THE FERAL CAT POPULATION AT MARION ISLAND CHARACERTISICS, COLONIZATION AND CONTROL BY

• Main Authors: R. J. Van Aarde, J. D. Skinner
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Marion Island
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.490.2539; http://www.ceru.up.ac.za/downloads/The_feral_cat_population.pdf

Vne colonisation reussie ne depend pas seulement des caracteristiques de l'ecosysteme envahi mais aussi des caracteristiques du «colonisateur » et de ses reactions envers son nouvel environnement. Cet article decrit et quantifie quelques-unes des caracteristiques de la population de Chats de l'Ile Marion qiu paraissent jouer un grand role dans leur installation et dans la colonisation reussie de cette ile. En faisant ainsi l'histoire de la population, sa constitution gen6tique, son mode de reproduction, ses caracteres demographiques et sa sensibilite aux agressions sont discutees. Quelques allusions sont aussi faites 11 propos du controle de la population, en particulier sur l'effet du virus Feline panleocopaenia sur les estimations de densite. Sucessful colonization depends not only on the characteristics of the ecosystem to be invaded, but also on the characteristics of the «invader » and its reactions towards its new environment. This paper describes and quantifies some of the characteristics of the Marion Island cat population thought to be of importance in the establishment of cats and the successful colonization of the Island. In doing so the history of the population, its genetic constitution, pattern of reproduction, demographic characteristics and susceptibility to stress is discussed. Some reference is also made to the control of the population with emphasis on the effect of feline panleocopaenia on density estimates.