Desert kit fox home range – southeastern California

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.

scholarly journals Characteristics of current and historical kit fox (Vulpes macrotis) dens in the Great Basin Desert

2003 ◽  
Vol 81 (1) ◽  
pp. 96-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy M Arjo ◽  
Tim J Bennett ◽  
Adam J Kozlowski
Keyword(s):  
Home Range ◽  
Great Basin ◽  
Geographical Area ◽  
Home Range Size ◽  
Physical Characteristics ◽  
Range Size ◽  
Multiple Use ◽  
Mountainous Areas ◽  
Kit Fox ◽  
Vulpes Macrotis

We examined the ecological and physical characteristics of den sites for 13 adult kit fox (Vulpes macrotis) in western Utah from December 1998 to February 2001. We also compared current and historical den distribution among habitat types. The number of den sites used was not influenced by home-range size (P = 0.11) or season (P = 0.40), but was influenced by geographical area. Home-range size was smallest (P = 0.007) and the number of dens used was greatest (P = 0.009) in mountainous areas. Ecological and physical characteristics of single-use dens (n = 30) were compared with those of multiple-use (n = 53) and natal dens (n = 8). Characteristics that differed between den types included number of entrances (P = 0.0001), diameter of entrances (P = 0.003), and height of vegetation along transects (P = 0.0001). Natal den entrance azimuths were weighted towards a northwesterly aspect (P = 0.0022); however, single- and multiple-use den exits appeared to be randomly distributed. Historical changes in kit fox den site selection have occurred since 1959 (P < 0.0001). We characterized more dens in invasive grasslands and fewer in greasewood (Sarcobatus vermiculatus) habitats than previously described. The conversion of native habitat to grassland and the increase in coyote population may have altered kit fox distribution to include mountainous areas not previously described.

Differing effects of productivity on home-range size and population density of a native and an invasive mammalian carnivore

2021 ◽  
pp. NULL
Author(s):  
Rowena P. Hamer ◽  
Georgina E. Andersen ◽  
Bronwyn A. Hradsky ◽  
Shannon N. Troy ◽  
Riana Z. Gardiner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Population Density ◽  
Home Range ◽  
Home Range Size ◽  
Range Size

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

2010 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 183 ◽  
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.

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

1996 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 711 ◽  
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.

scholarly journals Movement patterns and home range size of tigerfish (Hydrocynus vittatus) in the Incomati River system, South Africa

Koedoe ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francois Roux ◽  
Gert Steyn ◽  
Clinton Hay ◽  
Ina Wagenaar
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Home Range ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Specific Activity ◽  
Movement Patterns ◽  
River System ◽  
Home Range Size ◽  
Range Size ◽  
Management Policy ◽  
Fish Movement

Historical data suggested that the tigerfish (Hydrocynus vittatus) of the Incomati River migrates upstream and downstream as part of their life history. It has been suggested that this movement was a prerequisite for successful spawning in inundated floodplains in Mozambique. Recent advances in aquatic radio telemetry provided a reliable mechanism to monitor fish movement and increase knowledge of the ecology of tigerfish. From 04 January 2003 to 22 December 2003, 41 tigerfish in the Incomati River system were fitted with radio transmitters to record movement patterns and estimate home range size. On average, each fish was tracked 72 times, and the total number of fixes was 2971 over the study period, including 1322 summer fixes and 1649 winter fixes. The mean longest distance travelled by tigerfish was 730 m (range = 75 m to 3200 m). The home range size varied between individual fish, but on average fish stayed within a defined home range of 48 846 m2. Tigerfish showed high site fidelity to specific habitats within specific activity zones and movement occurred primarily within these defined zones. Differences in movement pattern, longest distance travelled and home range size could not be attributed to the sex or size of the fish. No large-scale movement patterns associated with specific life history activity were observed; thus, previous reports of large-scale downstream migrations and spawning migrations appear to be invalid. The presence of weirs in the study area impedes free fish movement as these weirs create migration obstructions.Conservation implications: River regulation such as damming, water abstraction, obstructive barriers and channel modification may have a detrimental impact on the survival strategy of this species. Implementation of these results in a management policy will provide a reliable basis for species specific requirements such as upstream reservoir release management; minimum flow volumes required for downstream ecosystem maintenance and management and planning of structures obstructing natural flow.

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

2010 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernanda Rodrigues Fernandes ◽  
Leonardo Dominici Cruz ◽  
Eduardo Guimarães Martins ◽  
Sérgio Furtado dos Reis
Keyword(s):  
Home Range ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Information Criterion ◽  
Mass Gain ◽  
Home Range Size ◽  
Growth Patterns ◽  
Range Size ◽  
Minimum Convex Polygon ◽  
Mass Model ◽  
Proximate Cause

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.

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

2006 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 255-261 ◽  
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.

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

2006 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 397 ◽  
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.

scholarly journals 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

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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