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The ability of coyotes (Canis latrans) to exploit resources in human-dominated environments has led them to increasingly come into conflict with people, for example by killing domestic animals or attacking children. Additionally, coyotes in these environments increase their exposure to anthropogenic threats, such as harassment, vehicle mortality, and rodenticides. Effective management of human-coyote conflicts requires a better understanding of how coyotes navigate the developed landscape. As part of a broader study of how the use of urban and suburban areas affects coyotes’ exposure to rodenticides, we examined movements and space use of coyotes across gradients of urbanization in Los Angeles and Orange County, California. We affixed GPS radio-collars to 12 coyotes (nine males, three females) and tracked them between August 2022 and December 2023. Radio-collars recorded location information approximately every 15 min, but we restricted our analyses to hourly locations. We used a 95% minimum-convex polygon (MCP) and 95%-kernel density estimate (KDE) to calculate the area used by each animal. Within each utilization area, we calculated the amount of impervious cover and the relative amount of open space and development, using publicly-available GIS data layers (National Land-Cover Database; U.S. Geological Survey 2021). Additionally, for each coyote, we calculated a measure of movement tortuosity (straightness index, SI; Batschelet 1981) to describe its tendency to take directed, straight-line movements or wander less linearly in the habitat. We calculated SI for nine coyotes for which we had hourly location data during the first 28 days after radio-collar deployment. SI values were calculated separately for diurnal and nocturnal movements of each coyote, and then for movements when it was traveling in areas with low (≤19%) vs. high amounts of impervious cover (Wurth et al. 2020), and in areas classified as open space vs. areas with human development. We used paired t-tests to compare mean SI values because movements and habitat use of individual coyotes were not independent. Utilization areas of coyotes (Table 1) ranged from 0.4 - 136.1 km2 (95% MCP) and 0.4 - 148.2 km2 (95% KDE). Excluding three coyotes that displayed wide-ranging, transient movements and considering only five animals that were tracked intensively (151-313 days) during the breeding and dispersal seasons, mean utilization area (95% MCP) was 2.16 km2 (SD = 1.79), which is our best estimate of home-range size. This estimate is about half the size of that typically reported for urban coyotes elsewhere (approximately 5 km2; Gehrt 2007, Gehrt et al. 2009, Franckowiak et al. 2019), including in the Santa Monica Mountains of southern California (Riley et al. 2003). However, it is similar to the estimate (2.1 km2) of Tigas et al. (2002) for coyotes living in fragmented coastal sage scrub and chaparral habitats in Los Angeles and Ventura County, where the urban landscape resembles our study area. Considering only the five non-transient coyotes that we tracked most intensively, on average, 67.2% of their home range was categorized as open space, whereas 32.8% had some level of human development (low-high intensity categories). On average, 68.3% of their home ranges were in areas with little impervious cover (

