Data

Biology of the Feral Cat, Felis catus (L.), on Macquarie Island

Australian Antarctic Data Centre
COPSON, GEOFF
Viewed: [[ro.stat.viewed]] Cited: [[ro.stat.cited]] Accessed: [[ro.stat.accessed]]
ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2FANDS&rft_id=https://data.aad.gov.au/metadata/records/feral_cat_macca&rft.title=Biology of the Feral Cat, Felis catus (L.), on Macquarie Island&rft.identifier=https://data.aad.gov.au/metadata/records/feral_cat_macca&rft.publisher=Australian Antarctic Data Centre&rft.description=From the referenced paper: Between December 1976 and February 1981, 246 cats were collected. Overall sex ratio was in favour of males 1:0.8, and coat colour was tabby (74%), orange (26%) and black (2%). The breeding season extended from October to March with the peak in November-December. Mean number of embryos was 4.7 per female and evidence of females producing two litters was found. Mortality in kittens increased as they grew older, with litters of kittens greater than 1.8 kg containing two or fewer animals. Most cats lived in herbfield or tussock grassland, with very few if any in feldmark. The total population was estimated at between 169 and 252 adult cats. Observations of an adult male showed that its home range covered 41 ha, but this appeared not to be maintained during winter. It's daytime activity varied greatly, much time being spent foraging for food. Domestic cats Felis catus (L.) were feral on Macquarie Island by 1820, only 10 years after the island was discovered by sealers. Their presence was soon noted by early naturalists. Depredations by cats greatly reduced the numbers of burrow-nesting petrels and, together with the weka Gallirallus australis, cats were probably responsible for the extinction of the endemic parakeet Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae erythrotis and banded rail Rallus phillippensis before 1900. Feral cats are common on several other subantarctic islands and have been intensively studied; the only previous study on Macquarie Island was on diet. This study reports on other aspects of the biology of the feral cat on Macquarie Island.&rft.creator=COPSON, GEOFF &rft.date=2005&rft.coverage=northlimit=-54.4977; southlimit=-54.692; westlimit=158.86386; eastLimit=158.94331; projection=WGS84&rft.coverage=northlimit=-54.4977; southlimit=-54.692; westlimit=158.86386; eastLimit=158.94331; projection=WGS84&rft_rights=This data set conforms to the CCBY Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Please follow instructions listed in the citation reference provided at http://data.aad.gov.au/aadc/metadata/citation.cfm?entry_id=feral_cat_macca when using these data.&rft_subject=biota&rft_subject=ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES&rft_subject=EARTH SCIENCE&rft_subject=BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION&rft_subject=BIRDS&rft_subject=MAMMALS&rft_subject=EXOTIC SPECIES&rft_subject=BIOSPHERE&rft_subject=ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS&rft_subject=SPECIES/POPULATION INTERACTIONS&rft_subject=SPECIES LIFE HISTORY&rft_subject=CAT&rft_subject=FERAL CAT&rft_subject=HERBFIELD&rft_subject=MACQUARIE ISLAND&rft_subject=TUSSOCK GRASSLAND&rft_subject=TRAPS&rft_subject=FIELD SURVEYS&rft_subject=OCEAN > SOUTHERN OCEAN&rft_subject=OCEAN > SOUTHERN OCEAN > MACQUARIE ISLAND&rft_subject=GEOGRAPHIC REGION > POLAR&rft_place=Hobart&rft.type=dataset&rft.language=English Access the data
Cite Saved to MyRDA Save to MyRDA

Licence & Rights:

view details

This data set conforms to the CCBY Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Please follow instructions listed in the citation reference provided at http://data.aad.gov.au/aadc/metadata/citation.cfm?entry_id=feral_cat_macca when using these data.

Access:

Other view details

A pdf copy of the referenced paper is available for download from the provided URL to AAD Staff Only..

Brief description

From the referenced paper:

Between December 1976 and February 1981, 246 cats were collected. Overall sex ratio was in favour of males 1:0.8, and coat colour was tabby (74%), orange (26%) and black (2%). The breeding season extended from October to March with the peak in November-December. Mean number of embryos was 4.7 per female and evidence of females producing two litters was found. Mortality in kittens increased as they grew older, with litters of kittens greater than 1.8 kg containing two or fewer animals. Most cats lived in herbfield or tussock grassland, with very few if any in feldmark. The total population was estimated at between 169 and 252 adult cats. Observations of an adult male showed that its home range covered 41 ha, but this appeared not to be maintained during winter. It's daytime activity varied greatly, much time being spent foraging for food.

Domestic cats Felis catus (L.) were feral on Macquarie Island by 1820, only 10 years after the island was discovered by sealers. Their presence was soon noted by early naturalists. Depredations by cats greatly reduced the numbers of burrow-nesting petrels and, together with the weka Gallirallus australis, cats were probably responsible for the extinction of the endemic parakeet Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae erythrotis and banded rail Rallus phillippensis before 1900. Feral cats are common on several other subantarctic islands and have been intensively studied; the only previous study on Macquarie Island was on diet. This study reports on other aspects of the biology of the feral cat on Macquarie Island.

Issued: 2005-04-21

Data time period: 1975-12-01 to 1981-02-28

Click to explore relationships graph
Help

Related Organisations

Related People

158.94331,-54.4977 158.94331,-54.692 158.86386,-54.692 158.86386,-54.4977 158.94331,-54.4977

158.903585,-54.59485

text: northlimit=-54.4977; southlimit=-54.692; westlimit=158.86386; eastLimit=158.94331; projection=WGS84

Subjects
ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES | BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION | BIOSPHERE | BIRDS | CAT | EARTH SCIENCE | ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS | EXOTIC SPECIES | FERAL CAT | FIELD SURVEYS | GEOGRAPHIC REGION > POLAR | HERBFIELD | MACQUARIE ISLAND | MAMMALS | OCEAN > SOUTHERN OCEAN | OCEAN > SOUTHERN OCEAN > MACQUARIE ISLAND | SPECIES LIFE HISTORY | SPECIES/POPULATION INTERACTIONS | TRAPS | TUSSOCK GRASSLAND | biota |

User Contributed Tags    

Login to tag this record with meaningful keywords to make it easier to discover

Other Information

AU-ANL:PEAU : http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-617536

Identifiers
Similar data you may be interested in: