Home Range Size and Use in Allocebus trichotis in Analamazaotra Special Reserve, Central Eastern Madagascar

No information is currently available on the space needs of hairy-eared dwarf lemurs (Allocebus trichotis), classified as Data Deficient. The data are crucial for their conservation and comparison with other nocturnal primates. I conducted the first radiotracking study of the species from January to December 2007 in the Analamazaotra Special Reserve of Central Eastern Madagascar. I used nocturnal focal individual follows and daytime nest locations to determine home ranges. I followed 1 full sleeping group (4 adults) for 8 mo and 1 partial sleeping group (2 females) for 3 mo. Group home ranges, calculated via 100% minimum convex polygons (MCP), were 35.5 ha and 16.0 ha, respectively. The 95% kernel method of analysis yielded group home ranges of 15.2 ha and 7.1 ha respectively. The mean home range size for individuals was 15.4 ha (MCP) and 5.4 ha (kernel). This is much larger than for other Cheirogaleidae and could be due to a more insectivorous diet or the use of patchily distributed gum-producing trees. There were small nonsignificant monthly variations in home range size. The mean home range size per individual per month was 5.2 ha (MCP) and 2.2 ha (kernel). Important individual differences in overall and monthly home range size could be due to variations in the individual reproductive cycles and survival strategies. Overlap analyses and the lack of sexual difference in home range size suggest the social unit is a family or multimale/multifemale sleeping group with monogamous or promiscuous mating. The Analamazaotra Special Reserve probably holds ca. 100 adult individuals. Additional research is urgently needed to clarify the habitat needs of this rare species.     

A field study on the red-bellied tamarin,Saguinus l. labiatus,in Bolivia

A 5-month field study was conducted on red-bellied tamarins,Saguinus labiatus labiatus, in the Pando Department of northern Bolivia. Group sizes ranged from 5 to 10 animals, and each group associated with a group of saddle-backed tamarins,Saguinus fuscicollis weddelli. Members of three groups were trapped and marked and data were collected by radiolocation. The average range size used over 10 days was 19 ha. On average the groups entered about 29% of their range each day and had a mean daily path length of about 1487 m. The groups used a number of different sleeping sites within their ranges. They fed on a variety of different fruits and also on nectar from flowers, resin, and insects. Areas within the home range which were used significantly more than expected were generally those in which one or more of the following existed: a sleeping site, an intergroup encounter site, or a site where the group took shelter during an extended period of heavy rain.     

Factors Affecting the Ranging Behavior of White-headed Langurs (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Trachypithecus leucocephalus</Emphasis>)

Ranging behavior is an important aspect of animal behavior that researchers use to investigate ecological influences on individual behavior. We studied the influence of diet, water resources, and sleeping sites on the ranging behavior of 2 groups of white-headed langurs (Trachypithecus leucocephalus) in a limestone habitat at Fusui Nature Reserve, China, between August 2007 and July 2008. During the study period, the total home range sizes for the 2 focal groups were 23.8 ha and 33.8 ha, the mean daily path lengths were 491 m and 512 m, and leaves accounted for 83.4% and 91.0% of the diet, which are well within the range of variation reported for other Trachypithecus. One focal group traveled significantly longer distances in the rainy season months than in the dry season months. This variation may be related to the seasonal difference in food availability and diet. The langurs did not use their home ranges uniformly, and 50% of their activities occurred within 11% (group 1) and 20% (group 2) of their home ranges. The most heavily used quadrats in the home ranges were located near the most frequently used sleeping sites. Moreover, the core areas (>70% of location records) of both groups’ home ranges included ≥1 permanent water pool. The langurs ventured to these pools for drinking when surface water became scarce in the dry season. These results suggest that sleeping sites and water scarcity may be significant influences on the ranging behavior of white-headed langurs in limestone habitat.     

