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<title>UTas ePrints - Feeding ecology of the Tasmanian spotted skink, Niveoscincus ocellatus (Squamata: Scincidae)</title>
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<meta content="Wapstra, Erik" name="eprints.creators_name" />
<meta content="Swain, Roy" name="eprints.creators_name" />
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<meta content="Roy.Swain@utas.edu.au" name="eprints.creators_id" />
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<meta content="Feeding ecology of the Tasmanian spotted skink, Niveoscincus ocellatus (Squamata: Scincidae)" name="eprints.title" />
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<meta content="foraging behavior; activity patterns; food selection; seasonal variations; Niveoscincus ocellatus; Australia, Tasmania " name="eprints.keywords" />
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<meta content="The feeding ecology of the spotted skink, Niveoscincus ocellatus, was examined over a 6-month period,
from October to March, with additional data from one sample in midwinter. The investigation considered
feeding activity, dietary composition and foraging strategy. Feeding activity, measured by stomach fullness,
was unrelated to age, sex or reproductive status and showed little variation during the warmer months; in
winter feeding was greatly reduced. N. ocellatus exhibits flexible foraging behaviour; a wide variety of
terrestrial arthropods is taken opportunistically in accordance with a wide ranging foraging strategy.
However, the consistent occurrence of cryptic and hidden prey indicates that active search foraging is also
utilised. No evidence for ambush predation was found and, unlike many other small skinks, few arboreal or
aerial prey are included in the diet, even though the habitat is rock scree and woodland where such prey
abound. No evidence for any intraspecific partitioning of diet based on kind or size of prey was obtained
although a slight, but significant, correlation exists between maximum prey size and lizard size.
" name="eprints.abstract" />
<meta content="1996" name="eprints.date" />
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<meta content="Australian Journal of Zoology" name="eprints.publication" />
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<meta content="205-213" name="eprints.pagerange" />
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<meta content="Anderson, R. A., and Karasov, W. H. (1988). Energetics of the lizard Cnemidophorus tigris, and life-
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USA." name="eprints.referencetext" />
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<meta content="The feeding ecology of the spotted skink, Niveoscincus ocellatus, was examined over a 6-month period,
from October to March, with additional data from one sample in midwinter. The investigation considered
feeding activity, dietary composition and foraging strategy. Feeding activity, measured by stomach fullness,
was unrelated to age, sex or reproductive status and showed little variation during the warmer months; in
winter feeding was greatly reduced. N. ocellatus exhibits flexible foraging behaviour; a wide variety of
terrestrial arthropods is taken opportunistically in accordance with a wide ranging foraging strategy.
However, the consistent occurrence of cryptic and hidden prey indicates that active search foraging is also
utilised. No evidence for ambush predation was found and, unlike many other small skinks, few arboreal or
aerial prey are included in the diet, even though the habitat is rock scree and woodland where such prey
abound. No evidence for any intraspecific partitioning of diet based on kind or size of prey was obtained
although a slight, but significant, correlation exists between maximum prey size and lizard size.
