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Graeme Coulson - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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reference intervals for parameters of health of eastern grey kangaroos Macropus giganteus and management implications across their geographic range
Wildlife Biology, 2020Co-Authors: Maquel E Brandimarti, Graeme Coulson, Michelle E Wilson, Jemma K Cripps, Rachael Gray, Clare Death, Melissa Snape, Claire Wimpenny, Fabiola R O Silva, Emily J MillerAbstract:Reference intervals (RIs) describe baseline parameters of healthy animals, providing a powerful tool for wildlife managers to monitor health, identify disease and assess animal welfare. This paper reports haematological, glucose and serum protein RIs for one of Australia's most iconic and managed mammals, the eastern grey kangaroo Macropus giganteus. Blood samples (n = 514) were collected from 11 populations of eastern grey kangaroos, across much of their geographic range. A species-level RI was initially established based on samples collected from four sites (n = 245) and was further partitioned based on significant differences associated with sexual maturity and season. Unique population means were established from a further seven sites to investigate the importance of biotic (sex and sexual maturity) and abiotic (season, site, rainfall, temperature and laboratory) factors on kangaroo health parameters. Random forest analysis of health parameters revealed that abiotic factors (site, rainfall, temperature and season) were largely responsible for differences in haematological, glucose and serum protein values. Sex was found to have no influence, while sexual maturity and laboratory of analysis had moderate effects. Based on these findings, interpretation of individual and population haematological and serum protein values requires careful consideration of the timing of sample collection, environmental conditions and sexual maturity. When assessing kangaroo health, the relevant sexual maturity RI must be considered initially. For populations with similarities to those described (for example high density or captive populations) users should also consider site specific mean haematological and serum protein values. The RIs reported are valuable when establishing the health status of kangaroo populations. Furthermore, understanding the influence of biotic and abiotic factors will improve the utility of these RIs to assess health, disease status and improve welfare in eastern grey kangaroos.
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comparative efficacy of levonorgestrel and deslorelin contraceptive implants in free ranging eastern grey kangaroos Macropus giganteus
Wildlife Research, 2016Co-Authors: Michelle E Wilson, Graeme CoulsonAbstract:Context Fertility control of females with levonorgestrel or deslorelin implants shows promise for managing populations of overabundant eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus). Although these implants have been tested separately in captive and free-ranging kangaroos, there has been no direct comparison under equivalent field conditions. Aims We investigated the long-term efficacy of levonorgestrel and deslorelin implants, together with the cost of treatment, ease of administration, and the welfare of the animals, in a side-by-side trial under realistic management conditions. Methods We captured 65 adult female kangaroos over 11 days at a golf course in Anglesea, Victoria, Australia. We assigned each female to one of the following three experimental groups: levonorgestrel (210 mg, n = 18), deslorelin (9.4 mg, n = 24) or procedural control (n = 23). We monitored reproductive success for 8 years, by observing young in the pouch in winter and spring. Key results Natural fertility was high; in most years, less than 20% of control females failed to reproduce. For deslorelin-treated females, the odds of failing to reproduce were four times higher than for the control group; for levonorgestrel-treated females, these odds were 74 times higher. Deslorelin was ineffective after 3 years, whereas levonorgestrel was effective for at least 5 years. Conclusions Levonorgestrel was markedly superior in efficacy, as shown by a stronger contraceptive effect persisting for longer. In other respects, the two implants were comparable, being similar in cost and ease of delivery, and equally safe. Implications Only levonorgestrel implants fulfill their promise for non-lethal, long-term control of kangaroo populations. Deslorelin implants cannot be recommended for this purpose.
