Obtaining a suitable mate is an integral part of reproduction, with sexual selection processes such as female mate choice resulting in both direct and/or indirect benefits. Here, we investigated whether olfactory driven female mate choice influenced reproductive success in captive fat-tailed dunnarts (Sminthopsis crassicaudata). Although females spent 67% more time with a preferred male’s scent, reproductive success was not influenced by assigned mate choice. Of the 10 (of 12) litters that survived to weaning, average litter size was higher for non-preferred pairings (3 ± 0.83) compared with preferred pairings (1.6 ± 0.60), with weaning success equal for both pairings. Analyses suggested that offspring sex ratios were influenced by mate choice, with females paired with their preferred mate having more daughters (81%) in comparison to non-preferred pairings (44%) and by paternal body condition, whereby females paired with males in better body condition produced more sons. In this species, altering offspring sex ratios in favour of daughters may be achieved by pairing with preferred males, and towards sons by pairing with males in better body condition. With the increasing need for captive breeding programs, these techniques may provide opportunities to correct sex ratio biases and incorporate natural mating systems into conservation programs.

Olfaction is a widespread mode of communication in mammals. The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in biological samples such as scat and urine give them either a repellent property to warn prey or an attractant property to communicate reproductive, social, and territorial status to conspecifics. The aim of this study was to determine whether there are VOC differences in the scat of a dingo compared to that of a domestic German Shepherd Dog (GSD). We standardised the diet for 10 days and then collected scat from 14 dingoes and 11 GSDs. Using headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS), we characterised VOCs present in the dingo scat and compared the composition with those of GSDs. We identified 58 significant VOCs out of a total of 154 VOCs identified in both dingoes and GSDs. Of these, 12 were significantly higher in the scat of dingoes and 46 elevated in the GSD. Of the 12 elevated in the dingo, three were unique and present in high concentration (>10 ng/g), four were elevated and present in high concentration and five were present at low concentrations (<10 ng/g). We suggest that the detected differences show potential to be incorporated into dingo management strategies.

Anthropogenic stressors such as climate change and diminishing habitats cause widespread disturbances in species distributions for a variety of taxa. Range shifts and hybridisation following secondary contact become of particular importance when it comes to parasites such as ticks, as they are dependent on their host distributions and can carry numerous harmful pathogens. We aimed to determine if two parapatric reptile tick species, Amblyomma albolimbatum and A. limbatum, hybridise at their parapatric boundary by comparing morphological and genomic variation using single nucleotide polymorphisms. Our results show that both tick species were genomically distinct, but hybridisation has occurred. We found a hybrid and an A. limbatum outside of their previously known range, suggesting there could have been a shift in tick distribution. What were thought to be hybrids due to intermediate morphological traits were not hybrids but morphological variants of the parental species. This information suggests more distinctive morphological features are needed for identifying these tick species and that novel environmental conditions and a broadening of tick niche due to hybridisation could increase host exposure to different pathogens.