Growth and home range size of the gracile mouse opossum Gracilinanus microtarsus (Marsupialia: Didelphidae) in Brazilian cerrado

Abstract:Differences in growth patterns between the sexes of the gracile mouse opossum Gracilinanus microtarsus and the consequences for home range size were investigated in a savanna habitat (cerrado) of south-eastern Brazil. A total of 51 juvenile individuals of Gracilinanus microtarsus was monitored using capture–mark–recapture from November 2005 to August 2006. The increase in body mass of gracile mouse opossums was described using the Gompertz growth model. Male gracile mouse opossums grew faster than females (dimorphic ratio of 1.5). Home range size, estimated with the minimum convex polygon method, was positively related to body mass. Model selection using Akaike's Information Criterion (AICc) and incorporating body mass, sex and season as independent variables showed that the best-supported model describing variance in home range sizes included only body mass. Our data suggest that a greater body mass gain in juvenile males is probably the proximate cause of sexual dimorphism in adult gracile mouse opossums and that energetic needs required for growth have a greater influence in home range size.

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Ecology and social biology of the southern three-banded armadillo (Tolypeutes matacus; Cingulata: Chlamyphoridae)

Journal of Mammalogy ◽

10.1093/jmammal/gyaa117 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

N Attias ◽

E Gurarie ◽

W F Fagan ◽

G Mourão

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Body Mass ◽

Conservation Status ◽

Species Conservation ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Basic Knowledge ◽

Movement Behavior ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Social Biology

Abstract Basic knowledge of species biology and ecology is essential for the assessment of species conservation status and planning for efficient conservation strategies; however, this information is not always readily available. Here we use movement behavior to understand the ecology and social biology of the poorly known southern three-banded armadillo (Tolypeutes matacus). We used VHF and GPS telemetry to monitor 26 individuals from two sites in the Pantanal wetlands of Brazil. We characterized armadillo activity patterns, evaluated the relationship between sex and body mass with home range size and mean daily distance traveled, and examined home and core range overlap. Three-banded armadillos were active on average for 5.5 ± 2.8 h/day, with most of their activity concentrated in the first half of the night. Adult males were heavier and had larger home ranges than adult females. Home range size scaled positively with body mass for males, but not for females. Core ranges for females overlapped little (< 1%) regardless of age, but home ranges for males overlapped both with other males (12%) and females (18%). Our data suggest that three-banded armadillos are mainly a nocturnal species. Home range and spacing patterns point to a generally asocial behavior and a polygynous or promiscuous mating system. We hope that the data generated as a result of this project will contribute to this species’ conservation in Brazil and elsewhere by guiding future management and research efforts.

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Variation in the home-range size of the squirrel glider (Petaurus norfolcensis)

Australian Mammalogy ◽

10.1071/am10006 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 32 (2) ◽

pp. 183 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Ross L. Goldingay ◽

David J. Sharpe ◽

Matt D. J. Dobson

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Habitat Quality ◽

New South ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Minimum Convex Polygon ◽

South Wales ◽

Squirrel Glider ◽

Range Estimate

The home-range area of animals may vary geographically and in response to habitat quality. We investigated the size of squirrel glider (Petaurus norfolcensis) home ranges near Brisbane, Queensland, and at Tea Gardens on the central coast of New South Wales. Habitat at both sites had been partially cleared and had been subjected to grazing for several decades. Twelve gliders were tracked over an average of 3.5 months in Brisbane. The fixed kernel (FK95%) home-range estimate averaged 4.6 ± 0.7 (s.e.) ha while the minimum convex polygon (MCP100%) averaged 6.7 ± 1.5 ha. Six gliders were tracked over 1 month at Tea Gardens. The FK95% home-range estimate averaged 14.8 ± 2.4 ha while the MCP100% averaged 13.3 ± 3.1 ha. The Tea Gardens values are derived from relatively short periods and are likely to underestimate the areas used. This study demonstrates that home-range size can vary substantially in the squirrel glider. This has implications for understanding how this species responds to variation in habitat quality and highlights the need for site-specific studies to inform aspects of management.

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Body mass as a predictive variable of home-range size among Italian mammals and birds

Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1111/j.1469-7998.2006.00060.x ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 269 (3) ◽

pp. 317-330 ◽

Cited By ~ 46

Author(s):

D. Ottaviani ◽

S. C. Cairns ◽

M. Oliverio ◽

L. Boitani

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Body Mass ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Predictive Variable

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Movements and Home Ranges of Feral Pigs (Sus Scrofa) in Kosciusko National Park, New South Wales.

