Ecophysiology of feral cats (Felis catus) in Australia [Elektronische Ressource] / von Stefanie Susann Hilmer

Ecophysiology of feral cats (Felis catus) in Australia Dissertation zur Erlangung des Doktorgrades der Naturwissenschaften vorgelegt beim Fachbereich Biowissenschaften der Johann Wolfgang Goethe Universität in Frankfurt am Main von Stefanie Susann Hilmer aus Lübeck Frankfurt (2010) Vom Fachbereich Biowissenschaften der Johann Wolfgang Goethe – Universität als Dissertation angenommen. Dekan: Frau Prof. Dr. A. Starzinski-Powitz Gutachter: Frau PD Dr. Elke Schleucher Herr Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Wiltschko Datum der Disputation: 2 Acknowledgements Acknowledgements I would like to thank my supervisors PD Dr. Elke Schleucher and Dr. Dave Algar for their ongoing support and input during my PhD. Thanks to PD Dr. Elke Schleucher for giving me the initial idea for this project, and for her immense help during my PhD, even though she was on the other side of the world. I would like to thank Dr. Dave Algar for the generous financial support provided for this project, without which it would not have been possible. His advice and guidance on the ecological components of the project has been priceless, giving this thesis an interesting transition into the relationship between the physiological and ecological aspects of the feral cat. Last but not least, I would like to thank Dave for taking me to the most beautiful places in Australia and giving me his trust.