A small dasyurid predator (Sminthopsis virginiae) rapidly learns to avoid a toxic invader

Webb, JK; Pearson, D; Shine, R

A small dasyurid predator (Sminthopsis virginiae) rapidly learns to avoid a toxic invader

Webb, JK

Pearson, D Shine, R

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Wildlife Research, 2011, 38 (8), pp. 726 - 731
Issue Date:: 2011-12-28

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Webb, JK https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4822-6829	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Pearson, D	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Shine, R	en_US
dc.date.issued	2011-12-28	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Wildlife Research, 2011, 38 (8), pp. 726 - 731	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	1035-3712	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/32500
dc.description.abstract	Context Invasive species are a leading cause of extinctions, yet predicting their ecological impacts poses a formidable challenge for conservation biologists. When native predators are nave to invaders, they may lack appropriate behaviours to deal with the invader. In northern Australia, the invasion of the highly toxic cane toad (Rhinella marina) has caused serious population declines of reptilian and mammalian predators that are ill equipped to deal with toad toxins. Cane toads recently invaded the Kimberley region of Western Australia, where they potentially threaten several species of small dasyurid predators. Aims We investigated whether red-cheeked dunnarts (Sminthopsis virginiae) attack cane toads, and if so, whether individuals subsequently learn to avoid toads as prey. Methods We quantified feeding and learning behaviours in toad-nave red-cheeked dunnarts from the north Kimberley in Western Australia. Key results All toad-nave dunnarts attacked toads during their first encounter. Most dunnarts bit the toad on the snout, killed it by biting the cranium, and consumed the toad snout-first, thereby initially avoiding the toad's parotoid glands. Most dunnarts partially consumed toads before discarding them, and only one animal showed visible signs of toad poisoning. All dunnarts rapidly learnt to avoid toads as prey after one or two encounters. Predators rejected toads as prey for the duration of the study (22 days), suggesting long-term retention of the knowledge that toads are noxious. Conclusions Our results show that red-cheeked dunnarts rapidly learn to avoid cane toads as prey. Implications Our study was limited by small sample sizes, but our results suggest that small dasyurids can adapt to the cane toad invasion via taste aversion learning. © CSIRO 2011.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Wildlife Research	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1071/WR10206	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Ecology	en_US
dc.title	A small dasyurid predator (Sminthopsis virginiae) rapidly learns to avoid a toxic invader	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	8	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	38	en_US
utslib.for	0501 Ecological Applications	en_US
utslib.for	05 Environmental Sciences	en_US
utslib.for	06 Biological Sciences	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science/School of Life Sciences
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	8	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	38	en_US

Abstract:

Context Invasive species are a leading cause of extinctions, yet predicting their ecological impacts poses a formidable challenge for conservation biologists. When native predators are nave to invaders, they may lack appropriate behaviours to deal with the invader. In northern Australia, the invasion of the highly toxic cane toad (Rhinella marina) has caused serious population declines of reptilian and mammalian predators that are ill equipped to deal with toad toxins. Cane toads recently invaded the Kimberley region of Western Australia, where they potentially threaten several species of small dasyurid predators. Aims We investigated whether red-cheeked dunnarts (Sminthopsis virginiae) attack cane toads, and if so, whether individuals subsequently learn to avoid toads as prey. Methods We quantified feeding and learning behaviours in toad-nave red-cheeked dunnarts from the north Kimberley in Western Australia. Key results All toad-nave dunnarts attacked toads during their first encounter. Most dunnarts bit the toad on the snout, killed it by biting the cranium, and consumed the toad snout-first, thereby initially avoiding the toad's parotoid glands. Most dunnarts partially consumed toads before discarding them, and only one animal showed visible signs of toad poisoning. All dunnarts rapidly learnt to avoid toads as prey after one or two encounters. Predators rejected toads as prey for the duration of the study (22 days), suggesting long-term retention of the knowledge that toads are noxious. Conclusions Our results show that red-cheeked dunnarts rapidly learn to avoid cane toads as prey. Implications Our study was limited by small sample sizes, but our results suggest that small dasyurids can adapt to the cane toad invasion via taste aversion learning. © CSIRO 2011.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/32500