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dc.contributor.authorLishmund, Owen T.
dc.contributor.authorNimmo, Dale G.
dc.contributor.authorDoherty, Tim S.
dc.date.accessioned2025-02-14T02:55:42Z
dc.date.available2025-02-14T02:55:42Z
dc.date.issued2025en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/2123/33634
dc.description.abstractInvasive mammalian predators have caused population declines and extinctions of wildlife worldwide. Many of these species exhibit some form of prey naïveté, which heightens their vulnerability to novel predators. In Australia, introduced feral cats (Felis catus) and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) have had a particularly negative effect on native fauna, with the impacts of cats on mammals and birds well documented. Although feral cats are known to regularly prey on Australian reptiles, little is known about the behavioural responses of reptiles to cats, including whether native reptiles can recognise cats as a predation risk, and if so, which cues they use. Aims. We investigated behavioural responses of two Australian lizard species, the shrubland morethia skink (Morethia obscura) and eastern striped skink (Ctenotus robustus), to the visual cues of feral cats in semiarid, south-eastern Australia. Methods. We used arena trials to test lizards for predator recognition by using visual cues of an alien mammal predator (taxidermied cat, Felis catus), a native mammal predator (taxidermied western quoll, Dasyurus geoffroyi) and a mammal non-predator (taxidermied European rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus), as well as a procedural control (bucket) and a negative control (nothing). Key results. We found little evidence of behavioural change when lizards were exposed to the taxidermied cat. Morethia obscura basked less when exposed to all treatments and C. robustus increased vigilance when in the presence of the taxidermied cat, but overall responses were similar among treatments. Conclusions. Our findings suggest that stationary visual cues of cats do not trigger behavioural responses in these two lizard species. Implications. Future research should assess behavioural responses to combinations of cat cues (e.g. movement, scent). Developing a deeper understanding of predator recognition systems and prey naïveté in reptile communities will be crucial for conservation of Australian reptiles that are negatively affected by feral cats.en_AU
dc.language.isoenen_AU
dc.publisherCSIRO publishingen_AU
dc.relation.ispartofWildlife Researchen_AU
dc.rightsCreative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0en_AU
dc.subjectantipredator responsesen_AU
dc.subjectbehavioural ecologyen_AU
dc.subjectFelis catusen_AU
dc.subjectferal caten_AU
dc.subjectinvasive predatorsen_AU
dc.subjectlizarden_AU
dc.subjectpredator–preyen_AU
dc.subjectprey naïvetéen_AU
dc.titleBehavioural responses of Australian lizards towards visual cues of feral catsen_AU
dc.typeArticleen_AU
dc.identifier.doi10.1071/WR24032
dc.type.pubtypePublisher's versionen_AU
dc.relation.arcDP210100323
usyd.facultySeS faculties schools::Faculty of Science::School of Life and Environmental Sciencesen_AU
usyd.citation.volume52en_AU
usyd.citation.issueWR24032en_AU
usyd.citation.spage1en_AU
usyd.citation.epage15en_AU
workflow.metadata.onlyNoen_AU


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