Terrestrial activity and summer home range of the mole salamander (Ambystoma talpoideum)

The terrestrial activity and summer home range of Ambystoma talpoideum is described in two populations in South Carolina. Emigration of adults from breeding sites occurred from March through May during 1979 and 1980. Adults spent 237–354 days in terrestrial habitats before returning to breeding sites during autumn and early winter. Females spent significantly more time in terrestrial habitats than males. Movement of A. talpoideum into and out of the breeding sites around the perimeter of the Carolina bays was nonrandom. Salamanders used corridors of dense vegetation more frequently than open, grassy shoreline areas. Emigration of individual adults to summer home ranges occurred within several nights and summer home ranges were established 81–261 m from the edge of the bays. Juveniles emigrated significantly shorter distances (12–67 m) than adults. Summer home ranges comprised several focal points of activity or "activity centers." The area of each activity center was relatively constant among individuals (0.02–0.21 m2) when compared with the area of a "minimum polygon" home range (0.11–23.3 m2). Ambystoma talpoideum inhabited burrow systems within each activity center. Burrows ran parallel to the surface of the forest floor and averaged 1.7 cm in diameter and 4.7 cm below the surface.

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Demography and home range of the eastern barred bandicoot (Perameles gunnii) in south-eastern Tasmania

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr97006 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 27 (1) ◽

pp. 103 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Stephen A. Mallick ◽

Michael M. Driessen ◽

Gregory J. Hocking

Keyword(s):

Body Weight ◽

Sex Ratio ◽

Home Range ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Sexually Dimorphic ◽

South Eastern ◽

Small Width ◽

Live Trapping ◽

Dry Conditions ◽

Two Populations

We used live-trapping to study the demography and movement of two populations of the eastern barred bandicoot, Perameles gunnii, in south-eastern Tasmania from 1992 to 1996. Densities were 0.35–2.35 animals ha–1. Sex ratios were male-dominated on Grid I and female-dominated on Grid II. The average body weight for sexual maturity was 700g for males and 680g for females, while the lowest recorded weight for a breeding female was 570g. Perameles gunnii was sexually dimorphic, with males having a greater body weight and pes length than females. Recruitment was 25.4–32.1%, residence 46.7–100.0%, and emigration 16.5–25.5% of the population. Three juveniles were recruited to the Grid I population, 55 to Grid II, with a steady decline in the number of juveniles recruited to Grid II over the four years of the study. Breeding occurred year-round. Mean litter size was 2.53, with 78.2% of all litters having either 2 or 3 young. Mean longevity for male and female P. gunnii was 7.91 and 10.54 months, respectively. Home ranges of males (4.29 ha) were significantly larger than those of females (2.34 ha), although this may represent a significant underestimate due to the small width of our grids (200m) relative to the home-range area. There was only moderate overlap (19.3%) between home ranges of males and females. The overlap between male/male home ranges (4.4%) was significantly less than the overlap between female/female home ranges (15.8%). Perameles gunnii carried both ticks and fleas, with flea infestation being significantly higher on Grid I than on Grid II. Both populations underwent a significant decline over the study period, apparently the result of the unusually dry conditions over the first 3 years of the study. A deterioration in conditions was associated with a steady loss of resident adults, declining recruitment of juveniles and an increase in the male/female sex ratio. The sex ratio of P. gunnii populations may provide a convenient index of habitat quality, with poor or deteriorating conditions apparently associated with a high or increasing numbers of males to females.

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Home Ranges of Sympatric Black and Turkey Vultures in South Carolina

The Condor ◽

10.1093/condor/106.3.706 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 106 (3) ◽

pp. 706-711 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Travis L. DeVault ◽

Bradley D. Reinhart ◽

I. Lehr Brisbin ◽

Olin E. Rhodes

Keyword(s):

South Carolina ◽

Home Range ◽

Agricultural Landscape ◽

Savannah River Site ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Savannah River ◽

