Beyond morbidity and mortality in reintroduction programmes: changing health parameters in reintroduced eastern bettongs Bettongia gaimardi

摘要: The eastern bettong Bettongia gaimardi, a potoroid marsupial, has been extinct on the Australian mainland since 1920s. Sixty adult bettongs were reintroduced from island of Tasmania to two predator-free fenced reserves Australia. We examined baseline health parameters (body weight, haematology and biochemistry, parasites infectious disease exposure) in subset 30 (13 male, 17 female) individuals at translocation again 12–24 months post-reintroduction. mean body weight increased significantly post-reintroduction but there no significant differences between reintroduction sites or sexes response reintroduction. Differences evident multiple haematological biochemical variables few populations Ectoparasite assemblages differed, with five 13 species failing persist, an additional four identified None had detectable antibodies alphaherpesviruses Macropodid herpesvirus 1 2 post-reintroduction, including one individual that was seropositive translocation. Similarly, novel gammaherpesvirus not detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) any PCR-positive Toxoplasma gondii either Our data demonstrate changing following are suggestive improved populations, provide metrics for assessing macropodoids