www.wildliferescuemagazine.com September 2012 v1n5 Part B
PART B – THIS ISSUE
FEATURE! Ringtail Possums PART B – THIS ISSUE
FEATURE! Monitoring Wildlife Green Ringtail Possum Photograph by Helen Douglas
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For insec insectt and meat meat-eating t-eating birds bir ds including mag magpies, gpies, kookaburras, k ookaburras, wr wrens, enss, robins, robins, waders w aders & bir birds ds of pr prey. p ey. Provides Pr ovides the ele elevated vate ed pr protein, otein, vitamins & miner minerals als rrequired equir q ed in these bir birds’ ds’ diet.
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• 2 stages of Possum Milk Replacer to reflect the nutritional needs of different aged young
• High Protein Supplement for omnivorous species (eg Brushtails, Sugar Gliders) can be applied to fruit or plain biscuit to balance out protein, vitamins & minerals in the diet.
• Possum <0.8 for younger joeys not yet emerged from pouch, furless to fine fur; eyes closed to just opened; ears drooped. • Possum >0.8 for older joeys emerging from pouch; short soft to dense long fur, eyes open; ears erect.
ph/fax 08 8391 1713 email wombaroo@adelaide.on.net www.wombaroo.com.au
• Small Carnivore Food for insectivorous species, made as a moist crumbly mix. • Lorikeet & Honeyeater Food for nectivorous species (eg gliders, pygmy possums) made up as a liquid nectar.
Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary TA S M A N I A Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary’s passion and work centres around helping our native wildlife survive. We thrive on educating as many people as possible about how we can all help save, rehabilitate and release injured animals. All of Bonorong’s ‘residents’ undergo meticulous assessments to ensure they are healthy and happy in our care.
Are you passionate about wildlife?
Would you like to become a wildlife rescuer? Central to our work is Bonorong’s volunteer FOC Wildlife Program. (Friends of Carers, Friends of Critters, Free of Charge.) This is Tasmania’s first community run wildlife assistance service, designed to help our devoted volunteer carers and the many native animals in need. We are always looking for new volunteers to help nurse our wildlife back to health. Once trained for Bonorong’s FOC program, participants can register to become part of Bonorong’s rescue team, spread across Hobart and beyond so that when Bonorong receives a call about an injured creature on its wildlife hotline can look through the database of rescuers and find the closest person to the incident. Being a rescuer is very non-invasive. When an animal is reported orphaned or injured a group text is sent to all the volunteers in that area and people can choose to do the rescue or ignore it if they are busy. From that point animals are either taken to a vet or cared for by the rescuer for less than 24 hours, while Greg arranges for their transport to Bonorong where they are assigned to another group of local heroes, the wildlife carers! Find out more at www.bonorong.com.au/foc_program.html
Come and experience the ultimate Tasmanian wildlife evening! The ULTIMATE experience for any wildlife lover who thrives on the up close and personal experience! This two and a half hour fully guided feeding tour of the park has been a massive success this year and has received the most incredible feedback. You will be inside the enclosures with animals such as tawny frogmouths, golden possum, wombats, bettongs, sugar gliders and many more. Hand feed a Tasmanian devil! Most of our animals in Tasmania are nocturnal or awake at dusk and dawn. We time your exclusive tour to catch perfect viewing of all the animals. All across the park animals emerge from their daytime slumber and reclaim the night. Find out more at www.bonorong.com.au/night_tours.html
Trowunna Wildlife Park
Specialised One Day Courses on Tasmanian Devils and Wombats These one day workshops are especially for those interested in a career in the wildlife industry. Each one day course is held on Fridays from 9am- 6pm (bookings only), with a BBQ lunch; morning and afternoon tea provided. The course will be delivered through demonstrations and practical husbandry sessions consisting of handling, husbandry and observation of animals in the captive collection on site. The participants of the Wombat (Vombatus ursinus tasmaniensis) Workshop will also be given demonstrations and practical husbandry sessions consisting of handling, husbandry and observation of animals in the captive collection on site.
The cost of The Tasmanian Devil Workshop and The Wombat Workshop includes printed materials, venue hire and personalised hands on Tasmanian Devil/Wombat training. Each course is $300. 1892 Mole Creek Road, Mole Creek, Tasmania 7304 Telephone: +61 3 6363 6162 Fax: +61 3 6367 6213 E-mail: info@trowunna.com.au www.trowunna.com.au/
Publisher’s words I
ssue 5 – Part B has arrived and what a fun issue this has been. Part A was released having its feature article on the Brushtail Possum; along with two success stories from wildlife carers – The Swan with Botulism and Pika the Possum. With a very interesting DIY article from the DIY Guy Glen Burston. Part B is just as exciting with 3 more stories from wildlife carers – Holly the Hobby, Kooky's New Beak, Little Possum Go Back to Mummy. Vote for your favourite story by sending us an email at vote@wildliferescuemagazine.com The feature article in Part B is on the Rescue, Rehabilitation and Release of the Ringtail Possum, and we have an interesting article on the Green Ringtail
Possum. We have the Part 2 in the three part Series on Monitoring Wildlife with Outdoor Cameras. Why not be involved and tell us about your experience using an infra-red monitoring camera and be in the next issue, please include pics. Have you ever wondered HOW Wombaroo Milk Formulas work? We have some important and interesting information on this – direct from Wombaroos expert – Gordon Rich. Homeopathy in Wildlife – have you ever considered it – Dr Sarah Brett from Kimberley Wildlife Rescue tells us how she uses Homeopathy when treating wildlife that come into care. We want to thank everyone for their wonderful photos which has made this Issue such a success. As usual, we have had wonderful feedback on our magazine, here is what some are saying:
Andrea Devos
“Hi Andrea, Another marvellous edition! They keep getting bigger and better! :) I have thoroughly enjoyed reading it (has taken me a few days!!) Keep up the great work :)” Cheers, Petra and Greg – Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary Tasmania “Just looked at your magazine, its awesome... So informative, and I love the articles and pictures.” Kirri Hardy, Vet Nurse “Hi Andrea, I downloaded last night and read cover to cover fantastic effort and very well presented. Well done from Matilda's Sanctuary. Well worth the read.” Cheers Shawn Adams Matilda's Sanctuary SA “Hey Admin, your magazine is very cool, your doing a very noble job, keep it up. Greetings from India.” Shashank Chepurwar.
Puggle in a Pocket Kevin Baker The author of Puggle in a Pocket is Kevin Baker... Author of another exciting book - Wombat in the House. Puggle in a Pocket is 'TRUE STORY' about Ami – a puggle just 5 or 6 weeks old, she was lost from her mother, and was dug up by a dog. She loved cuddles, but there was a problem: Ami grew spines – how can you cuddle a spiny echidna To receive a FREE copy of this book – email us a wildlife rescue story complete with pictures to andrea@wildliferescuemagazine.com and if chosen you will receive a beautiful copy of this wonderful children’s book. Wildlife Rescue Magazine
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September 2012
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Wildlife Rescue Magazine Publisher/Advertising 0413 587 613 Email info@wildliferescuemagazine.com Website www.wildliferescuemagazine.com Wildlife Rescue Magazine is published six times per year. Publisher Wildlife Rescue Magazine Phone: 0413 587 613 Website: www.wildliferescuemagazine.com Editor andrea@wildliferescuemagazine.com Andrea Devos Production Artizen Image Design, Brisbane, Queensland Advertising Wildlife Rescue Magazine Phone: 0413 587 613 Email advertising@wildliferescuemagazine.com Website: www.wildliferescuemagazine.com © 2012 The materials in this publication constitute Wildlife Rescue Magazine copyright. Unless otherwise indicated, you MAY download the full magazine, store in cache, distribute, display, print and reproduce materials from this magazine in an unaltered form only (retaining this notice and any headers and footers that appear with the original materials) for your personal, noncommercial use or use within your organisation. No part of this publication may be reproduced or reprinted in any form or by any means for Commercial Use without the prior written permission of the publisher. Copyright Act 1968 ©Wildlife Rescue Magazine 2012 If you have questions about the use of this magazine or would like to apply for permission to use articles from this magazine for commercial use, please contact: info@wildliferescuemagazine.com The intellectual rights in all new material vests in the author or creator of such material. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act, no part of this publication may be reproduced by any process, or any exclusive right exercised, without the written permission of Wildlife Rescue Magazine. Authors warrant that they are the owner of all intellectual property rights relating to all material supplied by them, their officers, servants and agents to Wildlife Rescue Magazine. Authors hereby indemnify Wildlife Rescue Magazine in respect of all actions, proceedings, claims and demands made against Wildlife Rescue Magazine by any person arising from the use by Wildlife Rescue Magazine of any material submitted to Wildlife Rescue Magazine by the authors, their officers, servants and agents for publication in Wildlife Rescue Magazine. The articles represent the view of the authors and the editorial represents the view of the editor. Other opinions expressed in this journal are not necessarily those of the Editor or Wildlife Rescue Magazine. Please note that the material presented in this online magazine has been prepared for the general information of the reader and should not be used or relied upon for specific applications without first securing competent advice. Wildlife Rescue Magazine, its members, authors, staff and consultants, do not represent or warrant its suitability for any general or specific use and assume no responsibility of any kind in connection with the information here in. WARRANTY & INDEMNITY – Authors, advertisers and/or advertising agencies upon and by lodging material with the Publisher for publication or authorising or approving of the publication of any material INDEMNIFY the Publisher, its servants and agents, against all liability claims or proceedings whatsoever arising from the publication and without limiting the generality of the foregoing to indemnify each of them in relation to defamation, slander of title, breach of copyright, infringement of trademarks or names of publication titles, unfair competition or trade practices, royalties or violation of right to privacy AND WARRANTY that the material complies with all relevant laws and regulations and that its publication will not give rise to any rights against or liabilities in the Publisher, its servants or agents and in particular that nothing therein is capable of being misleading or deceptive or otherwise in breach of Part V of the Trade Practices Act 1974. ADVERTISING CONDITIONS - See advertising rates available at www.wildliferescuemagazine.com
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Contents
v1n5 Part B
Articles
Feature stories COVER STORY
18 Motion activated infrared cameras part 2
38 Common Ringtail possums Andrea Devos
Readersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; stories 11 Holly the Hobby Sue Holman
Andrea Devos
72 Eastern Pygmy possums
81 Homeopathy in wildlife
Sonya Stanvic
Dr Sarah Brett
75 Green Ringtail possums
89 Milk for possums Wombaroo
84 Little possum go back to mummy Stef Randall
85 Kookyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new beak Lynda Staker
Andrea Devos
93 Nutrition of juvenile possums
WIN A PRIZE!
87 What is this?
Gordon Rich
Wildlife Rescue Magazine
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September 2012
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Burston Blue
Silicone Wildlife Teats Teat Size and Description Mini – suits 1-3mL syringes Medium Mini – suits 5mL syringes Large Mini – suits 10mL syringes Xtra Large Mini – suits 20mL syringes Offset
Price $ 1.00 $ 1.00 $ 1.50 $ 2.00
Teat Size and Description Price A Teat 2 Coats $ 3.50 B Teat 2 Coats $ 3.50 B Teat 3 Coats $ 5.00 C Teat 2 Coats $ 3.50 E Teat 3 Coats $ 5.00 F Teat 3 Coats $ 5.00 2 Coats are suitable for Young Animals Only Teat Size and Description Price #1 Teat 2 Coats $ 3.50 #2 Teat 2 Coats $ 3.50 #2 Teat 3 Coats $ 5.00 #3 Teat 2 Coats $ 3.50 #3 Teat 3 Coats $ 5.00 #4 Teat 3 Coats $ 5.00 #5 Teat 3 Coats $ 5.00 2 Coats are suitable for Young Animals Only Comforts Small Medium Large
Comforts Extra Soft $ 3.00 $ 3.00 Small $ 4.00 $ 4.00 Medium $ 5.00 $ 5.00 Large
Postage Postage will be advised
Mini Teats
Teats A-B
Comfort Teats
Teat C
Teats 1-5
1 Kangaroo Pinkie and Wallaby 2 Kangaroo over 1.5kg and larger Wallabies 3 Kangaroo 3kg to 5kg 4 Kangaroo 5kg to 10kg 5 Kangaroo 10kg to weaning. A Flying Fox's less than 10 days B Flying Fox's to weaning C Unfurred Possums, Bandicoots, Antechinus and Small Mammals E Small Koalas and Wombats F Larger Unweaned Koalas and Wombats Mini Teats – suitable for tiny pinkies, bandicoot, wallaby and numbats
Teats E-F
Payment by direct deposit please. Either online, or you can go into your own bank and ask them to do it for you. Note: Direct deposit can take up to three days to reach our account. Orders are Usually 7-10 Days. Account Name: GJ + JM Burston Commonwealth Bank BSB: 066179 Account No: 10173533 In Reference: Please put your Name. Email: dollar.downs@bigpond.com Inquiries to Jo: 0409 086973 RMB 161 Perup Road Manjimup W.A. 6258
N a t i o n a l Ko a l a C o n f e r e n c e 17-19 May 2013 Westport Conference Centre Buller Street Port Macquarie
Their Future is in Our Hands A conference focusing on all aspects of wildlife rehabilitation Research findings, translocation and conservation of wild koalas
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Holly the Hobby
Sue Holman The Little Falcon (Australian Hobby)
H
olly was found cowering under a bush, all fluffed up, by a local lady called Lisa who is very wildlife conscious and always on the lookout for creatures she can help if they're in trouble. She parked her car to observe what it was she'd seen and, after a truck whizzed by, which blew the bird around in it's draught (?), Lisa could see the bird was in difficulty with a limp and one wing looking a bit odd so she whipped off her jacket and caught it. After phoning me and arranging to bring the bird down to my place, she took a photo and sent it to me - I thought it may be a Kestrel, but on seeing the bird when she brought it then thought it may be a young male Peregrine. I put the bird in a quiet dark place to try and recover from the shock of what had happened to it and waited until John (my hubby) came home that evening to examine the bird, weigh it and work out what needed to be done for it. On examination we found she did seem to have a problem with weight bearing on one leg but there was no
Holly Wildlife Rescue Magazine
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September 2012
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I didn't even realize we had Little Falcons around here as the area she was found in I have seen Peregrines. She has now progressed nicely from the hospital cage, to a secondary recovery cage and now is in an aviary we will keep her in the aviary until such times as she shows us she is fully recovered and ready to go back out to the wild.
VO TE
obvious break or trauma and also nothing significant wrong with the wing(s) either. Her attitude and general behaviour also suggested she may have sustained a slight concussion so we decided cage rest and observation would be our first course of treatment and, should anything more develop, a trip to the vet would be arranged. We checked the general condition of the bird, which was pretty good, not 'keely' at all and weighed the bird. At 243g, alarm bells went off in my head as, if it was a Peregrine it was seriously underweight !! So I emailed photo's to our Raptor expert friend and he told me it was a female Little Falcon (or Australian Hobby) which are often mistaken for male Peregrines!!
