expansion.

Genetic characterization of bank vole virus (BaVV), a new paramyxovirus isolated from kidneys of bank voles in Russia.

A genome of bank vole virus (BaVV), isolated from kidney tissues of bank voles (Myodes glareolus) in Russia in 1973, was sequenced. The genomic organization of BaVV (3'-N-P/V/C-M-F-G-L-5', 16,992 nt in length; GenBank accession number MF943130) is most similar to that of Mossman virus (MoV) and Nariva virus (NarPV), two ungrouped paramyxoviruses isolated from rodents in Australia and Trinidad, respectively. The proteins of BaVV have the highest level of sequence identity (ranging from 23-28% for G protein to 66-73% for M protein) to proteins of MoV and NarPV. The results of genetic and phylogenetic analysis suggest that BaVV represents a new species and, together with MoV and NarPV, belongs to a new, yet not established genus of the family Paramyxoviridae.

Breed, B., and F. Ford.2007. Native Mice and Rats. Australian Natural History Series, CSIRO Publishing, Colling-wood, Victoria, Australia, 185 pp. ISBN 978-0-6430-9166-5, price (paper), AU$39.95.

B. Breed, F. Ford. 2007. Native Mice and Rats. Australian Natural History Series, CSIRO Publishing, Colling-wood, Victoria, Australia, 185 pp. ISBN 978-0-6430-9166-5, price (paper), AU$39.95. This book belongs on the shelf of everyone with a serious interest in mammals and in all institutional research libraries, because it brings current nearly all that is known about Australia's native rodents, following The Rodents of Australia by Watts and Aslin (1981). This book will be particularly useful for those planning to conduct field or laboratory research on Australia's rodents, whether they are Australians or visiting researchers, and at all levels of scholarly achievement from advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students to postdoctoral and more-senior researchers. Throughout, the authors stress the great diversity of this rodent fauna, comprising about 60 extant species and 2 major subgroups of the family Muridae: old endemics (12 genera) that arrived around 4–5 million years ago (mya), and new endemics (1 genus, all Rattus spp.) that arrived around 1.8 mya, all likely from Southeast Asia via New Guinea, with most of the diversification and speciation occurring after arrival. Most naturalists from North America and Europe, and many from Australia, think of Australia as a land of marsupials and monotremes without acknowledging that nearly 25% of the endemic mammalian species there are rodents. I 1st visited Australia in 1966 with the former notion in mind, but soon became aware of this diversity through the tutelage of Basil Marlow, …

Full-length genome sequence of Mossman virus, a novel paramyxovirus isolated from rodents in Australia

Mossman virus (MoV) was isolated on two occasions from wild rats trapped in Queensland, Australia, during the early 1970s. Together with Nariva virus and J-virus MoV belongs to a group of novel paramyxoviruses isolated from rodents during the last 40 years, none of which had been characterized at the molecular level until now. cDNA subtraction strategies used to isolate virus-specific cDNA derived from both MoV-infected cells and crude MoV pellets were pivotal steps in rapid characterization of the complete genome sequence. Analysis of the full-length genome and its encoded proteins confirmed that MoV is a novel member of the subfamily Paramyxovirinae which cannot be assigned to an existing genus. MoV appears to be more closely related to another unclassified paramyxovirus Tupaia paramyxovirus (TPMV), isolated from the tree shrew Tupaia belangeri. Together with Salem virus (SalV), a further unclassified paramyxovirus that was isolated from a horse, MoV and TPMV make up a new collection of paramyxoviruses situated evolutionally between the genus Morbillivirus and the newly established genus Henipavirus.

Phylogeny of the Australian Rodents (Muridae) - a Molecular Approach Using Microcomplement Fixation of Albumin

Microcomplement fixation was used to assess albumin evolution in the history of the rodents of Australia. The results confirmed a monophyletic grouping consisting of the genera Pseudomys, Mastacomys and Notomys, and showed that the genus Pseudomys is paraphyletic. The genera Conilurus, Leporillus and Mesembriomys also formed a monophyletic group. A significant finding was that Leggadina was distantly related to all Pseudomys species, and indeed may be the earliest offshoot of all Australian rodents other than Rattus. Albumin evolution in the Australian rodents has occurred in a manner far from clock-like. Mastacomys Thomas, 1882 is synonymised with Pseudomys Gray, 1832.

