Home range overlaps of the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula): implications for disease transmission

• Published in: European journal of wildlife research Vol. 70; no. 4; p. 78
• Main Authors: Tobajas, Jorge, Richardson, Kyle S., French, Nigel P., Buddle, Bryce, Jewell, Christopher, Tompkins, Daniel M., Rouco, Carlos
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01-08-2024; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adults; Bacterial diseases; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Cattle; Disease; Disease control; Disease management; Disease transmission; Ecology; Females; Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management; Home range; Juveniles; Life Sciences; Local population; Males; Minors; Population density; Trichosurus vulpecula; Tuberculosis; Wildlife; Wildlife management; Zoology; New Zealand; Possum behaviour; Population structure; Wildlife management; Epidemiology; Disease control; Bovine tuberculosis
• ISSN: 1612-4642; 1439-0574
• DOI: 10.1007/s10344-024-01827-x

Understanding how bovine tuberculosis (TB) is maintained in wildlife reservoirs is critical for the management of this disease impacting cattle in many countries. For the primary wildlife reservoir of the disease in New Zealand, the brushtail possum (
Trichosurus vulpecula
), transmission of this contagious bacterial disease among possums is often assumed to be linked to home range overlap. Identifying drivers of possum home range, and home range overlap between individuals, is thus important for informing wildlife reservoir TB management in New Zealand. We monitored four sub-populations of free-living possums in New Zealand native forests during 10 consecutive months using live trapping, to give the first direct insight into how the frequency and area of overlaps alters with density, sex and age. A total of 832 individuals were captured (average 9.3, range from 1 to 40 captures per animal with a median value of 7) and 35,820 home range overlaps were recorded. Both the number and area of overlaps were significantly associated with age class, with 66.6% of overlaps occurring between adults, 30% between adults and juveniles, and only 3.4% between juveniles. Overall, adult males showed significantly higher numbers of overlaps than expected, while adult and juvenile females showed significantly lower numbers of overlaps than expected and no differences were observed in juvenile males. In addition, males exhibited more and larger overlaps than females. The number and size of overlaps per individual decreased with increasing local population density. Understanding shared areas of activity among individuals can provide insights into the interactions occurring and potential pathways for diseases transmitted by contact such as TB. These results can inform to develop effective strategies for the control of diseases carried and dispersed by possums.