Cathartes Aura ◽

Turkey Vultures ◽

River Site

Abstract We examined home-range characteristics of seven Black Vultures (Coragyps atratus) and four Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura) at the Savannah River Site, South Carolina. Birds were captured at their primary roost and tracked via aerial telemetry from 11 February 2002 through 29 January 2003. Mean annual home-range sizes (95% fixed kernel) for Black and Turkey Vultures were 12 399 ± 5199 ha [SE] and 34 053 ± 8567 ha, respectively. Black Vultures concentrated their movements around the primary roost, whereas Turkey Vultures demonstrated less site fidelity. Home-range sizes and time spent soaring for both species were much greater than reported for vultures residing in an agricultural landscape. We suggest that food resources at the heavily forested Savannah River Site were fewer and less predictable than in agricultural landscapes, requiring larger home ranges and increased time spent foraging. Rangos de Hogar de los Buitres Simpátricos Coragyps atratus y Cathartes aura en Carolina del Sur Resumen. Examinamos las características de los rangos de hogar de siete Coragyps atratus y cuatro Cathartes aura en Savannah River, Carolina del Sur. Las aves fueron capturadas en sus sitios de descanso principales y fueron rastreadas mediante telemetría aé rea desde el 11 de febrero de 2002 hasta el 29 de enero de 2003. Los tamaños medios de rango de hogar (kernel fijo del 95%) fueron de 12 399 ± 5199 ha [EE] para C. atratus y de 34 053 ± 8567 ha para C. aura. Cathartes atratus concentró sus movimientos alrededor de sus sitios de descanso principales, mientras que C. aura demostró menor fidelidad al sitio. Para las dos especies, los tamaños del rango de hogar y el tiempo que permanecieron planeando fueron mucho mayores que los reportados para buitres que habitan paisajes agrícolas. Sugerimos que en Savannah River, un sitio con alta cobertura forestal, los recursos alimenticios eran más escasos y menos predecibles que en paisajes agrícolas, requiriendo rangos de hogar mayores y un incremento en el tiempo de forrajeo.

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Obsevations on the Tasmanian Devil, Sarcophilus harrisii (Marsupialia : Dasyuridae) I. Numbers, home, range, movements and food in two populations

Australian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1071/zo9700049 ◽

1970 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 49 ◽

Cited By ~ 55

Author(s):

ER Guiler

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Population Cycles ◽

Differential Mortality ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Tasmanian Devil ◽

Abundant Food ◽

Sclerophyll Forest ◽

Two Populations ◽

Sarcophilus Harrisii

Two geographically separate populations of S. harrisii were studied. There is evidence that long-term population cycles exist in this species. Devils are non-territorial and have a home range which may be shared by several animals. Sclerophyll forest and coastal scrub are their favoured habitats. Individuals in the two populations showed different movements, probably related to food availability; those in areas of abundant food moved about 2 miles and had small home ranges whereas those in areas with less food moved over at least 10 miles per night. The density of population was high in one area, reaching over 30 per square mile, but this is abnormal. Devils have a wide food spectrum and use introduced species as well as native, but in each area their food was based upon one to three species. Man is the principal predator on adult devils. Females were more numerous in all populations but a heavier mortality of this sex occurs in late life. This differential mortality took place at immaturity in one population. Juvenile recruitment was greater in areas with less food than in areas of abundant food, due to the absence of overcrowding.

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The home range of adult Phrynops geoffroanus (Testudines, Chelidae) in relation to sex and body mass

Herpetozoa ◽

10.3897/herpetozoa.32.e38237 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 32 ◽

pp. 259-265

Author(s):

Márcia Marrie Pinheiro Müller ◽

Zaida Ortega ◽

Pâmela Castro Antunes ◽

Larissa Lopes Seino ◽

Matheus Justino Hammarstron ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Body Mass ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Distance Method ◽

