Observations on the mortality of young southern hairy-nosed wombats (Lasiorhinus latifrons) in the Murraylands of South Australia
Matt Gaughwin A B G , Faith Walker C , Lucy Woolford D , Jordyn Upton C , Colin Sobek C , Allison Johnson E and David Taggart F
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia.
B Wombat-specific research c/o Dr David Taggart, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, Urrbrae, SA 5064, Australia.
C School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA.
D School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy Campus, Roseworthy, SA 5371, Australia.
E School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska – Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA.
F School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, Urrbrae, SA 5064, Australia.
G Corresponding author. Email: cairnt2@gmail.com
Australian Mammalogy 43(1) 126-131 https://doi.org/10.1071/AM20045
Submitted: 9 June 2020 Accepted: 2 October 2020 Published: 6 November 2020
Abstract
There are very few reports on mortality of young southern hairy-nosed wombats. We describe the appearance of six young wombats that died when rainfall was well below average in 2017–19. Some of the wombats appeared malnourished, and most died around the age of weaning, which we conclude is a vulnerable time for them. A crude and lower estimate of the mortality of wombats born in 2016 was 31%.
Keywords: deaths, drought, Lasiorhinus latifrons, malnutrition, southern hairy-nosed wombat.
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