Invasive predators are globally problematic and are of particular interest in Australia where they have been implicated in the decline and extinction of many native mammals. Through reviewing literature regarding the arrival and extinction timelines of species, dietary data of eutherian predators, and occurrence data of native populations, this paper identifies prey/predator relationships that are shaping Australian ecosystems. Exploring these relationships in greater detail can provide insight into why some native species have declined drastically when others are persisting. Illustrated by Joshua Gaschk.

Parasite loads can vary among seasons but the variation is rarely quantified. We found parasite infections are seasonal in the garden skink (Lampropholis guichenoti) by monitoring three groups of wild-caught male lizards three times, including the beginning and end of the non-activity season and the end of the activity season. Lizards had higher parasite loads at the end of the activity season, which suggests that parasite infections may prevail particularly when environmental conditions are favourable for both the host and the parasite. Photograph by Ko-Huan Lee.