Practical, effective and safer: Placing traps above ground is an improved capture method for the critically endangered ngwayir (western ringtail possum; ).

The capture of wild-living animals can provide valuable information that is critical in developing and implementing effective conservation actions. These capture procedures, however, often require direct handling of individuals by researchers, and conservationists should constantly seek to improve capture methods so that the impacts on animal welfare are minimised. The ngwayir (western ringtail possum; ) is a critically endangered arboreal marsupial in need of effective conservation.

Captive-raised western ringtail possum (Pseudocheirus occidentalis) with a bold personality have higher survival rates when released into the wild.

We tested if the personality of captive-raised western ringtail possums (Pseudocheirus occidentalis), and the impact of other variables would influence their survival after release using radiotelemetry. We hypothesised a greater survival for individuals: (i) bold; (ii) habituated in advance to food collected from the release area; (iii) juveniles instead of adults, because more easily tolerated by wild individuals, and (iv) released in new dreys (nests) as they would not have the strong odour of old dreys and would be less attractive to foxes. After 3 months of radio tracking, out of 143 possums released, 79 died: 51 (64.

Correction: Identifying connectivity for two sympatric carnivores in human-dominated landscapes in central Iran.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Identifying connectivity for two sympatric carnivores in human-dominated landscapes in central Iran.

Central Iran supports a diversity of carnivores, most of which are threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation. Carnivore conservation requires the identification and preservation of core habitats and ensuring connectivity between them. In the present study, we used species distribution modeling to predict habitat suitability and connectivity modeling to predict linkage (resistant kernel and factorial least-cost path analyses) for grey wolf and golden jackal in central Iran.

Macro-Nutritional Adaptive Strategies of Moose () Related to Population Density.

The distribution area of moose in China has been shrinking back toward the north and northeast because of climate change and human disturbance, and the population number has been declining. Between 2011 and 2015, we studied moose at six sites in the northeast of China during the snowy seasons. We collected fecal samples and plant samples that were used to estimate population densities for moose, as well as their macro-nutrient selection.

Roads threaten Asiatic cheetahs in Iran.

Wildlife-vehicle collisions are an important cause of mortality for many animal species. They also prove extremely detrimental to the critically endangered Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) [1,2]. One to two Asiatic cheetahs are killed by vehicles on Iran's roads annually [3,4].

Milk production and composition, and progeny performance in young ewes with high merit for rapid growth and muscle and fat accumulation.

In ewe lambs, acceleration of growth and accumulation of both muscle and fat leads to earlier sexual maturity and better reproductive performance. The next stage in the development of this theme is to test whether these aspects of growth in young ewes affect milk production in their first lactation and the growth of their first progeny. We studied 75 young Merino ewes that had known phenotypic values for depth of eye muscle (EMD) and fat (FAT), and known Australian Sheep Breeding Values for post-weaning weight (PWT) and depths of eye muscle (PEMD) and fat (PFAT).

Demographic and genetic viability of a medium-sized ground-dwelling mammal in a fire prone, rapidly urbanizing landscape.

The rapid and large-scale urbanization of peri-urban areas poses major and complex challenges for wildlife conservation. We used population viability analysis (PVA) to evaluate the influence of urban encroachment, fire, and fauna crossing structures, with and without accounting for inbreeding effects, on the metapopulation viability of a medium-sized ground-dwelling mammal, the southern brown bandicoot (Isoodon obesulus), in the rapidly expanding city of Perth, Australia. We surveyed two metapopulations over one and a half years, and parameterized the PVA models using largely field-collected data.

An Endangered Arboreal Specialist, the Western Ringtail Possum (Pseudocheirus occidentalis), Shows a Greater Genetic Divergence across a Narrow Artificial Waterway than a Major Road.

