Comparative foraging preferences of the greater stick-nest rat Leporillus conditor and the European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus: implications for regeneration of arid lands.

Abstract

Dietary preferences of the greater stick-nest rat (Leporillus conditor) and the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) were compared using cafeteria trials and direct observations. Despite overlap, these species exhibited differences in dietary preference. L. conditor showed a strong preference for chenopod shrub species and other plant species with a high water content including Gunniopsis quadrifida and Calandrinia remota. L. conditor also preferred female bladder saltbush (Atriplex vesicaria) foliage to male. O. cuniculus ate a greater selection of plant species in most trials with their most preferred species including mulga (Acacia aneura), Salsola kali and Calandrinia remota. Both O. cuniculus and L. conditor preferred seedlings of perennial species to adult cuttings. L. conditor has recently been re-introduced to a 14 km� O. cuniculus, cat (Felis catus) and red fox (Vulpes vulpes) proof exclosure in the arid zone of South Australia. The re-introduction of this herbivore and the removal of exotic herbivores may change the vegetation structure and composition within the exclosure by restricting growth of some succulent chenopod species but allowing the regeneration of tall shrub species such as Acacia aneura which are usually limited by O. cuniculus grazing.

Arid Recovery – A comparison of reptile and small mammal populations inside and outside a large rabbit, cat and fox‐proof exclosure in arid South Australia

“…Pseudomys bolami forages on chenopod seeds in interdunal swales (Moseby & Read 1999) a resource not likely to be depleted dramatically by rabbits that feed extensively on grasses and forbs (Dawson & Ellis 1979; Robley et al. 2001; Ryan et al. 2003).…”

Rabbits: manageable environmental pests or participants in new Australian ecosystems?

“…Not all native tree seedlings are highly susceptible to rabbit browsing, however. Ryan et al (2003) showed that foliage of native apricot (Pittosporum phillyraeoides) and native plum (Eremophila longifolia) was not eaten as readily as that of mulga (Acacia aneura) and umbrella bush (A. ligulata). Salt-water ti-tree (Melaleuca halmaturorum) in the Coorong National Park was only sporadically browsed by rabbits (Cooke 1987) and Tiver and Keiermeyer (2006) demonstrated that rabbits did not significantly affect regenerating sugarwood (Myoporum platycarpum) near Whyalla, South Australia.…”

“…For other species, however, diets may not overlap extensively in times of plenty but become increasingly similar during drought when all species rely on leaves and stems from the same shrubs (Dawson and Ellis 1979). Rabbits consume many succulent plants that stick-nest rats (Leporillus conditor) eat but make better use of woody shrubs as a food source (Ryan et al 2003). In dry times, this would put rabbits at an advantage because they could fall back to eating tougher shrubs once the succulent vegetation had been eaten.…”

Molecular epidemiology ofRabbitHaemorrhagicDiseaseVirus inAustralia: when one became many

“…and the common wombat Vombatus ursinus facilitated the rapid colonization of some habitats by providing existing burrow systems, while their numbers greatly declined due to competition for food and shelter (Ryan et al . ; Cooke ).…”