Did you love this story â&#x20AC;&#x201C; vote for your favourite story in Part B. The winner will receive a wonderful book called 'Puggle in a Pocket' by Kevin Baker
http://www.everythingwildlife.com.au
The online department store
All your Wildlife Needs
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Holly
Holly Wildlife Rescue Magazine
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A Kanga A Day
Day 1314 – July 2012 All good things must come to an end eventually :-( The significance of this shot is that it was Jake, Joey and Emily's last bottle of formula after slowly weaning them over the preceding weeks. Photo by Brett Clifton
RECEIVE DAILY PICS AND STORIES LIKE THIS ONE Sign up to receive a free daily picture of Brett Clifton’s beautiful Eastern Grey Kangaroos also known as Forester Kangaroos in Tasmania. Email to brett@brettclifton.com
Elizabeth Cogley Australian Wildlife Artist
‘Possum’ CLICK HERE to see more! www.ozwildart.com
www.rocklilywombats.com www.rocklilyw www.r ocklilywombats.com ocklilyw ombats.com
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About the Artist... Mel Hills is a locally grown artist who grew up in Orford and went to school at Triabunna. She has persistently lurked about the East Coast ever since. Mel specialises in wildlife art, scientific illustration and watercolour landscapes. Murals are also a sideline. A need to explore, discover and understand led Mel to link studies in both art and science. She says “For me there is no boundary between the two disciplines; both require observation, analysis and experimentation. They’re very complementary.”
The Inspiration “I love to share my joy in the landscape and the wonders that surround us. I get a bit caught up in the detail of pieces sometimes, wanting to get it just right. I love the challenge of trying to capture the essence of something and show that to others.
I’m just a kid who likes to say “hey, look at how cool THIS is” all the time. ”
The Creation Mels' favourite tools are her sketchbook, camera and her microscope. (Although the microscope is a little less portable.) Of her images she says, “Each image comes together differently. Some are achieved on the spot, when I have a close encounter with a creature that captures my attention. My landscapes are increasingly influenced by the plein-air sketching I love to do. Generally though, things are a little slower. Often I have an idea for an image and it will take me months or years to gather enough information to create the painting. I do a lot of field sketching, where I gather information about habits and behaviours. I also take lots of photos and use museum specimens to ensure
details are correct. Once I have all the information, the finished image is roughed out and then built up in successive layers in order to get the complexity, depth and detail required. ”
What’s next? In the future I’d love to explore a total landscape more fully. – It would be fun to do an Antarctic study, or study an island such as Macquarie, or Maatsuyker – in all weathers, with all their occupants. Exploring the Desert and the Kimberley are also ideas that have been growing in my mind for some years. Then there are also those bugs I keep drawing, I might have to do something with them..
For more information about Mel, her product range or to just check out some images please visit her web site: www.melhillswildart.com.au
Motion activated infrared cameras
Andrea Devos
PART TWO
Pic 1. Reconyx HC500 HyperFire™ Semi-Covert IR camera setup for Yellow-bellied glider observation. Wildlife Rescue Magazine
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September 2012
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Part B
Photograph by Doug Beckers
“We had a Yellow bellied glider who had been in care for a while. We were not able to release the Yellow bellied glider back to where she was found, however we knew of a colony of Yellow bellied gliders in the Bouddi National Park. Our intention was to release the Yellow bellied glider using the nesting box that the Yellow bellied glider was using in the rehabilitation enclosure, and relocate the nesting box with the Yellow bellied glider inside onto the tree where it was to be released. However, to prepare for the release of the animal into Bouddi National Park, I wanted to be sure that the Yellow bellied glider would be able to get in and out of the box, without the use of the habitat accessories in the rehabilitation enclosure. I set up a Reconyx HC500 Hyperfire™ Semi-Covert IR Camera in the enclosure to monitor how the Yellow bellied glider got into and out of the box, and monitor its behaviour while on the box. It was apparent that the Yellow bellied glider utilised a eucalyptus branch extensively that was part of the enclosure when getting in and out of the box. See Pics 3 and 4 Page 18
Pic 2. Reconyx HC500 HyperFireâ&#x201E;˘ Semi-Covert IR camera setup for Yellow-bellied glider observation. Wildlife Rescue Magazine
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Photograph by Doug Beckers Page 19
Pic 3. Yellow bellied glider.
So I modified the box by attaching a eucalyptus branch onto the front of the box. See Pic 5. This proved excellent, as the Yellow bellied glider used the attached piece of branch to get in and out of the box when it was released into the National Park, we know this because I set up more cameras (the same type, Reconyx HC500 HyperFire™ Semi-Covert IR camera) around the nesting box of Yellow bellied glider in the National Park. See Pic 6. So the infra-red camera proved invaluable in improving the box design to ensure the Yellow bellied glider has the best chance of survival after release. The infrared camera allowed the monitoring of the behaviour of the Yellow bellied glider at Wildlife Rescue Magazine
Photograph by Doug Beckers
Pic 4. Yellow bellied glider.
Photograph by Doug Beckers
Pic 5. Modified box.
Photograph by Doug Beckers
times that are really inconvenient to wildlife carers.” Doug Beckers NPWS “I have been using the UWay NT50 black flash cameras for the last two years with great success. As part of a long term fox research project I have been monitoring fox dens using the camera's video function and have found the film and sound quality to be very good. During that time I have also used the camera's photo function for small mammal detection and monitoring. The images are sharp and the overall performance of the cameras has been very reliable. I have also used the Scoutguard with good results in terms of camera reliability and picture clarity.
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Pic 6. Yellow-bellied glider nestbox on an ironbark and two wildlife cameras. Wildlife Rescue Magazine
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However, I have found the UWay black flash to be an advantage when cameras are placed close to dens. For small mammal camera trapping the infrared indicator light on the Scoutguard did not seem to be a deterrent at all but the foxes have consistently showed wariness, and in one instance, aggression towards cameras showing an infrared indicator. See the quality of the UWAY in pics 7 and 8. I would strongly endorse the supplier's recommendation to use Duracell Ultra batteries for best results. Most of the cameras set for video are out in the field for 4 weeks at a time with 16GB SD cards. I have picked up cameras at the end of the 4 weeks with SD cards full and the batteries still not exhausted. I have tried a couple of other high performance batteries that were supposed to be comparable but I definitely noticed better and longer performance from the Duracell Ultras. I also recently started using the UWay VH200B and they have also produced good results so far. The service from Outdoor Cameras Australia has been excellent and they offer a discount for bulk orders.â&#x20AC;? Julie O'Connor. Senior Conservation Project Officer. Community Conservation Partnerships. Environmental Operations. Sunshine Coast Council QLD.
The fox was in the den at the time but with very young cubs about a week old so maybe the possum was a bit lucky the fox was preoccupied.
Pic 7. Uway NT50 Black flash camera - Brushtail Possum in the front of an occupied Fox den. Wildlife Rescue Magazine
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Photograph by Julie Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor Page 22
The picture of the dog was taken a few minutes before it was chasing the fox (which I captured on video on the UWay).
Pic 8. Uway NT50 Black flash camera - Dog running (that’s why it is blurred) to the Fox’s den. Wildlife Rescue Magazine
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September 2012
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Photograph by Julie O’Connor
“We use motion sensor cameras in the field. We are using them primarily to establish the numbers and health of our southern hairy-nosed wombats especially since they've been struggling with the drought/starvation effects in addition to this new disease the scientists are still working on. We have four of these cameras now, but are planning to increase that number as the information we are gleaning is invaluable. They have also revealed whether the wombats or the kangaroos are eating the supplemental feed (hay bale drops), what times of day/night they tend to feed, and the presence of ferals in spite of our rigorous baiting for foxes and rabbits. I put up a powerpoint which discusses many of the things we learned in the initial trial - see www.authorstream.com/ Presentation/peneglos-1466478motion-sensor-camera-supplementalfeeding-trial/. We continue to learn with every week and download; they are an art and a science! We trialled a motion sensor camera, a ScoutGard SG550, that had very kindly been loaned to us from Conservation Volunteers Australia (who manage Brookfield Conservation Park) as we had no experience with them. We ended up getting the slightly upmarket model, the ScoutGard SG560VB (the 550s are no longer available) from www.scoutguard.com.au/index.html. Page 23
Pic 10. ScoutGard SG560VB. A night shot of possibly the same ill southern hairy-nosed wombat from Pic 9. You can see how thin it is and that its rear end is apparently lacking much of its fur. Photo from Karen Collins
Pic 9. ScoutGard SG560VB. An ill southern hairy-nosed wombat in a daylight shot. Photo from Karen Collins
I have attached three photographs taken recently (*Please note the camera reports the date as Month-Day-Year.) by the same camera located along our Sturt Track, Moorunde Wildlife Reserve, SA: Pic 9 shows a Southern hairy-nosed wombat in a daylight shot. It is suffering from either a disease or the effects of starvation following our latest drought. Pic 10 shows a night shot in the same location and probably the same wombat as in pic 9. You can see how thin it is and that its rear end is apparently lacking much of its fur. Pic 11 features a much less welcome visitor to the warren â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a fox. It is possible the foxes are frequenting the warrens because they are successfully finding a meal Wildlife Rescue Magazine
with a recently deceased wombat; a sad result of the problems our wombats in the Lower Murraylands are facing in South Australia.â&#x20AC;? By Karen Collins - Natural History Society of South Australia
Tarkine Trails and Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary are joining together in a research project to help out the endangered Tasmanian devil. The research is on devil populations in the Tarkine wilderness area - one of the few regions which remain unaffected by the Devil Facial Tumour
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Pic 11. ScoutGard SG560VB Features a much less welcome visitor to the warren: a fox. Photo from Karen Collins Page 24
Pic 12. Reconyx Camera. Tasmanian Devil taken at night. Photo courtesy of Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary
Pic 13. Reconyx Camera. Tasmanian Devil in the day. Photo courtesy of Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary
Pic 14. Reconyx HC500 Camera. Tasmanian Devil in the day. Photo courtesy of Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary
Pic 15. Reconyx Camera. Not only Devils were found at the Tarkine Wilderness. Eastern Quoll taken at night. Photo courtesy of Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary
Wildlife Rescue Magazine
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Pic 16. The elusive Spotted Tail Quoll at night. Photo courtesy of Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary
Pic 17. A Wedgetailed eagle at night. Photo courtesy of Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary
Pic 18. A healthy young Tasmanian Devil. Photo courtesy of Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary
Pic 19. An echidna at night. Photo courtesy of Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary
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Disease here in Tasmania. The Tarkine Devil Project currently has 20 Reconyx cameras distributed within the Tarkine rainforest and 20 along the Tarkine coast. Nearly all the cameras are capturing images of Tasmanian devils, and many have also photographed other Tasmanian carnivores such as the spotted-tailed quoll and the introduced feral cat. The information being recorded by these cameras is invaluable, not only for monitoring the spread of the Devil Facial Tumour Disease, but for gauging the abundance and distribution of various species. Given the remoteness of the Tarkine, cameras are enabling scientists to obtain information from an area that has been a blank spot in our understanding. Greg Irons, director of Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary said, “Without the cameras that one of our sponsors “Outdoor Cameras” have provided for the project we would have had much less scientific clout.” Greg Irons, Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary. Tasmania “We have been treating wombats and areas for some years now. We physically go out and search for wombats with any signs of mange, GPS burrows and treat large areas. We try to cover about 1000 acres. We find there are always "hotspots" along creeks and wet areas where we target treatment heavily with "pole method" and Wildlife Rescue Magazine
"flap method" together with infra red camera at weekly intervals. We use the 5 megapixel digital surveillance camera, ScoutGuard Cam SG550 from Southern Cross Distributors, Chipping Norton, Sydney. I don't think this model exists anymore but there are many good cameras and the prices has come down. We find if you treat an area for some time it actually stays mange free for a long time. Also if there is one wombat with mange in an area, there is always more wombats with mange (you might not see them, but they are there and will keep spreading the mange mites, therefore you need to keep at it). We have successfully treated many wombats back to full recovery and been able to eliminate mange in areas. Pic 20: Good to see what else is around - the fox. Pic 21: No problem for them to use the burrows when flap is in use. Pic 22: Same burrow two years earlier, 2008. Pic 23 and 24: These two photos were taken in April 2010 showing mange, Pic 25: This is of the same wombat taken in August 2010 with mange and clearly shows the improvement after using Cydectin at weekly interval. The wombat went on to make a full recovery.” Marie Wynan “We use one to watch our soft release
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Pic 20. Good to see what else is around - the fox.
Photo by Marie Wynan
Pic 21. No problem for them to use the burrows when flap is in use. Photo by Marie Wynan Page 27
Pic 22. Same burrow two years earlier, 2008.
Photo by Marie Wynan
Pic 25. This is of the same wombat taken in August 2010 with mange and clearly shows the improvement after using Cydectin at weekly interval. The wombat went on to make a full recovery. Photo by Marie Wynan
Pic 24. The first two photos were taken in April 2010 showing mange. Photo by Marie Wynan Wildlife Rescue Magazine
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Pic 23. The first two photos were taken in April 2010 showing mange. Photo by Marie Wynan
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Pic 26. Used the camera at our front entry to check for intruders. Photo by Sandi Kogtevs
Pic 27. Night pic at the soft release enclosure.
enclosure. We set this camera up at our front entry to test it out and see if we got any intruders when we went to Tasmania for a week and it took around 500 pics during that period with no problems! (see pic26). We set up the camera to watch our soft release enclosures, you can see our wombats using the swinging gate to their enclosure both day and night during their soft release (see pics 27, 28 and 29). We had another visitor too (see pic 30).” Sandi Kogtevs - Strathewen Wildlife Shelter.
Pic 28. Wombat at the soft release enclosure.
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Photo by Sandi Kogtevs
advertised on Facebook - first time I've ever clicked on one of their ads.) The cameras have worked quite well, are inexpensive and have a high resolution and memory. I have them set to take a photo when triggered followed by a 15 second video, no more than 15 minutes apart, 24 hours a day. These pics 31,32 were taken outside the Kangaroo Soft Release Enclosures. I also set up a camera at the back of my dam to see what was around. These are the pics 33, 34 and 35.” Cheers Brett Clifton. - A Kanga A Day
“Last Christmas I bought two Ltl Acorn cameras from www.wildguard .com.au ( I confess that I also saw it Page 29
Pic 29. Wombat using the swinging gate at the soft release enclosure. Photo by Sandi Kogtevs
Pic 30. A Brushtail Possum visiting.
Photo by Sandi Kogtevs
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Pic 31. Early morning photo of kangaroos outside the kangaroo soft release enclosure. Wildlife Rescue Magazine
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Pic 32. Night time photo of kangaroos outside the kangaroo soft release enclosure. Wildlife Rescue Magazine
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Pic 33. A wombat passing by outside our kangaroo soft release enclosure. Wildlife Rescue Magazine
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Pic 34. A most unwelcome visitor â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the fox. Wildlife Rescue Magazine
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Pic 35. The fox. Less welcome visitor. Wildlife Rescue Magazine
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Jacqui Cleijne
Biography
“My subject for this article happened by accident, it chose me, when a moment became a rare and wonderful find. When looking out my kitchen window, my home located in the bush, I caught in my peripheral vision, movement and there they were, sitting on a branch all four birds, the family. Camouflaged so uncannily well, looking like tree branches. Two were quite young, smaller in size and sitting between mum and dad. I ran to grab the camera firstly, in case they flew away, (as at that stage I had no idea about them, being the first sighting). I took lots of photos, videos and after I knew they were staying put, produced some sketches, and spent time studying their habits, movements, the form of their feathers, faces, eyes and claws. Three artworks were created using different mediums to explore how to best bring out the beauty of these amazing birds. Oil is a medium very suited to this subject as it has sculptural qualities, being able to sculpt feathers, create form and build colour in layers. My favourite medium for the subject was Graphite Pencil, so I could produce drawings with accurate detail. Amazingly, they stayed on the one branch for hours and the young kept gaping at me through the window with their huge orange eyes, wondering what was I doing? What was I? My own two human eyes looking at them, along with the camera eye, capturing their every movement. Satisfied I had enough information, I waited, going about my day and when dusk approached, they sadly left to get busy with their hunting for food”. It was an experience, a gift for me as it is a moment that will not come again soon, and I am thankful.
