Scatter hoarding by kangaroo rats (Dipodomys merriami) and pilferage from their caches

We observed radio-implanted Merriam's kangaroo rats disposingof 10-g bonanzas of rolled oats in 48 trials in the field. Theprincipal determinant of the initial disposition of discoveredfood was apparently its distance from the day burrow: food foundwithin about 10m was mainly larder hoarded, whereas food encounteredfarther afield was usually dispersed immediately in shallowcaches. Cache sites were newly dug for the purpose and not reused;most caches were nearer the current day burrow than was thefood source, but a few were placed far from both the cacher'sday burrow and its habitual nocturnal range. An experiment withartificial caches indicated that security from discovery increaseswith spacing and with proximity to perennial shrubs. Nine kangaroorats cached dyed food, and fecal dye traces revealed extensivepilferage from five of them, by both conspecifics and otherrodent species. Limited evidence indicates that food encounterednearer home and initially larder hoarded was more secure frompilferage than food initially scattered, and yet kangaroo ratswere observed to scatter caches soon after initial larder hoarding.A kangaroo rat whose dyed stores escaped pilferage fed fromthem at intervals for at least 12 days. Even cachers who incurredpilferage made as much, or more, use of their caches as anythief, suggesting that scattering caches may be a defense againstcatastrophic losses.     

Habitat Use and Ranging Behavior of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Callimico goeldii</Emphasis>

We studied the diet, habitat use, and ranging behavior of 1 group of Callimico goeldii (callimicos) over 12 mo in northwestern Bolivia. The group’s diet was comprised of fungi (39%), fruits (31%), arthropods (14%), exudates (14%), and other matter (2%). Callimicos concentrated their ranging activities in secondary forest (50%), primary forest with dense understory (30%), and bamboo (17%) habitats. The group’s total home range was 114 ha; on average they used 38.4 ha/ mo and had a day range of 925 m. Monthly average day ranges—but not monthly home ranges—increased as frugivory declined, suggesting that subjects foraged on fungi and exudates by rechecking resources within a core area, making their day ranges longer than during months when they concentrated on fruit resources. The callimicos formed polyspecific associations with tamarins (Saguinus labiatus and S. fuscicollis) during 81% of observations. Day ranges increased in months with higher association rates which appears to result from the callimicos using a broader set of habitats when with tamarins than when alone. The ranging pattern of callimicos appears to be influenced primarily by 3 factors: their seasonal shift in diet requires that they forage in a variety of habitats across the year; their depletion of resources causes them to shift their core area over time; and their lack of territorial behavior eliminates the need to patrol boundaries as part of their daily movement. As a result, callimicos differ from many other callitrichids in their low ratio of day range length to home range size.     

Determinants of reproductive success in voles: space use in relation to food and litter size manipulation

Spacing behaviour of female mammals is suggested to depend on the distribution and abundance of food. In addition, food limitation has been found to constrain the reproductive success of females. However, whether females maximize their reproductive success by adjusting space use in relation to current food availability and reproductive effort (e.g. litter size) has not been experimentally studied. We examined these questions by manipulating simultaneously food resources (control vs. food supplementation) and litter sizes (control vs. plus two pups) of territorial female bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus) in large outdoor enclosures. Females with supplementary food had smaller home ranges (foraging area) and home range overlaps than control females, whereas litter size manipulation had no effect on space use. In contrast, the size of territory (exclusive area) was not affected by food supplementation or litter size manipulation. As we have previously shown elsewhere, extra food increases the reproductive success of bank vole females in terms of size and proportion of weaned offspring. According to the present data, greater overlap of female home ranges had a negative effect on reproductive success of females, particularly on survival of offspring. We conclude that higher food availability increases the reproductive success of bank vole females, and this effect may be mediated through lower vulnerability of offspring to direct killing and/or detrimental effects from other females in the population. Moreover, it seems that when density of conspecifics is controlled for, home range sizes of females, but not territoriality, is related to food resources in Clethrionomys voles.     

