Carly Starr | The University of Queensland, Australia (original) (raw)
Papers by Carly Starr
Australian Zoologist
We present the results of field surveys and a radio-tracking study of the Greater glider Petauroi... more We present the results of field surveys and a radio-tracking study of the Greater glider Petauroides volans minor in the Bluff State Forest, North Queensland. Twenty-three spotlighting transects were surveyed twice in July 2018, mean abundance of P. v. minor was 0.24 ha-1 in wet sclerophyll and 0.38 ha-1 in dry sclerophyll forest. Field observations (n= 330) were collected from nine radio-collared animals across three field sites from July to October 2019. 95% kernel home range estimates varied, ranging from 1.03 – 11.45 ha. Observations of denning (n=66) across 22 den trees identified that the gliders utilised between 1 and 4 dens during the study. Den trees were predominantly large Blue gum Eucalyptus tereticornis, with Gum-topped box Eucalyptus moluccana, Narrow-leafed ironbark Eucalyptus drepanophylla, Tindale’s stringybark Eucalyptus tindaliae and unidentifiable tree stags were used to lesser extent in one field site. Mean availability of suitable den trees was 2.07±1.12 per ha...
<p>The standard error of the logit values were used to construct 95% confidence intervals i... more <p>The standard error of the logit values were used to construct 95% confidence intervals indicated by the error bar. Means are adjusted for other fixed effects.</p
Folia Primatologica, 2011
Folia Primatologica, 2011
Folia Primatol 2011;82:321–402 DOI: 10.1159/000337909 4th Congress of the European Federation for... more Folia Primatol 2011;82:321–402 DOI: 10.1159/000337909 4th Congress of the European Federation for Primatology 3rd Iberian Primatological Congress Almada, Portugal, September 14–17, 2011 Editors: Catarina Casanova, Cláudia Sousa, Lisboa, Portugal; Fernando Peláez,
American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 2013
<p>Interaction between moonlight and temperature on activity of the pygmy loris as predicte... more <p>Interaction between moonlight and temperature on activity of the pygmy loris as predicted by the model.</p
Evolution, Ecology and Conservation of Lorises and Pottos, 2020
American Journal of Primatology, 2010
Illegal and unsustainable trade in wildlife is a major conservation challenge. For Asian primates... more Illegal and unsustainable trade in wildlife is a major conservation challenge. For Asian primates, economic and cultural traditions, and increased forest access mean that trade may have become detrimental for certain species. Slow and slender lorises (Nycticebus and Loris) are primates particularly prevalent in trade, determined until now by focused counts of lorises in regional markets. Here, we use international trade statistics and a participant-observer approach to assess culturally specific drivers for trade in lorises in South and Southeast Asia, to provide a broader context to help mitigate this practice. Analysis of international records for the last 30 years revealed that live animal trade was more prevalent than trade in body parts (slow lorises, 86.4%; slender lorises, 91.4%), with Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand the largest exporters. We then examine drivers of international and domestic trade based on long-term data from 1994-2009 in Sri Lanka, Cambodia, and Indonesia. We show that slender lorises are important in Sri Lankan folklore, but their use as pets and for traditional medicine is rare. Trade in Bengal slow and pygmy lorises in Cambodia for use in traditional medicines, a practice with deeply historical roots, is widespread. Despite its own set of myths about the magical and curative properties of lorises, trade in Javan, Bornean, and greater slow lorises in Indonesia is largely for pets. Conservation practices in Asia are often generalized and linked with the region's major religions and economies. We show here that, in the case of wildlife trade, culturally specific patterns are evident among different ethnic groups, even within a country. Revealing such patterns is the foundation for developing conservation management plans for each species. We suggest some participatory methods for each country that may aid in this process. Am.
