Preventing cane toad progression

The results of research that offers a solution for halting the relentless march of cane toads (Rhinella marina) across northern Australia was published recently in December’s issue of the British Ecological Society’s Journal of Applied Ecology. An international team led by Ben Phillips from James Cook University’s School of Marine and Tropical Biology, and a […]

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Extinction fears held for koala

Developers may be placing koalas at their greatest ever risk of extinction according to conservation groups. The ABC reported that it has obtained a copy of the Federal Government’s draft guidelines regarding how industry determines if its activities will affect habitat. Critics of the guidelines claim the proposed amendments will give developers too much power. […]

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Wildlife sentinels reveal expanding distribution of rat lungworm

A study examining the role of wildlife species as sentinels for rat lungworm suggests an expanded distribution of the parasite, and the need for pet owners and wildlife carers to take precautions in order to minimise transmission of the disease to animals in care. Rat lungworm, or Angiostrongylus cantonensis, was the most common cause of […]

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Genome search identifies cause of hypokalaemia in Burmese cats

An international research team has identified the gene associated with primary hypokalaemia in Burmese cats. Hypokalaemia, or subnormal serum potassium ion concentration, is typically a secondary disorder but may occur as a primary problem, most notably as hypokalaemic periodic paralysis in humans and horses, and feline hypokalaemic polymyopathy, also known as Burmese hypokalaemic periodic polymyopathy […]

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