title: Ecological immunization: in situ training of free-ranging predatory lizards reduces their vulnerability to invasive toxic prey.
abstract: In Australia, large native predators are fatally poisoned when they ingest invasive cane toads (Rhinella marina). As a result, the spread of cane toads has caused catastrophic population declines in these predators. Immediately prior to the arrival of toads at a floodplain in the Kimberley region, we induced conditioned taste aversion in free-ranging varanid lizards (Varanus panoptes), by offering them small cane toads. By the end of the 18-month study, only one of 31 untrained lizards had survived longer than 110 days, compared to more than half (nine of 16) of trained lizards; the maximum known survival of a trained lizard in the presence of toads was 482 days. In situ aversion training (releasing small toads in advance of the main invasion front) offers a logistically simple and feasible way to buffer the impact of invasive toads on apex predators.
authors.affiliation: School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence Building A08, New South Wales 2006, Australia.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ward-Fear
authors.affiliation: Western Australian Department of Parks and Wildlife, PO Box 51, Wanneroo, Western Australia 6946, Australia.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Pearson
authors.affiliation: School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence Building A08, New South Wales 2006, Australia.
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Balanggarra Aboriginal Corporation, Lot 1343 Great Northern Highway, Wyndham, Western Australia 6740, Australia.
authors.forename: Balanggarra
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rangers
authors.affiliation: School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence Building A08, New South Wales 2006, Australia rick.shine@sydney.edu.au.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shine
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning; D002024:Bufo marinus; D058865:Introduced Species; D008116:Lizards / Q000502:physiology*; D011235:Predatory Behavior; D014118:Toxins, Biological / Q000633:toxicity; D014904:Western Australia
chemical_list: D014118:Toxins, Biological
keywords: Bufo marinus; conditioned taste aversion; ecological impact; invasive species; taste aversion; varanid