Genetic structure and dispersal of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in urban Melbourne

This study sought to investigate the potential for gene flow and dispersal between three sampled populations of urban Melbourne foxes (Vulpes vulpes). Five highly polymorphic canine microsatellites were used to investigate the population structure of foxes. The dispersal of 14 foxes, captured and radio-collared as cubs, were monitored periodically over two years. Dispersal estimates for males and females were also calculated from published regression equations that related social group density to dispersal distance. Genetic differentiation between urban populations was greater than between more widely spaced rural populations and was also greater than that found between San Remo and Phillip Island populations, which are separated by a water barrier. A deficiency of heterozygotes was detected in the total Melbourne population, but not at any of the field sites. Mean dispersal distances after 24 months (male = 3.5 km, female = 2.0 km) compared well with published accounts of dispersal in British cities. Dispersal distance estimates for female foxes from all sites were lower than straight-line distance for all but one site. Both the genetic and ecological data suggest a restricted ability for foxes to disperse between sites within urban Melbourne.

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The Ecology of Red Foxes, Vulpes vulpes, in Metropolitan Toronto, Ontario: Disease Management Implications

The Canadian Field-Naturalist ◽

10.22621/cfn.v123i3.967 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 123 (3) ◽

pp. 215 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Rick Rosatte ◽

Mike Allan

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Vulpes Vulpes ◽

Significant Negative Correlation ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Dispersal Distance ◽

Range Size ◽

Residential Areas ◽

Red Foxes ◽

Rabies Control

During 1989-1992, 33 Red Foxes (Vulpes vulpes) were fitted with radio-collars in metropolitan Toronto to study their behaviour which would provide data to assist with the design of a rabies control strategy for urban areas of Ontario. Annual home range size for adult foxes (avg = 325 ha, SD = 207) was significantly larger than that of juvenile foxes (avg = 165 ha, SD = 176), but we could not detect any seasonal differences in home range size for foxes. Mean (SD) nightly ranges were 38.3 ha (48.3) in spring, 97.4 ha (115.4) in summer, 26.8 ha (28.5) in fall, and 16.3 ha (13.6) in winter. Movements by foxes during the period from June to November averaged 3.5 km (2.89). Eleven of the foxes were known to have dispersed (? 3 km from their home range), but we could not detect a mean direction of dispersal. Thirty-six percent (4/11) of the foxes dispersed in December and 18% (2/11) dispersed in August, with the remainder dispersing between February and November. Average dispersal distance was 19.3 km (15.6), and a significant negative correlation was detected between initial home range size and dispersal distance of foxes. Mortality of radio-collared foxes was caused by collisions with automobiles, predation, and shooting. Foxes made extensive use of ravines and other greenbelt areas, such as parks and golf courses. Residential areas were also used by some foxes. Knowledge of the habitats frequented by foxes as well as their movement potential assisted researchers in determining where vaccine baits should be placed for the control of rabies in Red Foxes in metropolitan Toronto.

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Locomotion postural variability and coordination in boys with overweight

Adaptive Behavior ◽

10.1177/10597123211024008 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 105971232110240

Author(s):

Shahab Parvinpour ◽

Marzie Balali ◽

Mohsen Shafizadeh ◽

Fatemeh Samimi Pazhuh ◽

Michael Duncan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Body Mass ◽

Movement Pattern ◽

Approximate Entropy ◽

Normal Weight ◽

Multiscale Entropy ◽

Body Movements ◽

Straight Line ◽

Straight Line Distance

The purpose of this study was to examine the variability and coordination of postural adaptations in normal weight children and those with overweight in running and hopping. Fifty-six boys between 7 and 10 years were classified into groups as overweight ( n = 33) or normal-weight ( n = 23). They performed two trials of running and hopping over a 20-m straight line distance. Accelerometers were attached on the trunk and head for collecting body movements in different directions from 15 strides. Postural variability and coordination were calculated by multiscale entropy and cross approximate entropy for the running and hopping trials, separately. Findings highlight overweight boys had significantly higher trunk-head coordination in mediolateral direction than normal-weight boys (0.72 vs. 0.68). The hopping movement pattern had highest variability (9.88 vs. 8.77) and trunk–head coordination (0.61 vs. 0.67) than running. Excess body mass demands additional postural adaptations to compensate for reducing the risk of losing balance laterally in boys with overweight.