Jacqui Cleijne was born in Hobart Tasmania, Australia. After leaving school studies in 1984, Jacqui was employed as an Architectural Draftsperson, where she gained her qualifications in Architectural Design & Drafting. Returning to Tasmania in 1998 to be with her family, she continued her work as a draftsperson and decided to pursue her passion for Art. Painting was a hobby to start with, although her work becoming more popular, with commissions to keep busy, she decided to put down the drafting tools and get to work. Jacqui attended a short course in Art, Craft and Design at her local TAFE college, and studied printmaking. Today painting is her preferred medium, enjoying the challenges of realism. Being self-taught, her experience has been gained through sketching regularly on location and reading about techniques used by many great artists. Her own style is unique, and she paints her subjects with passion and enthusiasm. Her favourite subjects are Wildlife & Nature and the challenges that come with it. Jacqui’s wildlife work in particular has created a lot of interest with galleries, locals and overseas clients.
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Rescue, Rehabilitation and Release
Common Ringtail Possum Common Ringtail Possum Pseudocheirus peregrinus The scientific name of this delightful little creature is a bit of a mouthful and is pronounced ‘syuedoh-kie-rus pe-re-green-us’ and means ‘false-hand from foreign parts’. (Meaning the Tail) The Ringtail Possum is very agile and likes to hang out in trees or other high places. They are arboreal (treedwelling) marsupials, and use their long white tipped prehensile tail for gripping branches when climbing. They can also use their tail for carrying nesting materials. They have a soft, high pitched twittering call. Ringtails are the second most numerous possum to enter care mainly through the involvement of the local moggy. The ringtail possum is a medium sized possum weighing from 600-950g and adult males are larger than adult females. This possum is easily identified by its sparsely furred tail which is white for the last 1/3 to the tip, sometimes it can be a dirty off white colour. Their prehensile tail is very important because it is used as a Wildlife Rescue Magazine
fifth hand whilst climbing and carries nesting material. The ears are short and rounded with a whitish tuft of fur on the lower part of the ear and a cream, pale or even white fur patch on the cheek area. The fur is short and thick and Colour varies from light grey to rufus brown to almost black. Limbs, even on darker possums, usually have a rufus tinge. Lower body ranges from white to amber, sometimes even a bright rufus brown. I suppose you could say they have a rat like face due to their long whiskers, some people often mistake them for rodents! Ringtails are generally shyer, quieter and smaller, than their bigger cousins. Common Ringtails, like the Brushtails, have learnt to live in domestic situations like cities and the surrounding suburbs. Found from Cape York through the eastern seaboard down to Tasmania and across to South Australia. Ringtails occupy a variety of habitats from rainforest to sclerophyl forests as long as this contains a well
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Ringtail Possums in care.
Andrea Devos
Photograph by Elizabeth Nathan Page 38
developed under-story. They build a sphere-shaped nest called a drey made out of shredded fibrous bark, leaves, twigs and bracken interwoven into leaves of Turpentine, Eucalypt trees, privet hedges and Banksias, some have built nests inside roller doors and amongst urban gardens. They also build nests inside hollow branches of trees, like all possums they retain more than one home. This possum is more fastidious than the Brushtail and its digestive system is much more complex. Their digestive tract has a greatly enlarged and complex caecum which along with good bacteria, help assist in the breaking down (fermentation) of food. The Ringtail can survive on a fibrous diet because it can retain most of the nutrition from eucalyptus leaves. The Ringtail also recycles some of its pellets (coprophagy), these are different to the hard dry pellets produced at night. These special soft pellets are produced during the daytime, eaten by the ringtail while curled up in a ball, when absorbed thought the digestive system a second time it produces more nutrients. Do not give antibiotics by mouth as it will upset and unbalance their gut flora - if antibiotics are specified by a vet make sure that only injectable antibiotics are administered. Their native diet consists mainly Wildlife Rescue Magazine
Face of a Ringtail Possum sometimes mistaken for a rat.
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Photograph by Steve Amesbury Page 39
This is a ringtail possum drey. Wildlife Rescue Magazine
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A ringtail possum chose to make its drey in a palm tree. Photographed by Jenny Thyne Page 40
During a heatwave this wild ringtail possum poked out its head. Wildlife Rescue Magazine
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Ringtail Possum enjoying a ripe Lilly Pilly. Wildlife Rescue Magazine
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Ringtail Possum enjoying a ripe Lilly Pilly. Wildlife Rescue Magazine
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of Eucalypt leaves, flowers, native fruit, tea tree, callistemon, wattles and Grevilleas. They also have a fondness for roses, non native fruit and plants and have been known to ring bark lemon trees. Ringtails are territorial and mostly solitary, but male and females have been known to regularly visit each other. Males will defend their territory from other males and the size of territory depends on the availability of food and shelter. The female shares her nest with her young and also carries them around once they leave the pouch stage at around 4 months. When they are too heavy or she has to travel
A Ringtail Joey snug in a pouch.
Wildlife Rescue Magazine
further for food, she leaves them in the nest. Communication is by smell and sound, their high pitched twittering call could easily be mistaken for a bird call. When in care they have been known to lunge at their keepers, especially females with young. Care must be taken when introducing Ringtails as they can be quite nasty to each other, but they do much better if they have company. Females can be just as aggressive as males. Sexual maturity can be reached around 12 months for males and earlier for females in a captive environment. Birthing season extends
Photograph by Barbara Brindley
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A human-made drey is a perfect place for a ringtail to recuperate. Photograph by Elizabeth Nathan
A Ringtail Joey snug in a pouch.
Photograph by Barbara Brindley
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from March to November when a litter of 1, 2 or 3 young are born. The gestation period is not known even though they have been bred in captivity. The young are underdeveloped when born. They make their way to the mother’s pouch, and hold onto a teat. Ringtails have four teats, and are capable of raising quadruplets, but the average litter size is two. Joeys emerge from the mothers pouch at around 3 to 4 months old, and then back ride on the mother, still drinking her milk as well as eating solids. They are weaned by the time they are 6 – 9 months old. A furless brushtail joey has a better chance of survival than a furless ringtail joey. At around 40g, a ringtail may have its eyes open. Ringtail pinkies (you could call them blackies as they are black not pink) do not have as great a survival rate as the Brushtails – they are much more delicate creatures. Some carers have raised them from very small sizes, but it takes much dedication to do so. A mother-reared wild ringtail outof-pouch are left in the nest stage if mother has to travel for food. Males (presumed father) have been known to assist in caring for the young once they leave the pouch permanently, grooming and baby sitting them while the mothers are off foraging. Ringtail possums in particular are Wildlife Rescue Magazine
delicate creatures when young, and stress can cause their death quite quickly. They must not be handled by small children or given to other adults to ‘hold’ as you would a kitten. Ringtail joeys do much better in pairs, or even small groups, called colonies, rather than a single possum on their own. They are by nature a colony animal, and having a partner or two can often make the difference between life and death. When an animal comes into care whether it is a baby or an adult, it may well be cold and it will be in shock. Do not attempt to feed a possum in this condition. Warm it gently, either with your own body heat or a hot water bottle. An adult needs three things in this circumstance – heat, dark and quiet. A human-made drey is perfect for an adult ringtail possum to rest in – put one side of the drey against a heat source (warm only) allowing for the animal to be able to move away from the heat. All babies that come into care need to be put into a firm (not tight) pouch (cotton or flannelette is best) A clean cotton sock can come in handy for a makeshift pouch. If you have a a baby and it is warm and more responsive, you can rehydrate it as most babies will dehydrated. (You can tell by its skin, if its skin when lightly squeezed does not go down back to its original place then
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your animal is dehydrated), you can use spark or lactade to rehydrate. Many people use natural remedies as well as western medicines. There are several things that can be offered to counteract shock – • Rescue remedy – a couple of drops of Rescue Remedy – available from Health Food Shops – in the mouth will help calm the animal. • Arnica – a couple of drops in the mouth (6 cc every 3-4 hours) When a ringtail roadkill is found, the pouch should be checked. If only one ringtail joey is found – search - because there is almost always a second ringtail joey, if not a third. When you find a mother who has joeys you may need to cut the joeys from her pouch as when the ringtail mother dies the pouch elasticity is no longer there and the longer the death the tighter the pouch opening becomes. If the baby is still attached to the teat, DO NOT PULL IT OFF. If you do, you will cause damage to the joey’s palate, and the baby will eventually die. Ensure first that the mother is dead, then place a safety pin or paper clip THROUGH the skin of the teat above the baby’s mouth. (Remember the mother is dead and will not feel this) Cut the teat from the mother, making sure you cut the teat as close
to the Mammary Gland as possible. The baby will eventually (in around 23 hours) spit out the teat itself. Please don’t be put off by this. There is no blood or mess, and the skin of the teat is very thin, smaller than a straw. When in the pouch, the mother stimulates the joey to encourage them to toilet by licking their genital area, which encourages them to defecate or urinate. This keeps the pouch clean. This is a job that you will now have to do. Hold the baby firmly in one hand, and using a tissue, tickle the area around the cloacae, and baby will do the right thing for you! A joey needs to be stimulated in this way EVERY feed. Be gentle. Over stimulation can cause damage. A baby first into care may not wee much, as it may be dehydrated. As the joey grows older, it will go to the toilet by itself. Do not be overly concerned if your baby does not defecate. Ringtails have a day time faeces and a night time faeces. Baby ringtails often ‘pap’, which means they reingest the daytime faeces as this helps to produce the bacteria in their guts that they need. They do not produce as much in the way of skats as joeys of other possums do until they are more independent in a cage. When it starts to toilet on its own, your job in that area is done! Page 45
Using a scissors (blunt end type is safest) put your fingers between the joey(s) and the pouch lining and cut (remember that the mother cannot feel anything as she is dead). Photograph by Andrea Devos Wildlife Rescue Magazine
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Spread the pouch open so you can examine the joeys. Photograph by Andrea Devos
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Carefully manoeuvre the joey from the pouch, careful not to pull on their legs, tail, heads etc. In this case the joeys have been in their mother for a long time and had already spat out the teats. Photograph by Andrea Devos Wildlife Rescue Magazine
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Turn the the cotton pouch inside out and rub inside the mothers pouch to get the scent of her on it. This will help the joeys be less stressed when you place them against the smell of their mothers pouch scent. Photograph by Andrea Devos Wildlife Rescue Magazine
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Buddying is essential for the welfare of your ringtail possum. Photograph by Cherie Reid
Buddying is important for ringtails.
These buddied ringtails are enjoying a special treat of rose petals. Photograph by Cherie Reid
Buddying Ringtails should be done from an early age.
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Photograph by Elizabeth Nathan
Photograph by Robyn Gates
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Sometimes when buddying one maybe younger than the other, in this circumstance â&#x20AC;&#x201C; soft release only when the youngest one reaches the 550g mark. Photograph by Robyn Gates
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Equipment It takes time and money to get together a good equipment kit. Garage sales and Op shops are good places to look for second hand cages, towels sheep-skin, beanies and sheets. Plastic pet baskets may be OK to use to rescue an animal but not to house them as they are too small adult Ringtail or Brushtails cannot stretch their body or stand up in them. The most expensive item will be a good set of scales; these should be able to measure weights up to 5kg in 1g increments. A thermometer should always be used to measure temperature - never rely on touch and feel. The list below represents a typical Possum Carer equipment kit.
Equipment list • Pet carrier (sturdy wire) with cover • Large plastic carrier • Scales (1g graduation up to 5kg) • Heat pad (electric with thermostat) • Thermometer ("Vacola" glass or digital with probe) • Wombaroo milk charts • Greater than >0.8 possum milk • Protein powder • Plastic eye droppers • Beanies, liners, pillow slips • Towels (lots) , sheep skin • Hot water bottle with thick cover • Assorted feed dishes • Plastic (recyclable container) to be used to keep leaves in like a plastic drink bottle. • Plastic ties First-aid kit • A large plastic tackle box (to keep
your bits and pieces together) • Lectade (rehydration fluid) • Otoderm (promotes new skin tissue) • Betadine • Cotton balls & buds, gauze • Tape measure • Nit comb • Scissors, tweezers • Disposable gloves • Hand wash (antiseptic) • Saline (washing wounds, eyes) • Silverzine (burn cream) once opened keep in fridge
must not be placed on the floor). • Aviary • Assorted unbreakable feeding dishes • Recyclable plastic containers (drink bottles) for foliage • Secateurs, extendable secateurs
Housing • In & out door possum boxes • Large indoor cage with large door opening (covered with shade cloth) • Table or stand to put cage on (cage
Get into the habit of weighing food.
