| mortalities of little penguins (eudyptula minor) following exposure to crude oil. | | 1992 | 1566542 |
| lethal toxoplasmosis in a little penguin (eudyptula minor) from tasmania. | a penguin (eudyptula minor) from tasmania, australia, died following a 3-day illness. the liver and spleen parenchyma contained grossly visible foci of discoloration. numerous tachyzoites of toxoplasma gondii were seen associated with necrosis in sections of liver and spleen. the diagnosis was confirmed by immunohistochemical staining of parasites. this apparently is the first report of fatal toxoplasmosis in a penguin. | 1991 | 2010870 |
| viral infections of little blue penguins (eudyptula minor) along the southern coast of australia. | serum antibodies to strains of avian paramyxovirus and flavivirus were detected in little blue penguins sampled at port campbell and phillip island, victoria, australia. no antibody to newcastle disease virus (ndv) was detected in 267 sera collected, although one penguin captured for experimental studies had a hemagglutination-inhibition antibody titer of 2(4) to this virus. experimental studies showed that the avian paramyxovirus designated apmv-im and strain v4 of ndv were non-pathogenic for p ... | 1985 | 2993680 |
| mortality in little penguins (eudyptula minor) along the coast of victoria, australia. | forty-eight little penguins (eudyptula minor) consisting of 21 (43.7%) mature, 18 (37.5%) juvenile and nine (18.7%) of undetermined age, from 10 victorian coastal localities were examined during 1977-78. thirty-seven (77%) of all penguins were in poor body condition with moderate to heavy burdens of internal and external parasites. acute parasitic gastric ulceration with accompanying hemorrhage, was implicated in the death of four birds. chronic gastric ulcers were thought to have caused appetit ... | 1980 | 7431525 |
| aspergillus spp. seropositivity in new zealand penguins. | one hundred-fifty yellow-eyed penguins (megadyptes antipodes) of 8 populations, 20 little blue penguins (eudyptula minor) of 2 populations, 9 rockhopper penguins (eudyptes chrysocome), and 5 adelie penguins (pygoscelis adeliae) from new zealand (nz) and antarctica (latitude range; 39 degrees 30' s - 77 degrees 13' s) were tested by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (elisa) for fungal aspergillus spp. igg. one hundred-ten of 184 (60%) penguins were seropositive, and seroprevalence was r ... | 1995 | 8587585 |
| microsatellite differentiation between phillip island and mainland australian populations of the red fox vulpes vulpes. | predation by the red fox vulpes vulpes is believed to be threatening the little penguin eudyptula minor on phillip island in victoria. polymorphism at seven microsatellite loci was examined to estimate the extent of differentiation between phillip island and mainland populations of v. vulpes. loss of alleles has occurred on phillip island where foxes first appeared approximately 88 years ago compared with mainland populations. genetic differentiation between the phillip island and mainland popul ... | 1996 | 9147696 |
| the influence of locomotion on air-sac pressures in little penguins. | air-sac pressures have been reported to oscillate with wing beat in flying magpies and with foot paddling in diving ducks. we sought to determine the impact on air-sac pressure of wing beats during swimming and of the step cycle during walking in little penguins (eudyptula minor). fluctuations averaged 0.16+/-0.06 kpa in the interclavicular air sacs, but only 0.06+/-0.04 kpa in the posterior thoracic sac, generating a small differential pressure between sacs of 0.06+/-0.02 kpa (means +/- s.e.m., ... | 2001 | 11707507 |
| two new avian mitochondrial genomes (penguin and goose) and a summary of bird and reptile mitogenomic features. | we report complete mitochondrial (mt) genomes for a penguin (little blue, eudyptula minor) and a goose (greater white-fronted, anser albifrons). a revised annotation of avian and reptile mt genomes has been carried out, which improves consistency of labeling gene start and stop positions. in conjunction with this, a summary of mt gene features is presented and a number of conserved patterns and interesting differences identified. the protein-coding genes from the two new genomes were analysed to ... | 2003 | 12527195 |
| whole-bird models for the magnetic cleansing of oiled feathers. | iron powder, a promising dry-cleansing agent for oiled feathers where both the contaminant and the cleansing agent may be harvested magnetically, has been tested on the plumage of whole-bird models. the breast and back plumage of mallard duck (anas platyrhynchos) and little penguin (eudyptula minor) carcasses were patch-contaminated with commercial-grade engine oil, three different crude oils, and an oil/seawater emulsion. the plumage was then subjected to a magnetic cleansing protocol. the cont ... | 2004 | 14972586 |
| erysipelothrix septicemia in a little blue penguin (eudyptula minor). | on june 25, 2002, aquarium veterinarians treated a 5-year-old, male little blue penguin (eudyptula minor) that was acutely recumbent and dull, with inappetence of 24-hour duration. the penguin died within 10 minutes of presentation despite emergency resuscitation efforts. gross pathologic findings consisted of pulmonary congestion and intestinal hemorrhage. histopathologic findings included necrosis of tips of intestinal villi, increased numbers of mononuclear cells in pulmonary interstitium and ... | 2004 | 15053366 |
| influence of biological and ecological factors on hematological values in wild little penguins, eudyptula minor. | clinical hematology and biochemistry are recognized as useful aids in health diagnosis in birds. the little penguin (eudyptula minor) is endemic to australia and numbers are declining due to a number of factors including declining health. this 2-year study on both bowen and lion island populations aimed at assessing the potential causes of their declining health. blood was collected from a total of 294 adult little penguins. r.b.c., hb, p.c.v., m.c.v., m.c.h., m.c.h.c., w.b.c. and differential c ... | 2004 | 15313488 |
| swim speeds and stroke patterns in wing-propelled divers: a comparison among alcids and a penguin. | in diving birds, the volume and resulting buoyancy of air spaces changes with dive depth, and hydrodynamic drag varies with swim speed. these factors are important in the dive patterns and locomotion of alcids that use their wings both for aerial flight and underwater swimming and of penguins that use their wings only for swimming. using small data-loggers on free-ranging birds diving to 20-30 m depth, we measured depth at 1 hz and surge and heave accelerations at 32-64 hz of four species of alc ... | 2006 | 16547294 |