The Rodents of Australia

The Rodents of Australia

Book Review: Rodents of Australia

Wildlife Research provides an international forum for the publication of original and significant research and debate on the ecology and management of wild animals in natural and modified habitats. Readers can expect a broad range of high quality, internationally refereed papers that contribute conceptual and practical advances to our knowledge and understanding of wildlife ecology and management

Scrub typhus and other infections in North Queensland animals

81 strains of at least 8 infective agents were isolated from the tissues of 583 animals from North Queensland. Rickettsia tsutsugamushi was isolated from 28 mammals of 6 species— Isoodon macrourus, Rattus fuscipes, R. conatus, Uromys caudimaculatus, Melomys cervinipes and M. lutillus, and was the commonest organism encountered. The strains varied in virulence. Coxiella burneti was isolated from 12 mammals of 5 species, 4 being not previously described hosts— R. assimilis, U. caudimaculatus, M. cervinipes and Perameles nasuta. Brucella suis type 3 was isolated from 3 species of rodents captured in one area— R. fuscipes, M. cervinipes and M. lutillus. This is the first record of Brucella infection from rodents in Australia. Encephalomyocarditis virus was isolated from R. rattus. Eperythrozoon coccoides was isolated from R. fuscipes, R. conatus and M. cervinipes; Haemobartonella muris from R. rattus and R. conatus; Streptobacillus moniliformis from R. rattus, R. fuscipes and R. conatus, and Spirillum minus from R. rattus and M. cervinipes. No infective agents were isolated from 108 pools of ticks.

The Rodents of Australia and New Guinea.G. H. H. TateMammals of Cape York Peninsula. With Notes on the Occurrence of Rain Forest in Queensland.G. H. H. Tate

<i>The Rodents of Australia and New Guinea.</i>G. H. H. Tate<i>Mammals of Cape York Peninsula. With Notes on the Occurrence of Rain Forest in Queensland.</i>G. H. H. Tate

The Helminth Parasites of Common Rats

While it is true that various lists of rat parasites have been published these, however, deal only with individual Classes of helminths. Notably amongst such publications are those by Hall (1916) dealing with the Class Nematoda, by Meggitt and Subramanian (1927) who treat of the Class Cestoda and by Dollfus (1925) who reviews the species of the Class Trematoda. It was suggested to me by the Imperial Bureau of Agricultural Parasitology that the collection of notes, records and information concerning the helminth parasites of common rats into one single work would be useful and the information contained in the three compilations mentioned above has been largely drawn on in forming the nucleus of this paper. Other publications, found helpful in providing additional information, are those by Balfour (1922) who deals with the parasites of wild rats in England, Baylis (1922), Cleland (1918), Fielding (1928), Johnston (1918), who summarises the knowledge concerning the parasitism of rodents in Australia, Meggitt (1924), Moll (1917), Shipley (1908), and Yorke and Maplestone (1926). For the more recent records, not included in any of the foregoing publications, theVermessection ofThe Zoological Recordand the “Répertoire des Genres nouveaux et des Espèces nouvelles,” appearing in each number of theAnnales de Parasitologie humaine et comparéewere consulted advantageously. The checking of many records, at least of the earlier ones, was accomplished by means of Stiles and Hassall's invaluableIndex-Catalogues(1908, 1912, 1920).

Notes on Certain Entoza of Rats and Mice. Together with with a Catalogue of the Internal Parasites Recorded as Occurring in Rodents in Australia.

Notes on Certain Entoza of Rats and Mice. Together with with a Catalogue of the Internal Parasites Recorded as Occurring in Rodents in Australia.