Table 5.
Evidence of feral cats (Felis catus) killing medium-sized Australian mammals (1 kg or larger); all these species are of conservation significance. For reference, the body mass of cats in our studies averaged 3.08 ± 1.24 kg, n = 568. Unless given by specific publications (e.g., Page et al. [83]), body mass measures of prey species are from Van Dyck and Strahan [28].
| Prey Species | Average Adult Body Mass (by Sex) | Evidence | Adult/Juvenile | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii) | 6.0 kg | Extirpation from islands | J and A | Dickman [7] |
| Tasmanian pademelon (Thylogale billardierii) |
M 7.0 kg (3.8–12.0 kg) F 3.9 kg (2.4–10.0 kg) |
Camera trap | A (F ≈ 4 kg) |
Fancourt [81] |
| Allied rock-wallaby (Petrogale assimilis) |
M 4.7 kg F 4.3 kg |
Direct observation, carcasses * | J and A (≈4.0 kg) |
Spencer [84] |
| Black-footed rock wallaby (Petrogale lateralis) |
M 4.5 kg (4.1–5.0 kg) F 3.5 kg (3.1–3.8 kg) |
Stomach contents | J | This study |
| Stomach contents and direct observation of cat feeding at a freshly-killed adult | J and A | Read et al. [44] | ||
| Stomach contents | ? | Paltridge et al. [57] | ||
| Bridled nailtail wallaby (Onychogalea fraenata) |
M 6.0 kg (5.0–8.0 kg) F 4.5 kg (4.0–6.0 kg) |
Stomach contents | J (≈1.5 kg) | Horsup and Evans [85] |
| Predation ƚ | J (≈3.0 kg) | Fisher, Blomberg and Hoyle [86] | ||
| Spectacled hare-wallaby (Lagorchestes conspicillatus) | Extirpation from islands | J and A | Dickman [7] | |
| Rufous hare-wallaby (Lagorchestes hirsutus) | M 1.6 kg (1.2–1.8 kg) F 1.7 kg (0.8–2.0 kg) |
Stomach contents Predation ƚ |
? J and A |
Gibson et al. [82] |
| Predation ƚ | A | Hardman et al. [87] | ||
| Stomach contents | ? | Paltridge et al. [57] | ||
| Banded hare-wallaby (Lagostrophus fasciatus) | 1.6 kg (1.0–2.3 kg) | Predation ƚ | A | Hardman et al. [87] |
| Brush-tailed bettong/woylie (Bettongia penicillata) |
M 1.27 kg (0.98–1.85 kg) F 1.40 kg (0.75–1.50 kg) |
Predation ƚ Loss off islands |
A | Marlow et al. [88] Dickman [7] |
| Burrowing bettong/boodie (Bettongia lesueur) |
Loss off islands | Dickman [7] |
* Carcasses showing characteristic evidence of having been eaten by a cat. ƚ Predation of radio-collared animals. ? No way to identify whether the animals were taken were juvenile or adult from analysis of hair in stomach contents.