| magnetic cleansing of weathered/tarry oiled feathers--the role of pre-conditioners. | iron powder has previously been demonstrated to be effective in the removal, via magnetic harvesting, of a wide variety of oil contaminants from feathers and plumage. this study investigates the efficacy of magnetic cleansing for the removal from feathers of tarry contamination that has been allowed to weather. clusters of feathers from mallard duck (anas platyrhnchos) and little penguin (eudyptula minor) were completely immersed in a tarry contaminant and allowed to weather from one to fourteen ... | 2006 | 16824554 |
| antibody response of five bird species after vaccination with a killed west nile virus vaccine. | west nile virus has been associated with numerous bird mortalities in the united states since 1999. five avian species at three zoological parks were selected to assess the antibody response to vaccination for west nile virus: black-footed penguins (spheniscus demersus), little blue penguins (eudyptula minor), american flamingos (phoenicopterus ruber), chilean flamingos (phoenicopterus chilensis), and attwater's prairie chickens (tympanuchus cupido attwateri). all birds were vaccinated intramusc ... | 2007 | 17679507 |
| the probable association of feather mites of the genus ingrassia (analgoidea: xolalgidae) with the blue penguin eudyptula minor (aves: sphenisciformes) in australia. | a new feather mite species, ingrassia eudyptula n. sp. (xolalgidae: ingrassiinae), is described from the blue penguin eudyptula minor (j.b. forster, 1781) in australia. this is the first description of a feather mite species from representatives of the avian order sphenisciformes, which had previously been considered free from feather mites due to their strongly modified plumage and highly aquatic lifestyle. we suggest that most probably this mite species or its ancestor moved onto penguins from ... | 2008 | 18576859 |
| redescription and genetic characterization of selected contracaecum spp. (nematoda: anisakidae) from various hosts in australia. | in the present study, five species of contracaecum railliet & henry 1912 (nematoda: ascaridida), including contracaecum bancrofti, contracaecum microcephalum, contracaecum variegatum, contracaecum eudyptulae, and contracaecum ogmorhini, were redescribed using light and scanning electron microscopy. in addition, in order to elucidate their taxonomic status, first and second internal transcribed spacers (its-1 and its-2, respectively) of nuclear ribosomal dna of each morphospecies were characteriz ... | 2009 | 19214573 |
| an outbreak of avian mycobacteriosis caused by mycobacterium intracellulare in little blue penguins (eudyptula minor). | mycobacterium intracellulare (mit) was diagnosed postmortem by culture and supporting histopathology in seven birds from a flock of little blue penguins (eudyptula minor) at the henry doorly zoo (hdz). these birds represented 20% of the deaths in the population over a 4 yr period. clinical signs in affected birds included severe respiratory distress characterized by open-mouth breathing with chronic debilitation. on exam, plaques were noted in the larynx, trachea, and soft tissue of the caudal o ... | 2009 | 20063814 |
| salt gland adenitis associated with bacteria in blue penguins (eudyptula minor) from hauraki gulf (auckland, new zealand). | three blue penguins (eudyptula minor) were rescued between july 2006 and january 2007 off the east coast of auckland, new zealand. they were taken to a rehabilitation center, where they subsequently died in may 2007 and were submitted for necropsy. there was unilateral enlargement of the salt glands with disseminated small, pale, and firm foci in all birds. histologic examination of the affected glands demonstrated the presence of multifocal granulomas and areas of severe squamous metaplasia of ... | 2010 | 20090017 |
| biological plasticity in penguin heat-retention structures. | insulation and vascular heat-retention mechanisms allow penguins to forage for a prolonged time in water that is much cooler than core body temperature. wing-based heat retention involves a plexus of humeral arteries and veins, which redirect heat to the body core rather than to the wing periphery. the humeral arterial plexus is described here for eudyptes and megadyptes, the only extant penguin genera for which wing vascular anatomy had not previously been reported. the erect-crested (eudyptes ... | 2012 | 22213564 |
| phylogeographic structure in penguin ticks across an ocean basin indicates allopatric divergence and rare trans-oceanic dispersal. | the association of ticks (acarina) and seabirds provides an intriguing system for assessing the influence of long-distance dispersal on the evolution of parasitic species. recent research has focused on host-parasite evolutionary relationships and dispersal capacity of ticks parasitising flighted seabirds. evolutionary research on the ticks of non-flighted seabirds is, in contrast, scarce. we conducted the first phylogeographic investigation of a hard tick species (ixodes eudyptidis) that parasi ... | 2015 | 26083353 |
| influence of fasting during moult on the faecal microbiota of penguins. | many seabirds including penguins are adapted to long periods of fasting, particularly during parts of the reproductive cycle and during moult. however, the influence of fasting on the gastrointestinal (gi) microbiota has not been investigated in seabirds. therefore, the present study aimed to examine the microbial composition and diversity of the gi microbiota of fasting little (eudyptula minor) and king penguins (aptenodytes patagonicus) penguins during early and late moult. the results from th ... | 2014 | 24979619 |
| retinal ganglion cell topography and spatial resolving power in penguins. | penguins are a group of flightless seabirds that exhibit numerous morphological, behavioral and ecological adaptations to their amphibious lifestyle, but little is known about the topographic organization of neurons in their retinas. in this study, we used retinal wholemounts and stereological methods to estimate the total number and topographic distribution of retinal ganglion cells in addition to an anatomical estimate of spatial resolving power in two species of penguins: the little penguin, ... | 2012 | 23038153 |
| the complete sequence of the mitochondrial genome of the african penguin (spheniscus demersus). | the complete mitochondrial genome of the african penguin (spheniscus demersus) was sequenced. the molecule was sequenced via next generation sequencing and primer walking. the size of the genome is 17,346 bp in length. comparison with the mitochondrial dna of two other penguin genomes that have so far been reported was conducted namely; little blue penguin (eudyptula minor) and the rockhopper penguin (eudyptes chrysocome). this analysis made it possible to identify common penguin mitochondrial d ... | 2014 | 24157264 |
