What I find most interesting is the incredible diversity in prey preference
by foxes in different areas. For example in some areas they seem to prey
almost exclusively on rabbits and sheep carrion, while in others they
survive mostly on natives. In some areas, foxes don't even occur in parts
of vegetation which are distant from disturbed land containing rabbits.
Fox populations sustain themselves on possums in some areas, antechinus and
rats in others, rabbits and sheep in rural areas, and in some areas they
sustain themselves primarily on swamp wallabies (Wallabia bicolor), although
wallabies are pretty much reaching the upper-limit of the prey size of foxes
(approx. 5.5kg). Foxes have also been known to prey on young eastern grey
roos which are out of the pouch.
Dingos (or wild dogs) have been known to kill both cats and foxes, and have
been linked with the inability of the fox to expand into the Tanami desert.
Dingos also mainly feed on rabbits, but do kill sheep as well. They aren't,
however, very good at entering dense vegetation, hence smaller fauna have
better refuge from them as they have from foxes and cats.
----Original Message Follows----
From: Andrew Taylor <>
Reply-To:
To:
Subject: OT: Fox bites wallaby
Date: Fri, 17 Nov 2006 08:52:32 +1100
On Thu, Nov 16, 2006 at 04:01:17PM +1100, Greg wrote:
> Some interesting, and disturbing footage. I am sure that it is a Swamp
> Wallaby. It is interesting that Foxes are lethal to Parma Wallabies
> but Parma Wallabies co-exist with Dingoes. Dingoes would prey on the
> Parma Wallabies but they have a broad diet and so don't place too much
> pressure on any one species.
Red Foxes are extreme generalists - they have a broader diet than Dingos
so that doesn't explain why foxes might have a larger effect on Parmas -
if indeed they do. A failed reintroduction seems to be the only direct
evidence. With foxes ubiquitous, hopefully Parmas are managing some
degree of coexistance.
Although the particular Black (Swamp) Wallaby in the video may not
appreciate it they certainly co-exist well with foxes - given the Black
Wallaby's apparent abundance maybe foxes increase their density by
reducing competition of smaller herbivores (like Parmas).
Andrew
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