Get to know the native plants in your area
The books shown above are an excellent reference for plant identification. Wildlife Rescue Magazine
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Recycled plastic products make good containers. Page 52
Feeding possums some things to remember! FEEDING DISHES Feeding dishes need to suit the size of the possum. E.g. Feathertail & Pygmy possums need very tiny vessels such as a lid off a drink bottle or small glass feeding tubes as used for nectar eating birds - their long tongue fits nicely into the tube and they cannot get covered in Honeyeater & Lorikeet mix. Use Blu-tack, a re-usable adhesive to secure the food containers in place otherwise the possum can knock it over. Never place liquid food into large dishes as these tiny possums can drown or get their fur glued together. Honeyeater & Lorikeet, Small Carnivore, Insectivore and Protein powder should be made up as directed on the package and must be made up freshly for each feed. • Always make sure feeding dishes are secure in aviaries. • Place dishes in such a way that possums cannot urinate or defecate into them. • Dishes must be taken out in the morning and cleaned. • Honeyeater & Lorikeet mix can go off in hot weather and is very sticky. • To stop ants from invading the food dishes, sprinkle non-perfumed talc powder onto the shelf were feeding dishes sit. Wildlife Rescue Magazine
• For larger possums fruit and mixes can be placed into a bowl and placed onto a dish of water. • All leftovers must be removed in the morning • Pick up any fruit from the ground as it will encourage ants, rats and mice. MIXING MILK IS AN ART! Wombaroo's Greater than (>. 8) possum milk can be made up daily for feeds. You will need a container (e.g. a plastic or glass measuring cup used for cooking which can be purchased from a super market, cheap)! Place 25g of >.8 possum milk powder into the container, and then slowly add the preboiled warm water (stirring to dissolve any lumps - like a paste) until it reaches 100mL. Note! Do not add 100mL of water! The formula is - 25g of >.8 possum milk powder made up to 100mL of pre-boiled warm water. FRUIT When using fruit as part of a diet it should be noted that it is only used because it's convenient for the carer and it's palatable for the animal. Fruit is made up of carbohydrates, fibre, some minerals and vitamins. Protein mix needs to be added as a supplement. The fruit should be cut to size to suit the animal - if the pieces are too big the possum will take a bite and drop the rest. If it's too small it
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won't pick up the fruit but will try and lick it up and the fruit will spill onto the aviary floor. Possums need the fruit pieces to be a comfortable size for them to hold onto. Do not feed exotic fruits, keep it simple. The bulk should be apple plus a variety of other simple fruits that are in season and not too costly! No mangoes, they are for the carer! Besides fruit juices will only make the possums hands sticky and yucky! Do not feed kale family such as cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage or brussels sprouts. Do not feed herbs like parsley or certain weeds, they will eat them but, some introduced plants can cause convulsions and death. A few pine nuts can also be offered. NATIVE PLANTS Good old Eucalyptus leaves! Possums will eat mature leaves but mostly like succulent green tips. Try to pick in the morning before the heat of the day and a couple of species if possible. Other natives like black wattle, tea tree, bottle brushes, grevillia, along with eucalypt, angophora and turpentine flowers and buds. The seeds from wattles and casurinas are also eaten. Ripe lilly pilly and breynia fruits are also appreciated. Place the foliage into a bucket of water with some sugar to help the plant rejuvenate after being cut with
secateurs. Do not take vegetation from national parks, these places are protected for a reason - to protect the flora and fauna from human interference. Possums will eat spiders and bugs associated with trees and plants. Huntsman spiders which live under bark can be caught and frozen. Mealworms can be used for stimulation and placed into leaf litter or in an escape free container, sprinkled with insectivore. Moths and beetles can also be caught and released into aviaries to get insect eating possums to hunt and catch their own prey and to also exercise. Foliage can hold lots of small insects and should be placed into the aviary so possums can seek out the insects. Do not feed bright coloured insects! PERCHES AND DENTAL HEALTH Fresh native branches with the bark left on not only make good perches but are also good for possums to chew into, especially the sap and insect eating species. I also use vertical as well as horizontal perches. VASES Water containers used for holding foliage should not be too deep as possum may climb into them and drown. Page 53
Food glorious food â&#x20AC;&#x201C; fresh is best!
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Handling Possums This is the scary bit. Once you have assessed the situation, you have to actually catch the possum! I find the easiest and least stressful method (for both parties) is to throw a large beach towel over the possum. This keeps the possum confused and disorientated and allows you to be in control. In other situations where it is not possible to use a towel (for example the possum may be higher than you) I use a hoop bag. Once you have the possum secured inside a pet carrier and your knees stop shaking, you can either contact an experience carer or the Animal Officer to give you further assistance. A pillowslip used like a glove is great for grasping Ringtails and Sugar gliders and saves your hand from being scratched or bitten. When you have arrived home or at the vets you will need to check the possum for injuries and so on. I can guarantee you, the possum will not always be hiding under the towel! Sometimes the possum is sitting on top of the towel ready to bolt as soon as you lift the lid off the pet carrier. If this is the case you will need to slide a towel under the lid very slowly covering the top of the pet carrier and then drop it onto the Wildlife Rescue Magazine
possum whilst holding the possum down so it won't bolt. When the possum is wrapped securely, you can proceed to open the towel to the area you need to check. Always keep the head covered and be mindful of their teeth and claws. I often bag my possums in a very large dark cotton bag - I can feel where the head is and can control the bitey bits through the bag. Just try and remember the possum is very frightened and doesn't understand you are trying to help it. It sees you as a predator and will try to protect itself! We all had to start somewhere and I can recall being sent on my first rescue - a very large obnoxious male brushtail - and how scared I was as it screamed when I was trying to get it into the pet carrier. I didn't hold it tight enough and consequently he bolted with me in pursuit. The poor animal had been savaged by a dog so I can understand how terrified it felt. Fortunately I did managed to recapture him ... well letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s say we grabbed each other! I am much more careful these days. Do not be afraid to take animals to another member for support and guidance. A RESCUE SCENARIO YOU MAY ENCOUNTER Road victim or fall An adult male Brushtail possum is found lying on the side of the road or
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in a front yard at 10:30pm and cannot move. The feet are clenched and cold to touch; the eyes are open and have that glazed look. Throw a large towel over the possum, tucking the towel under the body, on all sides. Then gently but firmly support the wrapped body with your hands, and place the possum into a padded (towel) pet carrier. Small plastic carriers are not big enough for large possums to stretch out their body which may have spine or nerve injury. A large cardboard box can also be used to transport the animal home if the veterinary surgery is closed. Once you get it home, listen to its breathing and check for signs of blood in the ear, mouth and nose. Look at the colour of the mucus membrane. Feel along the back bone for a break. The possum is in deep shock and may be bleeding internally. Place the pet carrier onto a heat pad set at 28 degC, in a quiet dimly lit room. Check in an hour to see if it's warm and note if it has moved its body. Take care not to over heat the possum. Do not try to give fluid or food to an unconscious animal. If there is no change, go to bed and check in the morning, But, if the possum has moved make sure it is securely contained and check in another hour. If the possum is still alive in the
morning make an appointment to see the vet. If it is sitting up, it is probably very sore, check that the possum's eyes are open and if the pupils are responding with a small torch. Check to see if the colour of the feet and nose (pink) have returned and its breathing is OK (ie it is breathing normally) Offer a drink of Lectaid with a plastic medicine dropper. Do not use glass as it can break if the possum clamps hard on it. If the possum seems to be getting better you can offer some fruit. Observe over the next 24 hours. It takes a few days for bruising to come out and it could be a bit wobbly. If he is curled up like a possum and is eating and drinking place a possum box inside the cage, he will feel more secure. If he is progressing well then release him after a week or two, just to make sure there are no internal injuries.
Feral Common Indian Mynas are a serious problem for biodiversity conservation in many countries other than Australia. In the year 2000, Common Indian Mynas were listed by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) as one of the Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 100 Worst Invasive Species. For more information http://sres.anu.edu.au/associated/ myna/index.html Page 55
If your ringtail appears jittery and nervous, although happy to be with you, you may find it needs a partner. Make sure that you let the register heads know the weight of your baby, so they can keep an ear out for a partner for your baby. Offer native foliage and flowers from the time your baby is around 80 grams, as well as milk. As the baby grows older, drop milk from the midevening feed, offering a wide variety of foliage and flowers instead. Ringtails much prefer native foliage to human food of any kind. They particularly like Cadagi – a type of eucalyptus tree. Be careful of where you collect your foliage – if you roadside collect, there is a chance of lead poisoning occurring from traffic pollution - wash your foliage before giving it to the joey. Stand the branches in water (I use an old drink bottle tied to the side of the cage) to keep them fresh. Replace each day or every second day, depending upon how fresh they are. DO NOT neglect native foods – foraging for native branches is part of your commitment to being a carer. INTRODUCING SOLIDS Native foliage should be offered. Look for flowering natives, as they intrigue the little ones to start with. Native foods are always best. All possums, like people, have individual tastes, and you will have to Wildlife Rescue Magazine
experiment until you find what your joey will eat. Sometimes they refuse a food when they are little, then love it when they are older! Most native plants/foliage is suitable to offer but try some of these: Eucalyptus torelliana (Cadaghi) E. ptychocarpa (Swamp Blood wood) E.curtisii (Plunkett Mallee) E. tereticornis (Forest Red Gum) E.camadulensis (River Red Gum) Grevillea (leaves and flowers) Calliandra (Pom Pom) (leaves and flowers) Rose (leaves) Lilly Pilly (leaves, fruit and flowers) Mango (leaves, fruit and flowers) Plumbago (flowers) Crepe Myrtle (flowers) Bottlebrush (leaves and flowers) Mulberry (leaves, fruit and flowers) DO NOT OFFER Azalea, Oleander, Pepper Tree and Allemande. These are poisonous to possums. FEEDING As a general rule, ringtail joeys first into care need careful handling – many are lost on their first night in. If the joey is less than 60g, then extra care must be taken. Place the baby in a pouch, and gently warm to an ambient temperature of 28 to 32 C. Ringtail Possums will need to be fed a special milk formula (never feed any marsupial cow's milk) There are three brands of formula
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Ringtails can do acrobats while foraging for food and it is a good idea to put the food in hard to reach areas to teach your ringtails. Photograph by Elizabeth Nathan Page 56
Training your ringtails to stretch for hard to reach blossoms will hold them in good stead in the wild. Photograph by Elizabeth Nathan
A Ringtail possum enjoying a lilly pilly.
Photograph by Elizabeth Nathan
A Ringtail possum enjoying a lilly pilly.
A Ringtail possum.
Photograph by Elizabeth Nathan
Wildlife Rescue Magazine
Photograph by Elizabeth Nathan
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A Ringtail Possum.
Photograph by Debbie Radde
Some ringtails have a ratlike appearance.
Photograph by Sonya Stanvic
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Who needs a toothpick when you have nails like these. Photograph by Cherie Reid Page 58
Me â&#x20AC;Ś Upside down.
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Photograph by Elizabeth Nathan
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Yum Yum. A ringtail enjoying her food.
Photograph by Elizabeth Nathan
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Feeding time can be a social occasion.
in Australia – Biolac, Di-Vetelact and Wombaroo. All brands do a similar thing (provide a low lactose formula for your joey), which one you choose to use is your preference. • 20g (approx. 42 days old). A ringtail joey is not viable at this age as their little lungs have not fully formed. • 45-60g (approx. 95-110 days old, eyes are opening, fur is starting to appear). The survival rate of unfurred ringtails is poor. Joeys of this size will need three hourly feeding, all through the night. They will only take around 1 ml of milk per 24 hours, break that up
Bottlebrush, Grevilleas all are welcome when you are a ringtail. Photograph by Elizabeth Nathan Wildlife Rescue Magazine
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Photograph by Elizabeth Nathan
into 6 feeds, which does not seem much, but remember how small their tummy is! • 60-80g (approx. 115 days old). At this stage the baby still must be kept warmed, but not always confined, as they would be exploring the inside of their drey while mum is close by. Still pouch bound. They should be on around 5 milk feeds a day. Offer native foliage, remembering that ringtails prefer foliage to any other variety of food. 60g – around 2 mls per feed • 80-100g (approx. 125 days old). If your joey is new into care, still offer heat – this reduces the effects Page 60
The <0.8 Possum Milk Replacer is for joeys with less than 80% of their pouch life completed: ie younger joeys not yet emerged from pouch, furless to fine fur; eyes closed to just opened; ears drooped.
The >0.8 Possum Milk Replacer is for joeys greater than 80% of their pouch life completed: ie older joeys emerging from pouch; short soft to dense long fur, eyes open; ears erect. Wildlife Rescue Magazine
Feeding a small ringtail possum joey using a syringe and teat. Photograph by Kirralee Marriage
Syringe feeding a Ringtail Possum.
Bottle Feeding a Ringtail Possum.
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Photograph by Sonya Stanvic
Aren't I just too gorgeous! A sweet Ringtail joey Possum. Photograph by Sonya Stanvic Page 61
Lapping from a spoon makes feeding times so much easier for the surrogate mum.
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Photograph by Robyn Gates
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of shock. Joeys at this age need more room to investigate, they would be riding the back of their mother at this stage and tasting the different leaves, however they are still drinking from mum. A Cockatoo cage that has been safely wired with small bird wire is a good place to hang the pouch. This way they can come and go as they please. 80g -3 ml per feed 100g – cut down the amount of feeds to three feeds a day – around 5 ml per feed. Native foliage is a MUST. • 100-150g (approx. 170 days old). New babies into care may still need heat for the first 24 – 48 hours. After that, check body warmth, but the baby should be generating its own heat. 100g – 3 feeds – 5 ml per feed – joey should be lapping 150g – 15-25 ml with one feed – joey should be lapping. • 150-200g (approx. 180 days old and mother would be weaning her and carrying her less on her back). By this stage the baby should be lapping milk, and one feed of milk can be left out for night time. A joey first into care may need heating, but once settled, should be self regulating. Good age to buddy up if single. Native foliage for a ringtail this size Wildlife Rescue Magazine
will be appreciated by your joey, keep it simple - mainly soft new Eucalypt tips, buds, flowers, callistemon, Grevilleas, Leptospermum, Melaleuca and Acacia, - try any local native vegetation. Good age to buddy up if single. Wild young should be checked to ensure they do not have mites and also to see that they are lapping and eating OK before introducing to others. If you are going to buddy up with a wild arrival place them inside a pillowslip during the daytime so they can get used to each others smell or place both inside a new clean nest box with new material. Weigh them before you introduce them and have two separate feeding areas, add new fresh foliage during the day time. They should settle in very quickly but do watch for signs of one clinging onto the others fur for security (clingons) as it is very stressful and could cause an injury. • 240-320g (approx. 190 days - joey would still be going through the weaning process by mother). Snout to rump 22cm / tail length 26cmAlthough the ringtail may still want to have one milk feed per day, supply the milk late in the afternoon in a dish so that they can lap at it without seeing you, because it is at this age it may be weaned.
