The effect of environmental variables on the activity patterns of the southern hairy-nosed wombat (Lasiorhinus latifrons) in captivity: onset, duration and cessation of activity

2011 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsay A. Hogan ◽  
Steve D. Johnston ◽  
Allan T. Lisle ◽  
Alan B. Horsup ◽  
Tina Janssen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Daily Activity ◽  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Elevated Temperatures ◽  
Environmental Influence ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Thermoneutral Zone ◽  
Temperature And Humidity ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
One Year ◽  
Daily Time

The influence of scotoperiod, ambient temperature and humidity on the activity of captive wombats was examined to differentiate environmental influence from that pertaining to food availability. The activity of 12 wombats (Lasiorhinus latifrons) housed at Rockhampton Zoo was remotely monitored by digital video-surveillance for one year, with environmental variables simultaneously recorded via dataloggers. Mean proportion of total daily time spent active was 18.2 ± 1.8%. Mean daily time spent active varied seasonally according to changes in temperature and humidity. Mean daily activity was greater during winter (301 ± 17 min) and spring (295 ± 16 min), than summer (234 ± 16 min) and autumn (238 ± 15 min) with differences due to a decrease in the number and length of activity bouts in summer and autumn; presumably these results reflect a need to maintain heat balance associated with exposure to elevated temperatures. Activity was positively correlated with temperature during winter (r = 0.60) and spring (r = 0.52) but negatively correlated during summer (r = –0.58) and autumn (r = –0.49), suggesting the existence of a thermoneutral zone where activity is maximised. We conclude that activity in captive wombats is influenced by environmental variables.

scholarly journals Inferring an animal's environment through biologging: quantifying the environmental influence on animal movement

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jasper A.J. Eikelboom ◽  
Henrik J. de Knegt ◽  
Maayke Klaver ◽  
Frank van Langevelde ◽  
Tamme van der Wal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Animal Movement ◽  
Environmental Influence ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Environmental Variation ◽  
Body Part ◽  
Environmental Variable ◽  
Machine Learning Algorithms ◽  
Movement Trajectories ◽  
Movement Data

Abstract Background: Animals respond to environmental variation by changing their movement in a multifaceted way. Recent advancements in biologging increasingly allow for detailed measurements of the multifaceted nature of movement, from descriptors of animal movement trajectories (e.g., using GPS) to descriptors of body part movements (e.g., using tri-axial accelerometers). Because this multivariate richness of movement data complicates inference on the environmental influence on animal movement, studies generally use simplified movement descriptors in statistical analyses. However, doing so limits the inference on the environmental influence on movement, as this requires that the multivariate richness of movement data can be fully considered in an analysis.Methods: We propose a data-driven analytic framework, based on existing methods, to quantify the environmental influence on animal movement that can accommodate the multifaceted nature of animal movement. Instead of fitting a simplified movement descriptor to a suite of environmental variables, our proposed framework centres on predicting an environmental variable from the full set of multivariate movement data. The measure of fit of this prediction is taken to be the metric that quantifies how much of the environmental variation relates to the multivariate variation in animal movement. We demonstrate the usefulness of this framework through a case study about the influence of grass availability and time since milking on cow movements using machine learning algorithms.Results: We show that on a one-hour timescale 37% of the variation in grass availability and 33% of time since milking influenced cow movements. Grass availability mostly influenced the cows’ neck movement during grazing, while time since milking mostly influenced the movement through the landscape and the shared variation of accelerometer and GPS data (e.g., activity patterns). Furthermore, this framework proved to be insensitive to spurious correlations between environmental variables in quantifying the influence on animal movement.Conclusions: Not only is our proposed framework well-suited to study the environmental influence on animal movement; we argue that it can also be applied in any field that uses multivariate biologging data, e.g., animal physiology, to study the relationships between animals and their environment.

scholarly journals Inferring an animal’s environment through biologging: quantifying the environmental influence on animal movement

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. J. Eikelboom ◽  
H. J. de Knegt ◽  
M. Klaver ◽  
F. van Langevelde ◽  
T. van der Wal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Animal Movement ◽  
Environmental Influence ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Environmental Variation ◽  
Body Part ◽  
Environmental Variable ◽  
Machine Learning Algorithms ◽  
Movement Trajectories ◽  
Movement Data

