A study conducted by scientists from Curtin University and the University of Adelaide showed that red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), introduced by European colonists in 1870, spread across the entire continent of Australia in just 60 years.
During this time, their population reached approximately 1.7 million individuals. Foxes have become one of the most destructive invasive species in the country and the cause of the extinction of about 16 species of mammals.
These predators actively exterminate local animals, especially small to medium-sized mammals, birds, and reptiles. Dingoes (Canis dingo), which compete with them for prey and territory, play an important role in controlling the fox population. However, after the mass extermination of dingoes, the fox population sharply increased.
The spread of foxes occurred in stages: they first occupied the southeast of Australia, and by 1940, they had settled almost the entire continent, except for Tasmania, where foxes were illegally introduced only in recent decades.
Understanding the dynamics of fox settlement helps develop more effective control measures and strategies for conserving local flora and fauna, preventing further losses of biodiversity.
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