Aspects of the ranging pattern in a group of wild woolly monkeys (Lagothrix lagothricha)

A group of woolly monkeys (Lagothrix lagothricha), studied for 1,800 hr from June 1984 until September 1987 in the eastern Colombian Amazon, used a home range of about 760 ha, 90% of which overlapped the ranges of three other groups. Home range use varied throughout the year, correlating in part with variations in fruit production. The home range exhibited a nonexclusive “core area” in the floristically most diverse part of the home range, although the majority of the home range was entered at a much lower frequency. Within the study area woolly monkeys occurred at a density of 5.5 individuals/km². The average day range was 2,880 m, and the average straight line distance between sleeping sites was 896 m. Day ranges differed significantly across months, but the only significant correlation tested was a positive relation with time spent “moving” in the activity budget. Comparisons with three other Amazonian sites where woolly monkeys have been studied reveal considerable variation. Soil fertility, plant community differences, and other factors seem to influence ranging patterns. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Home Range Size and Habitat Use in the Black Lion Tamarin (Leontopithecus chrysopygus)

The black lion tamarin (Leontopithecus chrysopygus) is a threatened species due to past destruction of its natural habitat, thus knowledge of its home range size and use is essential in planning for its conservation. I studied one group for 4 months in the Morro do Diabo State Park, in São Paulo State, Brazil. I estimated the home range of the group to be 64 and 127 ha via the quadrat and convex polygon methods, respectively, while a composite method yielded an estimate of 106 ha. They ate insects most frequently (38% of scans), a resource which was distributed throughout their home range. Fruit was the second major resource, but when it was not available, they ate more gum. The exploitation of fruits was associated with dryland forest, while gum-feeding occurred mainly in swamp forest. The study group used a transition zone between dryland and swamp forest most frequently, and all of their sleeping trees were located there. Although the vegetation reached 15–20 m, the group spent most of the time (55%) in the upper understory, between 4 and 8 m high. The study group revealed more specific habitat needs than thought previously, suggesting that the current population may be smaller than estimated.     

Tradition in Lemur catta Behavior at Berenty Reserve,Madagascar

Lemur catta Troop D at Berenty Reserve has been studied intermittently for 35 years. During 90 hours of continuous sampling in August 1998, I observed and mapped troop movement and scent marking. I compared these observations with data from June, 1975. The core of Troop D1's 1998 home range is the same as for Troop D in 1975. Sixty-two percent of Troop D1's time in 1998 was spent in the 1975 home range, and 52% of their scent marks were placed in that 1975 home range. The remainder of their time was spent in an extension of their home range, which is now an area of confrontation with an adjacent troop. They used the same sleeping trees in the 2 years, and all of the 1998 scent marks deposited in the 1975 home range were placed in the same locations marked in 1975. The similarities in their use of space in 1975 and 1998 were remarkable.     

Home range dynamics,habitat selection,and survival of Greater Roadrunners

ABSTRACT Greater Roadrunners (Geococcyx californianus) are common, poorly studied birds of arid and semi‐arid ecosystems in the southwestern United States. Conservation of this avian predator requires a detailed understanding of their movements and spatial requirements that is currently lacking. From 2006 to 2009, we quantified home‐range and core area sizes and overlap, habitat selection, and survival of roadrunners (N= 14 males and 20 females) in north‐central Texas using radio‐telemetry and fixed kernel estimators. Median home‐range and core‐area sizes were 90.4 ha and 19.2 ha for males and 80.1 ha and 16.7 ha for females, respectively. The size of home range and core areas did not differ significantly by either sex or season. Our home range estimates were twice as large (x?= 108.9 ha) as earlier published estimates based on visual observations (x?= 28–50 ha). Mean percent overlap was 38.4% for home ranges and 13.7% for core areas. Male roadrunners preferred mesquite woodland and mesquite savanna cover types, and avoided the grass‐forb cover type. Female roadrunners preferred mesquite savanna and riparian woodland cover types, and avoided grass‐forb habitat. Kaplan‐Meier annual survival probabilities for females (0.452 ± 0.118[SE]) were twice that estimated for males (0.210 ± 0.108), but this difference was not significant. Mortality rates of male roadrunners were higher than those of females during the spring when males call from elevated perches, court females, and chase competing males. Current land use practices that target woody‐shrub removal to enhance livestock forage production could be detrimental to roadrunner populations by reducing availability of mesquite woodland and mesquite savanna habitat required for nesting and roosting and increasing the amount of grass‐forb habitat that roadrunners avoid.     

Spider monkey sleeping sites: Use and availability

The behavior of spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) at sleeping sites and the characteristics of these sites were studied in Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica. The spider monkeys tended to congregate just prior to dusk at a number of sleeping sites which were repeatedly used (81.6%), but occasionally they slept in trees which were only used once (18.4%). All of the regularly used sleeping trees were not used concurrently, but rather, there was a rotation between sites. In general, males were not encountered at regularly used sleeping sites as often as other age/sex classes, and when they were in all male subgroups, they did not sleep in repeatedly used sites. The trees used as regular sleeping sites tended to be large, but such trees were common in the group's home range. The size of the subgroups attending repeatedly used sleeping trees was large when food was abundant and small when food was scarce. It is suggested that this relationship reflects that the costs of travelling to the sleeping site would be more easily recovered when food was abundant than when food was scarce.     

