Dr David Hamilton
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drdevildave.bsky.social
Dr David Hamilton
@drdevildave.bsky.social
2.7K followers 440 following 97 posts
Conservation Equollogist | Lutruwita, Tasmania | Tasmanian devil advocate & accidental quoll scientist, posting mainly science & quoll puns
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Reposted by Dr David Hamilton
calxcunningham.bsky.social
It's bizarre. I can think of at least 3 scientific publications that predict (i.e., model) the uncontrolled explosion of deer across Tas. None of them were referred to in the report. weirdddd
October 2, 2025 at 4:28 AM
Reposted by Dr David Hamilton
analyticaledge.bsky.social
“No anticipated” except by all of us that have been saying for ever that the #feral #deer management plan is pathetic. 🌎 #wildoz

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...
'Not anticipated': New survey shows deer population boom in Tasmania
The first survey for feral deer in Tasmania in five years reveals an unanticipated increase of nearly 20,000 to the population.
www.abc.net.au
October 2, 2025 at 4:08 AM
drdevildave.bsky.social
“Not anticipated”, if you’ve been living under a rock for the past 5 years…

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...

Feral deer are a huuuuge problem in Tasmania that’s only getting worse. Legislation catching up with reality would be a good start - incredibly, they’re still a partly protected species…
'Not anticipated': New survey shows deer population boom in Tasmania
The first survey for feral deer in Tasmania in five years reveals an unanticipated increase of nearly 20,000 to the population.
www.abc.net.au
October 2, 2025 at 8:13 AM
Reposted by Dr David Hamilton
jackdashby.bsky.social
The measure for how excellent a city is should be how quickly you can see something wonderful.
It took less than an hour after arriving in #Hobart for @drdevildave.bsky.social and me to see a #platypus, which is of course the most wonderful thing there is. #Tasmania #MammalWatching #WildOz
September 29, 2025 at 6:12 AM
drdevildave.bsky.social
A dangerous(ly adorable) predator approaches…
September 12, 2025 at 7:13 AM
drdevildave.bsky.social
As part of eastern quoll translocation work, we use supplementary feeding stations that are meant to exclude Tasmanian devils.

The devils disagree…
A Tasmanian devil standing pensively outside a tube containing food. The tube is CLEARLY too small for the devil to fit into… Oh wait, no it isn’t… The devil has comically managed to insert the entire front half of his body into the narrow tube. It looks like he is entering another dimension
August 10, 2025 at 6:52 AM
Reposted by Dr David Hamilton
ljnbrent.bsky.social
I'm guessing this is probably very well worth the read! onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
Ecology needs a causal overhaul
Ecology has yet to embrace causal inference, yet most questions in ecology are causal. Despite the common use of terms that imply causation, such as “shapes”, “drives”, or “impacts”, many studies shy...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
May 15, 2025 at 12:54 PM
drdevildave.bsky.social
Quoll beans!!

These tiny eastern quolls are only around 5 weeks old, & just starting to get their spots
A marsupial pouch full of tiny, pink eastern quolls. Their distinctive spotted pelage is starting to become apparent
August 4, 2025 at 9:18 AM
Reposted by Dr David Hamilton
tasland.bsky.social
#GardensforWildlife members, here is a survey just for you! Your garden is the missing link in a new @utas.edu.au Honours research project. Honours student Millicent Biggs is studying how backyard gardens support #Tasmanian #wildlife. Start the survey here: lnkd.in/gChGeTAa
July 28, 2025 at 4:43 AM
drdevildave.bsky.social
Please enjoy this antechinus sproinging* away

* technical term
July 6, 2025 at 11:10 PM
Reposted by Dr David Hamilton
kultarrcam.bsky.social
The kultarr is officially three species!
So proud of this work and a big thanks to Australia's amazing museum network and my great supervisor team
@kennytravouillon.bsky.social
@reneecatullo.bsky.social
@planigale.bsky.social
bakerecologylab.wordpress.com