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anthelmintic treatment does not change foraging strategies of female eastern grey kangaroos Macropus giganteus
PLOS ONE, 2016Co-Authors: Jemma K Cripps, Jennifer H Martin, Graeme CoulsonAbstract:Large mammalian herbivores are commonly infected with gastrointestinal helminths. Heavily parasitised hosts are likely to have increased nutritional requirements and would be predicted to increase their food intake to compensate for costs of being parasitised, but experimental tests of the impacts of these parasites on the foraging efficiency of hosts are lacking, particularly in free-ranging wildlife. We conducted a field experiment on a population of free-ranging eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) to test this prediction, removing nematodes from one group of adult females using an anthelmintic treatment. We then carried out observations before and following treatment to assess the influence of parasites on foraging behaviour. Contrary to our predictions, the manipulation of parasite burdens did not result in changes in any of the key foraging variables we measured. Our results suggest that despite carrying large burdens of gastrointestinal parasites, the foraging strategy of female kangaroos is likely be driven by factors unrelated to parasitism, and that kangaroos in high nutritional environments may be able acquire sufficient nutrients to offset the costs of parasitism. We conclude that the drivers of forage intake likely differ between domesticated and free-ranging herbivores, and that free-ranging hosts are likely more resilient to parasitism.
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precision accuracy and bias of walked line transect distance sampling to estimate eastern grey kangaroo population size
Wildlife Research, 2015Co-Authors: Ruth Glass, Graeme Coulson, Marco Festabianchet, David M ForsythAbstract:Abstract Context. Distance sampling is widely used to estimate the size of wildlife populations, including kangaroos. However, the performance of distance-sampling abundance estimates has seldom been evaluated for wild mammal populations of known size. Aims. We evaluated the precision, accuracy, bias and interval coverage of abundance estimates from walked line-transect sampling, a commonly used distance-sampling method, for a marked free-ranging population of eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) at Yanakie Isthmus, Wilsons Promontory National Park, south-eastern Australia. Methods. In each of two study periods (November 2012 and May 2013) we first determined the true size of the uniquely marked kangaroo population by conducting 10 intensive searches of the study area. We then conducted distance sampling along six systematically spaced line transects. We walked each transect four times in November 2012 and seven times in May 2013. Data were analysed using Program DISTANCE. Key results. Our intensiv...
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temporal dynamics of helminth infections in eastern grey kangaroos Macropus giganteus in victoria
Australian Journal of Zoology, 2015Co-Authors: Jemma K Cripps, Ian Beveridge, Jennifer H Martin, Duncan Borland, Graeme CoulsonAbstract:Parasite infection is increasingly recognised as a factor shaping the population dynamics, life history and behaviour of hosts. However, before the impacts of parasites on wildlife hosts can be investigated, seasonal patterns in host exposure to parasitic agents must be determined. We examined infection patterns at three sites in Victoria, and combined field experiments and observations to construct a generalised life cycle of the helminth community in eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus). Kangaroo populations in Victoria had very similar helminth communities, with 20–25 species detected at each site. Despite examining relatively few hosts in this study, at least 87% of all gastrointestinal helminths were recovered according to bootstrap estimates. The prepatent period of infection in eastern grey kangaroo nematodes was at least 3 months, and faecal egg output showed a distinct seasonal pattern, with a peak in egg counts from October through to January each year. Data from one site indicated that faecal egg counts were influenced predominantly by the abundance of a single nematode species (Pharyngostrongylus kappa), despite adults accounting for only 7% of the total nematode burden. This highlights the problems associated with using faecal egg counts to estimate nematode burdens in this host. Contamination of pasture plots showed that nematode eggs take ~14 days to larvate once deposited, and that autumn rains likely triggered emergence from faecal pellets. The abundance of infective larvae in the environment therefore appears to be closely tied to environmental conditions, with a peak in infection of hosts in the winter months.