Home ranges and movement patterns in a vulnerable polecat<Emphasis Type="Italic">Mustela putorius</Emphasis> population

Home range characteristics and movement patterns of four female and six male polecatsMustela putorius Linnaeus, 1758 were studied in Luxembourg using radiotelemetry. Home range size of polecats ranged from 42 to 428 ha with an average of 181 ha. The mean (± SE) home range size of males of (246±45 ha) was significantly larger than that of females (84±17 ha). Polecats concentrated 50% of their space use in only 15% of their home range possibly indicating a patchy environment. Comparing our data with other studies in Europe, polecats seem to occupy approximately the same home range size (except in Switzerland) regardless of population density. Average distance traveled per night by males was 3.6 times greater than that of females. Also, seasonal variation in movements was observed in males but not in females.     

Spatial relationship among individuals of the Japanese lacertidTakydromus tachydromoides (Sauria,Lacertidae)

The home range ofTakydromus tachydromoides was studied in a grassland area from April 1977 to November 1978. The mean size of home range did not differ markedly between sexes; 136.5 m² for males and 130.8 m² for females. Home ranges of adults overlapped greatly in each sex, and the lizard was considered to be non-territorial. Individuals showed return movement to a definite area (sleeping site) within the home range, and the home range did not shift within a year or between years. Characteristics of the home range of this grassland-inhabiting lizard were discussed in relation to resource abundance and predation pressure.     

Home Range, Habitat Use, and Activity of Baird's Tapir in Costa Rica1

Home range size, habitat utilization, and activity patterns of five adult Bairds tapirs (Tapirus bairdii) were studied via radiotelemetry from June 1995 to May 1996 in Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica. Estimates of 4153 animal locations were made. Home range sizes (95% minimum convex polygon) for the entire study period (wet season and dry season) averaged 125.0 ha (SD = 72.7), 94.9 ha (SD = 47.6), and 96.8 ha (SD = 51.2), respectively. Monthly home range sizes averaged 55.5 ha (SD = 32.1) and did not vary between seasons. Across the entire study, secondary forest, the most commonly used habitat type (61.3%) was utilized more than expected as predicted by availability (49.6%), while the second most used habitat, primary forest, was used (25.0%) less than expected (36.2%). The same general habitat selection pattern was observed in the dry season. Wet season habitat utilization values showed tapirs using both primary and secondary forest habitats in proportion to their availability. Diurnal and nocturnal activity levels were estimated at 20.2 and 80.4 percent, respectively. More diurnal and less nocturnal activity was observed during the wet season compared to the dry season.     

Ranging behavior ofMacaca thibetana at Mt. Emei,China

Food handouts from visitors to Mt. Emei, in The People’s Republic of China, have considerably increased the diversity of food available to an indigenous population of Macaca thibetana.Some 43% of the feeding time was spent at the trail area frequented by tourists. Ranging behavior was of two kinds: wandering around within the group’s most densely used areas and making peripheral excursions between the areas. Three kinds of trail-area use were observed: three-group overlapping, two-group overlapping, and exclusive. M. thibetanatended to use sheltered sites for sleeping, to ensure safety and/or to keep dry in a rainy habitat. Exclusively and successively used sleeping sites were noted. The average size of the home range per group was 3 km ²; the average population density for the entire range was 13/km², and the biomass was 109 kg/km². The population may be growing, a possibility that is also supported by previous analyses using data on group composition.     