| metals and metalloids in little penguin (eudyptula minor) prey, blood and faeces. | piscivorous species like the little penguin (eudyptula minor) are particularly at risk of being negatively impacted by pollution due to their heightened exposure through aquatic food chains. therefore, determining the concentration of heavy metals in the fish prey of seabirds is an essential component of assessing such risk. in this study, we report on arsenic, cadmium, mercury, lead and selenium concentrations in three fish species, which are known to comprise a substantial part of the diet of ... | 2017 | 28159398 |
| both natural selection and isolation by distance explain phenotypic divergence in bill size and body mass between south australian little penguin colonies. | morphological variation between populations of the same species can arise as a response to genetic variation, local environmental conditions, or a combination of both. in this study, i examined small-scale geographic variation in bill size and body mass in little penguins (eudyptula minor) across five breeding colonies in south australia separated by <150 km. to help understand patterns driving the differences, i investigated these variations in relation to environmental parameters (air temperat ... | 2016 | 27878069 |
| corticosterone stress hormone responses in oil rehabilitated and non-rehabilitated little penguins. | whether oiled wildlife should be rehabilitated during an oil spill is internationally debated. research on little penguins (lp, eudyptula minor) rehabilitated and released back into a cleaned environment after the new zealand c/v rena grounding oil spill in 2011 found the rehabilitation process was effective at treating and reversing the negative effects of oil-contamination on penguin post-release survival, productivity and diving behaviour. here we investigated the acute corticosterone stress ... | 2016 | 27726937 |
| seasonal variation and annual trends of metals and metalloids in the blood of the little penguin (eudyptula minor). | little penguins (eudyptula minor) are high-trophic coastal feeders and are effective indicators of bioavailable pollutants in their foraging zones. here, we present concentrations of metals and metalloids in blood of 157 little penguins, collected over three years and during three distinct seasons (breeding, moulting and non-breeding) at two locations: the urban st kilda colony and the semi-rural colony at phillip island, victoria, australia. penguin metal concentrations were foremostly influenc ... | 2016 | 27329818 |
| prior exposure to capture heightens the corticosterone and behavioural responses of little penguins (eudyptula minor) to acute stress. | studies of physiology can provide important insight into how animals are coping with challenges in their environment and can signal the potential effects of exposure to human activity in both the short and long term. in this study, we measured the physiological and behavioural response of little penguins (eudyptula minor) that were naïve to human activity over 30 min of capture and handling. we assessed relationships between corticosterone secretion, behaviour, sex and time of day in order to ch ... | 2016 | 27293742 |
| new miocene fossils and the history of penguins in australia. | australia has a fossil record of penguins reaching back to the eocene, yet today is inhabited by just one breeding species, the little penguin eudyptula minor. the description of recently collected penguin fossils from the re-dated upper miocene port campbell limestone of portland (victoria), in addition to reanalysis of previously described material, has allowed the cenozoic history of penguins in australia to be placed into a global context for the first time. australian pre-quaternary fossil ... | 2016 | 27115739 |
| first record of babesia sp. in antarctic penguins. | this is the first reported case of babesia sp. in antarctic penguins, specifically a population of chinstrap penguins (pygoscelis antarctica) in the vapour col penguin rookery in deception island, south shetlands, antarctica. we collected peripheral blood from 50 adult and 30 chick chinstrap penguins. examination of the samples by microscopy showed intraerythrocytic forms morphologically similar to other avian babesia species in 12 chinstrap penguin adults and seven chicks. the estimated parasit ... | 2016 | 26874670 |
| invader or resident? ancient-dna reveals rapid species turnover in new zealand little penguins. | the expansion of humans into previously unoccupied parts of the globe is thought to have driven the decline and extinction of numerous vertebrate species. in new zealand, human settlement in the late thirteenth century ad led to the rapid demise of a distinctive vertebrate fauna, and also a number of 'turnover' events where extinct lineages were subsequently replaced by closely related taxa. the recent genetic detection of an australian little penguin (eudyptula novaehollandiae) in southeastern ... | 2016 | 26842575 |
| waddling on the dark side: ambient light affects attendance behavior of little penguins. | visible light on earth largely comes from the sun, including light reflected from the moon. predation risk is strongly determined by light conditions, and some animals are nocturnal to reduce predation. artificial lights and its consequent light pollution may disrupt this natural behavior. here, we used 13 years of attendance data to study the effects of sun, moon, and artificial light on the attendance pattern of a nocturnal seabird, the little penguin eudyptula minor at phillip island, austral ... | 2016 | 26823445 |
| individual variation and repeatability of corticosterone responses of little penguins (eudyptula minor) sampled in two successive years at oamaru, new zealand. | plasma corticosterone concentrations increase when birds experience a stressor, and plasma corticosterone responses to a capture and handling stressor have been measured in many species of birds. whilst it is assumed that the reported corticosterone responses reflect the inherent sensitivity of each bird to the stressor, responses of the same birds have rarely been measured at intervals of one or more years. the current study was conducted to measure the repeatability in two successive years of ... | 2017 | 26801581 |
| effects of ambient air temperature, humidity and rainfall on annual survival of adult little penguins eudyptula minor in southeastern australia. | seabirds are subject to the influences of local climate variables during periods of land-based activities such as breeding and, for some species, moult; particularly if they undergo a catastrophic moult (complete simultaneous moult) as do penguins. we investigated potential relationships between adult penguin survival and land-based climate variables (ambient air temperature, humidity and rainfall) using 46 years of mark-recapture data of little penguins eudyptula minor gathered at a breeding co ... | 2016 | 26698160 |