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr9960711 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 23 (6) ◽

pp. 711 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

G Saunders ◽

B Kay

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

National Park ◽

New South ◽

New South Wales ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Minimum Convex Polygon ◽

Feral Pigs ◽

South Wales

The movements of a subalpine population of feral pigs were examined at Kosciusko National Park in southeastern New South Wales. Sufficient data were collected to estimate the home-range area of 20 pigs on the basis of 782 telemetry and trap locations. Mean (+/- s.d.) home-range size (minimum convex polygon method) for males (35.0 t 22.2 km*2) was significantly greater than that for females (1 1.1 +/- 5.2 km*2). Use of capture-recapture distances to estimate home-range size was considered inappropriate. A test for nomadism suggests that, although home ranges of pigs in this environment were larger than those reported for other pigs in Australia, the pigs were essentially sedentary. Management implications for this population are discussed.

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Space use of wintering waterbirds in India: Influence of trophic ecology on home-range size

Current Zoology ◽

10.1093/czoolo/60.5.616 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 60 (5) ◽

pp. 616-621

Author(s):

Tsewang Namgail ◽

John Y. Takekawa ◽

Sivananinthaperumal Bala-Chandran ◽

Ponnusamy Sathiyaselvam ◽

Taej Mundkur ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Body Mass ◽

Feeding Habits ◽

Satellite Telemetry ◽

Space Use ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Biological Traits ◽

Indian States

Abstract Relationship between species’ home range and their other biological traits remains poorly understood, especially in migratory birds due to the difficulty associated with tracking them. Advances in satellite telemetry and remote sensing techniques have proved instrumental in overcoming such challenges. We studied the space use of migratory ducks through satellite telemetry with an objective of understanding the influence of body mass and feeding habits on their home-range sizes. We marked 26 individuals, representing five species of migratory ducks, with satellite transmitters during two consecutive winters in three Indian states. We used kernel methods to estimate home ranges and core use areas of these waterfowl, and assessed the influence of body mass and feeding habits on home-range size. Feeding habits influenced the home-range size of the migratory ducks. Carnivorous ducks had the largest home ranges, herbivorous ducks the smallest, while omnivorous species had intermediate home-ranges. Body mass did not explain variation in home-range size. To our knowledge, this is the first study of its kind on migratory ducks, and it has important implications for their conservation and management.

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Home range area may vary considerably in relation to habitat contamination in two African terrapins from pristine and oil polluted habitats

Amphibia-Reptilia ◽

10.1163/156853806777239896 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 27 (2) ◽

pp. 255-261 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

◽

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Polluted Area ◽

Minimum Convex Polygon ◽

General Hypothesis ◽

Pristine Area ◽

Nesting Sites ◽

The Mean ◽

Polygon Method

AbstractHome range and nesting habitat were studied in two sympatric pelomedusid terrapins (Pelusios niger and Pelusios castaneus) from two study areas in the Niger Delta (Nigeria, West Africa), one with pristine habitat conditions and one which was polluted by a oil spill event some years before. Seventy-seven individuals (38 P. niger and 39 P. castaneus) were radiotracked, each for more than 60 days, and their home range was calculated by the minimum convex polygon method, with 95% of the point locations per individual. The mean home range size of females was significantly larger in the polluted area than in the pristine area in both P. niger and P. castaneus, and the mean home range size of female P. niger was significantly larger than that of female P. castaneus in the polluted area, but not in the pristine area. The mean home range size of males was significantly larger in the polluted area than in the pristine area in P. niger but not in P. castaneus, and the mean home range size of male P. niger was significantly larger than that of male P. castaneus in the polluted area but not in the pristine area. Radiotracked females of both species showed a clear preference for nesting sites situated along ponds and not along the banks of the river, on sandy soil, often with abundant vegetation around. Some females of both species deposited their eggs at greater distances from water bodies in the polluted area than in the pristine area. The comparative evidence of these patterns indicates consistent responses of the two species to the altered habitat, which further supports the general hypothesis that habitat pollution has seriously affected the ecological strategies of these terrapin species.

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Home range and den characteristics of the brush-tailed rabbit-rat (Conilurus penicillatus) in the monsoonal tropics of the Northern Territory, Australia

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr05057 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 33 (5) ◽

pp. 397 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Ronald S. C. Firth ◽

John C. Z. Woinarski ◽

Richard A. Noske

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Radio Telemetry ◽

Fire Regimes ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Northern Territory ◽

Range Size ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Minimum Convex Polygon ◽

Dry Seasons

Radio-telemetry was used to investigate the home range and den characteristics of the brush-tailed rabbit-rat (Conilurus penicillatus) from three sites in the monsoonal tropics of the Northern Territory, Australia. Radio-tracking was conducted in a series of discontinuous 4–17-day sessions, over a 2-year period. The home ranges of 61 C. penicillatus were estimated using the minimum convex polygon (MCP) and fixed kernel (K95% and K50%) methods. There were no significant differences in home-range size among the three sites or between wet and dry seasons, which suggests that vegetation structure, floristics and season play relatively little role in movements of C. penicillatus. The mean home-range size was 0.79 ± 0.09 ha (MCP estimate) to 0.97 ± 0.12 ha (K95% estimate). The home ranges of males were larger than those of females (mean MCP estimates of 1.07 ± 0.15 and 0.45 ± 0.06 ha respectively). C. penicillatus denned primarily in fallen logs and in hollows of eucalypts and bloodwoods (Corymbia spp.). Rough-barked trees appeared to be preferred. The diameter at breast height (DBH) of den trees varied significantly between the three sites, being greatest at site C1 (34.5 ± 2.4 cm) and least at site C2 (26.1 ± 1.0 cm). Den trees had larger DBH than randomly selected trees at each site. The diameter at the mid-point (DMP) of both den and randomly selected logs were not significantly different between sites. Many individuals used more than one den site per tracking session. The small home ranges of C. penicillatus and its reliance on hollows in trees and logs suggest that this species is very vulnerable to local extinction following long-term annual and destructive fire regimes and land clearing, even in comparatively small patches.