Terence J. Dawson - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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water use and the thermoregulatory behaviour of kangaroos in arid regions insights into the colonisation of arid rangelands in australia by the eastern grey kangaroo Macropus giganteus
Journal of Comparative Physiology B-biochemical Systemic and Environmental Physiology, 2006Co-Authors: Terence J. Dawson, Adam J. Munn, Kirsten J Mctavish, Joanne HollowayAbstract:The Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) occurs mostly in the wetter regions of eastern Australia. However, in the past 30–40 years it has moved into more arid regions (rainfall<250 mm), thus increasing its overlap zone with the xeric adapted Red Kangaroo (Macropus rufus). An increased access to water (supplied for domestic stock) may explain this range extension, but changes in the availability of preferred feed could also be involved. The water use, drinking patterns and thermoregulatory behaviour of these two species of kangaroo have been examined in a semi-free range study, during summer at an arid rangeland site. Foraging was largely nocturnal in both species and during the day they behaved to reduce heat loads. This was especially so for M. giganteus, which showed greater shade seeking. However, it still used more water (72±2.6 mL kg−1 day−1, mean ± SE) than M. rufus (56±7.6 mL kg−1 day−1) and drank twice as frequently. Although M. giganteus produced a less concentrated urine (1422±36 mosmol kg−1) than M. rufus (1843±28 mosmol kg−1), kidney physiology did not explain all of the differences in water metabolism between the species. Water from the feed and faecal water retention also appear to be involved. Broadly, a better access to reliable water and the utilisation of mesic microhabitats has enabled M. giganteus to make inroads into the changing rangelands of eastern Australia. However, changes in the vegetation, due to stock grazing, have also favoured M. giganteus, which is a grass eating specialist.
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Free-ranging heart rate, body temperature and energy metabolism in eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) and red kangaroos (Macropus rufus) in the arid regions of South East Australia.
Journal of comparative physiology. B Biochemical systemic and environmental physiology, 2001Co-Authors: H. C K Mccarron, Rochelle Buffenstein, F. D. Fanning, Terence J. DawsonAbstract:Eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) are generally regarded as mesic inhabitants. Even though access to drinking water in permanent stock watering troughs is commonly available, these animals are still found in only low densities in arid pastoral areas. We hypothesised that the differential success of red and grey kangaroos in the arid zone may be due to higher energy requirements of M. giganteus with a concomitant need for increased food, rather than limitations imposed by inadequate water access. We set out to test this by indirectly measuring energy expenditure through the monitoring of heart rate by radio telemetry in semi-free-ranging eastern grey and red kangaroos (Macropus rufus). Radio telemetry measurements of heart rate were calibrated against oxygen consumption and were used in the assessment of energy expenditure of animals maintained in an 8-ha enclosure in the arid zone of southeast Australia. Heart rate provided a reliable estimate of oxygen consumption. This well-correlated relationship was curvilinear and was established for each individual. Behavioural observations revealed that both kangaroo species spent most of the day in low energy demanding activities. M. rufus were more active at night whilst M. giganteus were more active in the early mornings and late afternoons. Like other marsupials, both species had low field metabolic rates (FMRs). However, M. giganteus in keeping with their mesic history had higher FMRs than the more arid-adapted M. rufus, particularly during water restriction. Body temperature telemeters revealed a further species difference in that under hot conditions when water is freely available, M. rufus exhibits a higher and more labile daytime body temperature than M. giganteus. During the hottest part of the day M. giganteus maintain body temperature, relying upon increased evaporative cooling mechanisms, such as licking. Indeed, only when access to drinking water was restricted was thermolability evident in M. giganteus. Differences in behaviour and concomitant energy expenditure may thus contribute substantially to the divergent distribution and abundance of these two kangaroo species.
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Ventilatory accommodation of oxygen demand and respiratory water loss in kangaroos from mesic and arid environments, the eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) and the red kangaroo (Macropus rufus).
Physiological and biochemical zoology : PBZ, 2000Co-Authors: Terence J. Dawson, Adam J. Munn, Cyntina E. Blaney, Andrew K. KrockenbergerAbstract:Abstract We studied ventilation in kangaroos from mesic and arid environments, the eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) and the red kangaroo (Macropus rufus), respectively, within the range of ambient temperatures (Ta) from −5° to 45°C. At thermoneutral temperatures ( \documentclass{aastex} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{bm} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{pifont} \usepackage{stmaryrd} \usepackage{textcomp} \usepackage{portland,xspace} \usepackage{amsmath,amsxtra} \usepackage[OT2,OT1]{fontenc} \newcommand\cyr{ \renewcommand\rmdefault{wncyr} \renewcommand\sfdefault{wncyss} \renewcommand\encodingdefault{OT2} \normalfont \selectfont} \DeclareTextFontCommand{\textcyr}{\cyr} \pagestyle{empty} \DeclareMathSizes{10}{9}{7}{6} \begin{document} \landscape $T_{\mathrm{a}\,}=25^{\circ }\mathrm{C}\,$ \end{document} ), there were no differences between the species in respiratory frequency, tidal volume, total ventilation, or oxygen extraction. The ventilatory patterns...
