Use of track counts and camera traps to estimate the abundance of roe deer in North-Eastern Italy: are they effective methods?

2018 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 477-484
Author(s):  
Toni Romani ◽  
Carmelinda Giannone ◽  
Emiliano Mori ◽  
Stefano Filacorda
Keyword(s):  
Roe Deer ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Track Counts

scholarly journals Habitat preference by the Anatolian leopard (Panthera pardus tulliana Valenciennes, 1856) in North-eastern Anatolia, Turkey

2020 ◽  
Vol 150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alptuğ Sarı ◽  
Ebubekir Gündoğdu ◽  
Şağdan Başkaya ◽  
Ahmet Arpacık
Keyword(s):  
Roe Deer ◽  
Habitat Preferences ◽  
Capreolus Capreolus ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Local People ◽  
Eastern Anatolia ◽  
Panthera Pardus ◽  
Study Region ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Rocky Habitats

This study aims to document the existence and habitat preferences of the Anatolian leopard (Panthera pardus tulliana Valenciennes, 1856) in north-eastern Anatolia, Turkey. We sampled eleven study areas in 2013–2017, primarily based on our previous field experiences, reports from local people, and literature. Based on the findings from initial surveys, camera traps and leopard studies were mostly used in parts of the Giresun (Sarıçiçek Mountain), Erzincan (Sansa Strait), and Bingöl (Yedisu Valley) Provinces. We employed both direct observations and indirect observations. A total of 58 observations were recorded, ranging from 1176–3050 meters in altitude: six camera trap pictures, three thermal video camera images, three sightings by local people, 28 sets of tracks, 13 pieces of scat, two ground-scrapings, and three tree-scratches belonging to the Anatolian leopard. We defined eight habitat types and found that leopards preferred sparse forest areas, rocky habitats, and agriculture and pasture regions the most. Furthermore, 49 of 58 observations made in the sampling areas were detected in the southerly aspects of the study region. The Anatolian leopard habitat selection is mainly based on prey abundance, and we found that leopards prefer wild boar (Sus scrofa) the most, followed by wild goat (Capra aegagrus), chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra), and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus).

scholarly journals Occurrence and Activity of Roe Deer in Urban Forests of Warsaw

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 35
Author(s):  
Karolina D. Jasińska ◽  
Mateusz Jackowiak ◽  
Jakub Gryz ◽  
Szymon Bijak ◽  
Katarzyna Szyc ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Predation Risk ◽  
Urban Area ◽  
Roe Deer ◽  
Urban Forests ◽  
Anthropogenic Disturbances ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Human Disturbances ◽  
Human Presence ◽  
Big Cities ◽  
High Level

Human presence or activities are perceived by animals as those associated with predation risk so activity and exploration patterns of animals should be shaped by indices of anthropogenic disturbances. The high level of human disturbances is noticed in big cities. Therefore, the aim of the study was to determine the occurrence of roe deer in Warsaw and its activity in the Warsaw urban forests. We used snow tracking on transect routes (winter seasons 2016, 2017, 2018; 115.1 km in total) to determine roe deer occurrence in four habitats: forests, open areas, parks, and built-up areas. The number of tracks was highest in forests (4.6 tracks/1 km/24 h), followed by open areas, built-up areas, and parks. We used camera traps to determine the activity of roe deer in selected urban forests. We collected 697 observations of roe deer in Warsaw forests in the years 2016–2019 (per 4826 trap-days in total). The peak of roe deer activity was noticed between 4:00 and 5:00 a.m. Animals were least active at 1:00–2:00 p.m. and between 11:00 p.m.–01:00 a.m. Our research showed that roe deer inhabiting the urban area avoided human presence by using well-covered habitats and being active in periods when humans’ disturbances’ level is lower.

scholarly journals Ecological and Behavioral Drivers of Supplemental Feeding Use by Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus in a Peri-Urban Context

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 2088
Author(s):  
Federico Ossi ◽  
Nathan Ranc ◽  
Paul Moorcroft ◽  
Priscilla Bonanni ◽  
Francesca Cagnacci
Keyword(s):  
Roe Deer ◽  
Seasonal Pattern ◽  
Capreolus Capreolus ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Circular Statistics ◽  
Supplemental Feeding ◽  
Urban Context ◽  
Feeding Site ◽  
Feeding Sites ◽  
Use Of Resources

