The Behaviour of Feral Pigs in North-West New South Wales and its Implications for the Epidemiology of Foot and Mouth Disease

Abstract

A population of feral pigs was monitored by radio-telemetry at at Nocoleche Nature Reserve, in the semi-arid rangelands of north-west New South Wales, Australia to see how high temperature and spatio-temporal variability in food supply influenced habitat utilisation, home-range size, hourly distance moved and adult body weight. Radio-telemetry data was collected during seven intensive tracking sessions between November 1991 and July 1993. This period covered a period of drought and subsequent good seasons following heavy rains in late 1992. Food supply was indexed by estimating pasture biomass in four distinct habitats. These habitats were shrubland, riverine woodland, woodland and ephemeral swamp. Shelter from high temperatures was indexed by the amount of cover estimated from Daubenmire Cover Scale estimates for each habitat. Riverine woodland had the most cover ephemeral swamps the least cover and shrubland and woodland intermediate cover. Habitat utilisation was significantly influenced by pasture biomass in the shrubland and high temperature. Use of shrubland increased with increasing pasture biomass in shrubland and decreasing temperature. Use of riverine woodland increased with decreasing pasture biomass in woodland and increasing temperature. Use of woodland increased with decreasing pasture biomass in shrubland. Use of ephemeral swamps increased with decreasing temperature. Habitat utilisation by feral pigs therefore responds to changes in pasture biomass in shrubland while also responding to temperature with habitats with more cover used more during hot weather.