Unknown

Dataset Information

0

Ecological immunization: in situ training of free-ranging predatory lizards reduces their vulnerability to invasive toxic prey.


ABSTRACT: In Australia, large native predators are fatally poisoned when they ingest invasive cane toads (Rhinella marina). As a result, the spread of cane toads has caused catastrophic population declines in these predators. Immediately prior to the arrival of toads at a floodplain in the Kimberley region, we induced conditioned taste aversion in free-ranging varanid lizards (Varanus panoptes), by offering them small cane toads. By the end of the 18-month study, only one of 31 untrained lizards had survived longer than 110 days, compared to more than half (nine of 16) of trained lizards; the maximum known survival of a trained lizard in the presence of toads was 482 days. In situ aversion training (releasing small toads in advance of the main invasion front) offers a logistically simple and feasible way to buffer the impact of invasive toads on apex predators.

SUBMITTER: Ward-Fear G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4785923 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

Similar Datasets

| S-EPMC10723449 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC4543589 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC3312913 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC6923365 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC4338967 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC10332449 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC6405472 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC10310721 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC5862503 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC3133215 | biostudies-literature