| benefits of group foraging depend on prey type in a small marine predator, the little penguin. | group foraging provides predators with advantages in over-powering prey larger than themselves or in aggregating small prey for efficient exploitation. for group-living predatory species, cooperative hunting strategies provide inclusive fitness benefits. however, for colonial-breeding predators, the benefit pay-offs of group foraging are less clear due to the potential for intra-specific competition. we used animal-borne cameras to determine the prey types, hunting strategies, and success of lit ... | 2015 | 26674073 |
| diving behaviour of wildlife impacted by an oil spill: a clean-up and rehabilitation success? | the value of rehabilitating oiled wildlife is an on-going global debate. on october 5, 2011, the cargo vessel c/v rena grounded on astrolabe reef, new zealand (nz), spilling over 300 tonnes of heavy fuel oil. as part of the rena oil spill response, 383 little blue penguins (lbp, eudyptula minor) were captured, cleaned, rehabilitated and released back into a cleaned environment. this research investigates foraging behaviour changes due either to the oil spill or by the rehabilitation process by c ... | 2015 | 26424224 |
| the little penguin (eudyptula minor) as an indicator of coastal trace metal pollution. | monitoring trace metal and metalloid concentrations in marine animals is important for their conservation and could also reliably reflect pollution levels in their marine ecosystems. concentrations vary across tissue types, with implications for reliable monitoring. we sampled blood and moulted feathers of the little penguin (eudyptula minor) from three distinct colonies, which are subject to varying levels of anthropogenic impact. non-essential trace metal and metalloid concentrations in little ... | 2015 | 26160534 |
| fine-scale dietary changes between the breeding and non-breeding diet of a resident seabird. | unlike migratory seabirds with wide foraging ranges, resident seabirds forage in a relatively small range year-round and are thus particularly vulnerable to local shifts in prey availability. in order to manage their populations effectively, it is necessary to identify their key prey across and within years. here, stomach content and stable isotope analyses were used to reconstruct the diet and isotopic niche of the little penguin (eudyptula minor). across years, the diet of penguins was dominat ... | 2015 | 26064628 |
| carry-over body mass effect from winter to breeding in a resident seabird, the little penguin. | using body mass and breeding data of individual penguins collected continuously over 7 years (2002-2008), we examined carry-over effects of winter body mass on timing of laying and breeding success in a resident seabird, the little penguin (eudyptula minor). the austral winter month of july consistently had the lowest rate of colony attendance, which confirmed our expectation that penguins work hard to find resources at this time between breeding seasons. contrary to our expectation, body mass i ... | 2015 | 26064587 |
| a novel spatio-temporal scale based on ocean currents unravels environmental drivers of reproductive timing in a marine predator. | life-history strategies have evolved in response to predictable patterns of environmental features. in practice, linking life-history strategies and changes in environmental conditions requires comparable space-time scales between both processes, a difficult match in most marine system studies. we propose a novel spatio-temporal and dynamic scale to explore marine productivity patterns probably driving reproductive timing in the inshore little penguin (eudyptula minor), based on monthly data on ... | 2015 | 26063848 |
| extending the functionality of behavioural change-point analysis with k-means clustering: a case study with the little penguin (eudyptula minor). | we present a simple framework for classifying mutually exclusive behavioural states within the geospatial lifelines of animals. this method involves use of three sequentially applied statistical procedures: (1) behavioural change point analysis to partition movement trajectories into discrete bouts of same-state behaviours, based on abrupt changes in the spatio-temporal autocorrelation structure of movement parameters; (2) hierarchical multivariate cluster analysis to determine the number of dif ... | 2015 | 25922935 |
| environmental variability drives shifts in the foraging behaviour and reproductive success of an inshore seabird. | marine animals forage in areas that aggregate prey to maximize their energy intake. however, these foraging 'hot spots' experience environmental variability, which can substantially alter prey availability. to survive and reproduce animals need to modify their foraging in response to these prey shifts. by monitoring their inter-annual foraging behaviours, we can understand which environmental variables affect their foraging efficiency, and can assess how they respond to environmental variability ... | 2015 | 25894092 |
| epidemiology and molecular phylogeny of babesia sp. in little penguins eudyptula minor in australia. | blood parasites are potential threats to the health of penguins and to their conservation and management. little penguins eudyptula minor are native to australia and new zealand, and are susceptible to piroplasmids (babesia), hemosporidians (haemoproteus, leucocytozoon, plasmodium) and kinetoplastids (trypanosoma). we studied a total of 263 wild little penguins at 20 sites along the australian southeastern coast, in addition to 16 captive-bred little penguins. babesia sp. was identified in seven ... | 2015 | 25853053 |
| nonequilibrium conditions explain spatial variability in genetic structuring of little penguin (eudyptula minor). | factors responsible for spatial structuring of population genetic variation are varied, and in many instances there may be no obvious explanations for genetic structuring observed, or those invoked may reflect spurious correlations. a study of little penguins (eudyptula minor) in southeast australia documented low spatial structuring of genetic variation with the exception of colonies at the western limit of sampling, and this distinction was attributed to an intervening oceanographic feature (b ... | 2017 | 25833231 |
| supervised accelerometry analysis can identify prey capture by penguins at sea. | determining where, when and how much animals eat is fundamental to understanding their ecology. we developed a technique to identify a prey capture signature for little penguins from accelerometry, in order to quantify food intake remotely. we categorised behaviour of captive penguins from hd video and matched this to time-series data from back-mounted accelerometers. we then trained a support vector machine (svm) to classify the penguins' behaviour at 0.3 s intervals as either 'prey handling' o ... | 2014 | 25394635 |