Endangered Species Research, 2010
Wildlife survey methods have been well developed for large and/or charismatic species in Indochin... more Wildlife survey methods have been well developed for large and/or charismatic species in Indochina, but not for many smaller mammals. This study aimed to evaluate three methods for sampling the relative abundance of the pygmy loris Nycticebus pygmaeus, which is threatened by overexploitation and habitat destruction. The study was conducted using two transects in a semi-evergreen forest in the Seima Protection Forest, Cambodia, from 2–20 May and 3–14 December 2007. (1) Wire cage traps were set >1.5 m high in trees, but caught only one rodent Niviventer spp. during 650 trapnights. (2) Track plates with bait were placed in trees and recorded at least �� ve medium-sized mammals: common palm civet Paradoxurus hermaphroditus, yellow-throated marten Martes �� avigula, giant squirrel (Ratufa and/or Petaurista spp.),
Endangered Species Research, 2015
BACKGROUND Catastrophic forest decline coupled with a rampant illegal wildlife trade poses a seri... more BACKGROUND Catastrophic forest decline coupled with a rampant illegal wildlife trade poses a serious threat to biodiversity in most Southeast Asian countries (Sodhi et al. 2010). The impact of these factors on mammalian groups has been stated broadly, but also studied for many taxa at a more specific level, especially for charismatic ones such as elephants (Wittemyer et al. 2014), tigers (Nijman & Shepherd 2015) and orangutans (Cattau et al. 2014). To conserve such animals, many conservation organisations have attempted to give these threats to biodiversity loss a 'face' that can be associated with it-such as golden lion tamarins for forest fragmentation, elephants for hu man wildlife conflict, or orang-utans for forest loss due to palm oil plantations (Dietz et al. 1994, Leader-Williams et al. 2000, Bandara & Tisdell 2005). The slow lorises Nycticebus spp. are another heavily threatened group of Asian mammals. Forest loss plays a role in the decline of these nocturnal primates, yet it is illegal trade that is rapidly devastating their numbers throughout their range (Shepherd et al. 2005, Starr et al. 2010a), and some organisations
American journal of physical anthropology, 2018
Synthesize information on sleep patterns, sleep site use, and daytime predation at sleep sites in... more Synthesize information on sleep patterns, sleep site use, and daytime predation at sleep sites in lorisiforms of Asia and Africa (10 genera, 36 species), and infer patterns of evolution of sleep site selection. We conducted fieldwork in 12 African and six Asian countries, collecting data on sleep sites, timing of sleep and predation during daytime. We obtained additional information from literature and through correspondence. Using a phylogenetic approach, we established ancestral states of sleep site selection in lorisiforms and traced their evolution. The ancestral lorisiform was a fur-clinger and used dense tangles and branches/forks as sleep sites. Use of tree holes and nests as sleep sites emerged ∼22 Mya (range 17-26 Mya) in Africa, and use of bamboo emerged ∼11 (7-14) Mya in Asia and later in Africa. Fur clinging and some sleep sites (e.g., tree holes, nests, but not bamboo or dense tangles) show strong phylogenetic signal. Nests are used by Galagoides, Paragalago, Galago and...
American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 2013
American Journal of Primatology, 2013
Few primate species are known to excavate plant sources to procure exudates and other foods via a... more Few primate species are known to excavate plant sources to procure exudates and other foods via active gouging. It is now apparent that slow lorises belong to this rare guild of obligate exudativorous primates. We investigate the diet of the pygmy loris (Nycticebus pygmaeus) in a mixed deciduous forest in the Seima Protection Forest, Eastern Cambodia, and attempted to determine the importance of this resource in their diet. Feeding behaviors of six females and seven males were observed using radiotracking to facilitate follows, and nine fecal samples were collected in February-May and January-March in 2008 and 2009 respectively. We observed 168 feeding bouts, during which the animals ate exudates (76); fruits (33); arthropods ; flower parts ; fungi ; parts of bamboo culms ; and reptiles (1). We filmed 19 bouts of exudativory, and observed animals consuming exudates in an orthograde posture, or standing quadrupedally over the exudate source. Pygmy lorises also gouged bamboo to collect lichen and fungi, or broke open dead culms to access invertebrates. Feeding occurred on terminal tree branches (24), tree trunks , bamboo (13), the middle of branches , and the undergrowth (1). The fecal samples contained plant parts, small-sized arthropods (primarily Coleoptera and Lepidoptera), reptile scales, animal bones, and animal hairs. Pygmy slow lorises are morphologically specialized for processing and digesting exudates, displaying small body sizes, specialized dentitions, elongated, and narrow tongues, large caecums, short duodenums, expanded volar pads, and modified hindlimbs. These features, combined with the prevalence of exudates in their diet across seasons, and ill health when exudates are missing from their diet in captivity, points to this species being an obligate exudativore. Am. J. Primatol. 9999:1-8, 2013.
