Radio-Tracking Survey of Stray Cat Home Range in a Suburban Area: Non-Exclusive Use of Home Ranges in Stray Cats (Felis catus)

Winter radio-tracking of three African goshawks Accipiter tachiro showed that they each occupied well-wooded home ranges of at least 28 hectares. They perched and roosted mainly within densely foliaged trees and an adult female changed perches on average 4,7 times per hour. No crepuscular predation of bats was recorded, in contrast to regular summer predation on colonies of little free-tailed bats, Tadarida pumila, but winter emergence rates of these bats at dusk had dropped to < 5 of the previous summer. We predict that many accipiters will be regular predators of bats and that skewed sex ratios and high fecundity may be two means by which bats counter this predation.

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Home range and diet of feral cats in Hawaii forests

Pacific Conservation Biology ◽

10.1071/pc000229 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 6 (3) ◽

pp. 229 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Ty D. Smucker ◽

Gerald D. Lindsey ◽

Stephen M. Mosher

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Kernel Method ◽

Felis Catus ◽

Dry Forest ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Regular Component ◽

Ecological Data ◽

Feral Cat ◽

Adaptive Kernel ◽

Adult Cats

Feral cat Felis catus home range in a Hawaiian montane wet forest and their diet in three habitats - montane wet forest, subalpine dry forest, and lowland dry forest ? were determined to provide baseline ecological data and to assess potential impacts to native terrestrial fauna. Seven cats (three males and four females) were captured in 624 trap nights. Mean weight of adult cats was 2.85 � 0.27 (SE) kg for males and 1.87 � 0.03 kg for females. Mean diurnal home range using the adaptive kernel method was 5.74 � 2.73 km2 for three males and 2.23 � 0.44 km2 for two females. Daytime locations were always within the montane wet forest with the borders on one or more sides of the home ranges of all cats defined by open grassland pastures. Rodents comprised the majority of the cat diets in all three habitats, with the frequencies of occurrence between 0.88 and 0.91. Bird remains were a regular component of the diet of cats, with montane wet forest having the highest frequency of occurrence (0.68), followed by subalpine dry forest (0.53). and lowland dry forest (0.21).

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Subsidised by junk foods: factors influencing body condition in stray cats (Felis catus)

Journal of Urban Ecology ◽

10.1093/jue/juaa004 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

H M Crawford ◽

M C Calver ◽

P A Fleming

Keyword(s):

Body Condition ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Original Data ◽

Pathogen Transmission ◽

Felis Catus ◽

Stray Cats ◽

Public Nuisance ◽

Control Programmes ◽

Life Threatening ◽

Stray Cat

Abstract Domestic cats (Felis catus) are one of the most widely distributed and successful carnivores globally. While cats are popular pets, many unowned, ‘stray’ cats live freely in anthropogenic environments at high densities where they make use of anthropogenic resources. These stray cats present a management challenge due to concerns about wildlife predation, pathogen transmission, public nuisance and threats to cat welfare (e.g. vehicle collisions). In Australia, there are few studies of strays compared with pet cats or feral cats (free-roaming cats in rural areas that are independent of resources provided by humans). To contribute original data about stray cat biology, the carcasses of 188 euthanised stray cats were collected from Perth, Western Australia. Cats were assessed for general health, age, reproduction, diet and gastrointestinal parasite biomass. The influence of cat demographics, collection location, season, parasite biomass, diet and history of supplemental feeding by people were tested against body condition. Overall, strays were physically healthy and reproductive, with few life-threatening injuries or macroscopic evidence of disease; however, helminths were extremely common (95% of cats) and pose a threat. Nearly 40% of strays consumed wildlife, including two species of endemic marsupial. Alarmingly, 57.5% of strays were scavenging vast amounts of refuse, including life-threatening items in volumes that blocked their gastrointestinal tracts. These findings illustrate that strays need to be removed from anthropogenic environments for their own health and welfare and to prevent continued breeding. Targeted control programmes should prioritise removal of cats from areas where refuse is common and where valued native fauna exist.