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Thermoregulation by Kangaroos from Mesic and Arid Habitats: Influence of Temperature on Routes of Heat Loss in Eastern Grey Kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) and Red Kangaroos (Macropus rufus)
Physiological and biochemical zoology : PBZ, 2000Co-Authors: Terence J. Dawson, Adam J. Munn, Cyntina E. Blaney, Andrew K. KrockenbergerAbstract:Abstract We examined thermoregulation in red kangaroos (Macropus rufus) from deserts and in eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) from mesic forests/woodlands. Desert kangaroos have complex evaporative heat loss mechanisms, but the relative importance of these mechanisms is unclear. Little is known of the abilities of grey kangaroos. Our detailed study of these kangaroos' thermoregulatory responses at air temperatures (Ta) from −5° to 45°C showed that, while some differences occur, their abilities are fundamentally similar. Both species show the basic marsupial characteristics of relatively low basal metabolism and body temperature (Tb). Within the thermoneutral zone, Tb was \documentclass{aastex} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{bm} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{pifont} \usepackage{stmaryrd} \usepackage{textcomp} \usepackage{portland,xspace} \usepackage{amsmath,amsxtra} \usepackage[OT2,OT1]{fontenc} \newcommand\cyr{ \renewcommand\rmdefault{wncyr} \renew...
J. Gould - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Bone fluoride concentrations of eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) resident near an aluminium smelter in south-eastern Australia
Ecotoxicology, 2011Co-Authors: J. Hufschmid, I Beveridge, G. Coulson, J. GouldAbstract:Lesions of skeletal and dental fluorosis have been described recently in eastern grey kangaroos ( Macropus giganteus ). The present study further examined the epidemiology of skeletal fluorosis in this species. Bone fluoride concentrations were obtained from a range of skeletal sites of animals from a high (Portland Aluminium) and a low (Cape Bridgewater) fluoride environment in Victoria, Australia. Age, but not sex, affected the mean bone fluoride concentration of kangaroos. For a given age, bone fluoride concentrations were significantly higher in kangaroos from Portland than Cape Bridgewater. Concentrations varied between skeletal sites examined, with samples containing cancellous bone having higher fluoride concentrations than those containing only cortical bone.
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skeletal fluoride in kangaroos near an aluminium smelter bone fluoride concentrations of eastern grey kangaroos Macropus giganteus resident near an aluminium smelter in south eastern australia
2011Co-Authors: Jasmin Hufschmid, J. Gould, Ian BeveridgeAbstract:Lesions of skeletal and dental fluorosis have been described recently in eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus). The present study further examined the epidemiology of skeletal fluorosis in this species. Bone fluoride concentrations were obtained from a range of skeletal sites of animals from a high (Portland Aluminium) and a low (Cape Bridgewater) fluoride environment in Victoria, Australia. Age, but not sex, affected the mean bone fluoride concentration of kangaroos. For a given age, bone fluoride concentrations were significantly higher in kangaroos from Portland than Cape Bridgewater. Concentrations varied between skeletal sites examined, with samples containing cancellous bone having higher fluoride concentrations than those containing only cortical bone.
Catherine A Herbert - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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the effect of testosterone suppression on health and parasite burden in male eastern grey kangaroos Macropus giganteus
Australian Mammalogy, 2021Co-Authors: Maquel E Brandimarti, Rachael Gray, Zoe J Hilton, Tamara Keeley, Kangaroo Phil Murray, Catherine A HerbertAbstract:Testosterone has a dualistic effect in males by promoting sexual ornamentation at the cost of immune defence. This trade-off has been demonstrated in several taxa, such that males often host a greater parasite burden compared with female conspecifics. We suppressed testosterone in wild male eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) for 10 weeks using a novel gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) vaccine, Bopriva. We evaluated the impact of testosterone suppression on testes width, parameters of health, tick and worm burden in kangaroos using a before-after-control-impact (BACI) experimental design. Given the potential impact of animal movement on parasite burden, core area use of a subset of males was also determined. Bopriva significantly reduced testosterone in male kangaroos as well as reducing the combined size of testes by 9.6% (P = 0.01). There was no detectable effect of testosterone suppression on parasite burden and core area use in Treated kangaroos compared to Control (placebo) and Before treatment animals. Our results suggest that a duration of suppression longer than 10 weeks may be required to observe changes in parasite burden. Overall, this study provides a suitable framework for future studies to test whether reproductive hormones influence energy allocation, parasitism, and reproductive strategies in marsupials.
