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Australian Journal of Zoology Australian Journal of Zoology Society
Evolutionary, molecular and comparative zoology

Australian Journal of Zoology

Australian Journal of Zoology

Australian Journal of Zoology is an international journal covering the evolutionary, molecular and comparative zoology of Australasian fauna. Read more about the journalMore

Editor-in-Chief: Paul Cooper

Publishing Model: Hybrid. Open Access options available.

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Latest

These articles are the latest published in the journal. Australian Journal of Zoology has moved to a continuous publication model. More information is available on our Continuous Publication page.

Published online 15 March 2024

ZO23017Ethyl-Iophenoxic acid as a serum marker for oral baiting of Tasmanian devils

Ruth Pye 0000-0002-1001-3329, David Nichols 0000-0002-8066-3132, Sally A. Nofs 0000-0002-7887-6438, Amy T. Gilbert 0000-0002-8256-0081 and Andrew S. Flies 0000-0002-4550-1859
 

Tasmanian devils are at risk from devil facial tumour disease and development of a DFTD oral vaccine bait is underway.

Tasmanian devils are at risk from the transmissible cancer devil facial tumour disease (DFTD) and development of a DFTD oral vaccine bait is underway. Wildlife vaccine baits require inclusion of a bait marker to determine uptake in the field. Our study demonstrated that iophenoxic acid is a useful bait marker for devils, the first marsupial species for which this applies. Photograph by Drew Lee, Save the Tasmanian Devil Program.

Published online 12 March 2024

ZO23029Depredation of eggs of threatened freshwater turtles by the short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus (Shaw, 1792))

Kymberly J. Robinson 0009-0007-4395-9202, Duncan J. Limpus, Brad Crosbie, Colin J. Limpus and Larelle D. Fabbro 0000-0001-8893-5115
 

The short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) is an unlikely predator to freshwater turtle eggs.

The short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) has been found to be an unlikely predator of freshwater turtle eggs. Egg depredation of the vulnerable Fitzroy River turtle (Rheodytes leukops) and the critically endangered white-throated snapping turtle (Elseya albagula) was recorded during annual freshwater turtle nesting surveys. The egg depredation by the echidna has been recorded across the Fitzroy, Burnett and Mary Catchments. Photograph by Duncan Limpus.

Published online 04 March 2024

ZO23024The nutritional quality of post-fire eucalypt regrowth and its consumption by koalas in the New South Wales Southern Tablelands

Murraya R. Lane 0009-0000-1181-135X, Kara N. Youngentob, Robert G. Clark and Karen J. Marsh
 

ZO23024_toc.jpg

Many Eucalyptus species produce epicormic regrowth after fire. The koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) relies on eucalypt foliage; however, it is unknown whether they can consume epicormic regrowth. We conducted a feeding trial with captive koalas to determine if they would consume epicormic foliage from different eucalypt species and found consumption was dependent on both the species and subgenus. Photograph by Murraya Lane.

This article belongs to the Collection Koala Feeding and Stress.


A camaenid land snail with antennae extended on woody debris.

Dry rainforests and open woodlands occur across much of eastern Australia. Land snails are model organisms to understand regional biodiversity due to their low vagility. We present an analysis of genetic diversity in three eastern Queensland camaenid snail lineages. These analyses reveal that there is a difference in the genetic diversity of species living in open woodland compared to those inhabiting dry rainforest. Photograph by Lorelle Stanisic.


Cloacina magnipapillata (Nematoda: Strongyloidea) from the stomach of a western grey kangaroo, Macropus fuliginosus.

The helminth parasites of Macropus fuliginosus and M. giganteus are reported based on examination of a total of 288 animals extending, for the first time, across the entire geographical range of both species. Photograph by I. Beveridge.

Published online 09 January 2024

ZO23021Does the photoluminescence of rat fur influence interactions in the field?

Linda M. Reinhold 0000-0002-1168-9160, David T. Wilson 0000-0001-5047-0711 and Tasmin L. Rymer 0000-0002-9963-6345
 

A photoluminescent real-fur rat model glows bright blue in the light of an ultraviolet torch.

A visual function for photoluminescent fur has recently been hypothesised. We tested pairs of real-fur rat models in natural lighting, and found that nocturnal vertebrates did not choose models with naturally photoluminescent fur over models with the photoluminescence extinguished. Moonlight does not seem to trigger the photoluminescence of rat fur to a level where vertebrate animals respond to it, our results therefore not supporting a basis for visual function in nocturnal mammals. Photograph by Linda Reinhold.

Published online 08 November 2023

ZO22018Birds pre-adapted to a road in a heterogeneous and contiguous old-growth forest: a point transect study

Graham R. Fulton 0000-0002-5976-0333, Jutta Beher and Hugh P. Possingham
 

The narrowness of the road and the natural heterogeneity of eucalypt forests acted as a pre-adaptation for this road.

We used 100 paired point counts by the road and 400 m into the forest. No overall difference in the assemblages was found. The narrowness of the road under the forest canopy and the natural variation of eucalypt forests were factors to which the birds were pre-adapted. Photograph by G. R. Fulton.

Published online 03 November 2023

ZO23018Two new species of burrowing scorpions (Urodacidae: Urodacus) from the Pilbara region of Western Australia with identical external morphology

Bruno A. Buzatto 0000-0002-2711-0336, Huon L. Clark, Mark S. Harvey 0000-0003-1482-0109 and Erich S. Volschenk 0000-0001-8578-805X
 

The male of a new species of urodacid scorpion

The Australian scorpion fauna is diverse and poorly documented, which is of conservation concern for biomes under strong mining pressure. We describe two new species of burrowing scorpions from the Pilbara (Western Australia), where they are patchily distributed along creek lines. The new species have a remarkable sexually dimorphic telson, which is swollen and bears a strongly curved aculeus in males. The species are indistinguishable from each other based on external morphology, highlighting the extremely conserved morphology in the group. Photograph by Huon L. Clark.

Published online 31 October 2023

ZO23016Spatial prioritisation of survey and management efforts for a threatened pygopodid in south-western New South Wales

Helen P. Waudby 0000-0002-1888-9827, Eren Turak, Kate Callister, Singarayer Florentine, Martin Westbrooke, Grant Palmer and Ray Dayman
 

Checking pitfall traps for reptile, amphibian and mammal species.

Cryptic reptiles can be difficult to detect using traditional trapping methods and their distributions not well understood as a result. We deployed terracotta roof tiles as artificial shelters to see if they would be used by the threatened and secretive mallee worm-lizard (Aprasia inaurita) and developed a map of potential habitat for the species across south-western NSW, which can be used to guide future survey and conservation efforts. Photograph by Helen P. Waudby.

Just Accepted

These articles have been peer reviewed and accepted for publication. They are still in production and have not been edited, so may differ from the final published form.

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Committee on Publication Ethics

AJZ Award winner

Tyler Lepan has been awarded the AJZ Best Student Paper Award for 2022.

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