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Importance of canopy connectivity for home range and movements of the rainforest arboreal ringtail possum (Hemibelideus lemuroides)

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr06114 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 34 (3) ◽

pp. 177 ◽

Cited By ~ 35

Author(s):

Robyn F. Wilson ◽

Helene Marsh ◽

John Winter

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Ground Level ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Radio Tracking ◽

Minimum Convex Polygon ◽

The Road ◽

North East ◽

Wide Road ◽

Ringtail Possum

Roads and powerline corridors destroy canopy connectivity in the rainforest of north-east Australia. We tested the hypotheses that linear barriers affect (a) the alignment of home ranges, (b) use of habitat either side of linear barriers, and (c) the crossing of them by the strictly arboreal lemuroid ringtail possum (Hemibelideus lemuroides), which is known to be vulnerable to habitat fragmentation. Radio-tracking and a translocation experiment were conducted at a narrow 7-m-wide road and an 80-m-wide powerline. Homes ranges of lemuroid ringtails ranged from 0.15 to 1.67 ha (minimum convex polygon) and were aligned with the road but not powerline corridors. When lemuroid ringtails were experimentally translocated, wider canopy clearings over roads reduced their capacity to return to their original home range, and the powerline corridor was a nearly insurmountable barrier. No possums were observed crossing roads or the powerline corridor at ground level or residing in the intervening matrix, indicating that loss of canopy connectivity has a negative impact on their movements.

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Feral Cats (Felis Catus L.) On New Zealand Farmland. Ii. Seasonal Activity.

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr9920707 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 19 (6) ◽

pp. 707 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

NPE Langham

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Home Range ◽

Social Behaviour ◽

Activity Patterns ◽

Felis Catus ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Seasonal Activity ◽

Adult Males ◽

Feral Cats ◽

Resident Population

The activity patterns of a resident population of 15 feral cats (Felis catus L.) on New Zealand farmland were investigated from March 1984 until February 1987 by radiotelemetry. Females could be divided into two separate groups: (1) those denning in barns and (2) those denning in the swamp and willows. Females denning in barns were mainly nocturnal except in spring and summer when rearing kittens. Barn cats moved significantly further between dusk and dawn, except in autumn-winter, than those denning in swamp and willows which were active over 24 h. When not breeding, related females occupied the same barn. In both groups, the home range of female relatives overlapped. Males ranged over all habitats, and dominant adult males moved significantly further and had larger home ranges than other males in all seasons, except in summer when they rested, avoiding hot summer days. Only adult males were active during the day in spring and autumn-winter. The importance of a Zeitgeber in synchronising cat activity with that of the prey is examined. The significance of female den site is discussed in relation to proximity of food, predators, social behaviour and male defence.

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Home ranges and movement schedules of sympatric bridled nailtail and black-striped wallabies

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr9960547 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 23 (5) ◽

pp. 547 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

M Evans

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Radio Tracking ◽

Wet Season ◽

Seasonal Differences ◽

Dry Seasons ◽

Species Movement ◽

Wet And Dry Seasons

Home ranges and movement schedules of sympatric bridled nailtail wallabies, Onychogalea fraenata, and black-striped wallabies, Macropus dorsalis, were studied during wet and dry seasons by radio-tracking. Home ranges of black-striped wallabies (91 ha) were much larger than those of bridled nailtail wallabies (40 ha). Home-range size differed between sexes for bridled nailtail wallabies (males, 59 ha; females, 26 ha), but not for black-striped wallabies. Intraspecific seasonal differences in home-range size were not significant. All home ranges included diurnal shelter habitat, although the preferred type of shelter habitat was different for each species. Movement schedules differed significantly between wet and dry seasons for black-striped wallabies (which made a higher frequency of longer-distance movements during the dry season than during the wet season), but not for bridled nailtail wallabies.

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Home range, nest use and activity of the Tasmanian bettong, Bettongia gaimardi

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr9930087 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

pp. 87 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

RJ Taylor

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Plant Material ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Ground Vegetation ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Regular Pattern ◽

Radio Tracking ◽

Tracking Period

Home range, nest use and activity of the Tasmanian bettong, Bettongia gaimardi, was investigated in northern Tasmania. During 3-week periods in August and November 1986 and February and May 1987 radio-tracking of six females and three males was undertaken, five of these being tracked in more than one period. Home ranges of males were larger than those of females. There was no indication of any major differences in home-range size or shifts in location of home ranges between seasons. Nightly patterns of movement were essentially random with distances of 500-600 m between half-hourly locations being not uncommon. Males occasionally showed a more regular pattern of movement possibly related to searching for oestrous females. Bettongs became active soon after dark. The number of hours spent active was greatest during May (79% of length of night) and lowest during November (93% of night). Bettongs occasionally rested at night between two bouts of activity. Nests are formed from a hollowed-out bundle of plant material and located under fallen trees, shrubs or logs, or under low shrubs or clumps of ground vegetation such as Lomandra. Individuals used 3-6 nests per 3-week tracking period. Nests were usually only used consecutively for one or two nights, and different nests were used to different extents. A different set of nests tended to be used in different months. Nests showed some tendency to be located at one end of the home range. Nesting areas used by different individuals overlapped.