Mato Grosso ◽

Trophic Resources ◽

Linear Distance ◽

Terrestrial Habitats ◽

Radio Transmitters

Studying how different variables influence the size and shape of animals’ home ranges helps our understanding of the ecology of individuals and populations. This study aims to assess the effects of sex and body mass on home range size and the sexual differences in the use of terrestrial habitats of a population of aquatic turtles Phrynops geoffroanus from an urban area in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Turtles were captured along a river by active search, occasional encounter and hoop traps. Using individual VHF radio transmitters, 13 individuals (7 females and 6 males) were radio-tracked by homing in on the signal strength of the transmitter. Home ranges were estimated by 95% and 50% core one-dimensional fixed kernel and linear distance method. Home ranges were similar for both sexes (t = -0.50, DF = 12, p = 0.62) and independent of body mass (t = -0.53, DF = 12, p = 0.60). However, females seemed to use terrestrial habitats more than males (females = six recorded locations out of 767 points; males = none), probably to nest. To gain insight on how males and females use their space, it would be useful to focus future studies on the influence of sex in microhabitat selection of Phrynops geoffroanus. Finally, as sex did not influence home range, studying the contribution of other variables – both intrinsic, as age or personality, and extrinsic, as habitat composition or distribution of trophic resources – shaping the home ranges of the species is proposed.

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Impact of natural salt lick on the home range of Panthera tigris at the Royal Belum Rainforest, Malaysia

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-89980-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Bryan Andrew Lazarus ◽

Azlan Che-Amat ◽

Muhammad Muzammil Abdul Halim Shah ◽

Azwan Hamdan ◽

Hasliza Abu Hassim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Prey Availability ◽

Nutritional Ecology ◽

Camera Traps ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Panthera Tigris ◽

Health Maintenance ◽

Salt Lick ◽

Save Energy ◽

Salt Licks

AbstractNatural salt lick (sira) is a strategic localisation for ecological wildlife assemblage to exhibit geophagy which may act as a population dynamic buffer of prey and predators. Undoubtedly, many agree that geophagy at natural licks is linked to nutritional ecology, health and assembly places facilitating social interaction of its users. Overall, natural salt licks not only save energy of obtaining nutrient leading to health maintenance but also forms the basis of population persistence. The Royal Belum Rainforest, Malaysia (Royal Belum) is a typical tropical rainforest in Malaysia rich in wildlife which are mainly concentrated around the natural salt lick. Since this is one of the most stable fauna ecology forest in Malaysia, it is timely to assess its impact on the Malayan tiger (Panthera tigris) home range dynamics. The three-potential home ranges of the Malayan tiger in this rainforest were selected based on animal trails or foot prints surrounding the salt lick viz (e.g. Sira Kuak and Sira Batu; Sira Rambai and Sira Buluh and Sira Papan) as well as previous sightings of a Malayan tiger in the area, whose movement is dependent on the density and distribution of prey. Camera traps were placed at potential animal trails surrounding the salt lick to capture any encountered wildlife species within the area of the camera placements. Results showed that all home ranges of Malayan tiger were of no significance for large bodied prey availability such as sambar deer (Rusa unicolor), and smaller prey such as muntjacs (Muntiacus muntjac) and wild boar (Sus scrofa). Interestingly, all home range harbour the Malayan tiger as the only sole predator. The non-significance of prey availability at each home range is attributed to the decline of the Malayan tiger in the rainforest since tigers are dependant on the movement of its preferred prey surrounding natural salt licks. Thus, the information from this study offers fundamental knowledge on the importance of prey-predator interaction at salt lick which will help in designing strategy in rewilding or rehabilitation programs of the Malayan tiger at the Royal Belum Rainforest.

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The spatial dynamics of White-browed Babbler groups in a fragmented agricultural landscape

Pacific Conservation Biology ◽

10.1071/pc030271 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. 271 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Peter G. Cale

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Breeding Season ◽

Group Dynamics ◽

Agricultural Landscape ◽

Local Population ◽

Breeding Site ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Effective Population ◽