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Phylogenetic relationships amongst mtDNA CR haplotypes identified from ten tammar wallaby (NotaMacropus eugenii) populations from South Australia, Western Australia and New Zealand.
2017Co-Authors: Mark D B Eldridge, Linda E Neaves, Kyall R Zenger, Emily J Miller, Catherine A HerbertAbstract:Haplotypes from Macropus giganteus and M. fuliginosus were used as outgroups. Numbers on branches indicate percent of bootstrap replicates when ≥ 70% (maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, neighbour-joining).
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dominance body size and internal relatedness influence male reproductive success in eastern grey kangaroos Macropus giganteus
Reproduction Fertility and Development, 2010Co-Authors: Mark D B Eldridge, Desmond W Cooper, Emily J Miller, Catherine A HerbertAbstract:Knowledge of the determinants of reproductive success is essential for understanding the adaptive significance of particular traits. The present study examined whether particular behavioural, morphological, physiological or genetic traits were correlated with male dominance and reproductive success using three semi-free-ranging captive populations (n = 98) of the eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus). The morphological traits measured included bodyweight, head, forearm, tail, pes and leg length, forearm and bicep circumference, and testis size. Blood samples were collected to determine serum testosterone concentrations. All individuals were typed for 10 microsatellite loci and paternity determined for each pouch young. To determine the influence of relatedness and genetic diversity on male reproductive success, internal relatedness, standardised heterozygosity and mean d2 were calculated. Dominant males sired a significantly higher proportion of offspring than smaller, lower-ranked males and had higher testosterone concentrations. Males that sired offspring were significantly heavier and had larger body size. Sires were significantly more heterozygous and genetically dissimilar to breeding females than non-sires. Despite the wealth of knowledge on the social organisation of kangaroos, this is the first study to assign parentage and male reproductive success using molecular evidence.
Ian Beveridge - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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redescription of rugopharynx australis monnig 1926 and the description of r moennigi n sp nematoda strongyloidea from kangaroos marsupialia macropodidae in australia
Systematic Parasitology, 2021Co-Authors: Tanapan Sukee, Ian Beveridge, Abdul JabbarAbstract:Rugopharynx australis (Monnig, 1926) (Nematoda: Strongyloidea) is redescribed based on specimens from the type host, Osphranter rufus (Desmarest), together with matching DNA sequence data. Additional hosts were Macropus giganteus Shaw and Osphranter robustus (Gould) with single occurrences in M. fuliginosus (Desmarest), NotaMacropus dorsalis (Gray), Lagorchestes conspicillatus Gould and Petrogale xanthopus Gray. Rugopharynx moennigi n. sp., formerly included within R. australis, is distinguished by shorter but overlapping spicule lengths and in the morphology of the gubernaculum as well as by molecular data. Rugopharynx moennigi n. sp. appears to be primarily parasitic in M. fuliginosus throughout its geographical range, but also infects M. giganteus, O. robustus and O. rufus in areas of host sympatry.