| withdrawn: corrigendum to "the pathology and pathogenicity of a novel haemoproteus spp. infection in wild little penguins (eudyptula minor)" [vet. parasitol. 197 (1-2) (2013) 74-84]. | the publisher regrets that this article is an accidental duplication of an article that has already been published, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2014.07.021. the duplicate article has therefore been withdrawn. | 2014 | 25260333 |
| at-sea associations in foraging little penguins. | prey distribution, patch size, and the presence of conspecifics are important factors influencing a predator's feeding tactics, including the decision to feed individually or socially. little is known about group behaviour in seabirds as they spend most of their lives in the marine environment where it is difficult to observe their foraging activities. in this study, we report on at-sea foraging associations of little penguins (eudyptula minor) during the breeding season. individuals could be ca ... | 2014 | 25119718 |
| fine-scale spatial age segregation in the limited foraging area of an inshore seabird species, the little penguin. | competition for food resources can result in spatial and dietary segregation among individuals from the same species. few studies have looked at such segregations with the combined effect of sex and age in species with short foraging ranges. in this study we examined the 3d spatial use of the environment in a species with a limited foraging area. we equipped 26 little penguins (eudyptula minor) of known age, sex, and breeding output with gps (location) and accelerometer (body acceleration and di ... | 2014 | 25038901 |
| semivarying coefficient models for capture-recapture data: colony size estimation for the little penguin eudyptula minor. | to accommodate seasonal effects that change from year to year into models for the size of an open population we consider a time-varying coefficient model. we fit this model to a capture-recapture data set collected on the little penguin eudyptula minor in south-eastern australia over a 25 year period using jolly-seber type estimators and nonparametric p-spline techniques. the time-varying coefficient model identified strong changes in the seasonal pattern across the years which we further examin ... | 2014 | 24998623 |
| searching for the true diet of marine predators: incorporating bayesian priors into stable isotope mixing models. | reconstructing the diet of top marine predators is of great significance in several key areas of applied ecology, requiring accurate estimation of their true diet. however, from conventional stomach content analysis to recent stable isotope and dna analyses, no one method is bias or error free. here, we evaluated the accuracy of recent methods to estimate the actual proportion of a controlled diet fed to a top-predator seabird, the little penguin (eudyptula minor). we combined published dna data ... | 2014 | 24667296 |
| climate as a driver of phenological change in southern seabirds. | seabirds are one of the most threatened groups of birds globally and, overall, their conservation status is deteriorating rapidly. southern hemisphere countries are over-represented in the number of species of conservation concern yet long-term phenological data on seabirds in the southern hemisphere is limited. a better understanding of the implications of changes in the marine and terrestrial environments to seabird species is required in order to improve their management and conservation stat ... | 2014 | 23934162 |
| temporal fractals in seabird foraging behaviour: diving through the scales of time. | animal behaviour exhibits fractal structure in space and time. fractal properties in animal space-use have been explored extensively under the lévy flight foraging hypothesis, but studies of behaviour change itself through time are rarer, have typically used shorter sequences generated in the laboratory, and generally lack critical assessment of their results. we thus performed an in-depth analysis of fractal time in binary dive sequences collected via bio-logging from free-ranging little pengui ... | 2013 | 23703258 |
| the pathology and pathogenicity of a novel haemoproteus spp. infection in wild little penguins (eudyptula minor). | one hundred and thirty four little penguin (eudyptula minor) carcases found since 2004 in south west australia were necropsied. the livers and spleens from ten of the penguins exhibited varying degrees of multifocal, randomly scattered areas of necrosis and varying numbers of parasites were associated with these areas. hepatomegaly and splenomegaly were noted in many of these ten cases. necrosis and parasites were also observed in the cardiac muscle of four of the cases and in the lung tissue in ... | 2013 | 23683654 |
| can thermoclines be a cue to prey distribution for marine top predators? a case study with little penguins. | the use of top predators as bio-platforms is a modern approach to understanding how physical changes in the environment may influence their foraging success. this study examined if the presence of thermoclines could be a reliable signal of resource availability for a marine top predator, the little penguin (eudyptula minor). we studied weekly foraging activity of 43 breeding individual penguins equipped with accelerometers. these loggers also recorded water temperature, which we used to detect c ... | 2012 | 22536314 |
| plasticity in foraging strategies of inshore birds: how little penguins maintain body reserves while feeding offspring. | breeding animals face important time and energy constraints when caring for themselves and their offspring. for long-lived species, life-history theory predicts that parents should favor survival over current reproductive attempts, thus investing more into their own maintenance than the provisioning of their young. in seabirds, provisioning strategies may additionally be influenced by the distance between breeding sites and foraging areas, and offshore and inshore species should thus exhibit dif ... | 2011 | 22073782 |
| dna-based faecal dietary analysis: a comparison of qpcr and high throughput sequencing approaches. | the genetic analysis of faecal material represents a relatively non-invasive way to study animal diet and has been widely adopted in ecological research. due to the heterogeneous nature of faecal material the primary obstacle, common to all genetic approaches, is a means to dissect the constituent dna sequences. traditionally, bacterial cloning of pcr amplified products was employed; less common has been the use of species-specific quantitative pcr (qpcr) assays. currently, with the advent of hi ... | 2011 | 21998697 |
| colour-producing β-keratin nanofibres in blue penguin (eudyptula minor) feathers. | the colours of living organisms are produced by the differential absorption of light by pigments (e.g. carotenoids, melanins) and/or by the physical interactions of light with biological nanostructures, referred to as structural colours. only two fundamental morphologies of non-iridescent nanostructures are known in feathers, and recent work has proposed that they self-assemble by intracellular phase separation processes. here, we report a new biophotonic nanostructure in the non-iridescent blue ... | 2011 | 21307042 |