Abstract Background Animals respond to environmental variation by changing their movement in a multifaceted way. Recent advancements in biologging increasingly allow for detailed measurements of the multifaceted nature of movement, from descriptors of animal movement trajectories (e.g., using GPS) to descriptors of body part movements (e.g., using tri-axial accelerometers). Because this multivariate richness of movement data complicates inference on the environmental influence on animal movement, studies generally use simplified movement descriptors in statistical analyses. However, doing so limits the inference on the environmental influence on movement, as this requires that the multivariate richness of movement data can be fully considered in an analysis. Methods We propose a data-driven analytic framework, based on existing methods, to quantify the environmental influence on animal movement that can accommodate the multifaceted nature of animal movement. Instead of fitting a simplified movement descriptor to a suite of environmental variables, our proposed framework centres on predicting an environmental variable from the full set of multivariate movement data. The measure of fit of this prediction is taken to be the metric that quantifies how much of the environmental variation relates to the multivariate variation in animal movement. We demonstrate the usefulness of this framework through a case study about the influence of grass availability and time since milking on cow movements using machine learning algorithms. Results We show that on a one-hour timescale 37% of the variation in grass availability and 33% of time since milking influenced cow movements. Grass availability mostly influenced the cows’ neck movement during grazing, while time since milking mostly influenced the movement through the landscape and the shared variation of accelerometer and GPS data (e.g., activity patterns). Furthermore, this framework proved to be insensitive to spurious correlations between environmental variables in quantifying the influence on animal movement. Conclusions Not only is our proposed framework well-suited to study the environmental influence on animal movement; we argue that it can also be applied in any field that uses multivariate biologging data, e.g., animal physiology, to study the relationships between animals and their environment.

scholarly journals A Comparative Study of the Daily Activity Patterns of Dog Faced Baboon (Papio anubis) in Captivity at the Kano University Zoo and Kano Zoological Garden

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Isah Suleiman Dutse ◽  
Mohammed Musa Yahaya ◽  
D. O. Oshibanjo ◽  
Dan`azumi Danboyi Daya
Keyword(s):  
Daily Activity ◽  
Feeding Activity ◽  
Science And Technology ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Digital Camera ◽  
Zoological Garden ◽  
Papio Anubis ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Feeding Activities ◽  
Daily Activity Patterns

Aim: This study seeks to observed the daily activity patterns of dog faced baboon (Papio anubis) in Kano University of Science and Technology Wudil Zoo and Kano Zoological Garden. Materials and Methods: The study was carried out daily between 6:00am to 6:00pm from December 2016 to January 2017. Digital camera was also attached to cages at the two sites. The observation in the activity patterns were recorded on recording sheet, observation is done three times a week at 20 minutes intervals. Results: The findings on activity pattern of dog faced baboon (Papio anubis) in captivity shows that the day time activities decrease from morning to evening. Resting activities was 47.5%, movement and feeding were carried out in the morning, followed by afternoon and evening with 33.3% and 19.1% activities respectively. The results from the  Kano Zoological Garden, indicated that 42.7% of the activities perform by dog faced baboon in captivity are resting, this is followed by movement which accounted for 34.9% of the activities, while feeding activities account for the least with 22.4%. Similarly, about 43.2% of the recorded activities carried out by dog faced baboon in Kano University of Science and Technology Wudil, Zoo was resting, followed by movement which constituted 34.8% of the activities and feeding activity which accounted for 22%. Conclusion: Due to the fact that majority of the baboons activities usually take place between morning and afternoon, it is recommended that visitors interested in baboons should plan their visitation to the Zoo pen during that time. It is also recommended that feeding and harassing of animals by the visitors should be discouraged in order to ensure consistency in their behaviour.

scholarly journals Golden hamsters are nocturnal in captivity but diurnal in nature

2008 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 253-255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rolf Gattermann ◽  
Robert E Johnston ◽  
Nuri Yigit ◽  
Peter Fritzsche ◽  
Samantha Larimer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Circadian Rhythms ◽  
Daily Activity ◽  
Ecological Niche ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Laboratory Data ◽  
Specific Pattern ◽  
Prime Model ◽  
Golden Hamsters ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
In The Wild

Daily activity rhythms are nearly universal among animals and their specific pattern is an adaptation of each species to its ecological niche. Owing to the extremely consistent nocturnal patterns of activity shown by golden hamsters ( Mesocricetus auratus ) in the laboratory, this species is a prime model for studying the mechanisms controlling circadian rhythms. In contrast to laboratory data, we discovered that female hamsters in the wild were almost exclusively diurnal. These results raise many questions about the ecological variables that shape the activity patterns in golden hamsters and the differences between laboratory and field results.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Human Disturbance on the Activity of Medium–Large Mammals in Myanmar Tropical Forests