Physical and biotic determinants of space utilization by the Galapagos land iguana (Conolophus pallidus)

Summary Home ranges of the Galapagos land iguana (Conolophus pallidus) were examined with respect to food availability and the thermal environment. Activity patterns, the amount of space used per day, and time required to use the entire home range were also investigated. The effects of, and the relationships between, these factors vary seasonally, as do home range sizes and preferred body temperatures.Food supplementation experiments resulted in only temporary reductions in use of space. Home range sizes were not different between the seasons with the least (Fall) and the most (Hot) food availalble, but home ranges were significantly smaller in Garua when food supplies were low, but not as low as in Fall. Calculations of metabolic expenditures in each season suggests that food availability alone does not explain seasonal patterns of home range size in this species.The thermal environment within each home range was characterized by microclimatic measurements and measurements of the area of sun, shade, and semi-shade. An index with units of m²h was used to quantify the thermal quality of each home range. Iguanas exploited optimal (with respect to body temperature) conditions more than would be expected from random use of their home ranges. Thermal transients (due to large body size) and optimal conditions were exploited to the largest degree in Fall.During Garua, low metabolic rates and time constraints imposed by an abundance of stressful thermal environments may result in small home ranges. In Fall, increased temperatures cause higher metabolic rates and allow more time for exploitation of the cooler portions of the home range, hence, home range sizes increase. In the Hot season, there is abundant food and optimal thermal conditions, but home ranges remain large. Searching for preferred foods may cause the large home ranges in this season.     

A division between foraging range and territory related to food distribution in the red fox

Spatial organization of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes schrencki) was investigated on the basis of seasonal food distribution in the Shiretoko National Park, Hokkaido from 1992 to 1994. Four periods were recorded pertaining to the distribution of 2 kinds of food resources: human food and spawning salmonid carcasses. The home range utilizations of radio-collared foxes were compared for the periods. In the periods when food was not spatially concentrated, resident foxes were territorial, showing exclusive distribution of home ranges between families, defense against intruding foxes at the edge of home ranges, and site specific dominance over intruding foxes. In contrast, during periods when food distribution was concentrated, home ranges overlapped. In the latter periods, foxes made round trips of up to 8 km from their territories to the localized concentration of food, the distance that foxes can travel within a day. This suggests that red foxes in this area have unique foraging ranges that include some seasonally available food outside their territories, and that these ranges depend on fluctuating food distribution caused by humans.     

The Social Behavior of two Species of Closely Related Leopard Lizards,Gambelia silus and Gambelia wislizenii

The displays and social behavior of two closely related species of leopard lizards, Gambelia silus and Gambelia wislizenii, are described.

• 1 The main difference between the social behavior of the two species is the presence of home range defense in G. silus and the lack of it in G. wislizenii. G. silus is typical of iguanids in its use of displays and defense of a home range by males. However, G. wislizenii is unusual because both sexes display infrequently, the displays do not appear to be associated with interactions between conspecifics, and neither sex defends a home range.
• 2 Male G. silus are most likely defending an area where they can find a female on a day to day basis. The larger male home ranges included more females than the smallest home ranges. Food, burrows, basking, and shelter sites did not appear to be the primary defended resource.
• 3 The absence of home range defense in G. wislizenii is related to its diet of vertebrate prey, mode of foraging and poor visibility in the habitat. The costs of destroying its camouflage in terms of capture of prey and predator avoidance appear to be greater than the benefits of defending a territory.

     

Social and spatial structure in brook chars (Salvelinus fontinalis) under competition for food and shelter/shade

Salmonids, outside their reproductive period, are seen to have two types of territory called “territorial mosaic” and “partial territory”. The first aspect of this research aimed at identifying the type of territory established by mature brook chars in artificial streams. After this, the biological value of spacing out was studied with regard to two resources: food, and shelter/shade which gives protection. Three 5 X 1 X 1 m artificial streams were built on the edge of a natural brook which provided a continuous water supply. One hundred and fifty mature brook chars (Salvelinus fontinalis) taken from that brook were distributed into 30 colonies with 5 members apiece. Three experimental conditions were created, and 10 colonies were submitted to each of these. In the first experimental condition, the quality of shelter/shade differed in 3 sectors of the artificial streams, whereas the quantity of food remained the same for all 3. In the second experimental condition, the quality of shelter/shade was identical, while the quantity of food differed in the 3 sectors. In the last condition, conflict was created: the fish had to choose between an area which offered excellent shelter/shade but no food, one which provided ample nourishment but no shelter/shade, and one in which all those resources were present at intermediate levels. Observation of the 30 colonies revealed “partial territory” in all cases. These corresponded to more or less complete aggressive-dominance hierarchies. Almost every alpha established territory, and the number of territorial individuals progressively decreased throughout inferior ranks. Alphas had exclusive use of their territory. Lower-ranking individuals successfully defended their territory against their subordinates, but were unable to drive away higher-ranking conspecifics. Overall results also indicated that the highest- ranking brook chars in the aggressive-dominance hierarchies more frequently established their territories in sectors of the streams with good shelter/shade than in sectors with good alimentary conditions.     