A comparison of the home range sizes of mainland and island populations of black‐faced lion tamarins (Leontopithecus caissara) using different spatial analysis

The critically endangered black‐faced lion tamarin, Leontopithecus caissara, has a restricted geographical distribution consisting of small mainland and island populations, each with distinct habitats in coastal southeastern Brazil. Necessary conservation management actions require an assessment of whether differences in habitats are reflected in use of space by the species. We studied two tamarin groups on the mainland at São Paulo state between August 2005 and March 2007, and compared the results with data from Superagui Island. Three home range estimators were used: minimum convex polygon (MCP), Kernel, and the new technique presented dissolved monthly polygons (DMP). These resulted, respectively, in home ranges of 345, 297, and 282ha for the 12‐month duration of the study. Spatial overlap of mainland groups was extensive, whereas temporal overlap was not, a pattern that indicates resource partitioning is an important strategy to avoid intraspecific competition. L. caissara large home ranges seem to be dynamic, with constant incorporation of new areas and abandonment of others through time. The main difference between mainland and island groups is the amount and variety of sleeping sites. A better understanding of the home range sizes, day range lengths, and territorial behavior of this species will aid in developing better management strategies for its protection. Additionally, the presented DMP protocol is a useful improvement over the MCP method as it results in more realistic home range sizes for wildlife species. Am. J. Primatol. 73:1114–1126, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Space use of common genets<Emphasis Type="Italic">Genetta genetta</Emphasis> in a Mediterranean habitat of northeastern Spain: differences between sexes and seasons

The seasonal home range size and spatial relationships of 16 adult genetsGenetta genetta Linnaeus, 1758 (6 males and 10 females) were estimated in a Mediterranean habitat of northeastern Spain. Genets minimum density was estimated as 0.98/km². Mean annual home range was 113.1 ha in males and of 72.0 ha in females. Males had larger home ranges than females in all seasons, but differences were only significant in winter. Home range size changed seasonally and showed a similar pattern in both sexes, with lower values in summer (males — 41.2 ha, females — 29.0 ha) and maximum ones in spring (males — 78.8 ha, females — 56.1 ha). Animals displayed spatial fidelity throughout the year. Core areas (MCP50) represented 27% and 19% of total home range size for males and females, respectively. Resting home ranges (based on locations of inactive animals) were 9 times lower than overall home range size. Individuals of the same sex overlapped less than individuals of different sexes, especially with regard to core areas, which showed almost no overlap. The results obtained suggest that (1) different factors are likely to affect the space use of genets, such as body mass, food abundance and reproductive cycle; (2) genets use space in a heterogeneous way, with areas of greater activity than others within their home range; (3) there was intrasexual segregation with regard to space use.     

Home ranges of introduced mammalian carnivores at Trounson Kauri Park,Northland, New Zealand

Abstract

At Trounson Kauri Park, we monitored the movements of 21 feral cats (Felis catus), 11 stoats (Mustela erminea) and one male ferret (Mustelafuro). In feral cats, the average minimum home range was 446 ha (±82 SE) for 14 males, significantly larger than the average minimum of 117 ha (±40 SE) for seven females. In stoats the average minimum home range was 107 ha (±20 SE), for nine males compared with 81 ha (±31 SE) for two females. The single male ferret had a minimum home range of 197 ha. Adult male feral cats lived on apparently separate, non‐overlapping home ranges; females occupied exclusive home ranges which were overlapped by adult males; home ranges of sub‐adult male feral cats overlapped those of other sub‐adult male, adult male and female feral cats. The home ranges of two neighbouring male stoats overlapped, although their core ranges did not; both these and the ferret's home ranges overlapped those of the neighbouring feral cats. The feral cats were often located in cover in pastureland or near the edge of larger tracts of forest within their home ranges; stoats near waterways in the larger tracts of forest; and the ferret near the forest/pasture margins of Trounson Kauri Park. Our results suggest that control devices targeting all these species should be set at a minimum spacing of 800 m in order to put the majority of the resident and immigrant predators at risk.     

Home range and territoriality of Australian owlet-nightjars Aegotheles cristatus in diverse habitats

Sedentary Australian owlet-nightjars Aegotheles cristatus roost in cavities year-round, and are thought to mate for life and maintain stable home ranges throughout the year. These factors lead to the prediction that they should be highly territorial, yet nothing is known about their home range requirements or level of site fidelity. I used radio-telemetry coupled with GPS recordings to determine home range size in the semi-arid zone of central Australia (13 birds over two winters) and in a eucalypt woodland in the Northern Tablelands of NSW (14 birds over one calendar year). The mean home range in the eucalypt woodland was 17.7 ha based on the minimum convex polygon (MCP) method and 17.4 ha based on the fixed kernel contour (95%), whereas it was 23.8 ha and 24.1 ha based on the MCP and kernel methods in the desert respectively. With the exception of mated pairs (range overlap 41.9%), there was little overlap among individuals in home range areas (<13.0%), even in the densely populated woodland. Home range size did not differ significantly between seasons or study sites; nor was it correlated with arthropod abundance. Owlet-nightjars exhibited high site fidelity, using the same home range throughout the year with a 68% overlap between seasons. These data, plus anecdotal records of aggression and vocalizations, suggest that this species is highly territorial, yet individuals live in close proximity to conspecifics. The degree of territoriality may be due to the obligate cavity roosting behaviour of owlet-nightjars and the need to defend areas with known roost hollows.     