Winter supplemental feeding of ungulates potentially alters their use of resources and ecological interactions, yet relatively little is known about the patterns of feeding sites use by target populations. We used camera traps to continuously monitor winter and spring feeding site use in a roe deer population living in a peri-urban area in Northern Italy. We combined circular statistics with generalized additive and linear mixed models to analyze the diel and seasonal pattern of roe deer visits to feeding sites, and the behavioral drivers influencing visit duration. Roe deer visits peaked at dawn and dusk, and decreased from winter to spring when vegetation regrows and temperature increases. Roe deer mostly visited feeding sites solitarily; when this was not the case, they stayed longer at the site, especially when conspecifics were eating, but maintained a bimodal diel pattern of visits. These results support an opportunistic use of feeding sites, following seasonal cycles and the roe deer circadian clock. Yet, the attractiveness of these artificial resources has the potential to alter intra-specific relationships, as competition for their use induces gatherings and may extend the contact time between individuals, with potential behavioral and epidemiological consequences.

Effectiveness of the Felixer grooming trap for the control of feral cats: a field trial in arid South Australia

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (8) ◽  
pp. 599
Author(s):  
K. E. Moseby ◽  
H. McGregor ◽  
J. L. Read
Keyword(s):  
Field Trial ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Specific Method ◽  
Density Estimates ◽  
Live Prey ◽  
Feral Cats ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Remote Camera ◽  
Track Counts

Abstract ContextFeral cats pose a significant threat to wildlife in Australia and internationally. Controlling feral cats can be problematic because of their tendency to hunt live prey rather than be attracted to food-based lures. The Felixer grooming trap was developed as a targeted and automated poisoning device that sprays poison onto the fur of a passing cat, relying on compulsive grooming for ingestion. AimsWe conducted a field trial to test the effectiveness of Felixers in the control of feral cats in northern South Australia where feral cats were present within a 2600-ha predator-proof fenced paddock. MethodsTwenty Felixers were set to fire across vehicle tracks and dune crossings for 6 weeks. Cat activity was recorded using track counts and grids of remote camera traps set within the Felixer Paddock and an adjacent 3700-ha Control Paddock where feral cats were not controlled. Radio-collars were placed on six cats and spatial mark–resight models were used to estimate population density before and after Felixer deployment. Key resultsNone of the 1024 non-target objects (bettongs, bilbies, birds, lizards, humans, vehicles) that passed a Felixer during the trial was fired on, confirming high target specificity. Thirty-three Felixer firings were recorded over the 6-week trial, all being triggered by feral cats. The only two radio-collared cats that triggered Felixers during the trial, died. Two other radio-collared cats appeared to avoid Felixer traps possibly as a reaction to previous catching and handling rendering them neophobic. None of the 22 individually distinguishable cats targeted by Felixers was subsequently observed on cameras, suggesting death after firing. Felixer data, activity and density estimates consistently indicated that nearly two-thirds of the cat population was killed by the Felixers during the 6-week trial. ConclusionsResults suggest that Felixers are an effective, target-specific method of controlling feral cats, at least in areas in which immigration is prevented. The firing rate of Felixers did not decline significantly over time, suggesting that a longer trial would have resulted in a higher number of kills. ImplicationsFuture studies should aim to determine the trade-off between Felixer density and the efficacy relative to reinvasion.

scholarly journals Interaction Patterns between Wildlife and Cattle Reveal Opportunities for Mycobacteria Transmission in Farms from North-Eastern Atlantic Iberian Peninsula

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 2364
Author(s):  
Lucía Varela-Castro ◽  
Iker A. Sevilla ◽  
Ariane Payne ◽  
Emmanuelle Gilot-Fromont ◽  
Marta Barral
Keyword(s):  
Camera Traps ◽  
Interspecies Transmission ◽  
Interaction Patterns ◽  
Wild Boars ◽  
Explanatory Variables ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
History Of ◽  
One Year ◽  
Number Of Individuals ◽  
Cattle Farms

