Hi Kim,
Yes, you are right and these numbers seem to be quite handwaving to me, too.
However, applying some basic rules of ecology ('real' ecologists out there
please correct me), regardless of the numbers of killed native animals is
significantly lower than calculated, it might still have a major impact on the
population - especially that of small carnivorous marsupials that aren't (yet)
adapted to the predation/competition by cats. In contrast, even if the cats
kill a lot of introduced rats, mice and starlings, they won't have an impact on
their population.
Cheers,
Nikolas
----------------
Nikolas Haass
Sydney, NSW
________________________________
From: Kim Sterelny <>
To: colin trainor <>; ""
<>
Sent: Wednesday, January 9, 2013 12:24 AM
Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Feral cats kill 75 million individual Australian
animals per day [roughly]
Colin
How do you know what proportion of this 75 million are native animals, as
distinct from rabbits, introduced rats and mice; starlings and the like? I
would be astonished if feral cats did not have a major adverse impact on native
populations in many cases, but I doubt whether its uniform across habitats
Kim
________________________________________
From:
on behalf of colin trainor
Sent: Tuesday, 8 January 2013 8:30 PM
To:
Subject: [Birding-Aus] Feral cats kill 75 million individual Australian animals
per day [roughly]
Australian Wildlife Conservancy
http://www.australianwildlife.org/images/file/WILD322361_Wildlife%20Matters_Summer%202012_13%20SP.pdf
"Feral cats occur right across the continent in every habitat type
including deserts, forests and grasslands. Total population
estimates vary from 5 million to 18 million feral cats, with the
Federal Government citing a figure of 18 million cats in its
statutory Threat Abatement Plan.
Each feral cat kills between 5-30 animals per day. While they
appear to prefer small mammals, they also eat birds, reptiles
and amphibians. Taking the lower figure in that range (five)
– and multiplying it by a conservative population estimate of
15 million cats – gives a minimum estimate of 75 million
native animals killed daily by feral cats."
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