Benjamin J. Pitcher
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View article: Estimating canid territories and pack compositions: Camera traps provide comparable metrics to an intense radio‐collaring programme on dingoes
Estimating canid territories and pack compositions: Camera traps provide comparable metrics to an intense radio‐collaring programme on dingoes Open
Territoriality is a major determinant of many animal behaviours, influencing movement, population demographics and spatial distribution of individuals across an area. However, estimating territories can be challenging, particularly for cry…
View article: Dingo visitation patterns and behaviour at long-term scent-marking sites suggests a role in mate competition
Dingo visitation patterns and behaviour at long-term scent-marking sites suggests a role in mate competition Open
Many carnivores scent mark to communicate with conspecifics, and understanding seasonal and social patterns of scent marking can help to elucidate its function(s). Dingoes are mainland Australia’s apex terrestrial predator, with family gro…
View article: Informing apex predator management: population viability analysis of dingoes under different management scenarios
Informing apex predator management: population viability analysis of dingoes under different management scenarios Open
Context Along with other large carnivores, dingoes (variously Canis dingo, C. lupus dingo, and C. familiaris) can come into conflict with humans, especially when they are habituated to people and associate them with food. Management action…
View article: Correction: Behavioural ethogram to inform ex-situ initiatives for a critically endangered bird – the case of the Plains-wanderer
Correction: Behavioural ethogram to inform ex-situ initiatives for a critically endangered bird – the case of the Plains-wanderer Open
View article: Dingo movement depends on sex, social status and litter size
Dingo movement depends on sex, social status and litter size Open
Territoriality constrains animal movement as resident individuals or social groups defend areas from non-residents. Here, we evaluated space use by dingoes, a territorial and socially monogamous group-living apex predator in Australia. We …
View article: Effect of Carcass Feeds on Feeding Behavior and Social Interactions in Zoo‐Based African Wild Dogs (<i>Lycaon pictus</i>)
Effect of Carcass Feeds on Feeding Behavior and Social Interactions in Zoo‐Based African Wild Dogs (<i>Lycaon pictus</i>) Open
Management of African wild dogs ( Lycaon pictus ) in zoos involves several challenges, including the difficulty of providing appropriate stimulation and enrichment for naturally wide‐ranging, energetic, cursorial hunters. Perhaps consequen…
View article: Diverse Viral Pathogens in Australian Canines: Limited Geographic Structure and the First Detection of an RNA Virus in Dingoes
Diverse Viral Pathogens in Australian Canines: Limited Geographic Structure and the First Detection of an RNA Virus in Dingoes Open
Viruses impose a substantial disease burden on dogs and the close relationship between dogs and humans may facilitate zoonotic disease emergence. Australia’s geographic isolation, strict biosecurity measures and native dingo populations pr…
View article: Diverse viral pathogens in Australian canines: limited geographic structure and the first detection of an RNA virus in dingoes
Diverse viral pathogens in Australian canines: limited geographic structure and the first detection of an RNA virus in dingoes Open
Viruses impose a substantial disease burden on dogs, and the close relationship between dogs and humans may facilitate zoonotic disease emergence. Australia’s geographic isolation, strict biosecurity measures, and native dingo populations …
View article: Using decision analysis to develop a framework for nest protection for threatened birds
Using decision analysis to develop a framework for nest protection for threatened birds Open
The regent honeyeater Anthochaera phrygia is a Critically Endangered Australian songbird, with current population estimates of < 300 individuals remaining in the wild. Low nest success is a factor preventing the recovery of the population,…
View article: Reintroduction of wild song culture to a critically endangered songbird
Reintroduction of wild song culture to a critically endangered songbird Open
Animal cultures are learned behaviours, traditions, and collective knowledge that are maintained within populations through social learning. Global biodiversity decline can lead to the loss of animal culture within small and sparsely distr…
View article: Behavioural ethogram to inform ex-situ initiatives for a critically endangered bird – the case of the Plains-wanderer
Behavioural ethogram to inform ex-situ initiatives for a critically endangered bird – the case of the Plains-wanderer Open
A thorough understanding of behaviour is essential to a species recovery effort, not only to inform management and husbandry decisions, but critically, to ensure optimum survival of released animals and their offspring. The endangered Plai…
View article: Population density and ranging behaviour of a generalist carnivore varies with human population
Population density and ranging behaviour of a generalist carnivore varies with human population Open
Canid species are highly adaptable, including to urban and peri‐urban areas, where they can come into close contact with people. Understanding the mechanisms of wild canid population persistence in these areas is key to managing any negati…
View article: Persistent organic pollutants and trace elements detected in New Zealand fur seals (long-nosed fur seal; Arctocephalus forsteri) from New South Wales, Australia, between 1998 and 2019
Persistent organic pollutants and trace elements detected in New Zealand fur seals (long-nosed fur seal; Arctocephalus forsteri) from New South Wales, Australia, between 1998 and 2019 Open
View article: Rapid literature mapping on the recent use of machine learning for wildlife imagery
Rapid literature mapping on the recent use of machine learning for wildlife imagery Open
Machine (especially deep) learning algorithms are changing the way wildlife imagery is processed. They dramatically speed up the time to detect, count, and classify animals and their behaviours. Yet, we currently have very few systematic l…
View article: BPGA: an interactive Shiny application for basic population genetic analysis of genotype data
BPGA: an interactive Shiny application for basic population genetic analysis of genotype data Open
Background: Population structure and ancestry inference are routine in human genetics, yet remain inconvenient for non experts because canonical tools (PLINK, GCTA, ADMIXTURE) require command line expertise and careful data management. Res…