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.     

Space use and social association in a gregarious ungulate: Testing the conspecific attraction and resource dispersion hypotheses

Animals use a variety of proximate cues to assess habitat quality when resources vary spatiotemporally. Two nonmutually exclusive strategies to assess habitat quality involve either direct assessment of landscape features or observation of social cues from conspecifics as a form of information transfer about forage resources. The conspecific attraction hypothesis proposes that individual space use is dependent on the distribution of conspecifics rather than the location of resource patches, whereas the resource dispersion hypothesis proposes that individual space use and social association are driven by the abundance and distribution of resources. We tested the conspecific attraction and the resource dispersion hypotheses as two nonmutually exclusive hypotheses explaining social association and of adult female caribou (Rangifer tarandus). We used location data from GPS collars to estimate interannual site fidelity and networks representing home range overlap and social associations among individual caribou. We found that home range overlap and social associations were correlated with resource distribution in summer and conspecific attraction in winter. In summer, when resources were distributed relatively homogeneously, interannual site fidelity was high and home range overlap and social associations were low. Conversely, in winter when resources were distributed relatively heterogeneously, interannual site fidelity was low and home range overlap and social associations were high. As access to resources changes across seasons, caribou appear to alter social behavior and space use. In summer, caribou may use cues associated with the distribution of forage, and in winter caribou may use cues from conspecifics to access forage. Our results have broad implications for our understanding of caribou socioecology, suggesting that caribou use season‐specific strategies to locate forage. Caribou populations continue to decline globally, and our finding that conspecific attraction is likely related to access to forage suggests that further fragmentation of caribou habitat could limit social association among caribou, particularly in winter when access to resources may be limited.     

Resource heterogeneity influences home range area in the swamp wallaby Wallabia bicolor

Home range area is influenced by the spatio‐temporal distribution of multiple resources, but current theoretical frameworks such as the habitat productivity and resource dispersion hypotheses fail to account for this adequately. We propose a conceptual framework for quantifying the influence of multiple resources on home range area where separate resources interact to form a continuous, multi‐dimensional resource surface exhibiting an emergent environmental pattern. We adopt the term resource heterogeneity to describe this pattern, and predict that home range area will be more closely correlated with resource heterogeneity than with simple additive or interactive effects of separate resources. Initially, we quantified resource heterogeneity as the geometric mean of resource abundance, and tested the performance of this index against simulated low, moderate and high heterogeneity scenarios. In all cases, the geometric mean reflected the modelled scenarios well, demonstrating its utility as a heterogeneity index. We then quantified shelter and food resources within the home ranges of swamp wallabies Wallabia bicolor, and used these data in a generalised linear mixed modelling framework to test our prediction. Based on Akaike's information criterion (AIC_c), the best model included the main effect of sex and the heterogeneity index. Although model selection uncertainty was relatively high (largest Akaike weight=0.37), the AIC_c value associated with the best model was 2.41 units less than the highest ranked model including shelter and food, indicating support for our prediction. Home range area was negatively correlated with resource heterogeneity, and males had larger home ranges than females (37.6 (28.5, 49.7) ha compared to 17.2 (13.6, 21.7) ha; mean and 95% CLs). We suggest that statistical models of home range area parameterised using an index of resource heterogeneity will often be superior to those that focus on a single resource, or fail to take the heterogeneity of multiple resources into account.     