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HIgh Protein Supplement should be given to adult ringtail possums who are weaned off milk - 2g per 100g of fruit. Page 63
Adult diet is essential, mainly new tips and native flowers, and a constant supply of fresh water. Joeys of this size should not be handled â&#x20AC;&#x201C; they are no longer babies, but juveniles, and should be treated as such. Take care in introducing them to an already established colony. Sometimes they will not be accepted. They should have already been buddied and be housed in a suitable size cage (cockies cage with shade cloth covering it and be outside under cover) â&#x20AC;˘ 350-420g (approx. 200 days young may be independent of mother). Snout to rump 24cm / tail length 30cm (Age approx. 7 months or 210 days) - fully weaned off milk and eating mainly native flora from the area it will be released into. Small quantity of fruit must be suitable size to suit the possum paws otherwise it will fall to the ground and you do not want ringtail possums to go to the ground for food as unlike the brushtail possum, a ringtail possum is not a ground dwelling animal and does not take its food naturally from the floor of the forest. Apple, pear, rockmelon and a few grapes as a treat, corn niblets, and carrot can be offered. Also use protein supplement on fruit 2g per 100g of fruit, once they are off milk. Wildlife Rescue Magazine
IMPORTANT: Ringtails should be buddied up before they are placed into the release aviary. Just like Brushtails care and observation is important for the well being of the possum. If one is found out of the possum box then it will have to be removed. Sex does not matter when placing young ringtails together but they should be around the same age and weight. Do not house wild ringtails with hand reared ones as the wild one will be more dominant and 'bush wise'. If ringtails are part of a litter of 2 or 3 they should remain together, if you have 3 and another comes into the system you can take one out and pair it off with the new arrival as long as it is healthy, there may be a problem introducing a single possum with three acquainted ones. To introduce ringtails to others a larger cage under cover is recommended but do keep in mind outside temperatures - this allows the possum to acclimatize before it goes into the release aviary. If it's snowing or there is a heat wave bring it inside. A stuffed toy (mother) tied to a branch, helps the possums to feel secure and they can cling to it between exploring during the night. Place fresh branches for climbing and chewing with a variety of foliage in small plastic vase like containers. A nest box or two (size depends on
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Sharing a cage with others is important to the ringtail possum. Photograph by Elizabeth Nathan Page 64
how many) with a woollen beanie or other material to snuggle into and keep warm. Food containers need to be cleaned each day and water should always be available in a shallow dish. Cover the whole cage with nylon shade cloth for privacy - this helps the possum feel secure you can view the possum through the shade cloth without disturbing it. It also keeps the flies away from the food. At this point, it is time to start playing together in the outside aviary. Take the joeys outside to the aviary each day, holding them until they become game enough to leave you and explore the aviary on their own. This takes around 2 weeks. Leave the joeys in the aviary by themselves for an hour, it is wise to stay with them for this time. Do this each day, gradually increasing the time they are left (at this stage when you feel sure they are coping well together you can leave them alone), continue extending the length of time until you feel they are ready to spend a night out by themselves. Make sure you check them first thing in the morning. SOFT RELEASING Releasing a possum does not mean taking it out into the bush and dumping it there with a banana. Before the time comes for release, you need to find a suitable release site. If you can soft release from your Wildlife Rescue Magazine
place all the better. A possum needs a couple of weeks in an aviary at the place it is going to be released, to accustom it to the noise and smells of the area. Release weight for a ringtail varies with the animal, but standard is when the smallest in the colony reaches 550 gram. 520-580g – Age 8 months- snout to rump 25cm / tail length 31cm. 580-630g – age 9 months -snoutrump length 26cm / tail length 32cm 670-720g – age 10 months - snoutrump length 27cm/ tail length 33cm 680-760g – age 11 months - snoutrump length 28cm / tail length 34cm 850-1030g - 12 months (mature) snout-rump length 30-32cm/ tail length 36cm 8-9 months is the age to soft release from the aviary. HOW DO YOU SOFT RELEASE? Sonya Stanvic answers: “I open the release hatch and watch from a distance; I do not interfere with them even if they look like they are a bit clumsy. The claws may be a little blunt from scraping them on the wire and metal. Once they get the hang of 'freedom' they go a little crazy or become hesitant in the 'big' space. This is when they are most vulnerable to predators because they have not yet
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developed bush skills. Soft releasing allows animals to gain bush skills but also gives them a safe house to come back to if they should need it. They usually return every night from their sortie for up to a week, I leave a small amount of food in the aviary, but only if they are in their box. I make sure the local Brushtails are not raiding the food dish. After a week they may visit once or twice and then they are on their own. I lock the aviary up once the possums stop returning, or the locals may decide to treat the empty aviary as a bed and breakfast!” Beverley Clarke answers: “The animals are released by opening the door, and allowing them to choose when they will come and go. Adult ringtails may decide to go out for the night and return to sleep in their own drey and they will often do this for a few weeks. After a few nights, I hang the drey out in a tree near the aviary. Ringtails scent mark their trails, so they can usually find their way home! For the first few nights, I still supplement feed by putting native branches in the aviary. Eventually, when the possums decide not to return home, I still leave the door open for 5 days, to give the option of a safe haven. After that, I put feed on top of the aviary in case it is needed, for a week. Then they are on their own. I let my neighbours know that I am releasing, so that if my animal ends up
in their yard, they can call me. This way, everyone looks out for my babies!” Thank you to Sonya Stanvic for her great informational guide on how to care for ringtails. You can find the guide by Sonya Stanvic on our website: www.wildliferescuemagazine.com Thank you also to Beverley Clarke, for the use of her information about Ringtail Possums, you can find this on their website at www.onarr.org.au
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The big wide world can be a scary place. Ringtails ready to be soft released.
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Photograph by Stella Reid
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Suitable Ringtail Possum Housing
5 Months Should be paired up Needs more room
Larger cage on porch undercover minimum size 1400mm high x 1100mm wide x 600mm deep
61/2 - 7 Months Juveniles - outside aviary
Outside aviary (commercial) minimum size 2100mm high x 1800mm wide x 2400mm deep
8 Months Soft release - learning bush skills â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Freedomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;
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Outside aviary (purpose built) Recommended size 2400mm high x 2400mm wide x 4800mm deep
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Possum Summary Chart NATURAL HABITAT
SPECIES
SOCIAL STRUCTURE
SEXUAL MATURITY
COMMON BRUSHTAIL
Various …woodlands to Mainly solitary with rainforests. High densities the exception of females in urban areas with young
MOUNTAIN BRUSHTAIL
Wet eucalypt forests and gullies. Rainforest, higher altitude than the Common brushtail.
COMMON RINGTAIL
Woodlands & forests along creek lines with understorey.
SUGAR GLIDER
Wet and dry Eucalypt forests and woodlands with dense Acacia understorey.
SQUIRREL GLIDER
Wet and dry Eucalypt forest and woodlands
March-November Males, 18-24 months female 12 months
ADULT WEIGHT
NATIVE DIET
CAPTIVE DIET
1.8kg to 4kg Females are smaller
Eucalypt leaves, buds, flowers, acacia flowers, native fruits & plants. Insects, exotic plants and fruits & pine nuts
Native diet and a variety of fruit & veg. Protein supplement on food (no kale veg).
Mainly Solitary but have been trapped in pairs.
March-June Males 22-36 months Females 36 months Breeds every 2nd year
2-4.5kg
Pairs and small family group.
April to November Male-12months Female 12-14 mths 1-2 litters per year
600-960g Females are smaller.
Family group
April to November Males 8-15 months Females 12 months. 1-2 litters per year.
110-170gms Females are smaller.
Family group
May to December Male & Female 12 months. 1-2 litters per year.
180-300g
Eucalypt, native shrubs, Native diet and a variety of fruit & veg. fungi, lichens, fruits, buds “Same as above” and flowers
Prefers new tips of eucalypts & flowers. Native shrubs, fruits, wattle, Angophora & Turpentine flowers.
Mostly Native diet. A small amount of fruit & veg with Protein supplement.
Acacia gum and Bloodwood Native diet, mealworms, crickets sap. Insects, nectar, pollen, & beetles. Fruit with protein lerpes, galls and wattle and supplement or small carnivore mix She-oaks seeds. Nestlings and eggs. Like to chew on branches on fruit. Honeyeater & Lorikeet nectar mix. of acacia.
Sap, gum, nectar, pollen, insects, caterpillars, galls, native seeds and fruits
Native diet, meal worms & insects. Fruit with Protein supplement or small carnivore mix on fruit. Honeyeater & Lorikeet nectar mix.
Try and give possums as much natural food as possible. Flying insects like moths and beetles can be caught in "insect traps" just leave an outside light on and hook up a large plastic funnel under the light attached to a cotton bag. Then empty the contents into the aviary this will give the possums some thing to do and will help them use their senses to locate the insects. Breed meal worms and crickets. When cutting up fruit make sure it is a suitable size for the possum to hold. Always have water available and food containers should be secure, take care with nectar mix as it is very sticky. Take out leftover food every morning this will help prevent ants from invading the food dishes. Leaves and flowers should be picked daily if possible. Weigh the possum/s once a week for two weeks and if its weight has dropped, there is a problem, could be caused from inmate or wild possums climbing onto the aviary at night. Contact Possum Coordinator or advisor for advice. If there is more than one possum place an extra box into the aviary.
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Female Possum Reproductive System Female body weight
Female longevity captivity
Gestation
Teats
Litters per year
First off teat
Eyes open
Final pouch exit
Weaning time
Dispersal age
Sexual maturity females
Birth season
Grams
Years
Days
Number
Number
Days
Days
Days
Days
Months
Months
Months
Feathertail glider Acrobates pygmaeus
9-15g
7
?
4
2-4
?
60-70
50-60*
95-110
?
6-8
July-Jan *all year
Eastern Pygmy Possum Cercartetus nanas
20-24g
8
17-30
6
2-3
<25
40-60
30-42*
50-65
?
4.5-5
Sept-April
Sugar glider Petaurus breviceps
95-140g
12
16
4
1-2
40-65
74-82
70*
130
7-10
12
June-Jan *Most months
Squirrel glider Petaurus norfolcensis
175-260g
5-6
?
4
1-2
?
?
?
120
?
12
April-Dec
Common ringtail Pseudocheirus peregrinus
650-970g
10
14-16
4
1-2
42-49
95-100
120*
180-210
8-12
12-14
April-Nov
Yellow-bellied glider Petaurus australis
450-700g
11
?
2
1
?
100
90-100*
180-240
18-24
24
Aug-April
Greater glider Petauroides volans
900-1700g
15
?
2
1
93
121
90-150*
210-270
10-12
24
April-June
Common brushtail Trichosurus vulpecula
1800-3500g
13
16-18
2
1-2
94
100-110
140-150
180-230
9-18
12-14
March-May *Most months
Mountain brushtail Trichosurus caninus
2200-4100g
?
15-17
2
1
112
110-120
150-200
240-275
18-36
24-36
March-May
POSSUM
Reference books Fauna of Australia, volume 1B Mammalia, Reproductive physiology of marsupials by H. Tyndale-Biscoe & M. Renfree Possums and gliders edited by A. Smith and I. Hume Gliders of Australia by D. Lindenmayer Possums by Anne Kerle
*Left in the nest whilst mother forages at night
*Breeds most months in warmer areas / food availability Sonya Stanvic - revised July 2005
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Ages and Stages – Brushtail Possum Age
150 days 5 months
180 days 6 months
210 days 7 months
Weight grams
390+
550+
750+
Feeds per day
Formula per day
Wombaroo Formula
1 to 2
46mL Lapping out of shallow dish
No need Introduce a mixture of to toilet. native leaves and >.08 “Ambient” flowers inside the milk is temperature. important cage, small amount of Kept inside quiet mixed fruit. room.
1
1
50mL
>.08
50mL
>.08 May wean itself off milk
Toilet & temperature
Diet
Fur
Thick
Under cover on Introduce a mixture of porch native leaves and acclimatising to flowers inside the outside cage, small amount of temperatures mixed fruit. day & night changes. Outside temperature. Unless its snowing!
Lots of native plants from release area. Variety of fruit & veg
900+
Put Protein Variety of native plants, Mix on fruit insects, mixed fruit & Appearance veg. Don’t feed 5g per Looks like a small adult cabbage, parsley or 100g onions.
270 days 9 months
1000+
Put Protein Mix on fruit 5g per 100g
360 days 12 months
1800+
240 days 8 months
Avoid exotic fruits
Housing in care
Natural behaviour and development
Needs more room to move around, nest box or hanging Close relationship with mother, spending pouch to sleep in. Toy (mother) more time out of pouch clinging to mum’s stays with possum until it goes fur. Still suckling. Mouthing on leaves. Will into release aviary. Can buddy not survive on its own. up from now. Buddy up before placing into Fully emerged from pouch 190 days old. cage on porch. Check for cling- Rides on mum’s back, clings to her for on can cause stress to the other security. Still suckling. Eating soft possum. Place possum box, eucalypts tips & flowers. Mum’s elongated branches to climb and chew on. teat often hangs out of the pouch or the Cage 1400mm high x 1100mm pouch lining (skin) is exposed because wide x 600mm deep. the Joey is still trying to suckle. Move into release aviary. Recommended size 3 metres wide x 4 metres long x 2.4 metres high. Limit contact put food in before dark and clean aviary during the day.
May still be suckling, mother will often leave young in a tree while she forages. Mother will respond to distress call of young –mortality high at this age.
May poke head out of box, Weaned off milk, eating adult diet. when you enter aviary-do not Exploring, but still near mum, very entice it out during the daytime. vulnerable age, many do not make it to What you do now may be adult hood. Release area should be as detrimental to its survival once close to original area from where it came it’s released. You do not want it from if possible. to seek out human contact.
Branches dry out, causing Dispersal 8-18 months. Independent, but Will lose weight in the claws to become blunt-replace protected if still in its mother’s area. Do first few weeks after with fresh rough barked not leave food in aviary if it has not release. Best time to soft branches. Place eating returned, only support feed if it returns release. branches in secured containers and then slowly reduce the feeding every with water. Open release hatch. second day over a 4 week period.
This possum has been kept too long and could have a pouch young if housed with an Yearlings can often lose their first young. Females often stay in their older male - they can breed earlier in captivity. If you keep your possum too long it will mother’s home range until they have their first young- if it is not over have a very bad time with the older possums because they will treat it as a threat. It crowded and food is plentiful. The possum environment is a hard place to will be moved from area to area and may not survive. survive as residents must protect their food, family and hollows to survive.
This chart is to be used as a guide only, it is not rigid. In the release aviary weigh your possums for the first two weeks. Weight loss will indicate a problem. Keep records so that you can refer back to them if need be and for future reference. Contact an experienced carer if there are any problems. juvenile to adult 2004 Wildlife Rescue Magazine
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Ages and Stages – Ringtail Possum Age
Weight grams
Tail (mm)
Formula Feeds Formula Snout to Rump <.8 or per day per day >.8 mL (mm)
Solids
Toilet
Texture Ambient of Tempfaeces erature
By itself
Outside under cover (porch)
150 days 5 months
150 to 180
222
170
>.8
1 or 2
17
Place fresh eucalypt tips, flowers, wattle, tea tree, grevillia bottlebrush. A small amount of fruit & veg
180 days 6 months
240 to 320
260
220
>.8
1
20
Include more leaves from release area in diet.
Outside
210 days 7 months
320 to 420
300
240
No milk
Feed only at night. 2-3g Protein mix on 100g of fruit & veg.
Outside
240 days 8 months
420 to 580
310
250
Release- only feed if its returning to aviary.
270 days 9 months
580+
320
260
Do not leave food, should be eating locally.
330 days 11 months
680+
340
280
360 days 12 months
850+
360
300+
Firm pellets
Fur
Housing
Some may Larger cage on still have porch. Needs to get used that to outside temperature, lovely smell and noises. rufous fur
Thick fur
Natural behaviour & development
Development rapidwill go foraging with mother. Eating a variety of natural flora.
Pair up before placing into aviary at release site.
Some may wean themselves off milk earlier than others.
Should have been paired up by now.
Weaned 180-210 days old. Juvenile – Diet adult
Dispersal Release hatch open – ageneeds to be able to come 8 to 12 back to aviary for security months (soft release)
Dispersal age for some. May still stay in its mother’s home range. Mortality high at this age.
Adult colour.
If spotlighting release possums, take care not to attract predatory owls that live in the area.
Males larger than females.
boxes in trees for extra Females sexually mature Place accommodation. Entrance 12-14 months. Only place hole must only be big enough wild and hand reared for Ringtail or young together at a very young Brushtails will try to hijack the age. box. Males sexually mature at 12 months.
Adult colour. Breeding season April-Nov.