Study Sites ◽

Group Movements

White-browed Babbler Pomatostomus superciliosus groups occupying linear strips of vegetation had breeding territories that were smaller in area and had longer linear dimensions than those occupying patches. A group's non-breeding home range was larger than its breeding territory. Groups occupying linear/patch home ranges expanded the linear extent and area of their home ranges more than those within other home range configurations. Some groups moved during the non-breeding season and this was more likely to occur if the group occupied a remnant with a low abundance of invertebrates during summer. Some groups that moved returned prior to the next breeding season, but the majority were never seen again. New groups moved into the study sites and established in vacant home ranges. This suggests that those groups that left the study sites may have established new home ranges elsewhere. Breeding site fidelity was lower in groups that had failed in previous breeding attempts. Therefore, group movements were influenced by the feeding and breeding quality of the habitat. However, the configuration of the local population also influenced group movements with those groups on the edge of a local population being more likely to move than those in the interior. New groups were formed by two processes; group dispersal, where groups generally filled a vacant home range, and group budding, which involved the splitting of a large group. Group dispersal maintained group densities while group budding increased the density of groups in a local population. These two processes were common, producing localized fluctuations in the density of groups. Since babbler groups contain only one breeding pair, changes in group density represent changes in effective population size. Therefore, group dynamics may be important to the persistence of local populations of White-browed Babblers, especially in landscapes that have suffered from habitat loss and fragmentation.

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Koalas continue to occupy their previous home-ranges after selective logging in Callitris - Eucalyptus forest

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr06126 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 34 (2) ◽

pp. 94 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Rodney P. Kavanagh ◽

Matthew A. Stanton ◽

Traecey E. Brassil

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Basal Area ◽

Selective Logging ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Phascolarctos Cinereus ◽

Eucalyptus Forest ◽

South Wales ◽

Callitris Glaucophylla ◽

One Year ◽

Cypress Pine

The koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) is a charismatic, high-profile species whose conservation needs are commonly perceived to be incompatible with logging. However, koala biology and the results of chronosequence studies elsewhere suggest that this species may tolerate a degree of habitat alteration caused by logging. In this study, 30 koalas, five in each of six areas available for logging within a mixed white cypress pine (Callitris glaucophylla)–Eucalyptus forest in north-western New South Wales, were radio-tracked for one year during 1997–1998 to determine their movements, home-range sizes and tree preferences. Five months after the study began, three of these areas were logged selectively for sawlogs and thinnings of the white cypress pine, a tree that is important to koalas for daytime shelter. This removed about one-quarter of the stand basal area, but the eucalypt component was unaffected. The remaining three areas were left undisturbed as controls. Radio-tracking continued in all six areas for another seven months. Koalas continued to occupy all or part of their previous home-ranges after selective logging, and home-range sizes remained similar between logged and unlogged areas. Home-ranges for both sexes overlapped and were ~12 ha for males and 9 ha for females. Koala survival and the proportions of breeding females were similar in logged and unlogged areas. The principal food trees of the koala were red gums, mainly Eucalyptus blakelyi and E. chloroclada, and the pilliga box (E. pilligaensis), none of which were logged in this study. These results suggest that selective logging for white cypress pine does not appear to adversely affect koala populations and that koalas may not be as sensitive to logging as previously thought. Further work is required to determine thresholds in the level of retention of koala food trees in logging operations.

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Movement patterns of feral predators in an arid environment – implications for control through poison baiting

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr08098 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 36 (5) ◽

pp. 422 ◽

Cited By ~ 64

Author(s):

K. E. Moseby ◽

J. Stott ◽

H. Crisp

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Sand Dunes ◽

Activity Patterns ◽

Movement Patterns ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Feral Cats ◽

Poison Baiting ◽

Specific Variation

Control of introduced predators is critical to both protection and successful reintroduction of threatened prey species. Efficiency of control is improved if it takes into account habitat use, home range and the activity patterns of the predator. These characteristics were studied in feral cats (Felis catus) and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in arid South Australia, and results are used to suggest improvements in control methods. In addition, mortality and movement patterns of cats before and after a poison-baiting event were compared. Thirteen cats and four foxes were successfully fitted with GPS data-logger radio-collars and tracked 4-hourly for several months. High intra-specific variation in cat home-range size was recorded, with 95% minimum convex polygon (MCP) home ranges varying from 0.5 km2 to 132 km2. Cat home-range size was not significantly different from that of foxes, nor was there a significant difference related to sex or age. Cats preferred habitat types that support thicker vegetation cover, including creeklines and sand dunes, whereas foxes preferred sand dunes. Cats used temporary focal points (areas used intensively over short time periods and then vacated) for periods of up to 2 weeks and continually moved throughout their home range. Aerial baiting at a density of 10 baits per km2 was ineffective for cats because similar high mortality rates were recorded for cats in both baited and unbaited areas. Mortality was highest in young male cats. Long-range movements of up to 45 km in 2 days were recorded in male feral cats and movement into the baited zone occurred within 2 days of baiting. Movement patterns of radio-collared animals and inferred bait detection distances were used to suggest optimum baiting densities of ~30 baits per km2 for feral cats and 5 per km2 for foxes. Feral cats exhibited much higher intra-specific variation in activity patterns and home-range size than did foxes, rendering them a potentially difficult species to control by a single method. Control of cats and foxes in arid Australia should target habitats with thick vegetation cover and aerial baiting should ideally occur over areas of several thousand square kilometres because of large home ranges and long-range movements increasing the chance of fast reinvasion. The use of temporary focal points suggested that it may take several days or even weeks for a cat to encounter a fixed trap site within their home range, whereas foxes should encounter them more quickly as they move further each day although they have a similar home-range size. Because of high intra-specific variability in activity patterns and home-range size, control of feral cats in inland Australia may be best achieved through a combination of control techniques.