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Cryptic Kultarr: Integrative Taxonomy Reveals Unrecognized Species of Carnivorous Marsupial (Dasyuridae: Antechinomys) in Arid Australia
Conservation is impossible if we have not described all of the species we aim to conserve. This paper reviews the taxonomy of the kultarr (Antechinomys laniger) a small arid-zone specialist native to....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
June 27, 2025 at 7:02 AM
Reposted by Dr David Hamilton
firstdogonthemoon.bsky.social
Echidnas! Everyone loves echidnas. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Long-beaked echidnas? Yes please! A cartoon for people who cannot bear any more news about anything dreadful | First Dog on the Moon
Let the echidna discourse begin!
www.theguardian.com
June 20, 2025 at 8:47 AM
Reposted by Dr David Hamilton
jackdashby.bsky.social
You can date a display of Australian mammals by whether the distribution maps recognise recent extinctions. Eastern #quolls went extinct in mainland Australia in the 1960s, but they're still on this historic display at @hunterianglasgow.bsky.social Zoology Museum.
#taxidermy #extinction
A display of taxidermy of several species of Australian mammal, with a big green map of Australia. A taxidermy eastern quoll. The map on its label suggests the quoll lives in Tasmania (where it still does live today) and the southeast of the mainland (where it became extinct)
June 20, 2025 at 8:23 AM
Reposted by Dr David Hamilton
cath-dickson.bsky.social
Busy start to #ICCB2025 - sharing @tasland.bsky.social ten year fauna camera data set - pre & post-fire at Five Rivers. Huge shout out to coauthors including @drdevildave.bsky.social & Jo Potts
June 17, 2025 at 8:26 AM
drdevildave.bsky.social
📣 New quoll science, looking at the genetic outcomes of a translocation of eastern quolls in Tasmania! 🧪🧬

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

🧵Thread below ⬇️
An eastern quoll peeking out from a nest of dry grass
June 18, 2025 at 12:29 AM
Reposted by Dr David Hamilton
erinbthomas.bsky.social
Come chat about quolls, puns, and finding any excuse to draw animals for science at my poster at #ICCB2025

Monday at 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM in Great Hall 3 & 4

See you there!
Quollity Control Identifying eastern quoll behaviours to increase translocation success
June 12, 2025 at 1:25 AM
drdevildave.bsky.social
Dasyurid feet of various sizes! 👣

Tasmanian devil
Spotted-tailed quoll
Swamp antechinus
May 25, 2025 at 10:24 PM
drdevildave.bsky.social
#WhereWhereWedgie 🦅 surveys near Hamilton today -

- 6 (!!) x wedge-tailed eagles
- 1 x white-bellied sea-eagle
- 1 x brown falcon
- 200 cockatoos!!

An excellent day for science!
@catmyoung.bsky.social @clawkins.bsky.social

#citizenscience 🌿🪶🧪 #Tasmania #conservationscience
A person looking to the sky through binoculars, diligently searching for eagles Success! A wedge-tailed eagle soaring high!
May 25, 2025 at 2:47 AM
drdevildave.bsky.social
That awkward moment when you catch a devil pooping on camera…

In all seriousness, Tasmanian devils make latrines, where lots of individuals will poo in the same area. Then any devil wandering along can have a sniff, & know who’s around 💩

@tasland.bsky.social
A Tasmanian devil standing in front of a camera. Suddenly, a poo appears behind it!
May 19, 2025 at 2:31 AM
drdevildave.bsky.social
On the trail of the Manumea (tooth-billed pigeon) in Samoa!

@catmyoung.bsky.social
A view of a forested valley from a bird hide in Samoa - most wreaths the hilltops
May 6, 2025 at 8:55 AM
Reposted by Dr David Hamilton
catmyoung.bsky.social
Chat GPT tells me -
If an echidna were casting a vote in the 2025 Australian election—motivated by instincts to protect its habitat, ensure clean air and water, and avoid human-caused extinction—it would most likely lean toward the Greens.

Make good choices today Australia! #auspol
drdevildave.bsky.social Dr David Hamilton @drdevildave.bsky.social · May 2
Has anyone asked the echidnas their views on this election? 🎤
May 2, 2025 at 10:12 PM
drdevildave.bsky.social
Has anyone asked the echidnas their views on this election? 🎤
May 2, 2025 at 9:45 PM
Reposted by Dr David Hamilton
firstdogonthemoon.bsky.social
An exciting adventure in the forest with First Dog on the Moon. Moss! www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
I went to an ancient rainforest with 90 artists and lived! Despite my endless cynicism I had a lovely time | First Dog on the Moon
I saw the world’s tallest moss and camped beneath a 500-year-old myrtle tree
www.theguardian.com
May 2, 2025 at 9:16 AM
drdevildave.bsky.social
There’s antechinus, & there’s ANTECHINUS!!

Antechinus are small (usually…) relatives of the Tasmanian devil. This chonk of a male was caught at Inala Jurassic Garden, for quick samples to help out with vaccine research for Devil Facial Tumour @wildimmunity.bsky.social
Pic- @catmyoung.bsky.social
An absolute unit of an antechinus - he knows he’s the king. Pic - @catmyoung
April 28, 2025 at 10:36 PM
Reposted by Dr David Hamilton
annamac.bsky.social
Quoll AND devil alert! I’ve got better phone reception so can upload #CameraTrap videos. Video 1/6 is a spotted tailed quoll. Dasyurus maculatus is listed as Near Threatened by IUCN Red list and in Australia the population in #Tasmania #Lutruwita is Vulnerable #marsupial #WildOz #quollity
April 20, 2025 at 6:08 AM