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A radio tracking study of home range and movements of the marsupial Micoureus demerarae (Thomas) (Mammalia, Didelphidae) in the Atlantic forest of south-eastern Brazil

Revista Brasileira de Zoologia ◽

10.1590/s0101-81752005000100011 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

pp. 85-91 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Edsel Amorim Moraes Junior ◽

Adriano Garcia Chiarello

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Convex Polygon ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Radio Tracking ◽

Minimum Convex Polygon ◽

South Eastern ◽

Live Trapping ◽

Eastern Brazil ◽

Data Points ◽

Biological Reserve

From August 2001 to July 2002 the home range and movements of seven Micoureus demerarae (Thomas, 1905) (three males and four females) were investigated using radio tracking in the União Biological Reserve, state of Rio de Janeiro, south-eastern Brazil. A total of 436 locations was obtained and home range estimated with fixed Kernel (95% of data points), and minimum convex polygon (MCP) methods, with 100 and 95% of data points. Male home ranges estimated by MCP (100%) ranged from 5.4-24.2 ha and females from 0.3-10.7 ha. Corresponding figures calculated with Kernel (95%) were 4-10.9 ha for males and 1.3-5.9 ha for females. Animals travelled on average 423 m/night, with males travelling significantly further (582.8 m/night) than females (335.1 m/night) (t test, t = 3.609, p = 0.001). We concluded that radio tracking produced much larger home ranges than those estimated with traditional live-trapping techniques, suggesting that the latter might underestimate ranging when the area covered with traps is relatively small (ca. 1 ha or less). Radio tracking also indicated that M. demerarae, although predominantly arboreal and weighting only ca. 130 g., has movements similar in magnitude to larger-sized terrestrial didelphimorph marsupials, such as Didelphis Linnaeus, 1758, Philander Linnaeus, 1758 and Metachirus (Desmarest, 1817).

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Home-range studies in a reintroduced brush-tailed rock-wallaby (Petrogale penicillata) population in the Grampians National Park, Victoria

Australian Mammalogy ◽

10.1071/am10039 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 33 (2) ◽

pp. 128 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Jenny Molyneux ◽

David A. Taggart ◽

Anthony Corrigan ◽

Sean Frey

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

National Park ◽

Site Fidelity ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Local Extinction ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Radio Tracking ◽

Western Victoria ◽

Species Ecology

In 2008, after 9 years of presumed local extinction, brush-tailed rock-wallabies (Petrogale penicillata) were reintroduced at Moora Moora Creek in the Grampians National Park, western Victoria. Since little is known about this species in Victoria, the reintroduction presented an important opportunity to gain information on the species’ ecology. Radio-tracking was undertaken and home range determined for three individuals released 11 months before this study and a further five individuals that were released at the commencement of the study in October 2009. Home-range size showed little variation amongst individuals, with a mean overall home range of 26 ha (±1.69, s.e.) and a mean core home range of 2.5 ha (±0.24, s.e.). Newly reintroduced individuals showed higher levels of association with wallabies from the same release and greater site fidelity when known conspecifics were close. Within 5 months of release, newly reintroduced animals showed home ranges similar in both size and distribution to those of animals released 11 months prior.

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Dispersal of subadult moose (Alces alces) in a nonmigratory population

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z92-183 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 70 (7) ◽

pp. 1309-1314 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Göran N. Cederlund ◽

Håkan K. G. Sand

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Alces Alces ◽

First Year ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Radio Tracking ◽

Sedentary Population ◽

Linear Distance ◽

Demographic Processes ◽

Range Overlap ◽

Demographic Features

Dispersal of subadult moose (Alces alces) in a sedentary population in central Sweden was studied during 1983 – 1989 by radio-tracking individuals for up to 11 seasons after their abandonment by the cow. Linear distance between geometric centers of natal area and consecutive home ranges increased with time among males, but not by more than about 4 km. The main increase occurred in autumn, probably due to rutting activities. Females maintained a fairly consistent distance of approximately 1 km throughout the study period. Seasonal home range overlap of natal area was negatively correlated with time for both sexes, but the patterns in the decrease differed. For males, the overlap was 10–40% after the first year, whereas female home ranges never overlapped by less than 40%. Overlap of consecutive seasonal home ranges increased significantly with age in both sexes. Neither sex dispersed out of the study area, since the animals were highly philopatric. The absence of dispersal (high philopatry) in moose in Fennoscandia is an important factor affecting demographic processes (and perhaps also genetic processes) within and between populations. It is important to distinguish different subpopulations of moose and manage them with respect to their unique demographic features.

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