Weigh your possum weekly and contact your Animal Officer if there is a problem. Good management and correct housing is important as it will influence weight, development and the wellbeing of the animal. Keep records so you can refer to them if you need to and also for future reference or when passing the possum onto another carer. Register with Animal Officer ASAP- Ringtails are a social animal (family group) and do better when paired up at the right age, if not related before they enter the release aviary. Ringtails possums are more fastidious than Brushtail possum, you must be prepared to pick native food. Carers tend to baby Ringtails because they are small and keep them too long in care and retard their development. They can inflict nasty wounds on each other if not compatible. Mortality in the first year is high (45-75%) life expectancy in the wild is around 4 years, they reach sexual maturity earlier in captivity. Age determines milk type (<.8 less than) or >.8 more than). The weight determines QUANTITY within that type of milk. Age can be determined by a combination of foot/tail measurements, appearance and weight not by weight alone. Consult Wombaroo charts for type and quantity of milk. This chart is only a guide it is not rigid. juvenile to adult 2004 Wildlife Rescue Magazine
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Rescue, Rehabilitation and Release
Eastern Pygmy possum Eastern Pygmy possum Cercartetus nanus
Eastern Pygmy posum. Wildlife Rescue Magazine
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INTRODUCTION My Scottish friend said it reminded her of 'a dormouse' but this little possum is a marsupial not a rodent and is listed as 'vulnerable' under the 'Threatened Species Act1995'. If one comes into your care it is important to let your local NPWS office know the exact location, age, sex and condition of the possum so it can go onto the wildlife atlas (dead or alive). Despite a large number of intensive trapping programs undertaken in the eastern forests and woodlands of New South Wales in recent years, only a small number of captures (154) have resulted from a total trapping effort of 315,000 Elliott trap-nights and 57,000 pitfall trapnights (Bowen and Goldingay 2000). IDENTIFICATION The average weight of this nocturnal, mouse size possum is 24g. They are very quick and agile and can leap considerable distances. It has a dumpy appearance, a short pointed snout with a pink nose and the head is framed with large rounded ears
Sonya Stanvic accentuating the large bulging eyes. The prehensile tail is sparsely furred with the base being thick especially during winter (fat reserve). The back feet have the usual fused grooming claw and the clawless large toe used for grasping branches found on all possums. Their long brush-tip tongue is perfect for licking nectar and collecting pollen from banksias, flowering gums and mountain devils, insects are also part of their diet. In the colder months they enter torpor and this enables them to conserve energy at a time when food is scarce. During this time they live off their fat reserves - stored during the warmer months when insects, pollen and nectar have been plentiful. Torpor can be over a few days or up to a period of two weeks, which is convenient when the temperature drops during winter and can bring snow to the mountains. When in torpor they roll their body up like a ball and feel icy cold to touch. The ears flop over the eyes and the head is buried into the chest so it's not easy to know the back from the front end. Page 72
These small animals have been found curled up on walking tracks and after being tucked into a warm pocket, come to life by the time the walker gets home and makes that phone call! They must be fed straight away to keep their energy levels up. I do not place them on a heat pad, I usually feed them and weather permitting take them back to exactly where they were found as soon as possible in a suitable possum box. SOCIAL STRUCTURE Non breeding animals are solitary by nature and females with suckling young share a nest. The female has 6 teats but usually has 2- 4 offspring which spend about 42 days in the pouch. Later these tiny furless babies are left in the nest while mum forages for food. Development of these little possums is rapid and they can breed at 6 months of age. Birth season is from September to April but it has been suggested that in the warmer areas and places with an abundance of food they could breed throughout the year. By the way, they do bite and will emit a hissing sound when handled. One has lived in captivity for 7.5 years without eating animal protein or associated products. These little possums may play a vital part in the pollination of native plants. Wildlife Rescue Magazine
Educating the community is one the most important responsibilities of being a wildlife carer. Case history 1 We all know what it's like: having friends over for dinner and just as you are about to sit down to eat, the phone rings for a rescue! The phone coordinator has tried umpteen other members and now it was my turn. Fortunately for me the caller lived in the neighborhood and was willing to bring it to my home! I opened the door to a very surprised neighbour, who realised we had already met on a previous occasion! He handed me a cloth and inside was a small furred animal, he thought it was probably another mouse left on his door mat. But, decided to get it checked out, thanks to our last conversation when I rescued a young rat his cat had dumped on the door mat! We had a very indepth conversation about the local wildlife sharing his property. A lot of property owners are usually unaware of the local (small) wildlife coexisting on their land. This was indeed a local, a young Pygmy possum - unfortunately it died. He assured me he would keep his cat inside at night from now on! Cats cannot help themselves, their natural instinct is to hunt and they
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Pygmy Possum sleeping.
Photograph by Robyn Gates
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Pygmy Possum.
Wildlife Rescue Magazine
Photograph by Hannah Marco
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cannot distinguish introduced rodents from indigenous creatures of the bush. Case History 2 I was given a female possum to pair up with mine - I named her 'Pudding' because she was somewhat over weight (38g). Pudding was reared by a dedicated foster carer from just 2g â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the size of a jelly bean! My little fellow was called 'Jaws' he was a wild little sod who would sink his teeth into my hand at every opportunity. Jaws was rescued from a bath tub found in the bush by an inquisitive child exploring the area. Both eyes and ears where badly fly blown, he was only 15g and badly dehydrated. This poor little mite must have fallen into the tub and couldn't climb the smooth sides to freedom or he may have been knocked of a branch by an owl, trying to get a quick snack! The vet and I decided to give him a chance, the maggots where flushed from his eyes and ears and cream applied to the eyes twice a day along with a drop of Amoxil by mouth three times a day. He was finally allowed to share a den with Pudding, who hissed at him for 5 days, probably due to stress, related to her new diet and the newly introduced exercise program. Pudding now weighed 30g and
Jaws was 24g. Jaw's left eye was fine but the other was blind. I was concerned the loss of one eye would cause some problems, but hopefully Pudding would hang about with him for a while after release. I released both animals on my property and tried to follow their movements at night but lost them most of the time in the understory of Banksias and Acacias or couldn't find them amongst the tall flowering gums, there eye shine is a very pale red. One of the problems in looking after these little possums are they tend to get over weight in captivity as they love food. I hide the food and also place live insects in the leaf litter of the cage and use a lot of Acacia as it has a lot of small insects in the foliage. They also need room to climb about; carers tend to keep small possums in small cages. Do not use plastic or glass aquariums because the ventilation is not good. Excerpt from Sonya Stanvics' wonderful Possum Manual
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Green Ringtail possum
Andrea Devos THE GREEN RINGTAIL POSSUM (Pseudochirops archeri)
T
Green ringtail possum with her joey. Wildlife Rescue Magazine
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he green ringtail possum gets its name from its fur, which does indeed have a greenish tinge. Black, yellow, and white banding on its hairs causes the characteristic lime-green coloration of this species. The body is plump and covered with dense, soft fur with two silvery stripes that run down its back. There are visible patches of white fur below its large eyes and small ears. This species of possum has the characteristic strong prehensile tail of the possum family, but it is relatively short and very thick at its base. The tail of the green ringtail possum curl at the tip when it is not being used for support. The feet of this family are syndactylous. The first and second digits are opposable to the third and forth and fifth on the forefeet, and the hindfeet have an opposable hallux (Myers 1999). The green possum's dentition is similar to that found in koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) in that its molar teeth have sharp crescent-shaped edges used in cutting foliage. Page 75
Green ringtail possum joey ear.
Photograph by Hannah Marco
Green ringtail possum joey eye.
Photograph by Hannah Marco
Green ringtail possum joey front foot.
Photograph by Hannah Marco
Green ringtail possum joey hindfoot top.
Photograph by Hannah Marco
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Green ringtail possum joey hindfoot pad.
Photograph by Hannah Marco
Green ringtail possum joey pouch.
Photograph by Hannah Marco
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The Green Ringtail Possum is the most solitary of the ringtails. Rarely, a pair may be seen in the same tree. It is also the quietest of the ringtails. Adults have never been reported to make a sound. Presently the green ringtail possum is evenly distributed throughout northeast Queensland, Australia. This species of possum has been observed in a range extending from Paluma on into the Mount Windsor Tableland, which is located just west of Mossman. It can only be found at altitudes greater than about 300m. The Green Ringtail Possum favors areas with an abundance of trees
Green ringtail possum joey back markings.
and vines in the Australian tropical rainforest. It rarely, if ever, descends to the ground. It has only been observed at ground level when a gap to a neighbouring tree is too great to reach. Even then the individual remains on the ground only for the short amount of time it takes to reach the next tree. This species has also been observed to populate areas of secondary regrowth and in the edges of forest habitats. Under normal conditions the green ringtail possum forages at an average height of 13.5m. Most breeding occurs in the second half of the year, with peaks in reproduction occuring in June and
Photograph by Hannah Marco
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Head and Body Length Males 344-371mm (353mm average) Females 285-377mm (335mm average)
Tail length Males 309-372mm (330mm average) Females 315-333mm (325mm average)
July. The green ringtail possum is strictly solitary. It is believed that the female mates with more than one male. Although the female green possum has two teats in their pouch, the mother normally gives birth to a single offspring. The green ringtail possum gives birth to young, underdeveloped offspring. After birth the young travels to the mother's pouch. The young remains there for a few months. When the offspring matures further it climbs out of its mother's pouch and takes position on her back. The offspring of this species of possum exhibits the longest known stage of back-riding as compared to other related species. During this stage the juvenile constantly clings to the mother's back and observes her behaviour. During the next stage of development the offspring travels on its own, but will follow the mother around for several more weeks as she forages through the trees. Wildlife Rescue Magazine
Weight Males 880-1190g (1064g average) Females 670-1350mm (1119g average)
Unlike other possums that build nests for roosting, the green possum spends its days sleeping out in the open in a fork of a tree. As it prepares to sleep it sits on its thick tail and then rolls itself into a tight ball tucking its tail, face and forefeet into its stomach. It grasps the tree limb with its opposable hindfeet. It remains in this position until nightfall unless it is disrupted. If awakened the possum will swiftly run away and may forage for the remaining part of the day. The green ringtail possum is nocturnal. The green ringtail possum is unusual in its family in that it has a primarily foliovorous diet. (foliage only). It usually prefers mature leaves that contain lots of fibre and little protein, and it especially likes foliage from fig trees. Many of its favourite plant species grow on the edges of the forest habitat such as Pepperwood, Red Tulip Oak, Flame Kurrajong and the false stinger. Although this possum
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Green ringtail possum sleeps on its thick tail tucked into a tight ball. Photograph by Sandy Carroll
Green ringtail possum joey in care.
Photograph by Hannah Marco
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Green ringtail possum joey safe in her pouch.
Green ringtail possum.
Wildlife Rescue Magazine
Photograph by Hannah Marco
Photograph by A. Suhag
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Green ringtail possum.
feeds primarily on leaves, it has been observed feeding on ripe figs of several species. The green ringtail possum is one of a few species that has adapted to feeding on the leaves of the shiningleaf stinging tree (Dendrocnide moroides). These trees are a member of the nettle family that have leaves covered in prickly hairs, which can cause extreme pain with human casualties needing to be hospitalised, but somehow this possum is able to ingest them (Winter and Goudberg 1995). Like its relative, the common ringtail, the green ringtail practices coprophagy (consumption of faeces),
Photographby Helen Douglas
in which it ingests its faeces for a second digestion of the material in order to extract more nutrients. The green ringtail possum will do this usually when it is rolled up in a ball. The green tint to this animal makes it fairly well hidden when it is among the leaves of the forest and allows it to remain undetected by many predators. Also, its sleeping behaviour of rolling into a condensed ball adds to its camouflage. This species of ringtail possum is much quicker than the other species at running through the canopy of the forest on trees and vines. Known predators are: â&#x20AC;˘ rufous owls (Ninox rufa) Page 79
• carpet pythons (Morelia spilota) • spotted-tailed quolls (Dasyurus maculatus) Although the green ringtail possum is sparsely distributed throughout its region, it is not considered to be threatened because of its excellent camouflage characters and certain food preferences. The green appearance of this animal and its ball-like sleeping behaviour cause the possums to nearly disappear among their leafy habitats. This discretion protects them from heavy predation. Deforestation does not appear to have severe effects on this species’ survival because it is able to survive and thrive in secondary regrowth forests and edge habitats.
Also, this species has a feeding preference for fig trees, which are eaten by very few other species and are not logged commercially for timber. It is able to survive because of its den-less sleeping adaptation, its increase in offspring care, and its ability and preference for feeding on tree species that are found in edge habitats. This species is not currently severely threatened by marginal habitat loss, but through further deforestation of the Australian rainforest, the green ringtail possum may see future depletion in its populations.
Raptor Snake Handling Equipment
This information was researched from the following websites: http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Pseudochirops_archeri/ http://www.anhs.com.au/possum.htm http://wildlife-australia.com/green.htm This precision equipment is manufactured to a high standard in Tasmania, and sold internationally. Animal welfare and security for the user is a prerequisite of the whole range.