| does foraging performance change with age in female little penguins (eudyptula minor)? | age-related changes in breeding performance are likely to be mediated through changes in parental foraging performance. we investigated the relationship of foraging performance with age in female little penguins at phillip island, australia, during the guard phase of the 2005 breeding season. foraging parameters were recorded with accelerometers for birds grouped into three age-classes: (1) young, (2) middle age and (3) old females. we found the diving behaviour of middle-aged birds differed fro ... | 2011 | 21283573 |
| impact of small-scale environmental perturbations on local marine food resources: a case study of a predator, the little penguin. | although the impact of environmental changes on the demographic parameters of top predators is well established, the mechanisms by which populations are affected remain poorly understood. here, we show that a reduction in the thermal stratification of coastal water masses between 2005 and 2006 was associated with reduced foraging and breeding success of little penguins eudyptula minor, major bio-indicators of the bass strait ecosystem in southern australia. the foraging patterns of the penguins ... | 2009 | 19729454 |
| trace metal concentrations in the little penguin (eudyptula minor) from southern victoria, australia. | | 2007 | 17375253 |
| predicting rate of oxygen consumption from heart rate while little penguins work, rest and play. | the relationship between heart rate (f(h)) and rate of oxygen consumption (v(.)o2) was investigated under changing conditions of ambient temperature, digestive state and exercise state in the little penguin (eudyptula minor). both f(h) and v(.)o2 were recorded simultaneously from 12 little penguins while they each (a) rested and exercised within their reported thermo-neutral zone (tnz), (b) rested and exercised below their reported tnz and (c) digested a meal of sardines within their reported tn ... | 2008 | 16870483 |
| comparative nmr studies of diffusional water permeability of red blood cells from different species: xiv. little penguin, eudyptula minor. | as part of a programme of comparative measurements of diffusional water permeability (pd) the red blood cells (rbc) from little penguin (eudyptula minor) were studied. the cell dimensions were measured with light and electron microscopy, and by a newly described non-invasive technique, nmr q-space analysis. in view of its relative novelty for cell biologists, an overview of this technique is presented. the rbc revealed an ellipsoidal shape that is characteristic of avian rbc, with axis lengths ( ... | 2003 | 14585286 |
| ventilation and oxygen extraction in the little penguin (eudyptula minor), at different temperatures in air and water. | oxygen consumption, (vo2), carbon dioxide production (vco2) and ventilation were measured in little penguins (eudyptula minor) in air and water over a range of ambient temperatures. barometrically measured minimum ventilation was very low (112 +/- 23 ml.min-1 over the range 15-20 degrees c, n = 9), principally due to a lower than predicted respiratory frequency (f) (6.9 +/- 1.1 min-1). this low ventilation resulted in a very high oxygen extraction (eo2) and low air convection requirement (vi/vo2 ... | 1988 | 3375608 |
| comparison of barometric and pneumotachographic measurements of resting ventilation in the little penguin (eudyptula minor). | 1. we compared the use of the barometric method and pneumotachography for measurement of ventilation in the little penguin eudyptula minor. 2. simultaneous use of both techniques showed the barometric method to give a reliable estimate of tidal volume. 3. comparison of birds with and without masks for pneumotachography showed wearing masks to produce a significant increase in ventilation, principally through a raised respiratory frequency. | 1988 | 2896570 |
| haematology and metabolism of the blood of the little penguin, eudyptula minor. | 1. we studied the haematology of the little penguin, eudyptula minor, and measured red cell enzymes, and the rate of o2 and glucose consumption and co2 and lactate production of whole penguin blood. 2. little penguins have a very low rbc count (1.66 x 10(12) l-1) and very large red cells (mcv = 229 microns 3), resulting in a normal haemoglobin and haematocrit. 3. despite the lower body temperature of penguins, the rate of o2 consumption by whole blood is close to that predicted from studies on o ... | 1988 | 2896569 |
| cases of mortality in little penguins (eudyptula minor) in new zealand associated with avian malaria. | case history a little penguin (eudyptula minor) of wild origin, in captivity at wellington zoo, became inappetent and lethargic in march 2013. despite supportive care in the zoo's wildlife hospital, the bird died within 24 hours. clinical findings weight loss, dehydration, pale mucous membranes, weakness, increased respiratory effort and biliverdinuria were apparent on physical examination. microscopic evaluation of blood smears revealed intra-erythrocytic stages of plasmodium spp. and a regener ... | 2017 | 28738733 |
| departure time influences foraging associations in little penguins. | recent studies have documented that little penguins (eudyptula minor) associate at sea, displaying synchronised diving behaviour throughout a foraging trip. however, previous observations were limited to a single foraging trip where only a small number of individuals were simultaneously tracked. consequently, it is not known whether coordinated behaviour is consistent over time, or what factors influence it. in the present study, breeding adults were concurrently instrumented with gps and dive b ... | 2017 | 28832641 |
| occurrence of anisakis (nematoda: anisakidae) larvae in unusual hosts in southern hemisphere. | nematodes belonging to the genus anisakis are important parasites due to their abundance in seafood and health impacts on humans. in the present study anisakis larvae were found in a number of uncommon hosts including the grey petrel, procellaria cinerea, the little penguin, eudyptula minor, blue-lipped sea krait, laticauda laticaudata and spinner shark, carcharhinus brevipinna. morphological examination showed nematodes in these animals are anisakis larval type i. genetic characterisation sugge ... | 2017 | 28797592 |
| morphological and molecular characterization of two new species of andracantha (acanthocephala: polymorphidae) from new zealand shags (phalacrocoracidae) and penguins (spheniscidae) with a key to the species. | two new species of andracantha (polymorphidae) are described from the intestine of the shags leucocarbo chalconotus (gray) and phalacrocorax punctatus (sparrman), and the penguin eudyptula minor (forster) from southern south island, new zealand. andracantha leucocarboi n. sp. is distinguished from its congeners by having no genital or ventral trunk spines, but possessing a scattering of small spines between the anterior fields of spines. this is the first record of a species of andracantha from ... | 2017 | 29144212 |