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Dispersal patterns in a regional koala population in south-east Queensland

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr02043 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 30 (3) ◽

pp. 281 ◽

Cited By ~ 46

Author(s):

David S. Dique ◽

Jim Thompson ◽

Harriet J. Preece ◽

Deidré L. de Villiers ◽

Frank N. Carrick

Keyword(s):

Urban Areas ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Adult Males ◽

Dispersal Patterns ◽

Young Males ◽

Straight Line ◽

The Social ◽

Straight Line Distance ◽

Males And Females ◽

Natal Home

Koala dispersal was investigated as part of a detailed ecological study of a nationally significant koala population located 20 km south-east of Brisbane, Queensland. From 1996 to 2000, 195 koalas from three sites were captured and fitted with radio-collars. A total of 40 koalas (23 males and 17 females) dispersed from these sites. Most (93%) dispersing individuals were 20–36 months of age. Three adult females (more than 36 months old) dispersed and no adult males dispersed during the study. A significantly higher proportion of young males dispersed than females. Dispersal occurred between June and December, with most dispersal of males commencing in July and August and that of females commencing between September and November prior to, and early in, the annual breeding season. The mean straight-line distance between the natal and breeding home ranges for males and females was similar and was measured at 3.5 km (range 1.1–9.7 km) and 3.4 km (range 0.3–10.6 km) respectively. Dispersing males and females tended to successfully disperse south and west of their natal home ranges and were generally unable to successfully disperse to urban areas within the study area, as a high proportion of the mortality of dispersing koalas was associated with attacks by domestic dogs and with collisions with vehicles on roads. Information from other studies indicates that most young koalas disperse from their natal areas. It is likely that the social behaviour and mating systems of koala populations provide mechanisms for young koalas to disperse. The potential role of dispersal in the dynamics of regional koala populations is discussed.

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Interacting effects of forest fragmentation and howler monkey foraging on germination and disperal of fig seeds

Oryx ◽

10.1017/s0030605302000480 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 36 (3) ◽

pp. 266-271 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Juan Carlos Serio-Silva ◽

Victor Rico-Gray

Keyword(s):

Dispersal Distance ◽

Alouatta Palliata ◽

Howler Monkey ◽

Forest Fragment ◽

Howler Monkeys ◽

Conservation Policies ◽

Dispersal Distances ◽

Alouatta Palliata Mexicana ◽

Fragmented Forests ◽

Individual Trees

We studied changes in germination rates and dispersal distance of seeds of Ficus perforata and F. lundelli dispersed by howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata mexicana), in a small (40 ha) ‘disturbed’ and a larger (>600 ha) ‘preserved’ tropical rainforest in southern Veracruz, Mexico. The interaction between A. p. mexicana and Ficus (Urostigma) spp. is beneficial for the interacting species and has important implications for their conservation. Howler monkeys gain from the ingestion of an important food source, germination rates of Ficus seeds are improved by passage through the monkeys' digestive tract, and the seeds are more likely to be deposited in a site suitable for germination and development. Seed dispersal distances are relatively larger in the preserved site, with both the size of the forest area and the spatial pattern of Ficus affecting the dispersal process. In a large forest fragment with ‘regularly’ distributed Ficus individuals the howler monkeys move away from the seed source, increasing the probability that the seeds are desposited on a tree other than Ficus, which is important for the germination and future development of a hemiepiphytic species. In a small forest fragment with trees distributed in clumps howlers repeatedly use the same individual trees, and faeces containing seeds may be dropped on unsuitable trees more often. These are key issues when addressing conservation policies for fragmented forests.