3 rd International …, Jan 1, 2006
Page 96. -96-RICEFIELD RODENTS PREFER RICE: SELECTING BAIT BASE TO INCREASE ZINC PHOSPHIDE AND WA... more Page 96. -96-RICEFIELD RODENTS PREFER RICE: SELECTING BAIT BASE TO INCREASE ZINC PHOSPHIDE AND WARFARIN RODENTICIDE BAIT UPTAKE Luke K.-P. Leung1, Sopheap Seth2, Carly R. Starr1, Sotheary ...
In Cambodia, the sale of large numbers of dried pygmy slow loris (Nycticebus pygmaeus) carcasses ... more In Cambodia, the sale of large numbers of dried pygmy slow loris (Nycticebus pygmaeus) carcasses has been frequently reported since the 1990s, and recent large-scale deforestation has occurred within its distributional range. It is listed as Vulnerable in the ...
PloS one, Jan 1, 2012
The effect of moonlight and temperature on activity of slow lorises was previously little known a... more The effect of moonlight and temperature on activity of slow lorises was previously little known and this knowledge might be useful for understanding many aspects of their behavioural ecology, and developing strategies to monitor and protect populations. In this study we aimed to determine if the activity of the pygmy loris (Nycticebus pygmaeus) is affected by ambient temperature and/or moonlight in a mixed deciduous forest. We radio-collared five females and five males in the Seima Protection Forest, Cambodia, and recorded their behaviour at 5 minutes intervals, totalling 2736 observations. We classified each observation as either inactive (sleeping or alert) or active behaviour (travel, feeding, grooming, or others). Moon luminosity (bright/dark) and ambient temperature were recorded for each observation. The response variable, activity, was binary (active or inactive), and a logit link function was used. Ambient temperature alone did not significantly affect mean activity. Although mean activity was significantly affected by moonlight, the interaction between moonlight and temperature was also significant: on bright nights, studied animals were increasingly more active with higher temperature; and on dark nights they were consistently active regardless of temperature. The most plausible explanation is that on bright cold nights the combined risk of being seen and attacked by predators and heat loss outweigh the benefit of active behaviours.
Australian Zoologist
We present the results of field surveys and a radio-tracking study of the Greater glider Petauroi... more We present the results of field surveys and a radio-tracking study of the Greater glider Petauroides volans minor in the Bluff State Forest, North Queensland. Twenty-three spotlighting transects were surveyed twice in July 2018, mean abundance of P. v. minor was 0.24 ha-1 in wet sclerophyll and 0.38 ha-1 in dry sclerophyll forest. Field observations (n= 330) were collected from nine radio-collared animals across three field sites from July to October 2019. 95% kernel home range estimates varied, ranging from 1.03 – 11.45 ha. Observations of denning (n=66) across 22 den trees identified that the gliders utilised between 1 and 4 dens during the study. Den trees were predominantly large Blue gum Eucalyptus tereticornis, with Gum-topped box Eucalyptus moluccana, Narrow-leafed ironbark Eucalyptus drepanophylla, Tindale’s stringybark Eucalyptus tindaliae and unidentifiable tree stags were used to lesser extent in one field site. Mean availability of suitable den trees was 2.07±1.12 per ha...