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 290
Author(s):  
Giacomo Cremonesi ◽  
Francesco Bisi ◽  
Lorenzo Gaffi ◽  
Thet Zaw ◽  
Hla Naing ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Disturbance ◽  
Daily Activity ◽  
Wildlife Conservation ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Circular Statistics ◽  
Large Mammals ◽  
Human Presence ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Status ◽  
Statistical Approaches

The effects of human disturbance represent one of the major threats for wildlife conservation. Many studies have shown that wildlife avoids or reduces direct contact with human activities through changes in activity patterns, and by minimizing spatiotemporal overlap. In this study, we investigated the possible effects of human presence on the temporal activity of medium-to-large mammals using two areas in Myanmar that differ in the intensity of human disturbance. We monitored temporal segregation mechanisms using camera trapping data and with two statistical approaches: daily activity overlaps between humans and wildlife and circular statistics. We did not find a significant difference in overlapping activity between areas but, thanks to circular statistics, we found that some species show changes in activity patterns, suggesting temporal avoidance. We observed that the daily activity of five species differed between areas of Myanmar, likely adopting mechanisms to reduce overlap in areas highly frequented by humans. Interestingly, these species are all threatened by hunting or poaching activities, four of which have been described in literature as “cathemeral”, or species that are active through day and night. This study suggests that some species adapt their behavior, at least partially, to avoid human presence in habitats with higher anthropic occurrence and increase our knowledge on the status of medium–large mammals in a poorly studied country as Myanmar.

scholarly journals Daily activity of four tropical intertidal hermit crabs from Southeastern Brazil

2003 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 537-544 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Turra ◽  
M. R. Denadai
Keyword(s):  
High Activity ◽  
Activity Pattern ◽  
Daily Activity ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
High Tide ◽  
Hermit Crabs ◽  
Activity Period ◽  
Southeastern Brazil ◽  
Intertidal Flat ◽  
Circadian Activity

This study describes the daily activity in a simulated high tide situation of four species of hermit crabs (Pagurus criniticornis, Clibanarius antillensis, C. sclopetarius, and C. vittatus) that coexist in an intertidal flat in southeastern Brazil. Observations were done in two-hour intervals during two subsequent days (48 h) in three replicate pools with thirty crabs each. Among species (between and within genera) there was an evident variation in activity patterns, of which three could be distinguished. The circadian activity patterns of C. antillensis and C. vittatus could be characterized as evening and nocturnal, with resting peaks during the morning and afternoon. The circadian activity pattern of C. sclopetarius was characterized by two marked peaks of inactivity, corresponding to dawn and evening, which could represent an intrinsic association with the semi-lunar tidal cycles of the study area. Pagurus criniticornis showed high activity not influenced by day/night conditions during the entire observed period. These activity pattern variations of the studied hermit crabs should be taken into account in designing further experiments. More precise and accurate interspecific behavioral comparisons among species could be achieved in nocturnal experiments, the high activity period of all species.

Seasonal Cycles and Daily Activity Patterns of Rocky Mountain Elk

1990 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald A. Green ◽  
George D. Bear
Keyword(s):  
Daily Activity ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Seasonal Cycles ◽  
Rocky Mountain Elk ◽  
Daily Activity Patterns

Seasonal and daily activity patterns in a Canadian population of the prairie rattlesnake, Crotalus viridus viridis

1985 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 86-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. P. J. Gannon ◽  
D. M. Secoy
Keyword(s):  
Daily Activity ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Energy Demands ◽  
Level Of Activity ◽  
Canadian Population ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Gravid Females ◽  
Daily Activity Patterns

The seasonal and daily activity patterns of a Saskatchewan population of Crotalus viridus viridis is presented. Snakes emerged from hibernation in late April and migrated into the surrounding river valley and upland regions in early May. Adult migration preceded that of immature age-classes. Several gravid females occupied a rookery near the hibernaculum during the summer months and remained there until parturition. Females did not occupy this site in successive years and may have a biennial or greater reproductive cycle. Snakes returned to the hibernaculum in early September and remained active until early October. The behaviour of snakes in a field enclosure in response to time of day and body temperature (Tb) was recorded during the spring, summer, and fall. Significant differences in the Tb values of sunning, movement, and shading behaviours were noted. Gravid females were significantly more active in all seasons. However, no significant difference in mean Tb was found between males and females in the field, enclosure study, or laboratory thermal gradient. The observed greater level of activity may reflect the high energy demands of gravid females.

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