View article: Mother–pup recognition mechanisms in Australia sea lion (Neophoca cinerea) using uni- and multi-modal approaches
Mother–pup recognition mechanisms in Australia sea lion (Neophoca cinerea) using uni- and multi-modal approaches Open
View article: Born to Be Wild: Evaluating the Zoo-Based Regent Honeyeater Breed for Release Program to Optimise Individual Success and Conservation Outcomes in the Wild
Born to Be Wild: Evaluating the Zoo-Based Regent Honeyeater Breed for Release Program to Optimise Individual Success and Conservation Outcomes in the Wild Open
Evaluating the effectiveness of captive breeding programs is central to improving conservation outcomes in released animals. However, few studies have assessed the impact of the strategies and trade-offs involved in husbandry decisions and…
View article: A Cause for Alarm: Increasing Translocation Success of Captive Individuals Through Alarm Communication
A Cause for Alarm: Increasing Translocation Success of Captive Individuals Through Alarm Communication Open
Translocation programmes implying the movement of animals from one place to another aim to sustain endangered populations in the wild. However, their success varies greatly, with predation being a major contributing factor. This is particu…
View article: The Enigmatic Life History of the Australian Sea Lion
The Enigmatic Life History of the Australian Sea Lion Open
Like most sea lions, Australian sea lions are benthic foragers with prolonged lactation, extensive parental care, complex social interactions, mild-moderate polygyny, are relatively long-lived and near apex predators. They have been well s…
View article: Peer Review #2 of "Chemical patterns of colony membership and mother-offspring similarity in Antarctic fur seals are reproducible (v0.1)"
Peer Review #2 of "Chemical patterns of colony membership and mother-offspring similarity in Antarctic fur seals are reproducible (v0.1)" Open
Replication studies are essential for evaluating the validity of previous research findings.However, it has proven challenging to reproduce the results of ecological and evolutionary studies, partly because of the complexity and lability o…
View article: Chemical fingerprints suggest direct familiarisation rather than phenotype matching during olfactory recognition in Australian sea lions (Neophoca cinerea)
Chemical fingerprints suggest direct familiarisation rather than phenotype matching during olfactory recognition in Australian sea lions (Neophoca cinerea) Open
View article: “Feelings and Fitness” Not “Feelings or Fitness”–The Raison d'être of Conservation Welfare, Which Aligns Conservation and Animal Welfare Objectives
“Feelings and Fitness” Not “Feelings or Fitness”–The Raison d'être of Conservation Welfare, Which Aligns Conservation and Animal Welfare Objectives Open
Increasingly, human activities, including those aimed at conserving species and ecosystems (conservation activities) influence not only the survival and fitness but also the welfare of wild animals. Animal welfare relates to how an animal …
View article: Recent prey capture experience and dynamic habitat quality mediate short-term foraging site fidelity in a seabird
Recent prey capture experience and dynamic habitat quality mediate short-term foraging site fidelity in a seabird Open
Foraging site fidelity allows animals to increase their efficiency by returning to profitable feeding areas. However, the mechanisms underpinning why animals ‘stay’ or ‘switch’ sites have rarely been investigated. Here, we explore how habi…
View article: Visual cues do not enhance sea lion pups’ response to multimodal maternal cues
Visual cues do not enhance sea lion pups’ response to multimodal maternal cues Open
Mammals use multiple sensory cues for mother-offspring recognition. While the role of single sensory cues has been well studied, we lack information about how multiple cues produced by mothers are integrated by their offspring. Knowing tha…
View article: Supplementary Text and Figures for Carroll et al. 2018 from Recent prey capture experience and dynamic habitat quality mediate short-term foraging site fidelity in a seabird
Supplementary Text and Figures for Carroll et al. 2018 from Recent prey capture experience and dynamic habitat quality mediate short-term foraging site fidelity in a seabird Open
Supplementary text and figures for Carroll et al. 2018
View article: Supplementary material from "Recent prey capture experience and dynamic habitat quality mediate short-term foraging site fidelity in a seabird"
Supplementary material from "Recent prey capture experience and dynamic habitat quality mediate short-term foraging site fidelity in a seabird" Open
Foraging site fidelity allows animals to increase their efficiency by returning to profitable feeding areas. However, the mechanisms underpinning why animals ‘stay’ or ‘switch’ sites have rarely been investigated. Here, we explore how habi…
View article: The role of visual cues in mother–pup reunions in a colonially breeding mammal
The role of visual cues in mother–pup reunions in a colonially breeding mammal Open
Parental care is an important factor influencing offspring survival and adult reproductive success in many vertebrates. Parent–offspring recognition ensures care is only directed to filial young, avoiding the costs of misallocated resource…
View article: Hierarchical influences of prey distribution on patterns of prey capture by a marine predator
Hierarchical influences of prey distribution on patterns of prey capture by a marine predator Open
Summary Prey distribution acts at multiple spatial scales to influence foraging success by predators. The overall distribution of prey may shape foraging ranges, the distance between patches may influence the ability of predators to detect…
View article: Cross-modal recognition of familiar conspecifics in goats
Cross-modal recognition of familiar conspecifics in goats Open
When identifying other individuals, animals may match current cues with stored information about that individual from the same sensory modality. Animals may also be able to combine current information with previously acquired information f…
View article: Supplementary material from "Cross-modal recognition of familiar conspecifics in goats"
Supplementary material from "Cross-modal recognition of familiar conspecifics in goats" Open
When identifying other individuals, animals may match current cues with stored information about that individual from the same sensory modality. Animals may also be able to combine current information with previously acquired information f…