On the ecology and behavior ofCebus albifrons in eastern Colombia: I. Ecology

A-503 contact-hr study of a 35-member group ofCebus albifrons was conducted in eastern Colombia in 1977 and 1978. The group had a female: male socionomic sex ratio of 2.5:1 and used a home range of 110–120 ha which overlapped the home range of another group ofC. albifrons about 20–30 ha. The animals spent about 80% of their foraging time eating plant material and about 20% of their foraging time eating animal materials. A birth peak at the end of the dry season extending into the wet season was indicated by data available. Attempted predation was recorded by the mustelidEira barbara and the black-and-white hawk-eagleSpizastur melanoleucus. Some association was observed with the red howler monkeyAlouatta seniculus. The group at times spent more than half the day foraging and traveling on the ground, exhibiting a level of terrestriality not reported for other New World primates.     

Habitat Selection and Home Range Dynamics of Eastern Spotted Skunks in the Ouachita Mountains,Arkansas, USA

ABSTRACT Since the 1940s, eastern spotted skunks (Spilogale putorius) have declined dramatically throughout the Midwest. One hypothesis for the decline is the loss of suitable habitat, although little is known about the ecological requirements of this species. To elucidate seasonal home range and habitat selection by eastern spotted skunks, we conducted telemetry-based field work in the Ouachita Mountains of western Arkansas, USA. During 2 years of field work, we collected day- and nighttime radiolocations for 33 eastern spotted skunks. We used kernel-based utilization distributions, volume of intersection indices, and weighted compositional analysis to evaluate seasonal home range dynamics and habitat selection. Although we found moderate adult male site fidelity, there were large seasonal differences in home range size, with ranges of between 76 ha and 175 ha (± 22–62 SE) during summer, fall, and winter, and home ranges of 866 ha (± 235 SE) during spring. Male home range increases in the spring were likely caused by questing behavior in search of reproductive females. Females maintained home ranges of 54 ha to 135 ha (± 7–30 SE) and moderate site fidelity during all seasons. During each season, we observed selection of young shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata) and hardwood stands over other available cover types, likely due to a preference for a dense, complex understory and a closed canopy overstory to reduce predation risk. Most habitats in the study region were managed for an herbaceous understory and an older, more open canopy, in part to benefit red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis) populations. Thus, if simultaneous management for these 2 vertebrates is a goal, a balance of early and late successional habitat should be reached.     

Home-range size and use and territorial behavior in the common marmoset,Callithrix jacchus jacchus,at the tapacura field station,recife, Brazil

Data were obtained both from observation and by radiolocation on the size and use of the home range of the common marmoset, Callithrix jacchus jacchus.Ranges were small compared to those of other callitrichids, varying between 0.72 to 1.62 ha, and a high proportion of the home range was used each day. The marmosets showed territorial behavior, defending an area almost equivalent to the home range. Despite this, mating between animals belonging to neighboring groups was seen. Correlations between the use of the home range and some environmental variables showed little consistency between two groups which occupied ranges of differing resource density, and their activity patterns, as measured by movement through their ranges, were also different. Possible reasons for these inconsistencies are discussed.     

Social organization of Galagos in Kenyan coastal forests: I. Galago zanzibaricus

The social organization of Galago zanzibaricus was studied for the first time and the study included data from two different sites in the coastal forests of Kenya. A combination of mark-recapture and radio-tracking techniques was used to investigate patterns of inter- and intrasexual home range overlap. Associations in sleeping groups indicated social ties between individuals. Patterns of range use were established by radio-tracking focal individuals. Adult males generally had nonoverlapping ranges, shared with one or two females and their offspring with which the male regularly slept. Young females remained longer in their natal ranges than males and reproduced within their natal ranges. Range size and distance traveled per night were similar between the sexes; both sexes probably defended territories. None of the other galago (bushbaby) species studied to date show the degree of close male-female association found in G. zanzibaricus. This study thus extends the variety of social organization documented in nocturnal prosimians.