<p>The standard error of the logit values were used to construct 95% confidence intervals i... more <p>The standard error of the logit values were used to construct 95% confidence intervals indicated by the error bar. Means are adjusted for other fixed effects.</p
Folia Primatologica, 2011
Folia Primatologica, 2011
Folia Primatol 2011;82:321–402 DOI: 10.1159/000337909 4th Congress of the European Federation for... more Folia Primatol 2011;82:321–402 DOI: 10.1159/000337909 4th Congress of the European Federation for Primatology 3rd Iberian Primatological Congress Almada, Portugal, September 14–17, 2011 Editors: Catarina Casanova, Cláudia Sousa, Lisboa, Portugal; Fernando Peláez,
American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 2013
<p>Interaction between moonlight and temperature on activity of the pygmy loris as predicte... more <p>Interaction between moonlight and temperature on activity of the pygmy loris as predicted by the model.</p
Evolution, Ecology and Conservation of Lorises and Pottos, 2020
American Journal of Primatology, 2010
Illegal and unsustainable trade in wildlife is a major conservation challenge. For Asian primates... more Illegal and unsustainable trade in wildlife is a major conservation challenge. For Asian primates, economic and cultural traditions, and increased forest access mean that trade may have become detrimental for certain species. Slow and slender lorises (Nycticebus and Loris) are primates particularly prevalent in trade, determined until now by focused counts of lorises in regional markets. Here, we use international trade statistics and a participant-observer approach to assess culturally specific drivers for trade in lorises in South and Southeast Asia, to provide a broader context to help mitigate this practice. Analysis of international records for the last 30 years revealed that live animal trade was more prevalent than trade in body parts (slow lorises, 86.4%; slender lorises, 91.4%), with Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand the largest exporters. We then examine drivers of international and domestic trade based on long-term data from 1994-2009 in Sri Lanka, Cambodia, and Indonesia. We show that slender lorises are important in Sri Lankan folklore, but their use as pets and for traditional medicine is rare. Trade in Bengal slow and pygmy lorises in Cambodia for use in traditional medicines, a practice with deeply historical roots, is widespread. Despite its own set of myths about the magical and curative properties of lorises, trade in Javan, Bornean, and greater slow lorises in Indonesia is largely for pets. Conservation practices in Asia are often generalized and linked with the region's major religions and economies. We show here that, in the case of wildlife trade, culturally specific patterns are evident among different ethnic groups, even within a country. Revealing such patterns is the foundation for developing conservation management plans for each species. We suggest some participatory methods for each country that may aid in this process. Am.
Endangered Species Research, 2010
Wildlife survey methods have been well developed for large and/or charismatic species in Indochin... more Wildlife survey methods have been well developed for large and/or charismatic species in Indochina, but not for many smaller mammals. This study aimed to evaluate three methods for sampling the relative abundance of the pygmy loris Nycticebus pygmaeus, which is threatened by overexploitation and habitat destruction. The study was conducted using two transects in a semi-evergreen forest in the Seima Protection Forest, Cambodia, from 2–20 May and 3–14 December 2007. (1) Wire cage traps were set >1.5 m high in trees, but caught only one rodent Niviventer spp. during 650 trapnights. (2) Track plates with bait were placed in trees and recorded at least �� ve medium-sized mammals: common palm civet Paradoxurus hermaphroditus, yellow-throated marten Martes �� avigula, giant squirrel (Ratufa and/or Petaurista spp.),
Endangered Species Research, 2015
BACKGROUND Catastrophic forest decline coupled with a rampant illegal wildlife trade poses a seri... more BACKGROUND Catastrophic forest decline coupled with a rampant illegal wildlife trade poses a serious threat to biodiversity in most Southeast Asian countries (Sodhi et al. 2010). The impact of these factors on mammalian groups has been stated broadly, but also studied for many taxa at a more specific level, especially for charismatic ones such as elephants (Wittemyer et al. 2014), tigers (Nijman & Shepherd 2015) and orangutans (Cattau et al. 2014). To conserve such animals, many conservation organisations have attempted to give these threats to biodiversity loss a 'face' that can be associated with it-such as golden lion tamarins for forest fragmentation, elephants for hu man wildlife conflict, or orang-utans for forest loss due to palm oil plantations (Dietz et al. 1994, Leader-Williams et al. 2000, Bandara & Tisdell 2005). The slow lorises Nycticebus spp. are another heavily threatened group of Asian mammals. Forest loss plays a role in the decline of these nocturnal primates, yet it is illegal trade that is rapidly devastating their numbers throughout their range (Shepherd et al. 2005, Starr et al. 2010a), and some organisations
American journal of physical anthropology, 2018
Synthesize information on sleep patterns, sleep site use, and daytime predation at sleep sites in... more Synthesize information on sleep patterns, sleep site use, and daytime predation at sleep sites in lorisiforms of Asia and Africa (10 genera, 36 species), and infer patterns of evolution of sleep site selection. We conducted fieldwork in 12 African and six Asian countries, collecting data on sleep sites, timing of sleep and predation during daytime. We obtained additional information from literature and through correspondence. Using a phylogenetic approach, we established ancestral states of sleep site selection in lorisiforms and traced their evolution. The ancestral lorisiform was a fur-clinger and used dense tangles and branches/forks as sleep sites. Use of tree holes and nests as sleep sites emerged ∼22 Mya (range 17-26 Mya) in Africa, and use of bamboo emerged ∼11 (7-14) Mya in Asia and later in Africa. Fur clinging and some sleep sites (e.g., tree holes, nests, but not bamboo or dense tangles) show strong phylogenetic signal. Nests are used by Galagoides, Paragalago, Galago and...