The fragmentation of habitats by roads and other artificial linear structures can have a profound effect on the movement of arboreal species due to their strong fidelity to canopies. Here, we used 12 microsatellite DNA loci to investigate the fine-scale spatial genetic structure and the effects of a major road and a narrow artificial waterway on a population of the endangered western ringtail possum (Pseudocheirus occidentalis) in Busselton, Western Australia. Using spatial autocorrelation analysis, we found positive genetic structure in continuous habitat over distances up to 600 m.

Finding the Balance: Fertility Control for the Management of Fragmented Populations of a Threatened Rock-Wallaby Species.

Populations of Australian marsupials can become overabundant, resulting in detrimental impacts on the environment. For example, the threatened black-flanked rock-wallaby ( Petrogale lateralis lateralis ) has previously been perceived as overabundant and thus 'unwanted' when they graze crops and cause habitat degradation. Hormonally-induced fertility control has been increasingly used to manage population size in other marsupials where alternative management options are not viable.

Reproductive implications of exposure to Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum in western grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus ocydromus).

Australian marsupials are thought to be particularly vulnerable to pathologic impacts of Toxoplasma gondii, and they may be similarly affected by Neospora caninum. Pathology due to either organism could be expressed as reduced female reproductive performance. We studied adult female western grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus ocydromus) from suburban Perth, Western Australia, between May 2006 and October 2008.

Reproduction in the marsupial dibbler, Parantechinus apicalis; differences between island and mainland populations.

Details of the reproductive endocrinology of the dibbler, Parantechinus apicalis, an endangered member of the Family Dasyuridae, are presented from two geographically-separated populations, living either on the mainland or on islands in Jurien Bay, Western Australia. Plasma free cortisol in males measured in the island population during 1998/9 did not differ between the breeding and non-breeding season, but during the March rut in 2000, when males died after breeding, free cortisol levels were significantly raised. Post-mating mortality in dibbler males is facultative, rather than obligatory and the cortisol data implicate the same physiological sequelae described in other dasyurids.

Endocrine and metabolic factors involved in the effect of nutrition on the production of colostrum in female sheep.

We investigated the physiological relationship between diet during pregnancy and colostrum production in ewes to test the hypothesis that for ewes that are in low body condition, with low fat reserves, the food supply will be the main source of energy for colostrum synthesis. To this end, we measured the amount of colostrum accumulated by ewes under two levels of nutrition. We also measured the circulating concentrations of metabolites and hormones associated with lactogenesis (beta-hydroxybutyrate, glucose, progesterone, prolactin, cortisol, growth hormone, leptin, insulin and insulin-like growth factor-I) Ewes were either under-fed at 70 (n = 15) or well-fed at 110% (n = 10) of their daily metabolisable energy requirement during the last two months of pregnancy.

The yield and composition of milk in Sarda, Awassi, and Merino sheep milked unilaterally at different frequencies.

Sarda (n = 8), Awassi (n = 8), and Merino (n = 8) ewes were subjected unilaterally to once-daily milking (ODM) or twice daily milking (TDM) to test the hypothesis that the two breeds highly selected for milk production (Sarda and Awassi) would not respond as much to a change in the frequency of milking as the Merino, a wool sheep that has not been selected for dairy production. Milk composition and somatic cell count (SCC) were also assessed to determine if the changes in milking frequency affected milk quality. Milk yield was 24% and 18% lower in ODM udder halves than TDM udder halves in Sarda and Awassi breeds, respectively.

Quantification of naltrexone and 6,beta-naltrexol in plasma and milk using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Application to studies in the lactating sheep.

A selective gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method using solid-phase extraction has been developed for the detection and quantification of naltrexone and its metabolite, 6,beta-naltrexol in plasma and milk from humans and sheep at pharmacologically relevant concentrations. Di- or tri-acetyl derivatives were formed and quantified by selected-ion monitoring. Recoveries of naltrexone (30 microg/l) and 6,beta-naltrexol (250 microg/l) from both human plasma and milk were greater than 70%.