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The home-range concept: are traditional estimators still relevant with modern telemetry technology?

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rstb.2010.0093 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 365 (1550) ◽

pp. 2221-2231 ◽

Cited By ~ 268

Author(s):

John G. Kie ◽

Jason Matthiopoulos ◽

John Fieberg ◽

Roger A. Powell ◽

Francesca Cagnacci ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

New Technologies ◽

Animal Movement ◽

Space Use ◽

Ease Of Use ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Data Intensive ◽

Use Patterns ◽

Location Data ◽

Utilization Distributions

Recent advances in animal tracking and telemetry technology have allowed the collection of location data at an ever-increasing rate and accuracy, and these advances have been accompanied by the development of new methods of data analysis for portraying space use, home ranges and utilization distributions. New statistical approaches include data-intensive techniques such as kriging and nonlinear generalized regression models for habitat use. In addition, mechanistic home-range models, derived from models of animal movement behaviour, promise to offer new insights into how home ranges emerge as the result of specific patterns of movements by individuals in response to their environment. Traditional methods such as kernel density estimators are likely to remain popular because of their ease of use. Large datasets make it possible to apply these methods over relatively short periods of time such as weeks or months, and these estimates may be analysed using mixed effects models, offering another approach to studying temporal variation in space-use patterns. Although new technologies open new avenues in ecological research, our knowledge of why animals use space in the ways we observe will only advance by researchers using these new technologies and asking new and innovative questions about the empirical patterns they observe.

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Ecological Correlates of Fecal Corticosterone Metabolites in Female Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrococercus urophasianus)

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/cjz-2020-0258 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jordan Clark Rabon ◽

Cassandra M. V. Nuñez ◽

Peter Coates ◽

Mark Ricca ◽

Tracey N. Johnson

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Stress Responses ◽

Habitat Degradation ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Remotely Sensed Data ◽

Sage Grouse ◽

Ecological Conditions ◽

Annual Grasses

Measurement of physiological responses can reveal effects of ecological conditions on an animal and correlate with demographic parameters. Ecological conditions for many animal species have deteriorated as a function of invasive plants and habitat fragmentation. Expansion of juniper (Juniperus spp.) trees and invasion of annual grasses into sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystems have contributed to habitat degradation for Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrococercus urophasianus (Bonaparte, 1827); hereafter, “Sage-Grouse”), a species of conservation concern throughout its range. We evaluated relationships between habitat use in a landscape modified by juniper expansion and annual grasses and corticosterone metabolite levels (stress responses) in feces (FCORTm) of female Sage-Grouse. We used remotely sensed data to estimate vegetation cover within hens’ home ranges and accounted for factors that influence FCORTm in other vertebrates, such as age and weather. We collected 36 fecal samples from 22 radio-collared hens during the brood-rearing season (24 May–26 July) in southwestern Idaho 2017–18. Concentrations of corticosterone increased with home range size but decreased with reproductive effort and temperature. The importance of home range size suggests that maintaining or improving habitats that promote smaller home ranges would likely facilitate a lower stress response by hens, which should benefit Sage-Grouse survival and reproduction.

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