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New species of Macropostrongyloides Yamaguti, 1961 (Nematoda: Strongylida) and the redescription of Ma. baylisi (Wood, 1930) from Australian macropodid marsupials
Systematic Parasitology, 2020Co-Authors: Tanapan Sukee, Ian Beveridge, Abdul JabbarAbstract:Specimens of four genetically distinct groups of Macropostrongyloides baylisi Wood, 1930 were analysed morphologically. Each genotype was found to represent a morphologically distinct species: Ma. baylisi from Osphranter robustus woodwardi (Thomas) and Osphranter robustus erubescens (Sclater); Ma. spearei n. sp. from Osphranter robustus robustus (Gould) and O. r. erubescens ; Ma. mawsonae n. sp. from Macropus giganteus Shaw and Ma. woodi n. sp. from Osphranter rufus (Desmarest). The new species described here are differentiated primarily by several male-specific features that have been overlooked in previous taxonomic revisions. These features include striations on the terminal part of the spicule ala, the papillae surrounding the genital cone and the bursal striations. Furthermore, scanning electron photomicrographs have revealed greater details of previously undefined structures within the buccal cavity that warrant further investigations.
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temporal dynamics of helminth infections in eastern grey kangaroos Macropus giganteus in victoria
Australian Journal of Zoology, 2015Co-Authors: Jemma K Cripps, Ian Beveridge, Jennifer H Martin, Duncan Borland, Graeme CoulsonAbstract:Parasite infection is increasingly recognised as a factor shaping the population dynamics, life history and behaviour of hosts. However, before the impacts of parasites on wildlife hosts can be investigated, seasonal patterns in host exposure to parasitic agents must be determined. We examined infection patterns at three sites in Victoria, and combined field experiments and observations to construct a generalised life cycle of the helminth community in eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus). Kangaroo populations in Victoria had very similar helminth communities, with 20–25 species detected at each site. Despite examining relatively few hosts in this study, at least 87% of all gastrointestinal helminths were recovered according to bootstrap estimates. The prepatent period of infection in eastern grey kangaroo nematodes was at least 3 months, and faecal egg output showed a distinct seasonal pattern, with a peak in egg counts from October through to January each year. Data from one site indicated that faecal egg counts were influenced predominantly by the abundance of a single nematode species (Pharyngostrongylus kappa), despite adults accounting for only 7% of the total nematode burden. This highlights the problems associated with using faecal egg counts to estimate nematode burdens in this host. Contamination of pasture plots showed that nematode eggs take ~14 days to larvate once deposited, and that autumn rains likely triggered emergence from faecal pellets. The abundance of infective larvae in the environment therefore appears to be closely tied to environmental conditions, with a peak in infection of hosts in the winter months.
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skeletal pathology of eastern grey kangaroos Macropus giganteus exposed to high environmental fluoride levels in south eastern australia
Journal of Comparative Pathology, 2015Co-Authors: Jasmin Hufschmid, Graeme Coulson, Ian Beveridge, Glenn D Walker, Peiyan Shen, Eric C Reynolds, J A CharlesAbstract:Significantly elevated bone fluoride concentrations have been reported in a population of eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) resident near a fluoride-emitting aluminum smelter in southeastern Australia. This paper describes the skeletal and synovial joint lesions observed post mortem in the same sample of kangaroos (n = 76). The prevalence and severity of skeletal lesions, specifically the formation of multiple, large, smooth exostoses over the diaphysis of long bones (especially, but not exclusively, on the tibia, fibula and metatarsi), were positively associated with bone fluoride concentration. So too were lesions of degenerative joint disease, including periarticular osteophytosis, articular cartilage erosion/ulceration, synovial hyperplasia and joint capsular fibrosis. Joint lesions were most commonly seen in the knee, hock and metatarsophalangeal joints. This is the first study to describe in detail the full range of lesions induced by chronic fluorosis in a marsupial species.
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Oral necrobacillosis ('lumpy jaw') in a free-ranging population of eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) in Victoria
Australian Mammalogy, 2012Co-Authors: D. Borland, Graeme Coulson, Ian BeveridgeAbstract:A high prevalence (54%) of oral necrobacillosis, commonly referred to as ‘lumpy jaw’ based primarily on the presence of cranial osteological lesions, is reported from a free-living population of Macropus giganteus in Victoria. Lesions were found primarily in the maxillary bone and the mandible, in association with the rostral region of the dental arcade. Autopsy data provided additional evidence that the osteological lesions observed were due to oral necrobacillosis. Lesions were more common in older kangaroos. The study was carried out during a drought with limited pasture availability and heavy faecal contamination of pasture, conditions that may have contributed to the high prevalence of the disease.