www.snakehandlingequipment.com Phone 0407 951 437 Wildlife Rescue Magazine
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Homeopathy in wildlife H
omeopathy is an approach to medicine that works to strengthen the body's ability to heal itself. It has been used around the world by homeopathic practitioners for almost 200 years and is considered a primary health care modality for millions of people. Homeopathy has now started to attract especially high interest from the wildlife rehabilitation community. Many rehabilitators using homeopathic first aid with wildlife have found it to help the wild animals recover and be released more quickly. It is relatively inexpensive and easy to administer. USING HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES Homeopathic remedies are incredibly effective, very simple to use, and can be easily and safely delivered to wildlife patients in a number of ways: • Stock solution can be diluted in water and stored in dropper bottles for daily use. • Stock solution can be added directly to electrolytes or water bowls. • A combination of remedies can be Wildlife Rescue Magazine
made in a syringe of water for each individual patient. • Stock solution can be added to baths, pools or other water sources. • Or they can be added to food. The stock solution is the undiluted form of the remedy which is purchased from Brauer and other companies. It is the same as pilules, which many people also use. It comes in varying potencies and is the diluted form of the remedy which was made from a Mother Tincture. STORAGE AND HANDLING There are a few simple things to remember when using homeopathic remedies • They are sensitive to magnetic energies so store them away from computers etc. • Don’t keep them in the fridge. In the cupboard, in a cool dark place is good. • Don’t mix them or store them with oils or other strong smelling substances. • Flower essences such as Rescue Remedy etc can be added to homeopathic combinations. • If you make up remedies in dropper bottles, dispose of them if they develop floaty bits or become
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cloudy and make a new solution. • And most importantly, these remedies are safe to handle and can cause no harm if they touch you, or are taken by any other patient. If the body does not need that healing stimulus, it will not harm you in any way. ADMINISTRATION It is not the amount of a remedy that you give that matters, it is how often you use it that is important. Each time the body receives a dose of the remedy, we are asking the body to produce a healing response. HOW DO THEY WORK? Homeopathic remedies work by stimulating the bodies’ own vital force (known as Qi in Chinese Medicine) to create a healing response. This vital force is the natural healing process which acts in the body every day, healing cuts, scratches and injuries and fighting the bugs and germs that the body encounters daily. This force can be stimulated to act more rapidly (and more strongly) by the use of homeopathic remedies. REMEDY PICTURES Each remedy has its own remedy “picture”, which is the pattern of symptoms that it produces when given
Dr Sarah Brett to a body in its original form. The Mother Tincture is a concentrated solution of the substance that each remedy is originally produced from. Arnica montana is used to treat bruising, shock and trauma, and it is made from the flower of the Leopards Bane plant. Remedy pictures are described in great detail in many texts and the part that I love is that they were all tested on people, not animals. The book that lists remedy pictures is the Materia Medica. USE OF REMEDIES Using homeopathic remedies is a great art, like all medicine really, but it is also a very forgiving art. If the incorrect remedy is selected, it will not have adverse effects. It can be combined with any western medicines, without changing their efficacy, and it can be used on young or old, and on all species. FIRST AID REMEDIES I suggest starting with a basic selection of “first aid” remedies which are really useful for your wildlife and emergency cases. Using these remedies can help you become comfortable with their use, and give you confidence to add more remedies Page 81
to your repertoire. COMBINING REMEDIES I use many remedies in combination which is fine, and I have a number of combinations which are very effective. My favourite is a combination which we call Trauma drops, which is indicated for every single patient that comes into care. We keep it made up in dropper bottles which we have soaked in brandy or vodka for a couple of hours to sterilise them. I then put about 1ml of alcohol in the clean dropper bottle (this is the preservative) and fill it with distilled water. You then add the stock solution to this, and in the case of trauma drops we add 3 or 4 different remedies. The secret to using remedies in dropper bottles is to not touch the dropper on the patient or surfaces, such as bowls at any point. This way you do not contaminate your stored solution when you replace the dropper in the bottle, and it will be fine for future use. HOW MANY DROPS OF STOCK SOLUTION DO I USE? When I started using homeopathy my greatest worry was how will I know how many drops of stock solution to use when I make up a remedy? The rules are there are no rules… a favourite principal of mine. Generally I use between 1 drop of stock solution per 2-5ml of water in a Wildlife Rescue Magazine
dropper bottle or syringe. For large bodies of water less is needed as mentioned below. I always think of using remedies as putting a ripple in a pond…. that energy spreads right throughout the pond, and touches all the water. Likewise 10 drops or 100 drops will affect the water, and at last scientists have now accepted this is possible since the discovery of nanoparticles in homeopathic remedies. SOME TIPS FOR USING REMEDIES: Trust yourself. If you feel you should put 10 drops of stock solution in a bottle of remedy, do it. It is a good thing to listen to your intuition; I believe it is a guided feeling. Syringes: Making up a syringe full of remedy for each patient is simple and easy and means you don’t have to worry about keeping it clean by not touching mouths, beaks or furry bits. Keep it with each patient (I write on the syringe with a texta) and use it over a few days and then chuck it out. I pull apart a syringe, invert it and put my finger on the end, fill it with tap water, and then put 2 or 3 drops of each remedy. I usually pick a 5ml or 10ml syringe. There is an art to putting the plunger back in and inverting the syringe so it does not squirt out, but
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you can get around this by making the remedy up in a small water bowl and then sucking it up into the syringe. As you are not keeping this solution long term, you do not need to worry about it being sterile. Dosing water bowls is simple and easy. Make a fresh brew each day when you change the water. I generally use roughly 1 to 2 drops of remedy for each 5ml of water bowl, but again remember you are putting in the energy of the remedy, not a specific dose as you do with medicines. It is totally different thinking to using western medicines If you are treating swimming pools and ponds, again you do not need to have a cupful of remedy to treat the whole pool… it is the ripple in the pond thinking. When I have treated pools for our crocodile or turtle patients, I use only 20 or 25 drops for the whole pool. Retreat the pond, without having to drain it, each day or 2, to revitalise it. Remedies gradually break down in the light. I truly believe remedies are COMPLEMENTARY to the effects of western medicine, and support the body’s healing process, enabling it to get greater benefits from western medicines and surgery. I see it like the Yin/Yang of Chinese medicine… it is 2 halves that work together.
I also truly believe that as homeopathic remedies work on the physical, emotional AND mental levels, that we can help alleviate some of the stress component that is present in our wild patients when they are in our care. As much as we try to give our patients a peaceful environment, being in contact with humans is a stressful situation for all of them HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINES COMMONLY USED WITH WILDLIFE FIRST AID It is critical to follow standard rehabilitation practices such as supplemental heat, good diets, appropriate caging, and, of course, veterinary consultation. Aconitum napellus (Acon) – Extremely useful for INTENSE FEAR. Severe shock, especially shock from fright or accident. Arnica montana (Arn) – Often selected as the first remedy for TRAUMATIC INJURY, such as bruises, head trauma, sprains, fractures. Arsenicum album (Ars) – Useful for sudden weakness, restlessness and anxiety. Calendula (Cal) – Supports healing of open, torn, cut, lacerated, ragged or suppurating wounds. Carbo vegetabilis (Carb-v) General WEAKNESS, easily tired. Hypericum (Hyper) – The great Page 82
remedy for INJURIES TO THE NERVES, NOW GO FOR IT! The thing with homeopathy is to just to use it! It truly is safe, gentle and effective, and if the ONLY thing you did was to start to use Arnica on all your patients, then I would be a very happy Vet. And PLEASE contact me and ask me questions, it always helps to talk to someone else about your concerns, and then you will go forward and use these wonderful remedies comfortably. This is a talk I gave to Southern Wildlife Rescue and Care group, in Tasmania Dec 2011 Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, or I am happy to send remedies to anyone that wants to order them. Dr Sarah Brett Kimberly Wildlife Rescue Inc Kununurra WA 6743 Email: kimberleywildlife@westnet.com.au
A Black Headed Python being administered a Homeopathic Remedy. Wildlife Rescue Magazine
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Photo courtesy of Dr Sarah Brett Page 83
Little possum go back to mummy Stef Randall
Wildlife Rescue Magazine
in a closed little cage, which I put in a mobile aviary at the same place where I found the little ringtail possum, hoping that his mummy would come and stay close by. Didn't work! After 2 nights I took him inside the house because of the heat and tried to kept my fingers crossed that I would find his mummy otherwise I would
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her head and clung there covering his mum's face with his big fat belly and lacing the whole lot with his tail... Poor mum! You could just hear her saying: “I'm really pleased to find you back son but this is not exactly the conventional way to carry you.” Anyway, it all went well in the end. We spotted them later on, having a drink. They looked happy and healthy. PS: My son (7 years old) and I were thrilled to be involved in this exciting adventure. Update: We saw those ringtail possums again, after the last big storm and they were still together and looked well and the joey looked healthy, he was nice and big, so that was definitely a very good ending.
VO TE
D
uring the last very hot period that we had, I found a baby Ringtail Possum, (about 3 months old) on the ground along our fence. Little bugger how did he get my address!?! Well at least he stopped at the right house... Anyway I put the little bitty beast
have to look after him. Eventually, a couple of days later, I found his mum wandering along the fence. I rushed inside, grabbed the joey and quietly went back to mummy. When she saw me, she rushed to the other end of the fence and after checking me out, she climbed a little bit up a tree nearby and froze. So, I put the joey on a lower branch of the tree for him to go back to mummy. Again, didn't work! They both stood there frozen looking at each other... At that time I was not 100% sure they were actually related because mummy was a rather small size, more like a teenager than a fully grown ringtail possum, but then again they never cease to surprise you. After a fairly long wait, I decided to gently shake the branch, to motivate the youngster to move up higher, closer to ‘what I hoped was’ - the mummy. And guess what? It worked! Joey managed to climb up the branch to mummy and he was so excited to see her that he jumped on
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Kooky’s new beak
Lynda Staker
T
he birds that came into care were usually injured, and after the appropriate veterinary treatment they generally only required a safe place to recuperate before being released. We discovered that it was not only marsupials that had us on the hop, as the birds also gave their fare share of headaches. An interesting case involved a female Blue-winged kookaburra who came to grief when she collided with a moving vehicle. She had lost the top half of her beak when she hit the vehicle’s windscreen. Since she was in good health other than her missing beak, I wanted to give her every chance of survival. I approached my local veterinarian who felt she should be euthanased, as he thought nothing could be done for her. I felt, on the other hand, that I should at least try to find out whether it was possible to have a prosthetic beak made for her. The men at Murray Craft FibreGlass were intrigued when I walked in with a carry cage, and were even more surprised when I showed them the unfortunate bird. After speaking with the two compassionate fellows, my
Kooky’s new beak. Wildlife Rescue Magazine
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The Murray Craft fellows making Kookyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beak mould.
Kookyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; damaged beak.
optimism was rewarded when they said they could make a beak using fibreglass and aerodynamic adhesives. As long as I kept a good hold on her during her mould fitting sessions, the guys were happy to take on the challenge. They began creating a mould that encompassed the remainder of her natural beak to ensure the prosthesis would align with the lower beak. While they worked, my job was to ensure the kookaburra was well fed. This proved a simple task as she was a good eater and relished raw prawns, insects, raw chicken strips and large grasshoppers. After the first week, I took Kooky
Feeding Kooky with her new beak.
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One of the mould fittings.
in to have her first mould fitting. The prototype beak fitted really well and only required a little filing here and there. Satisfied that the mould was complete and they could now go ahead and create a new beak, I took Kooky home to wait until it was ready. It was an exciting day when we drove back into Mackay for the final fitting. Kooky was a patient bird, and well behaved while her new beak was fashioned onto the existing upper beak. We were assured by a bird specialist that the artificial beak would eventually grow out with the natural wearing down that kookaburra beaks receive. Page 86
Wildlife Rescue Magazine
less chance it has of being accepted back by its kin. The day arrived when I was ready to release Two-Tone and I felt absolute satisfaction when she flew directly from my hands towards the direction of where we had originally found her. It was a great feeling to have been a part of this special bird’s life and to have been able to ensure her a second chance of survival.
What is this?
VO TE
After two weeks of chasing grasshoppers and other creepy crawlies, my knees told me that much more stumbling and falling down during the catching and chasing of these elusive insects was going to put me out of action. The neighbours got accustomed to seeing me chasing grasshoppers through the bush and I had also succumbed to paying the neighbourhood kids to catch the insects for me. With her new beak in place, Kooky’s story was covered by local and interstate media who christened her ‘Two-Tone’ referring to the two colours in her new beak. The local news team interviewed us and the wonderful men who gave Kooky a second chance were acclaimed for their fantastic handiwork. Once home, we needed to determine whether she could actually use her new beak. She eagerly devoured her favourite raw prawns and I could only imagine the contentment of once again being able to feed herself. She even sang the kookaburra yodel the next morning. After two days of ensuring she was eating and drinking well, I decided she should be freed to be reunited with her family. I was aware that the longer a kookaburra is away from its family, the
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Milk for possums
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Nutrition of juvenile possums
Gordon Rich
POUCH LIFE ossums, like other marsupials, are born extremely undeveloped, and reside in the mother’s pouch for much of their early growth and development. Pouch exit occurs once the joey is fully-furred, able to control its own body temperature (thermoregulate) and has a well-established immune system. At this time the digestive system has advanced to the stage where the young can begin to eat solid food and start the process of being weaned off milk and onto an adult diet. Different species of possums and gliders achieve full pouch emergence at different times:
P
Age when fully emerged from pouch (or completed Species “pouch life”) Eastern Pygmy Possum 42 days Feathertail Glider 60 days Sugar Glider 75 days Squirrel Glider 85 days Yellow-bellied Glider 100 days Common Ringtail Possum 125 days Greater Glider 150 days Common Brushtail Possum 150 days Mountain Brushtail Possum 180 days Ringtail Possum Juvenile. Wildlife Rescue Magazine
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A joeyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stage of development can be expressed by how much of its pouch life it has completed. This gives rise to the concept of Age Factor (AF): For example a Common Brushtail is normally fully out of the pouch by 150 days, therefore a joey at 120 days has an Age Factor of 120/150 = 0.8 (ie it has completed 80% of it expected pouch life). By definition, a joey that spends any time in the pouch has an Age Factor of less than 1. Initial pouch emergence begins for larger species (eg Brushtails and Ringtails) around an Age Factor of 0.7 to 0.8. Smaller species (eg pygmy possums & gliders) may emerge quite quickly and be deposited in the nest while the mother forages at night. The concept of Age Factor helps us standardise the nutritional requirements for joeys from related species. Possums and gliders develop at roughly the same rate when compared using Age Factor so that a Sugar Glider at 60 days, a Ringtail at 100 days and a Brushtail at 120 days all have similar nutritional requirements (All have an Age Factor of 0.8 which relates to around the time of first pouch emergence). MILK COMPOSITION Several studies have been done on the nutritional composition of possum milk particularly that of the Brushtail1 and Ringtail Possums2 and to a lesser extent the Sugar Glider. This research Wildlife Rescue Magazine
Pygmy Possum - eyes just opening.
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shows that possum milk undergoes significant changes in composition (carbohydrate, protein & fat) over the course of lactation. The following chart details the change in milk components for a typical possum joey up until full pouch emergence (AF =1). These changes in milk composition cater for the widely differing nutritional requirements of the developing joey from furless â&#x20AC;&#x153;pinkieâ&#x20AC;? to fully emerged from the pouch. For example during early lactation (AF less than 0.8) possums obtain much of their energy from carbohydrate and cannot tolerate high fat levels. However approaching pouch emergence (AF greater than 0.8) this situation is reversed, with milk becoming more concentrated with fat. Since fat contains about twice the kilojoules per gram than does carbohydrate, the later lactation milk provides higher levels of energy to the fast-growing and more active emerging joey. Possum milk differs from that of other marsupials in that it contains significant amounts of lactose in later lactation. There is evidence to indicate that the lactose-hydrolysing enzymes (lactase) are extracellular to the intestinal mucosa, allowing a higher threshold of lactose assimilation from Wildlife Rescue Magazine
Mountain Pygmy Possum .
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Photograph by Alexis Meyer
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the gut3. This suggests that after pouch emergence possums do not exhibit the same effects of lactose intolerance that is seen in suckling macropods. Another difference seen in possum milk is that after pouch emergence, the concentration of nutrients and total solids in the milk tends to reduce. Many other marsupials such as macropods, wombats and bandicoots show a continual increase in milk solids, particularly fat. This difference may be a result of fully-emerged possums being able to increase their intake of solid foods relatively quickly, such that the nutritional importance of milk declines accordingly. This coincides with the onset of coprophagy (consumption of caecal pellets) in Ringtails, suggesting that foliage can be digested at this time. Munks et al. found that the levels of fat remained low throughout lactation in captive Ringtail Possums2. Some people have concluded that because of this possums should be maintained on a low fat milk throughout lactation. However in this same study, milk of wild animals was found to be significantly higher in fat than that of captive animals. This was attributed to a difference in diet between wild and captive animals in the study. It is therefore prudent to convert possums Wildlife Rescue Magazine
Albino Ringtail Possum taken at The Basin, Victoria.
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on to a higher fat (energy) milk just prior to pouch emergence (AF > 0.8) to ensure they are provided with sufficient energy to deal with the metabolic rigours of pouch emergence, as they would have in the wild. Keeping possums on a low energy milk throughout lactation may lead to poor growth and development and a longer weaning time which may be detrimental to success of release back to the wild (see “Weaning”). JOEY DEVELOPMENT WITH AGE The physical changes in a developing joey occur at set times over the course of lactation. Developmental milestones such as eyes opening, first hair growth and full emergence from the pouch can all therefore be related to Age Factor. Joey development for possums can be broadly categorised into 2 phases: • Age Factor <0.8 (“less than 0.8”) for younger joeys not yet emerged from the pouch. • Age Factor >0.8 (“greater than 0.8”) for older joeys emerging from the pouch. These stages of development have associated nutritional considerations which are outlined in Table 1. HAND REARING When hand-rearing an orphaned possum it is important to mimic as closely as possible the nutrition Wildlife Rescue Magazine
Brushtail Possum Joey in care.
