![]() This included 49,458 fox poo and stomach samples, and fox density estimates at 437 locations.įoxes are also known to eat bird and reptile eggs, and threaten the breeding success of many turtle species. Our findings are underpinned by modelling data assembled from almost 100 field studies. Changes in rabbit and mice populations are largely driven by climate fluctuations. While rabbits and house mice form a major part of fox diets, there’s no evidence foxes (or cats) limit their numbers. They also kill livestock, such as lambs, piglets and chickens. Stobo-Wilson et al, Diversity and Distributions, 2022.įoxes also kill another 259 million non-native invasive animals every year, predominately house mice and rabbits. This includes the mankarr (greater bilby), quenda (southern brown bandicoot) and warru (black-footed rock-wallaby).įoxes and feral cats together kill 2.6 billion animals every year. They’ve been recorded killing 114 species, or 40% of all land mammal species and half of all threatened mammal species. Mammals: foxes kill 368 million mammals each year, and 29% of these are native. They’ve been recorded killing 128 species – or 18% of all Australian bird species – including the mallee-fowl and little penguin They’ve been recorded killing 108 different species – or 11% of all Australian reptile species – including the tjakura (great desert skink) and loggerhead turtleīirds: foxes kill 111 million birds each year, and 93% of these are native. ![]() Reptiles: foxes kill 88 million reptiles each year, and all are native. The 300 million native animals that foxes kill every year consists of: The Victorian government estimates there are as many as 16 foxes per square kilometre in Melbourne.Ĭats and foxes eat almost 2 million reptiles across Australia every day, such as the central netted dragon. They’re largely absent from tropical northern Australia and Tasmania.īy comparison, cats occur over more than 99.9% of the country, including on far more islands.įox densities are highest in temperate mainland regions, including forests and farms, and near urban areas where food and shelter are abundant. Our study estimates there are now 1.7 million foxes in Australia, spread across 80% of the mainland and on 50 Australian islands. They continue to boost fox numbers today. ![]() Rabbits and hares are not only a food source for foxes, they also eat the vegetation that native animals need for food, habitat, and to hide from predators. From 1845, foxes were released into the wild in Victoria for the “sport” of hunting them on horseback with a pack of hounds.įox populations soon exploded, thanks to the deliberate introduction of rabbits and hares in the 1800s. Australia is home to 1.7 million foxesĮuropean colonisers brought foxes (and cats) to Australia. ![]() Cats and foxes, for example, have played a big role in most of Australia’s 34 mammal extinctions, including the desert rat-kangaroo which rapidly declined once foxes reached their region.Īustralia must drastically scale up the management of both predators, to give native wildlife a fighting chance and to help prevent future extinctions. This enormous death toll is one of the key reasons Australia’s biodiversity is suffering major declines. And we found foxes and cats collectively kill 2.6 billion mammals, birds and reptiles every year. This research, the first to quantify the national impact of foxes on Australian wildlife, also compares the results to similar studies on cats. Jaana Dielenberg, Charles Darwin University Alyson Stobo-Wilson, Charles Darwin University Brett Murphy, Charles Darwin University John Woinarski, Charles Darwin University Sarah Legge, Australian National University, and Trish Fleming, Murdoch Universityįoxes kill about 300 million native mammals, birds and reptiles each year, and can be found across 80% of mainland Australia, our devastating new research published today reveals.
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