American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 2013
American Journal of Primatology, 2013
Few primate species are known to excavate plant sources to procure exudates and other foods via a... more Few primate species are known to excavate plant sources to procure exudates and other foods via active gouging. It is now apparent that slow lorises belong to this rare guild of obligate exudativorous primates. We investigate the diet of the pygmy loris (Nycticebus pygmaeus) in a mixed deciduous forest in the Seima Protection Forest, Eastern Cambodia, and attempted to determine the importance of this resource in their diet. Feeding behaviors of six females and seven males were observed using radiotracking to facilitate follows, and nine fecal samples were collected in February-May and January-March in 2008 and 2009 respectively. We observed 168 feeding bouts, during which the animals ate exudates (76); fruits (33); arthropods ; flower parts ; fungi ; parts of bamboo culms ; and reptiles (1). We filmed 19 bouts of exudativory, and observed animals consuming exudates in an orthograde posture, or standing quadrupedally over the exudate source. Pygmy lorises also gouged bamboo to collect lichen and fungi, or broke open dead culms to access invertebrates. Feeding occurred on terminal tree branches (24), tree trunks , bamboo (13), the middle of branches , and the undergrowth (1). The fecal samples contained plant parts, small-sized arthropods (primarily Coleoptera and Lepidoptera), reptile scales, animal bones, and animal hairs. Pygmy slow lorises are morphologically specialized for processing and digesting exudates, displaying small body sizes, specialized dentitions, elongated, and narrow tongues, large caecums, short duodenums, expanded volar pads, and modified hindlimbs. These features, combined with the prevalence of exudates in their diet across seasons, and ill health when exudates are missing from their diet in captivity, points to this species being an obligate exudativore. Am. J. Primatol. 9999:1-8, 2013.
3 rd International …, Jan 1, 2006
Page 96. -96-RICEFIELD RODENTS PREFER RICE: SELECTING BAIT BASE TO INCREASE ZINC PHOSPHIDE AND WA... more Page 96. -96-RICEFIELD RODENTS PREFER RICE: SELECTING BAIT BASE TO INCREASE ZINC PHOSPHIDE AND WARFARIN RODENTICIDE BAIT UPTAKE Luke K.-P. Leung1, Sopheap Seth2, Carly R. Starr1, Sotheary ...
In Cambodia, the sale of large numbers of dried pygmy slow loris (Nycticebus pygmaeus) carcasses ... more In Cambodia, the sale of large numbers of dried pygmy slow loris (Nycticebus pygmaeus) carcasses has been frequently reported since the 1990s, and recent large-scale deforestation has occurred within its distributional range. It is listed as Vulnerable in the ...
PloS one, Jan 1, 2012
The effect of moonlight and temperature on activity of slow lorises was previously little known a... more The effect of moonlight and temperature on activity of slow lorises was previously little known and this knowledge might be useful for understanding many aspects of their behavioural ecology, and developing strategies to monitor and protect populations. In this study we aimed to determine if the activity of the pygmy loris (Nycticebus pygmaeus) is affected by ambient temperature and/or moonlight in a mixed deciduous forest. We radio-collared five females and five males in the Seima Protection Forest, Cambodia, and recorded their behaviour at 5 minutes intervals, totalling 2736 observations. We classified each observation as either inactive (sleeping or alert) or active behaviour (travel, feeding, grooming, or others). Moon luminosity (bright/dark) and ambient temperature were recorded for each observation. The response variable, activity, was binary (active or inactive), and a logit link function was used. Ambient temperature alone did not significantly affect mean activity. Although mean activity was significantly affected by moonlight, the interaction between moonlight and temperature was also significant: on bright nights, studied animals were increasingly more active with higher temperature; and on dark nights they were consistently active regardless of temperature. The most plausible explanation is that on bright cold nights the combined risk of being seen and attacked by predators and heat loss outweigh the benefit of active behaviours.