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<h1 class="ep_tm_pagetitle">Feeding ecology of the Tasmanian spotted skink, Niveoscincus ocellatus (Squamata: Scincidae)</h1>
<p style="margin-bottom: 1em" class="not_ep_block"><span class="person_name">Wapstra, Erik</span> and <span class="person_name">Swain, Roy</span> (1996) <xhtml:em>Feeding ecology of the Tasmanian spotted skink, Niveoscincus ocellatus (Squamata: Scincidae).</xhtml:em> Australian Journal of Zoology, 44 (2). pp. 205-213.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 1em" class="not_ep_block"></p><table style="margin-bottom: 1em" class="not_ep_block"><tr><td valign="top" style="text-align:center"><a href="http://eprints.utas.edu.au/2203/1/feeding_ecology.pdf"><img alt="[img]" src="http://eprints.utas.edu.au/style/images/fileicons/application_pdf.png" class="ep_doc_icon" border="0" /></a></td><td valign="top"><a href="http://eprints.utas.edu.au/2203/1/feeding_ecology.pdf"><span class="ep_document_citation">PDF</span></a> - Full text restricted - Requires a PDF viewer<br />522Kb</td><td><form method="get" accept-charset="utf-8" action="http://eprints.utas.edu.au/cgi/request_doc"><input accept-charset="utf-8" value="2748" name="docid" type="hidden" /><div class=""><input value="Request a copy" name="_action_null" class="ep_form_action_button" onclick="return EPJS_button_pushed( '_action_null' )" type="submit" /> </div></form></td></tr></table><p style="margin-bottom: 1em" class="not_ep_block">Official URL: <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ZO9960205">http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ZO9960205</a></p><div class="not_ep_block"><h2>Abstract</h2><p style="padding-bottom: 16px; text-align: left; margin: 1em auto 0em auto">The feeding ecology of the spotted skink, Niveoscincus ocellatus, was examined over a 6-month period,
from October to March, with additional data from one sample in midwinter. The investigation considered
feeding activity, dietary composition and foraging strategy. Feeding activity, measured by stomach fullness,
was unrelated to age, sex or reproductive status and showed little variation during the warmer months; in
winter feeding was greatly reduced. N. ocellatus exhibits flexible foraging behaviour; a wide variety of
terrestrial arthropods is taken opportunistically in accordance with a wide ranging foraging strategy.
However, the consistent occurrence of cryptic and hidden prey indicates that active search foraging is also
utilised. No evidence for ambush predation was found and, unlike many other small skinks, few arboreal or
aerial prey are included in the diet, even though the habitat is rock scree and woodland where such prey
abound. No evidence for any intraspecific partitioning of diet based on kind or size of prey was obtained
although a slight, but significant, correlation exists between maximum prey size and lizard size.
</p></div><table style="margin-bottom: 1em" cellpadding="3" class="not_ep_block" border="0"><tr><th valign="top" class="ep_row">Item Type:</th><td valign="top" class="ep_row">Article</td></tr><tr><th valign="top" class="ep_row">Additional Information:</th><td valign="top" class="ep_row">Copyright 1996, CSIRO. Definitive version is available online at http://www.publish.csiro.au/nid/90.htm</td></tr><tr><th valign="top" class="ep_row">Keywords:</th><td valign="top" class="ep_row">foraging behavior; activity patterns; food selection; seasonal variations; Niveoscincus ocellatus; Australia, Tasmania </td></tr><tr><th valign="top" class="ep_row">Subjects:</th><td valign="top" class="ep_row"><a href="http://eprints.utas.edu.au/view/subjects/270706.html">270000 Biological Sciences > 270700 Ecology and Evolution > 270706 Life Histories (incl. Population Ecology)</a></td></tr><tr><th valign="top" class="ep_row">ID Code:</th><td valign="top" class="ep_row">2203</td></tr><tr><th valign="top" class="ep_row">Deposited By:</th><td valign="top" class="ep_row"><span class="ep_name_citation"><span class="person_name">Dr Erik Wapstra</span></span></td></tr><tr><th valign="top" class="ep_row">Deposited On:</th><td valign="top" class="ep_row">18 Oct 2007 14:28</td></tr><tr><th valign="top" class="ep_row">Last Modified:</th><td valign="top" class="ep_row">09 Jan 2008 02:30</td></tr><tr><th valign="top" class="ep_row">ePrint Statistics:</th><td valign="top" class="ep_row"><a target="ePrintStats" href="/es/index.php?action=show_detail_eprint;id=2203;">View statistics for this ePrint</a></td></tr></table><p align="right">Repository Staff Only: <a href="http://eprints.utas.edu.au/cgi/users/home?screen=EPrint::View&eprintid=2203">item control page</a></p>
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