Spatial ecology of the mulgara in arid Australia: impact of fire history on home range size and burrow use

Knowledge about the spatial ecology of small mammals in relation to fire history in arid zones in general and Australia in particular is limited. Here, we report data on the spatial ecology of the brush-tailed mulgara Dasycercus blythi in the hummock grasslands of Ulu r u – Kata Tju t a National Park during winter 2006, the beginning of the breeding season for this species. About 73% of the study area had been burnt in 2002 and spinifex cover was sparse. Mulgaras Marsupialia: Dasyuridae (six males and three females) were implanted with radio-transmitters and monitored daily for between 6 and 55 days. All mulgaras appeared to use defined home ranges, which overlapped extensively with those of several neighbours. Spatial overlap occurred between as well as within sexes. On average, males (25.5 ha) occupied significantly larger home ranges than females (10.8 ha). Mulgaras used a number of burrows within home ranges and several were used by more than one individual. Moreover, occasionally, two individuals used the same burrow simultaneously. Home ranges and burrows encompassed both mature spinifex Triodia basedowii and open regrowth areas and mulgaras did not exhibit a significant preference for either habitat type. However, three males were killed by introduced-predators and they all lived predominantly in the open regrowth area. We conclude that mulgaras do not select the dense cover of mature spinifex habitat, and might be subjected to increased risk from introduced predators, especially following fire.     

Home Range of Dobsonia minor (Pteropodidae): A Solitary, Foliage–roosting Fruit Bat in Papua New Guinea

Lesser bare–backed bats (Dobsonia minor [Pteropodidae]) are solitary and roost in foliage of understory and subcanopy trees in lowland rain forest. These 70–90 gram frugivorous bats forage in primary and secondary forest and in abandoned gardens. At the Kau Wildlife Area in Papua New Guinea, movements (N = 1041) of four males and four females fitted with radio transmitters were monitored for 1 to 18 months. Mean home range within 30–day sampling periods was 5.1 ha (N = 12). There were no significant differences in home ranges by sex or by dry–wet season. Females, however, had significandy larger mean core–use areas than males (1.43 ± 0.61 and 0.65 ±0.16 ha, respectively). There was moderate overlap in home range and core–use areas among some simultaneously tracked animals. The long axes of home ranges varied from 150 to 1150 m and the mean was significantly larger in females. Individuals commuted from day roosts to multiple feeding areas, sometimes resulting in disjunct core–use areas and home ranges. Fruits of native Fiats species and the exotic shrub Piper attuncum were staple food items. Piper aduncum grew as dense clusters within early successional habitats, and individual plants ripened 5–20 fruits per night throughout the year. Ficus spp. grew in primary and secondary forest and fruited asynchronously, but individual trees produced tens to thousands of ripe fruits over 7 to 10 days. Three adult female D. minor were tracked over multiple periods spanning 2.5–18 months. Although each female continued to visit a core–use area containing P. aduncum throughout the study, turnover of other core–use areas reflected the ephemeral locations of fruiting fig trees.     

The use of time and space by the Panamanian tamarin, Saguinus oedipus.

Tamarin activity patterns and habitat utilization strategies in the Tropical Dry Forest of the Panama Canal Zone were monitored quantitatively using radio-location telemetry. The daily tamarin activity pattern differed from that of other Neotropical primates in that early morning and late afternoon activity normally did not occur. Total daily activity time averaged 676 +/- 62 min. Sleeping trees, and behaviors associated with their use, were documented. Daily path length averaged 2,061 +/- 402 m. Mean travel distance was 468 +/- 66 m. Approximately one-third of the home range was utilized on a given day. Wet season home ranges for two social groups were 26 and 32 ha in area. Areas of low brush, forest edge, and vine-entangled second growth were heavily used by foraging tamarins. Large shade trees, particularly evergreens, were important as refuges from solar radiation. Open-canopy forest types and areas of grass were avoided. Social groups on resource-stable lowland sites defended territories; those on unstable upland sites used a system of time-space segregation. Upland groups became seminomadic during the dry season. Suitability of home range site may affect social group stability, natality, and infant survivorship.     