| a pilot study for estimating the cardiopulmonary signals of diverse exotic animals using a digital camera. | monitoring the cardiopulmonary signal of animals is a challenge for veterinarians in conditions when contact with a conscious animal is inconvenient, difficult, damaging, distressing or dangerous to personnel or the animal subject. in this pilot study, we demonstrate a computer vision-based system and use examples of exotic, untamed species to demonstrate this means to extract the cardiopulmonary signal. subject animals included the following species: giant panda (ailuropoda melanoleuca), africa ... | 2019 | 31835550 |
| curious creatures: a multi-taxa investigation of responses to novelty in a zoo environment. | the personality trait of curiosity has been shown to increase welfare in humans. if this positive welfare effect is also true for non-humans, animals with high levels of curiosity may be able to cope better with stressful situations than their conspecifics. before discoveries can be made regarding the effect of curiosity on an animal's ability to cope in their environment, a way of measuring curiosity across species in different environments must be created to standardise testing. to determine t ... | 2018 | 29568703 |
| gastrointestinal helminths of little blue penguins, eudyptula novaehollandiae (stephens), from otago, new zealand. | data regarding helminth communities can provide insights into health, feeding interactions, behaviour and evolution of their host organisms. penguins (spheniscidae) are important components of marine food webs and tracking their helminth communities can be indicative of ecosystem health. new zealand is home to 5 of the world's 19 penguin species and little is known about their gastrointestinal helminths. here, we provide the first study on the gastrointestinal helminths of little blue penguins f ... | 2020 | 32919082 |
| galactosomum otepotiense n. sp. (trematoda: heterophyidae) infecting four different species of fish-eating birds in new zealand: genetically identical but morphologically variable. | trematodes of the genus galactosomum are cosmopolitan parasites that infect the intestines of fish-eating birds and mammals. adults of named galactosomum species have not been recorded from bird hosts in new zealand, despite their cercarial stage being known from various studies of the first intermediate host, zeacumantus subcarinatus. here we describe a new species of galactosomum infecting four different piscivorous birds in new zealand: caspian terns, red-billed and black-backed gulls and lit ... | 2019 | 31500672 |
| morphometric patterns in recent and fossil penguins (aves, sphenisciformes). | a total of 622 skin specimens, 527 skeletons, and myological data compiled by schreiweis (1972) were used to investigate morphometric patterns within and among the 18 recent species of spheniscidae, and to compare the family with a fighted species, the common diving-petrel (pelecanoides urinator), considered by some authorities to be similar to the flighted ancestor of penguins. fossil penguins also were studied using measurements from 111 skeletal elements representing 18 species. most external ... | 1989 | 32336888 |
| landscape genomics: natural selection drives the evolution of mitogenome in penguins. | mitochondria play a key role in the balance of energy and heat production, and therefore the mitochondrial genome is under natural selection by environmental temperature and food availability, since starvation can generate more efficient coupling of energy production. however, selection over mitochondrial dna (mtdna) genes has usually been evaluated at the population level. we sequenced by ngs 12 mitogenomes and with four published genomes, assessed genetic variation in ten penguin species distr ... | 2018 | 29338715 |
| erysipelothrix septicaemia and hepatitis in a colony of humboldt penguins (spheniscus humboldti). | this report describes an outbreak of erysipelas in a colony of captive humboldt penguins (spheniscus humboldti). the only previously reported case in a related species was of an individual little blue penguin (eudyptula minor). five humboldt penguins in a mixed colony displayed non-specific signs of illness, including lethargy, inappetence and regurgitation after movement for exhibit upgrading. there was no improvement after 5 days of treatment with oral enrofloxacin (10 mg/kg q24h). four humbol ... | 2019 | 31690415 |
| trophic niches of a seabird assemblage in bass strait, south-eastern australia. | the foraging niches of seabirds are driven by a variety of factors, including competition for prey that promotes divergence in trophic niches. bass strait, south-eastern australia, is a key region for seabirds, with little penguins eudyptula minor, short-tailed shearwaters ardenna tenuirostris, fairy prions pachyptila turtur and common diving-petrels pelecanoides urinatrix being particularly abundant in the region. the trophic niches of these species were investigated using isotopic values in wh ... | 2020 | 32201643 |
| subtle genetic clustering among south australian colonies of little penguins (eudyptula minor): a reply to colombelli-négrel et al. (2020). | | 2020 | 32918089 |
| a baseline for pops contamination in australian seabirds: little penguins vs. short-tailed shearwaters. | while globally distributed throughout the world's ecosystems, there is little baseline information on persistent organic pollutants (pops) in marine environments in australia and, more broadly, the southern hemisphere. to fill this knowledge gap, we collected baseline information on pops in migratory short-tailed shearwaters (ardenna tenuirostris) from fisher island, tasmania, and resident little penguins (eudyptula minor) from phillip island, victoria. levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs) ... | 2020 | 32738640 |
| oceanic thermal structure mediates dive sequences in a foraging seabird. | changes in marine ecosystems are easier to detect in upper-level predators, like seabirds, which integrate trophic interactions throughout the food web.here, we examined whether diving parameters and complexity in the temporal organization of diving behavior of little penguins (eudyptula minor) are influenced by sea surface temperature (sst), water stratification, and wind speed-three oceanographic features influencing prey abundance and distribution in the water column.using fractal time series ... | 2020 | 32724536 |
