A shocking result—Electric fences protect western saw‐shelled turtle (Myuchelys bellii) nests from depredation by foxes

• Published in: Austral ecology 2023-12, Vol.48 (8), p.1571-1587
• Main Authors: Streeting, Louise M., Dillon, Martin L., Nesbitt, Jack, Nesbitt, Brad, Baker, Lynn, Spark, Philip H., Chessman, Bruce C., McKnight, Donald T., McDonald, Paul G., Bower, Deborah S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: conservation; Electric fences; Fences; Foxes; freshwater; Livestock; Myuchelys bellii; nest protection; Nesting; Nests; Predation; predator exclusion; Stream banks; turtle; Wildlife; Wire cloth
• ISSN: 1442-9985; 1442-9993
• DOI: 10.1111/aec.13385

Introduced red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are a major predator of freshwater turtle nests in Australia. We evaluated the effectiveness of electric fences, in combination with individual nest protection, for shielding western saw‐shelled turtle (Myuchelys bellii: Chelidae) nests from predation by foxes. We compared the numbers of raided and intact turtle nests found in paired fenced treatment and unfenced control areas of streambank. We also individually protected all intact nests found in both area types with wire mesh or a steel cage. The total numbers of nests found in treatment and control areas did not significantly differ from parity, but significantly more intact nests were found in treatment areas and significantly more raided nests in control areas. The fences were occasionally damaged by livestock, wildlife and flooding, rendering them inoperative for varying periods of time until repair. However, foxes raided nests inside the fences on only two occasions, despite these breaks in functionality. Our study demonstrates that electric fences can provide an effective method of protecting entire nesting areas from depredation by foxes. We evaluated the effectiveness of electric fences combined with individual nest protection as a means of protecting the nests of western saw‐shelled turtles from red foxes in Australia. Significantly more intact nests were found in the fenced treatment areas and significantly more raided nests were found in the unfenced control areas. Our study demonstrates that electric fences can provide an effective method of protecting entire nesting areas from depredation by foxes.