Feeding behavior and nutrient intake in spiny forest-dwelling ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) during early gestation and early to mid-lactation periods: compensating in a harsh environment

Strong resource seasonality in Madagascar has led to the evolution of female feeding priority and weaning synchrony in most lemur species. For these taxa, pregnancy/early lactation periods coincide with low food availability, and weaning of infants is timed with increased resources at the onset of the rainy season. Reproductive females experience high metabolic requirements, which they must accommodate, particularly when food resources are scarce. Female ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) residing in spiny forest habitat must deal with resource scarcity, high temperatures (～36-40°C) and little shade in early to mid-lactation periods. Considered "income breeders," these females must use resources obtained from the environment instead of relying on fat stores; thus, we expected they would differ from same-sized males in time spent on feeding and in the intake of food and nutrients. We investigated these variables in two groups (N = 11 and 12) of Lemur catta residing in spiny forest habitat during early gestation and early to mid-lactation periods. Focal animal data and food plant samples were collected, and plants were analyzed for protein, kcal, and fiber. We found no sex differences for any feeding or nutrient intake variable for the top five food species consumed. Females in early gestation spent more time feeding compared with early/mid-lactation. Physiological compensation for spiny forest-dwelling females may be tied to greater time spent resting compared with gallery forest conspecifics, consuming foods high in protein, calories, and water, reduced home range defense in a sparsely populated habitat, and for Lemur catta females in general, production of relatively dilute milk compared with many strepsirrhines.     

Home Range Size and Habitat use by Cat Ba Langurs (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Trachypithecus poliocephalus</Emphasis>) in a Disturbed and Fragmented Habitat

Primate home range size and habitat use are affected by resource availability, which may change seasonally. Limestone langurs (Trachypithecus genus), including the Critically Endangered Cat Ba langur (Trachypithecus poliocephalus), live on limestone karst hills with shrubby and discontinuous vegetation. This study explores home range size and habitat use in relation to substrate, vegetation coverage, and hill type for Cat Ba langurs living on Cat Ba Island. We predicted that home range size would be similar to that of other limestone langurs and that as resources vary seasonally and across habitat types, habitat use would vary with season and behavior, with foraging concentrated on slopes, where food is plentiful. We collected 180 days of observational data on two reproductive groups (N?=?7 and N?=?10–13), taking GPS fixes of the group whenever they moved farther than the typical group spread to determine home ranges, and 10-min instantaneous scans to assess habitat use. The two groups had home ranges of 22 ha and 50 ha (0.32 and 0.20–0.26 individuals/ha respectively). Ranges for both groups were smaller in the dry season than the wet season, although we could not assess seasonal variation statistically. The langurs spent most scans on rocks, in sparsely vegetated areas, and on exposed slopes and steep cliffs; however they foraged primarily on gradually inclined slopes, especially in the dry season. These results suggest that conservation efforts should focus on protecting nutritionally important valleys and exposed slopes to ensure year-long access to food resources. It may, however, be difficult to balance human and nonhuman primate habitat use.     

Home range size and distribution in a wild population of Cape pangolins, Manis temminckii, in north‐west Zimbabwe

The aim of this study was to estimate the size of the home range used by individual Cape pangolins ( Manis temminckii ). The study was conducted in 1991–95 at Sengwa Wildlife Research Institute, Gokwe, Zimbabwe. Radio‐telemetry was used to repeatedly locate study pangolins. Home range area was estimated from the location of the burrows used by each pangolin. It was established that pangolins must be tracked for 85+ days to generate a reliable estimate of home range. The size of home ranges, determined from 1141 tracking days of data for 10 pangolins (3·0–15·8 kg body mass) that were each tracked for at least 85 days, was from 0·17 to 11·07 km². Larger (older) pangolins used more burrows and had larger home ranges than smaller (younger) pangolins. The data indicate that large adult males had larger home ranges than large adult females. Within each sex, the home ranges were adjacent to each other with only slight overlap at the boundaries. There was clear overlap of home ranges between males and females.     

Spatial organization of the arboreal carnivorous marsupial Phascogale tapoatafa

Phascogale tapoatafa is a squirrel-sized carnivorous marsupial (Dasyuridae) found in dry eucalyptus forests of Australia. Radio-tracking and live-trapping studies at three sites in Victoria indicated that population densities were typically low, with females occupying home ranges averaging 41 ha (minimum convex polygon method) that were intrasexually exclusive. Male home ranges (mean 106 ha) overlapped extensively with females and other males, and expanded during the short breeding season to an average length of 2.7 km. When presented with the faeces of unfamiliar conspecifics, both female and male P. tapoatafa investigated the faeces of females significantly longer than those of males, suggesting that the exclusive home ranges of females are reinforced by olfactory communication, and that males are less responsive to the presence of potential rivals than to potential mates. Both sexes foraged throughout their home range, but the core area of intensive use was less than one-third of the total area traversed. The spatial organization of P. tapoatafa differs markedly from that of the closely related species Antechinus stuartii , but is similar to that of the only other extensively studied carnivorous marsupial, Dasyurus geoffroii.     

