European rabbit fleas, Spilopsyllus cuniculi (Dale), enhanced myxomatosis as a biological control agent in Australia. They spread myxoma virus among young rabbits in early spring, causing extremely high mortality, reducing grazing pressure, increasing the availability of pasture vegetation in early summer. New insights into the interactions between virus virulence and food quality that determine rabbit abundance are provided. Photograph from ‘Distribution of British Fleas’ (https://britishfleas.myspecies.info/).

Different wildlife sampling methods may provide various impressions of the extent of occurrence or occupancy of any given species, and influence views on the benefit or otherwise of management interventions. Therefore, multiple survey methods are expected to provide better insights into how native species respond to management actions. This study showed that different survey methods result in different inferences regarding management effects on lace monitors. Photograph by Tim Jessop.

In this study we determine the effective dose (ED₅₀) of brodifacoum for ship rats from an area with no history of brodifacoum use to establish a blood-clotting response test for assessing resistance in areas where brodifacoum has been used extensively. The ED₅₀ of brodifacoum was estimated to be 6–8 times the published lethal dose of brodifacoum in New Zealand, suggesting brodifacoum resistance may develop even in areas of negligible or low brodifacoum use that are spatially connected to other areas where these poisons are used. Photograph by Jaskaran Dhillon.

Roads fragment landscapes, contribute to ecosystem degradation, and threaten biodiversity worldwide. We aimed to investigate if road orientation can influence the movement of animals within a landscape where water resources are spatially clustered and found that animals, especially ungulates, follow roads with orientations leading to limiting resources. We recommend considering road orientation for connectivity and roadkill mitigation actions. Image created by the authors.

Koalas are a charismatic species with high reporting rates and established facilities for wildlife care. We analyse records of koala arrivals to such facilities to explore long- and short-term trends in arrival data. While there are shortcomings in terms of bias and data quality, analysis can provide important insights for guiding conservation efforts. Photograph by Douglas H. Kerlin.