Table 1.
Literature review of chemical based predator–prey studies from Australia with foci on the source cue, integrity of signal and outcome measured.
| Time Period | Literature referenced | Predator species | Prey species | Variations of chemical | Response measured | Risk category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000–2005 | Head et al., 2002 | White-lipped snake odors (Drysdalia coronoides) from damp paper towel in snake enclosure | Mountain log skink (Pseudemoia entrecasteauxii) paper-towel and rocks from cage | Not stated | Shift in habitat use | 4 |
| Blumstein et al., 2002 | Feces from red fox (Vulpes vulpes), kodiak bear (Ursus arctos) and dingo (Canis L. dingo) placed beneath feeding tray | Tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii) and rednecked pademelon (Thylogale thetis) | Frozen at −20°C | No changes in foraging behavior | 2 | |
| Downes, 2002 | Yellow-faced whip snake (Demensaina psammophis) paper towel and rocks from cage | Common garden skink (Lampropholis delicata) | Not stated | 20% reduction in mobility of prey | 4 | |
| Banks et al., 2003 | Domestic dog feces (Canis domesticus) | Bush rat (Rattus fuscipes) | Fresh | No influence on trapping success | 2 | |
| Powell and Banks, 2004 | Fox feces (Vulpes vulpes) | House mouse (Mus musculus) | Fresh | No change in food removed (GUD*) | 4 | |
| Ramp et al., 2005 | Synthetic dog (Canis domesticus) urine | Parma wallaby (Macropus parma) and red-necked pademelon (Thylogale thetis) | Not stated (synthetic used) | T. thetis investigated scent more, M. Parma showed aversive response | 4 | |
| Russell and Banks, 2005 | Red fox (Vulpes vulpes), tiger quoll (Dasyurus maculatus) | Northern brown bandicoot (Isoodon macrourus) and brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) | Stated fresh or frozen | Captured significantly more often in traps scented with tiger quoll odor | 4, 3 | |
| 2006–2010 | Hayes et al., 2006 | Varied: carpet python, dingo, quoll, red fox (Vulpes vulpes) | Fawn-footed melomys (Melomys cervinipes), bush rat, (Rattus fuscipes), giant white-tailed rat (Uromys caudimaculatus) | Frozen at −20°C in airtight vials with Teflon-lined lids | During dry season all species avoided all predator odor stations | 4 |
| Murray et al., 2006 | Tiger feces (Panthera tigris) | Goat (Capra hircus) | Feces mixed in bentonite (>dispersal) | Reduced feeding | 2 | |
| Parsons et al., 2007 | Coyote (Canis latrans), dingo (Canis L. dingo) | Western gray kangaroo (Macropus fuligonosus) | Pooled urine (12–16 adult males) replenished each trial | Increased GUD and flight/startles for dingo as compared to coyote | 2, 3 | |
| Russell and Banks, 2007 | Tiger quoll (Dasyurus maculatus) and the introduced placental red fox (Vulpes vulpes) | Bush rat (Rattus fuscipes), swamp rat (Rattus lutreolus), eastern chestnut mouse (Pseudomys gracilicaudatus), brown antechinus (Antechinus stuartii) | Stated fresh and/or frozen | Native rodents more likely trapped in control than treatment. Antechinus showed no trapping differential | 4, 2 | |
| Lloyd et al., 2009 | Goanna (Varanus tristis) a species that consumes skinks as a major proportion of its diet, and V. varius, which does not | Tropical skink (Carlia rostralis), (C. rubrigularus) and (C. storri) | Filter paper dampened water | Two of the three species avoided V. tristis. None avoided V. varius | 4, 2 | |
| Cox et al., 2010 | Feces from tiger (Panthera tigris) and tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) | Goat (Capra hircus) and eastern gray kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) | Feces mixed in a bentonite carrier (aids in dispersal) | Both prey species avoided odors from predators that had fed on these species prior to trials (diet specific response) | 2, 2 | |
| Parsons and Blumstein, 2010a | Dingo (Canis l. dingo) urine; feces | Western gray kangaroo(Macropus fuliginosus) | Pooled urine/feces (12–16 adult males) repolished trial | Flight; = GUD | 3 | |
| Parsons and Blumstein, 2010b | Dingo urine (Canis l. dingo) | Wallabies (Macropus rufogrisius, pademelon (Thylogale billardierii), brush-tailed possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) | Maintained fresh | Flight; = GUD | 2,2 | |
| 2011–2015 | Nersesian et al., 2012 | Fox (Vulpes vulpes), owl | Brush-tailed possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) | < feeding time, < vigilance varied with indirect cues | 4 | |
| Anson and Dickman, 2013 | Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in areas where fox impacts had been greatest, and to cues of the native lace monitor (Varanus varius) | Common ringtail possum (Pseudocheirus peregrinu | Collected fresh, 1 part feces mixed with 5 parts water | Flight alarm calling to both odors | 4, 3 | |
| Bytheway et al., 2013 | Dog/dingo hybrid integument odor collected on towels | Black rat (Rattus rattus) | Fresh | Increased GUD, visitation/investigation | 4 | |
| Descovich et al., 2012 | Dingo feces | Southern hairy nosed wombat (Lasiorhinus latifrons) | Frozen at −20°C | When feces were present, the wombats used concealed locations more often than other periods | 4 | |
| Cremona et al., 2014 | Dingo (Canis l. dingo) and the northern quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus) feces | Rock rat (Zyzomys spp.) | Not stated | Rock rats demonstrated a stronger avoidance to quoll odor than to dingo odor | 3 | |
| Mella et al., 2014a | Fox (Vulpes vulpes) and dingo (Canis L. dingo) feces | Western gray kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus) | Fresh | Modifying space use by rapidly escaping from both odors | 3, 3 | |
| Mella et al., 2014b | Domestic dog (Canis domesticus) urine, owl pellets | Brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) | Urine used within 24 h after collection | Possums reacted more strongly to indirect cues (no change to direct) | 3, 3 | |
| Spencer et al., 2014 | Fox (Vulpes vulpes) and cat (Felis catus) urine | Notomys alexis, a terrestrial native rodent | Dowels were soaked overnight in predator urine stored at 1°C | No effect, prey relies on escape | 4 |
Outcomes based on presumed risk category of species. Risk category: 1, lowest risk; 2, significant size differential, but uncommon predation (non-historic); 3, lethal predator, but comparatively large prey; 4, highest risk of lethality with direct predation common.
*
GUD = the weight of food that animals leave behind next to treatments, that they otherwise would have consumed in the control tray. Search string = “predator prey scent odor Australia”; search range 2000–2005, 2006–2010, 2011–2015. Inclusive of all experimental journal articles with terrestrial vertebrate field studies involving predator wastes as a source cue including: urine, feces, dander, or integumentary.