The parasites of free-ranging terrestrial wildlife from Australia’s south-west

Amy S. Northover; Stephanie S. Godfrey; Alan J. Lymbery; Adrian F. Wayne; Sarah Keatley; Amanda Ash; Dazlyn Badsha; Siobhon L. Egan; James Barr; R. C. Andrew Thompson

doi:10.1071/ZO23048

RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

Next Contents Vol 71(5)

The parasites of free-ranging terrestrial wildlife from Australia’s south-west

Amy S. Northover

^A ^B ^* , Stephanie S. Godfrey ^B ^C , Alan J. Lymbery ^D , Adrian F. Wayne ^E , Sarah Keatley ^B , Amanda Ash ^B , Dazlyn Badsha ^F , Siobhon L. Egan

^G , James Barr ^B and R. C. Andrew Thompson ^B

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Kensington, WA 6151, Australia.

^B College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia.

^C Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand.

^D Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Ecosystems, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia.

^E Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Manjimup, WA 6258, Australia.

^F College of Veterinary Medicine, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia.

^G Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia.

^* Correspondence to: amy.northover@dbca.wa.gov.au

Handling Editor: Paul Cooper

Australian Journal of Zoology 71, ZO23048 https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO23048

Submitted: 14 December 2023 Accepted: 12 March 2023 Published: 9 April 2024

© 2023 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

The conservation management of threatened wildlife increasingly relies upon translocations to augment populations. Translocations, however, pose various risks: from the host perspective these include the spread of parasitic disease, whereas from a broader biodiversity perspective translocation may lead to the loss of rare parasites and other dependent fauna. Although Disease Risk Analyses are recommended during translocation planning, knowledge regarding the parasites infecting threatened species or their pathogenicity is often lacking. Between March 2014 and June 2016, woylies (Bettongia penicillata) and sympatric marsupials were screened for the presence of endo- and ectoparasites, during two fauna translocations in south-western Australia. Here, we summarise the parasite taxa identified from B. penicillata, brush-tailed possums (Trichosurus vulpecula hypoleucus) and chuditch (Dasyurus geoffroii), including prevalence data for host, parasite taxon and site. Results from the opportunistic sampling of other species (Isoodon fusciventer, Phascogale tapoatafa wambenger, Tiliqua rugosa and Felis catus) are also presented. New host–parasite records including Hepatozoon spp. from T. v. hypoleucus, Trypanosoma noyesi from T. rugosa, Ixodes australiensis and Ixodes tasmani from D. geoffroii, and I. australiensis and Amblyomma sp. from a P. t. wambenger were identified. This study highlights the importance of monitoring sympatric species, particularly when compiling baseline data of parasite fauna present within translocation sites and enhances our knowledge of parasites infecting terrestrial wildlife within Australia’s south-west, a Global Biodiversity Hotspot.

Keywords: Bettongia penicillata, Dasyurus geoffroii, disease, fauna translocation, Hepatozoon spp, host-parasite ecology, Isoodon fusciventer, Phascogale tapoatafa wambenger, Tiliqua rugosa, Trichosurus vulpecula hypoleucus, trypanosome, woylie.

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