Interactions taking place between sympatric wildlife and livestock may contribute to interspecies transmission of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex or non-tuberculous mycobacteria, leading to the spread of relevant mycobacterioses or to interferences with the diagnosis of tuberculosis. The aim of this study was to characterize the spatiotemporal patterns of interactions between wildlife and cattle in a low bovine tuberculosis prevalence Atlantic region. Camera traps were set during a one-year period in cattle farms with a history of tuberculosis and/or non-tuberculous mycobacterioses. The frequency and duration of wildlife visits, and the number of individuals per visit, were analysed through generalized linear mixed models. The seasons, type of place, type of point, and period of the day were the explanatory variables. A total of 1293 visits were recorded during 2741 days of camera observation. Only 23 visits showed direct contacts with cattle, suggesting that mycobacteria transmission at the wildlife–livestock interface would occur mainly through indirect interactions. Cattle pastures represented the most appropriate habitat for interspecies transmission of mycobacteria, and badgers’ latrines appear to be a potential hotspot for mycobacteria circulation between badgers, wild boars, foxes, and cattle. According to both previous epidemiological information and the interaction patterns observed, wild boars, badgers, foxes, and small rodents are the species or group most often in contact with livestock, and thus may be the most involved in the epidemiology of mycobacterioses in the wildlife–livestock interface in this area.

scholarly journals Evaluation of wild animals browsing preferences in forage resources

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni Argenti ◽  
Veronica Racanelli ◽  
Sara Bartolozzi ◽  
Nicolina Staglianò ◽  
Francesco Sorbetti Guerri
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Animal Species ◽  
Roe Deer ◽  
Plantago Lanceolata ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Wild Animals ◽  
Negative Effects

Excessive presence of wild ungulates can produce negative effects on herbaceous crops or woody species, and to face this problem, habitat improvements are often performed to recreate suitable environments for a given animal species and to attract animals far from cultivated crops. A common example of these interventions is represented by grassland restoration and to evaluate the real animal preferences on restored forage resources a proper trial was established in a hilly area of Tuscany (central Italy), inside the historical Park of Pratolino, near Florence. The trial compared six different forage species or mixtures sown in plots: vegetal material was represented by two pure stands (<em>Onobrychis viciifolia</em> and <em>Medicago sativa</em>) and four mixtures differing in number and kind of used species. Plots were utilised only by wild animals occurring in the area. Data collection consisted of botanical samples in each plot in different periods to obtain the percent presence of each species. At the same time, a visual estimation of animal intake on all occurring species was performed to obtain the browsing ratio of single species and overall defoliation rate for each species/mixture. Moreover, six camera traps were placed on the boundary of the experimental site to record videos of wild animals browsing in the area for identification of animals actually occurring on different plots and for comparison of these results with botanical data. Vegetation surveys permitted a proper evaluation of animals intake and of their feeding preferences. In general, sown species performed a major role in animal browsing, even if in some periods also a few native species (such as <em>Plantago lanceolata</em> or <em>Cichorium intybus</em>) were utilised in a strong way, depending on vegetation context and existing biomass. Camera traps results permitted the identification of browsing animal species (mainly represented by roe deer) and plots frequentation resulted to be highly related to animal intake found by botanical relevés.

scholarly journals The Effect of Long-Term Frozen Storage on the Quality of Meat (Longissimus thoracis et Lumborum) from Female Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus L.)

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Tomasz Daszkiewicz ◽  
Dorota Kubiak ◽  
Agata Panfil
Keyword(s):  
Roe Deer ◽  
Frozen Storage ◽  
Capreolus Capreolus ◽  
Hunting Season ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Added Water ◽  
Hue Angle ◽  
Lower Ability ◽  
Meat Samples

The objective of this study was to determine the quality of meat (Longissimus thoracis et lumborum) from 10 female roe deer (Capreolus capreolus L.), which was vacuum-packaged, frozen-stored (−26°C) for 6, 10, and 12 months, and compared with fresh, nonfrozen meat. Roe deer (aged 3 to 5 years) were hunter-harvested in north-eastern Poland in December and January during the same hunting season. Frozen storage did not affect the proximate chemical composition of meat (except for ash content). An analysis of the physicochemical properties of meat revealed that frozen-stored meat was characterized by a darker color, a higher hue angle, lower ability to bind its own and added water, and lower cooking loss compared with nonfrozen meat. The values noted for meat samples that were stored in the freezer for 12 months (increase in pH, considerable decrease in water-holding capacity, and first symptoms of flavor deterioration) indicate that frozen roe deer meat should be stored for no more than 10 to 12 months to maintain its high quality.

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