Patterns of space and habitat use by northern bobwhites in South Florida,USA

The manner by which animals use space and select resources can have important management consequences. We studied patterns of habitat selection by northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) on Babcock-Webb Wildlife Management Area, Charlotte County, Florida and evaluated factors influencing the sizes of their home ranges. A total of 1,245 radio-tagged bobwhites were monitored for 19,467 radio days during 2002–2007. The mean ( ± 1 SE) annual home range size, estimated using the Kernel density method, was 88.43 ( ± 6.16) ha and did not differ between genders. Winter home ranges of bobwhites (69.27 ± 4.92 ha) were generally larger than summer home ranges (53.90 ± 4.93 ha). Annual and winter home ranges were smaller for bobwhites whose ranges contained food plots compared to those that did not; however, the presence of food plots did not influence summer home ranges. We used distance-based methods to investigate habitat selection by bobwhites at two scales: selection of home ranges within the study site (second-order selection) and selection of habitats within home ranges (third-order selection). Across both scales, bobwhites generally preferred food plots and dry prairie habitat and avoided wet prairies and roads. This pattern was generally consistent between genders and across years. Our data indicate that management practices aimed at increasing and maintaining a matrix of food plots and dry prairie habitat would provide the most favorable environment for bobwhites.     

The effects of seed availability on habitat use by a specialist seed predator

Space-use patterns of seed predators are strongly affected by spatiotemporal variation in the abundance of different tree seeds, their major food source. However, most studies have measured relationships between overall food availability and space use, and there are few cases where effects of different food resources have been explored. We studied the effects of two food resources, Norway spruce and silver fir seeds, on space and habitat use in red squirrel in a subalpine conifer forest from 2000 to 2006. Fir seeds disperse in the autumn of the year they are produced, spruce the following spring. We estimated spruce and fir seed availability within individual home ranges and monitored home-range size using radiotelemetry. Males had larger home ranges than females and the sexes responded differently to variation in food and density. Spruce seed availability negatively affected home-range and core-area sizes of males in spring–summer. Space use was not affected by fir seed availability. Squirrels positively selected spruce for foraging and spruce was always preferred over fir. Our results showed that spruce, but not fir, affected space and habitat use of squirrels, suggesting they do not behaviourally respond to early seed dispersal in fir.     

Home range size, habitat utilisation and movement patterns of suburban and farm cats Felis catus

The movements of 10 house cats (4 desexed females, 5 desexed males and 1 intact male) living on the edge of a suburb adjoining grassland and forest/woodland habitat, and a neighbouring colony of seven farm cats, were examined using radio-telemetry over nine months Nocturnal home range areas of the suburban cats varied between 0 02 and 27 93 ha (mean 7 89 ha), and were larger than diurnal home range areas (range 0 02 to 17 19 ha – mean 2 73 ha) Nocturnal home range areas of cats from the farm cat colony varied between 1 38 and 4 46 ha (mean 2 54 ha), and were also larger than diurnal home range areas (range 0 77 to 3 70 ha – mean 1 70 ha) Home ranges of cats in the farm cat colony overlapped extensively, as did those of cats living at the same suburban residence There was no overlap of home ranges of female cats from different residences, and little overlap between males and females from different residences Four of the suburban house cats moved between 390 m and 900 m into habitat adjoining the suburb Polygons describing the home ranges of these animals were strongly spatially biased away from the suburban environment, though the cats spent the majority of their time within the bounds of the suburb Movements further than 100–200 m beyond the suburb edge were always made at night There is evidence that home range sizes and spatial movement patterns of house cats are largely determined by a) the density and spatial distribution of cats utilising separate food resources, b) the personality and social dominance of individual cats, c) the location of favoured hunting and resting/sunning sites, and, d) barriers such as busy roads