| effect of covering a visitor viewing area window on the behaviour of zoo-housed little penguins (eudyptula minor). | studies on the effects of visitors on zoo animals have shown mixed findings and as a result, the manner in which visitors affect zoo animals remains unclear for many species, including a rarely studied taxa such as penguins. penguins are a common zoo-housed species and have been shown to display huddling, vigilance and avoidance towards zoo visitors which can be indicative of fear. here, we examined the effects of covering one visitor viewing area window, out of four, on little penguin (eudyptul ... | 2020 | 32708420 |
| herpesvirus encephalitis in a little blue penguin (eudyptula minor). | an 11-day-old little blue penguin (eudyptula minor) died unexpectedly. prior to hatching, the egg experienced trauma and resultant defects were repaired. the chick hatched without complication and was clinically normal prior to death. necropsy revealed congested lungs. histologic examination showed moderate nonsuppurative encephalitis with focally extensive neuronal necrosis and intranuclear inclusions in neurons within necrotic foci. herpesvirus dna was detected in brain tissue with a generic h ... | 2020 | 32436778 |
| the effect of regulating zoo visitor-penguin interactions on zoo visitor attitudes. | understanding visitor attitudes toward zoo animals can inform the way zoos manage visitor-animal interactions by identifying the factors that may influence visitors and the way visitors interact with animals. consequently, we investigated the relationship between visitor attitudes and penguin behavior and the effects of regulating visitor-penguin interactions on visitor attitudes and experience. visitor attitudes toward little penguins (eudyptula minor), their welfare, enclosure, visitor effects ... | 2019 | 31749728 |
| post-release breeding success of oil-rehabilitated and non-rehabilitated little blue penguins, eudyptula minor, following the m/v rena oil spill, new zealand. | during the 2011 m/v rena oil spill in tauranga, new zealand, 383 little blue penguins (lbp, eudyptula minor) were oiled, rescued and rehabilitated, with 90.6% surviving to be released back to the wild. we monitored the post-release breeding success of rehabilitated lbps to assess the effectiveness of the rehabilitation process. breeding success was monitored during the first breeding season post-release (2012-13) to assess productivity for both rehabilitated and control penguins (breeding pairs ... | 2019 | 31543491 |
| micro-computed tomography orbital anatomy of the little blue or fairy penguin, eudyptula minor. | | 2020 | 31487107 |
| survival rates of oil-rehabilitated and non-rehabilitated little penguins after the c/v rena oil spill, new zealand. | we monitored the post-release survival of little penguins (eudyptula minor) rehabilitated after the 2011 c/v rena oil spill in new zealand to assess the effectiveness of the rehabilitation process. surveys were conducted over a 23-month period after the spill to assess whether survival differed between rehabilitated and control penguins. survival probabilities from mark-recapture analyses were lower for both oiled and control penguins in the first six months of the study (monthly probability 0.9 ... | 2019 | 31426162 |
| diagnosis and management of mycobacteriosis in a colony of little penguins (eudyptula minor). | a group of zoo-housed little penguins (eudyptula minor) was diagnosed with mycobacteriosis. while undergoing multidetector computed tomography (mdct) imaging for an unrelated research project, pulmonary lesions were detected in multiple individuals. in general, birds appeared healthy and free of outward signs of disease. after the loss of three individuals, polyclonal mycobacterial disease due to mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex was confirmed. surviving birds were treated with rifampin ... | 2019 | 31260210 |
| standing computed tomography in nonanesthetized little penguins (eudyptula minor) to assess respiratory system anatomy and monitor disease. | multidetector computed tomography (mdct) scans were performed in clinically healthy, nonanesthetized, standing little penguins (eudyptula minor) to determine reference ranges for air-sac and lung volumes, as well as lung density. five of 15 clinically healthy birds were diagnosed with pulmonary granulomas on initial mdct scans. granulomas were not readily apparent on radiographs, even in cases where the entire normal pulmonary parenchymal architecture was effaced on the mdct scan. serial mdct sc ... | 2019 | 31260206 |
| effects of regulating visitor viewing proximity and the intensity of visitor behaviour on little penguin (eudyptula minor) behaviour and welfare. | we examined the effects of regulating the viewing proximity of visitors and the intensity of visitor behaviour on behaviours indicative of fear and stress physiology of 15 zoo-housed little penguins (eudyptula minor). a 2 × 2 factorial fully randomised design was used to examine the effects of regulating: 1) the viewing proximity of visitors to enclosure, 'normal viewing distance' and 'increased viewing distance' (using a physical barrier set up 2 m away from the enclosure), and 2) the intensity ... | 2019 | 31142003 |
| using a recreational grade echosounder to quantify the potential prey field of coastal predators. | quantifying the distribution of prey greatly improves models of habitat use by marine predators and can assist in determining threats to both predators and prey. small epipelagic fishes are important prey for many predators yet their distribution is difficult to quantify due to extreme patchiness. this study explores the use of recreational grade echosounders (rge) to quantify school characteristics of epipelagic fish and link their distribution to that of their predators at banks peninsula, new ... | 2019 | 31116761 |
| using radio frequency identification for behavioral monitoring in little blue penguins. | a common goal of captive animal institutions is to create environments that allow for the most naturalistic behavior from their animals. behavioral data is often used as a measure of how an animal is thriving in its current environment. obtaining this data can be very difficult and time-consuming. new technological advances, such as radio frequency identification (rfid) technology, may allow for data collection to be automated. rfid tags placed on the wingband of 16 little blue penguins housed a ... | 2020 | 30724589 |
| recent prey capture experience and dynamic habitat quality mediate short-term foraging site fidelity in a seabird. | foraging site fidelity allows animals to increase their efficiency by returning to profitable feeding areas. however, the mechanisms underpinning why animals 'stay' or 'switch' sites have rarely been investigated. here, we explore how habitat quality and prior prey capture experience influence short-term site fidelity by the little penguin (eudyptula minor). using 88 consecutive foraging trips by 20 brooding penguins, we found that site fidelity was higher after foraging trips where environmenta ... | 2018 | 30051866 |