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Differences in evaluation of three different approaches in home range sizes of red deer Cervus elaphus in Western Carpathians / Rozdiely vo vyhodnotení veľkosti domovských okrskov jeleňa lesného Cervus elaphus v Západných Karpatoch tromi rôznymi prístupmi

Forestry Journal ◽

10.1515/forj-2015-0009 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 61 (1) ◽

pp. 12-18

Author(s):

Alfadil Mohammed Abdelrahman Adam ◽

Rudolf Kropil ◽

Viliam Pichler

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Convex Hull ◽

Cervus Elaphus ◽

Red Deer ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Western Carpathians ◽

Seasonal Effect ◽

Minimum Convex Polygon ◽

Local Convex

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate differences using three different approaches in home range sizes of selected male individuals of red deer (Cervus elaphus). This study was conducted in the Kremnica Mountains (the Western Carpathians) located in central Slovakia. The study included data from three individuals, collared and tracked by using the VHF (Very High Frequency) telemetry. The data were evaluated within three different seasons (winter, summer and rut). For the measuring of home range sizes three methods were used: Minimum Convex Polygon (MCP), Kernel Home Range (KHR) and Local Convex Hull (LoCoH). The seasonal effect on home range size was analyzed by using the analysis of variance (ANOVA) two and three main effects. The study showed differences in home range sizes and core areas in red deer population. The migrant individual had a lager home range size with used methods. The differences occurred between total seasonal home ranges, but statistically not significant. The home range created by Local Convex Hull was significantly smaller than the home range created by Kernel Home Range.

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Desert kit fox home range – southeastern California

Israel Journal of Ecology and Evolution ◽

10.1080/15659801.2016.1171468 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 61 (3-4) ◽

pp. 157-161

Author(s):

Charles J. Randel ◽

Nova J. Silvy

Keyword(s):

Life History ◽

Population Density ◽

Home Range ◽

Great Basin ◽

Central Valley ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Minimum Convex Polygon ◽

Kit Fox ◽

Open Population

Kit fox (Vulpes macrotis) life history and ecology has been extensively studied in the Great Basin and California's Central Valley, with fewer studies in hot desert regions resulting in regional knowledge gaps. To augment our understanding of kit fox life history and ecology, we conducted a 2-year radio-telemetry study of the desert kit fox (V. m. arsipus) in southeastern California. Fifty-six desert kit foxes were fitted with morality-sensitive radio collars between October 2012 and August 2014 with individuals located five to seven nights per week to determine home range size and population density. Mean home range was 15.77 ± 1.03 km2 (95% fixed kernel) and 18.48 ± 1.77 km2 (minimum convex polygon), and larger than all, but one previous study. We found no difference in home range size based on sex or year. Home range overlaps were significantly larger for mated (79.3% ± 1.35%) than unmated pairs (20.9% ± 1.01%) and consistent with previous studies. Population size was estimated at 88 individuals using open population models, resulting in an estimated density of 0.34/km2 (range 0.26–0.47/km2) which is higher than previously reported. Our study represents the first home range and population density study for desert kit foxes in California and provided critical knowledge of this understudied kit fox population.

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Home range of the swamp wallaby, Wallabia bicolor

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr9930571 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 20 (5) ◽

pp. 571 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

S Troy ◽

G Coulson

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Convex Polygons ◽

Minimum Convex Polygon ◽

Eucalypt Forest ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Wallabia Bicolor ◽

Swamp Wallaby

Home range in the swamp wallaby, Wallabia bicolor (Marsupialia : Macropodoidea) was examined using radio-tracking in a 150-ha remnant of mixed eucalypt forest at Healesville, Victoria. Three methods were used to calculate home-range size: minimum convex polygons, fourier transform MAP(O.95) and MAP(0.50) estimation, and harmonic mean 50% isopleths and 95% isopleths. The minimum convex polygon method produced the largest estimate of home-range area (16.01 +/-.45 ha). Each method required a different number of fixes before home-range area estimates reached an asymptote. These data showed that W. bicolor have small, overlapping home ranges and that the shape of the home range varied between individuals. Home-range area was larger than previously reported for this species, and there was no significant difference between the sexes in home-range size.

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