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Variation in fur farm and wild populations of the red fox, Vulpes vulpes (Carnivora: Canidae) — Part I: Morphometry

Canadian Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1139/cjas-2016-0026 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 96 (4) ◽

pp. 589-597 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Magdalena Zatoń-Dobrowolska ◽

Magdalena Moska ◽

Anna Mucha ◽

Heliodor Wierzbicki ◽

Piotr Przysiecki ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Vulpes Vulpes ◽

Selective Breeding ◽

Red Fox ◽

Tail Length ◽

Morphometric Traits ◽

Red Foxes ◽

Ear Height ◽

Morphological Differences ◽

The Right ◽

Almost All

This paper demonstrates the influence of artificial selection on morphometric traits in the red fox [Vulpes vulpes (Linnaeus, 1758)]. Measurements and two proportion coefficients were analysed in 132 wild and 199 farm red foxes. The two groups differed significantly (P ≤ 0.05) on all but one of the measurements. Eight out of 11 measurements were significantly greater in the farm fox population, while only tail length, ear height, and length of the right hind limb were greater in the population of wild foxes. The opposite trend was observed when analysing variation in the measurements — the farm foxes were characterized by a greater variability only in the case of body weight, body length, and breadth of chest. When analysing the sexual dimorphism index in different sex and population groups, in almost all analysed traits, the greatest differences occurred between farm males and wild females. All of the traits examined in this study are important for survival of wild foxes. However, because importance of some traits was reduced during domestication and selective breeding (farm foxes do not have to fight for survival), the genetic relationship between them may have weakened. Other possible causes of morphological differences between the studied groups of red foxes are discussed as well.

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Disseminated Mycobacterium bovis Infection in Red Foxes (Vulpes vulpes) with Cerebral Involvement Found in Portugal

Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases ◽

10.1089/vbz.2013.1500 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 14 (7) ◽

pp. 531-533 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Ana C. Matos ◽

Luis Figueira ◽

Maria H. Martins ◽

Manuela Matos ◽

Márcia Morais ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mycobacterium Bovis ◽

Vulpes Vulpes ◽

Red Foxes ◽

Cerebral Involvement

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The diet of red foxes, Vulpes vulpes L., in Victoria

Australian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1071/zo9730391 ◽

1973 ◽

Vol 21 (3) ◽

pp. 391 ◽

Cited By ~ 43

Author(s):

BJ Coman

Keyword(s):

Vulpes Vulpes ◽

Regional Differences ◽

Plant Material ◽

Stomach Contents ◽

Red Foxes ◽

Main Food ◽

Food Items ◽

Over Time

Stomach contents were examined for 1229 foxes collected in Victoria during 1968-70. Of these, 967 stomachs contained measurable quantities of food. The fox appears to have a very wide dietary range but is predominantly carnivorous. The main food items encountered were rabbits, sheep carrion, and mice. Lesser amounts of native mammals, birds, cold-blooded vertebrates, invertebrates, and plant material were encountered. For many foods, particularly insects, the intake was markedly seasonal. Regional differences in diet were also apparent. Much of the variation in intake of particular foods over time and between regions was explicable in terms of changing availabilities of these foods.

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Dispersal Kernel Determines Symmetry of Spread and Geographical Range for an Insect

International Journal of Ecology ◽

10.1155/2009/167278 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 2009 ◽

pp. 1-4 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Jeffrey D. Holland

Keyword(s):

Sugar Maple ◽

Spatial Dynamics ◽

Geographic Range ◽

Dispersal Distance ◽

Dispersal Kernel ◽

Geographical Range ◽

Spatial Distributions ◽

Longhorned Beetle ◽

Ecological Patterns ◽

Dispersal Distances

The distance from a source patch that dispersing insects reach depends on the number of dispersers, or random draws from a probability density function called a dispersal kernel, and the shape of that kernel. This can cause asymmetrical dispersal between habitat patches that produce different numbers of dispersers. Spatial distributions based on these dynamics can explain several ecological patterns including megapopulations and geographic range boundaries. I hypothesized that a locally extirpated longhorned beetle, the sugar maple borer, has a new geographical range shaped primarily by probabilistic dispersal distances. I used data on occurrence from Ontario, Canada to construct a model of geographical range in Indiana, USA based on maximum dispersal distance scaled by habitat area. This model predicted the new range boundary within 500 m very accurately. This beetle may be an ideal organism for exploring spatial dynamics driven by dispersal.

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