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Photograph by Barbara Brindley
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supplied by mother’s milk. Getting the nutrition right is basically a 3-step process: 1 Determine the Age Factor of the joey. 2 Select a suitable milk replacer for the Age Factor. 3 Feed the correct volume based on the body weight of the joey Age Determination. Accurate age determination allows the carer to provide correct nutrition for the stage of development. Joeys can be aged according to their physical characteristics (eg hair growth, body measurements etc). The developmental milestones outlined in Table 1 may be a useful guide for age determination. Typical growth charts are also available for a range of species which contain body measurement data which may help to estimate age. Body weight should not be used to estimate age as this can be misleading especially in mal-nourished, dehydrated or overweight individuals. MILK REPLACER Wombaroo has recognized the importance of changing milk composition with age and has developed two stages of milk replacers for possums (<0.8 and >0.8 Possum Milk Replacer). The selection of milk replacer stage is important in providing the correct nutrition for the joey’s stage of Wildlife Rescue Magazine
Table 1. Developmental milestones for possums Age Factor
<0.8
>0.8
Stage of Development
Nutritional Considerations
Fully pouch bound. Eyes closed to just open. Ears flat to drooped. Furless to fine fur. Unable to properly thermoregulate. Immune system not fully developed. Faeces yellow custard to toothpaste consistency.
• Low energy milk, with a low fat content. • Digestive system is not well developed - milk contains easily digested carbohydrates and proteins. • Immunoglobulins present in milk to boost immune system. • No gut flora • Protein contains sufficient levels of sulphur-containing amino acids (eg cysteine & methionine) for the onset of hair & claw growth.
• Joey starting to emerge from the pouch; feeding, urinating, defecating outside the pouch. • Eyes fully open (may be closed for longer in smaller species). • Ears erect. • Short soft to dense long fur. • Able to thermoregulate. • Developed immune system • Faeces toothpaste consistency to soft, then firm green pellets.
• Higher energy milk with an elevated fat content - coincides with increased activity levels and growth demands of joey. • Fall in carbohydrate content of milk with decrease in associated gut enzymes. • Increasing levels of “body-building” proteins (eg caseins, αglobulins) to coincide with peak growth rate. • Gut flora developing for digestion of solid food.
• • • • • • •
development. For example mid lactation possums (AF = 0.5 to 0.8) require the correct proteins in their milk in order to support healthy hair growth. Later lactation animals (AF >0.8) require higher levels of fat to provide additional energy to support increased activity and growth rate once they leave the pouch. Joeys should be gradually transitioned from one stage
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of milk formula to the next in order to match the changes in milk composition seen in mother’s milk. This transition should occur at the correct time for optimum growth. Some developmental problems can be related to joeys not being transitioned at the right age, eg being left on the <0.8 stage of milk for too long. It is important to transition on to
the >0.8 stage milk at the correct age, even if a joey is underweight for its age. The reason for this is that the internal changes to digestive physiology still occur in the joey at specific times during lactation regardless of body weight. IMMUNITY Young animals receive passive immunity against pathogens from Page 98
antibodies (immunoglobulins) present in the mother’s milk. In marsupials intestinal absorption of antibodies occurs well into in pouch life and immunoglobulins are present in the milk throughout much of lactation4. When hand rearing possums it may therefore be beneficial to provide Impact Colostrum Supplement as this contains high levels of immunoglobulins and antibacterials that may confer immunity and intestinal protection to young animals. Impact is ideally fed about a week after coming into care (immunity from the mother’s milk lasts only 9 days and is completely gone in 4-6 weeks5), with a 5 day course being recommended. This may be repeated later as necessary (ie after 6-8 weeks until weaning) for joeys with a compromised immune system (eg for malnourished animals or those with diarrhoea). FEEDING Feed volume is a function of: • Energy content in the milk, which varies throughout lactation, and • Metabolic energy requirements of the joey which vary according to size. This relationship of energy requirement (and therefore food intake) to body weight is not linear. Often carers are told “feed 10-20% of body weight per day” however this simple rule eventually produces feed Wildlife Rescue Magazine
Impact Colostrum Supplement
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volumes that are grossly inaccurate and can be detrimental to the health of the animal. Actual feed volumes can range anywhere from 9% to 100% of body weight, depending on the species of possum and stage of lactation. â&#x20AC;˘ Always feed volumes according to body weight and not based on age or body measurements. Young joeys suckle small volumes of milk frequently and can only cope with large, infrequent feeds as they become older. As a rule, it is preferable to feed a little often rather than a lot infrequently. It is important to weigh joeys regularly. Consistency in growth rate is a good measure of correct nutrition. A sub-optimal growth rate may lead to poor development and a more disease prone animal. DRINKING Young animals will drink water when thirsty. It is important to give drinks of water during periods of hot weather or if the joey is showing signs of dehydration. Also provide joeys with small drinks of water between feeds once they begin to emerge from the pouch. Ensure drinking water is available when joey is fully out of pouch. If providing drinking water, do not add extra water to the milk, as this will dilute the milk and can lead to poor absorption of nutrients. Wildlife Rescue Magazine
Newly rescued sugar glider.
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WEANING Once a joey leaves the pouch it begins to eat more solid food and becomes less reliant on milk. The amount of milk consumed until fully weaned will depend on the amount and nutritional value of other food eaten. The length of time taken to wean a joey depends on the species. As a guide, joeys are weaned at about 1.3-1.5 times the joey’s pouch life. For example a Common Brushtail joey’s pouch life is about 150 days and should be fully weaned by about 195225 days. Weaning age is important for possums that are being released back into the wild. This is because species such as the Ringtail and Brushtail can reach sexual maturity by 12 months. Before that time they must have sufficient time for dispersal, establishing a territory, finding natural food and nesting sites. Timing of release should be based on the age of the animal regardless of its weight. However providing correct nutrition will help achieve a good weight for age and ultimately assist in survival. Holding possums longer than dispersal stage may compromise individuals when stressed by resident populations and sexual activity. ADULT DIET When weaning on to an adult diet careful consideration needs to be paid to natural food sources and biology of Wildlife Rescue Magazine
the species in question: • Folivorous species such as Ringtails and Greater Gliders should be maintained predominantly on native browse (eg young eucalypt leaves). • More omnivorous species (eg Brushtails & Gliders) may obtain essential nutrients such as dietary protein, vitamins & minerals from a range of sources including native browse, pollen & insects. • Wombaroo High Protein Supplement can be applied to fruit or plain biscuit to help provide a balanced diet in captivity. • Wombaroo Small Carnivore Food can be made up as a moist crumbly mix for insectivorous species. • Wombaroo Lorikeet & Honeyeater Food can be made up as a liquid for nectivorous species such as gliders and pygmy possums. REFERENCES
1. Cowan, P.E. (1989). Changes in Milk Composition during Lactation in the Common Brushtail Possum, Trichosurus vulpecula. Reprod. Fertil. Dev. 1, 325-35. 2. Munks, A., Green, B., Newgrain, K., Messer, M. (1991). Milk Composition in the Common Ringtail Possum, Pseudocheirus peregrinus. Aust. J. Zool. 39, 403-16. 3. Crisp, E.A., Messer, M. & Cowan, P.E. (1989). Intestinal lactase (β-galactosidase) and other disaccharidase activities of suckling and adult Common Brushtail Possums, Trichosurus vulpecula. Reprod. Fertil. Dev. 1, 315-24. 4. Yadav,M. (1971) Immunology, 21, 839-851. 5. Fowler, A. (2012) Husbandry & Rehabilitation of Marsupials (Wildlife Carer Manual), p7-8.
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Common Brushtail Possum.
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Trowunna Wildlife Park
Trowunna has been conserving and rehabilitating native Tasmanian wildlife since 1979 and we have successfully rehabilitated countless orphaned native wildlife such as wombats, Tasmanian devils, quolls and a variety of birds to name a few. Trowunna has been operating successful breeding programs, specifically Tasmanian Devils and quolls for over the past 25 years. Trowunnaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Devil population is of highest priority due to the breeding success since 1985 and is recognised as one of the longest continuous breeding programs of any species in the world under studbook conditions. 1892 Mole Creek Road, Mole Creek, Tasmania 7304 Wildlife Rescue Magazine
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Trowunna Wildlife Park
The Tasmanian Devil and Dasyurid Captive Management Course
Run by Androo Kelly this course will be held at Trowunna Wildlife Park on 29th October to 2nd November 2012. This two part course is divided into a number of sequential modules. The first part of the course being offered (Module 1) consists of competency in Dasyurid husbandry for display, focusing on Tasmanian Devils. The second part (Module 2) will be held at Trowunna from the 4th- 8th March 2013, module 2 consists of advanced husbandry for breeding and exhibit design. The course will be delivered on site at Trowunna Wildlife Park located in the central north of Tasmania. The cost of The Tasmanian Devil and Dasyurid Captive Management Course with Androo Kelly, printed study materials; venue hire; hands on training with occasional one on one Tasmanian Devil training over the 5 days is $1,200. 1892 Mole Creek Road, Mole Creek, Tasmania 7304 Telephone: +61 3 6363 6162 Fax: +61 3 6367 6213 E-mail: info@trowunna.com.au www.trowunna.com.au/
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Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary
Wildlife Rescue Training Sessions We have some more training sessions scheduled so please read the info below! If you haven’t done so already please book in for one of the sessions so you can start actively getting involved in the program. The training sessions are run so that our FOC members learn everything to do with wildlife rescue and transportation and how to make a rescue kit. You MUST attend one training session before you can help out with animal rescues. This is for your own safety and the safety of the animals that you are rescuing. We need as many of you trained as possible to get the program working even more effectively so please try hard to find a session that suits you and book in. Every month we have training sessions. (Please note – training sessions are all the same so you are only required to attend one.) Contact bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary for next training sessions - phone: 03 6268 1184. The training sessions run for approximately 2 hours 15 minutes and there is no cost involved. Please bring along a note pad, pen and warm clothes! (This is if you are coming to an evening session, it can be chilly at Bonorong!) All sessions are run at Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary in the ‘Bush Tucker Shed’, or occasionally we run a session at UTAS usually in the Life Sciences Lecture Theatre in Sandy Bay. If the course you book in for is at Bonorong then when you arrive at Bonorong please park your car in the top car park (not the first one you get to) as far up as possible. The building at the top end of this car park is the bush tucker shed and there is an access door at the back of the building that people will be able to use when they arrive. If you choose a UTAS course then you will be given directions about one week before the date once we have confirmed what room we will be using. petra@bonorong.com.au
Please RSVP for a training session via return email or by phoning Bonorong on 6268 1184. Children are welcome and you may bring along interested family members or friends as long as you include them in your RSVP. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask. We look forward to hearing from you soon! Visit us at 593 Briggs Road, Brighton, Tasmania 7030
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Vote for your favourite story
Winner! Congratulations to the winner of the Readers’ Choice Story Hannah Marco won with her great story and pics "Shelby - Pouch Reconstruction". Your prize is the book set "The Wombat Who Talked to the Stars" provided to you by the author Jill Morris and Greater Glider Productions.
In issue 5 we have five stories that you can choose to vote for: PART A Page 12 Black swan with botulism by Nora Preston Page 77 Pika the possum by Linda Dennis PART B Page 11 Holly the Hobby by Sue Holman Page 84 Little possum go back to mummy by Stef Randall Page 85 Kooky’s new beak by Lynda Staker Every published story author receives a book – this Issue our authors receive 'Puggle in a Pocket' by Kevin Baker. All authors have an opportunity to WIN a second book (this Issue – ‘The Wombat Who Talked to the Stars’ by Jill Morris). Vote today and pick your favourite story – the most votes WINS! Vote for your favourite story, email vote@wildliferescuemagazine.com
Australian Bird and Wildlife Art by Janet Flinn
Wildlife Artist, Janet Flinn, paints the colour and character of the Australian birds that visit her garden and nearby bushland in Glen Waverley, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The paintings feature Kookaburras, Parrots, Cockatoos, Fairy-wrens, Robins, Raptors and Owls. Studio visits for viewing paintings are welcome by appointment. Art work may also be purchased online or commissioned. Email jpflinn@bigpond.com Phone 03 9560 5003
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What to do with a Wiggling Wombat Linda Dennis is proud to present the two hour course, What to do with a Wiggling Wombat, a Fauna First Aid lecture. There are two sessions of "Wiggling Wombat", one for pre-schoolers and one directed at children in infants and primary school.
Fauna First Aid
Although titled "Wiggling Wombat" the course covers all native animals including birds, kangaroos, reptiles, koalas and of course wombats!
The Program
The course includes the following topics: • What do you do if you come across a wiggling wombat in distress? • How does your mum or dad pick up a wiggling wombat? • What do you feed a wiggling wombat?
Fauna First Aid is a wildlife lecture program that Linda established in 2004. The lectures are aimed at wildlife carers, veterinary nurse students, schools and community groups. Fourth Crossing Wildlife is incredibly proud to announce that the Australian Geographic Society supports Fauna First Aid. Linda could not be more honoured to receive this support and thanks the Australian Geographic Society from the bottom of her heart. The support, donations and sponsorship from the Australian Geographic Society will help Linda teach the public – adults and children alike – how to correctly handle native animals that have been injured or are in distress which will help prevent the animal and the handler from being injured during contact. If you are interested in learning more about the Fauna First Aid lectures, or would like to book a session then please email Linda at linda@fourthcrossingwildlife.com.
In the fun filled program Linda shares stories of some of the native animals that have been in her care over the 10 years she's been a wildlife carer. The inaugural "Wiggling Wombat" at Trinity Preschool in Orange, NSW
There was also a "take a wild guess" competition using photographs and the wonderful native animal soft toys that were donated to the program by the Australian Geographic Society and Mink Plush (a Division of TomFoolery Holdings Pty Ltd). Bookmarks featuring native animals, and chocolate Freddo Frogs, Caramello Koalas and Fruity Frogs are given as prizes. During the competition Linda also displayes how to properly handle a native animal so that the handler and the animal are not injured. She also advises what the "nasty bits" are in each animal species, such as claws and teeth (and in the male Platypus’ case – the poisonous spurs!).
Class photo at Trinity Preschool
The two hour long presentation has the kids transfixed and keen to learn more. An eight page booklet titled "What to do with a Wiggling Wombat" is also eagerly received. This mini-manual, which details correct handling technique, is distributed to all students for them to take home and share with their families. The Fauna First Aid program is not only fun for participants but also educational and in the long run our precious native animals will benefit from Linda's knowledge sharing.
Class K12 group photo, Gum Flat Public School
The more the community knows about rescuing and providing short term care for native animals the better. And in the end, from a combined community effort, there will be more animals that are received into care and rehabilitated by experienced wildlife carers, resulting in more animals being returned to the bush… which is exactly where they belong. If you would like to book a Fauna First Aid session for your school or community group please contact Linda at linda@fourthcrossingwildlife.com.
Fourth Crossing Wildlife is supported and sponsored by the Wildlife Preservation Society of Australia - they do a lot to support my work
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