Anadromous salmonid species vary in their use of open ocean, coastal, and inland marine waters. To better understand this diversity in behavior and habitat use, 120 coastal cutthroat trout, Oncorhynchus clarkii clarkii, were caught in southern Puget Sound, Washington, USA, tagged with acoustic transmitters, and 95 were detected by a network of receiver stations. Despite sufficient time to reach other parts of the Salish Sea where many receivers operated, none was detected beyond southern Puget Sound, indicating localized movements. Within southern Puget Sound, fish were detected at 34 of 127 receivers in marine sites throughout the year but especially in spring and fall. Most detection events (between first and last detections at a given receiver) were brief (60.5% were ≤ 2 h and 76.8% ≤ 6 h), indicating movement along the shoreline. However, 823 events (12.8%) exceeded 12 h and 222 (3.4%) exceeded 24 h at a receiver, indicating longer occupancy at certain sites and by certain individuals. The detections also indicated that cutthroat trout were active throughout the 24-h period, but they moved more often at night and less often in other periods than would occur by chance, and they moved more often on ebbing and flooding tides and less often at slack periods. Fish with pressure-sensitive transmitters were almost always (97.3% of records) within 2.5 m of the surface and 76.8% between 1 – 2 m, despite deeper and shallower waters nearby where they could have been detected. The data provide new insights into the behavior of this species, whose marine ecology has not been extensively studied, and differs markedly from the region's other native salmonids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Populations of West European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) are decreasing all over Europe, and we are urgently in need of more knowledge to understand the challenges they face. In the Nordic countries, the winter nest locations are of crucial importance for hedgehogs to survive the winter hibernation period. Using radio transmitters, we studied 9 adult hedgehogs during the pre-hibernation period from August–November in a typical residential area in the city of Kristiansand, Southern Norway. The hedgehogs had a highly variable home range size and displayed a large variation in distance moved per hour, with no clear difference between sexes. There were also large individual differences in the number of nest sites used and how often they changed nests. Although hedgehogs had nesting places in a variety of gardens and in hedgerows along roads, such places seemed to lack appropriate nesting materials, suggesting that this is not a habitat suitable for winter hibernation. In September, as they prepared for hibernation, hedgehogs rather chose permanent winter nests in natural forest patches within residential areas, often under tree roots. Our research highlights the importance of maintaining and increasing the number of smaller forested patches within urban regions to help conserve hedgehog populations. The West European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) is in decline, and it is important to identify its challenges. We used VHF-telemetry to monitor pre-hibernation space use, nest use, and hibernation sites in a suburban area in Norway. Based on nine adult hedgehogs tracked between August and November 2002, we found that home range size was not dependent on individual sex or weight and that home ranges overlapped between individuals regardless of sex. The distance moved was not dependent on individual sex, but there was a tendency for increased movement before dawn. The number of nests used per individual (0–10) and the number of nest switches (0–14) varied greatly and did not differ significantly between sexes. Out of 28 nest sites, 16 were linked to buildings and 12 to vegetation, and nesting material was most often grass and leaves. Three hedgehogs monitored until hibernation established winter nests under tree roots in natural forest patches in September, and this suggests that establishing or maintaining forest patches in urban areas is important to ensure suitable hibernation habitat for hedgehogs. Our study was limited by a low sample size, and additional research is required to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges hedgehogs face in urban environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animal movement behaviours are shaped by diverse factors, including resource availability and human impacts on the landscape. We generated home range estimates and daily movement rate estimates for 148 giraffe (Giraffa spp.) from all four species across Africa to evaluate the effects of environmental productivity and anthropogenic disturbance on space use. Using the continuous time movement modelling framework and a novel application of mixed effects meta-regression, we summarized overall giraffe space use and tested for the effects of resource availability and human impact on 95% autocorrelated kernel density estimate (AKDE) size and daily movement. The mean 95% AKDE was 356.4 km2 and the mean daily movement was 14.1 km, both with marginally significant differences across species. We found significant negative effects of resource availability, and significant positive effects of resource heterogeneity and protected area overlap on 95% AKDE size. There were significant negative effects of overall anthropogenic disturbance and positive effects of the heterogeneity of anthropogenic disturbance on daily movements and 95% AKDE size. Our results provide unique insights into the interactive effects of resource availability and anthropogenic development on the movements of a large-bodied browser and highlight the potential impacts of rapidly changing landscapes on animal space-use patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The West European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) is in decline, and it is important to identify its challenges. We used VHF-telemetry to monitor pre-hibernation space use, nest use, and hibernation sites in a suburban area in Norway. Based on nine adult hedgehogs tracked between August and November 2002, we found that home range size was not dependent on individual sex or weight and that home ranges overlapped between individuals regardless of sex. The distance moved was not dependent on individual sex, but there was a tendency for increased movement before dawn. The number of nests used per individual (0–10) and the number of nest switches (0–14) varied greatly and did not differ significantly between sexes. Out of 28 nest sites, 16 were linked to buildings and 12 to vegetation, and nesting material was most often grass and leaves. Three hedgehogs monitored until hibernation established winter nests under tree roots in natural forest patches in September, and this suggests that establishing or maintaining forest patches in urban areas is important to ensure suitable hibernation habitat for hedgehogs. Our study was limited by a low sample size, and additional research is required to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges hedgehogs face in urban environments.

The San Joaquin antelope squirrel (Ammospermophilus nelsoni) is one of five species in the genus and has the most restricted range of the four mainland antelope squirrels, occurring only in the San Joaquin Desert of California. Despite being state-listed as Threatened since 1980, few studies have been conducted on A. nelsoni, especially ecological studies, which hampers recovery efforts. We conducted a radio-telemetry study in 2002 of 19 males on the Lokern Natural Area in the southwestern portion of the San Joaquin Desert. Based on 100% Minimum Convex Polygons (MCP), home ranges varied from 1.25–14.5 ha with a mean of 5.93 ha (± 0.90 standard error). The average daily distance traveled by these 19 males was 128.5 m (range, 71.4–224.5) and the average greatest distance travelled in a day was 313.0 m, with some traveling > 0.5 km. Our data are useful to further refine the estimates of home range and movements of this neglected protected species, but in the future, better home range studies are needed that span multiple years, include both sexes, and occur at sites across its range.

The behaviour and spatial use patterns of juvenile manta rays within their critical nursery habitats remain largely undocumented. Here, we report on the horizontal movements and residency of juvenile reef manta rays (Mobula alfredi) at a recently discovered nursery site in the Wayag lagoon, Raja Ampat, Indonesia. Using a multi-disciplinary approach, we provide further corroborative evidence that the lagoon serves as an important M. alfredi nursery. A total of 34 juvenile rays were photo-identified from 47 sightings in the sheltered nursery between 2013–2021. Five (14.7%) of these individuals were resighted for at least 486 days (~1.3 years), including two juveniles resighted after 641 and 649 days (~1.7 years), still using the nursery. Visually estimated (n=34) disc widths (DW) of juveniles using the nursery site ranged from 150–240 cm (mean ± SD: 199 ± 19), and the DW of two juveniles measured using drones were 218 and 219 cm. Five juveniles were tracked using GPS-enabled satellite transmitters for 12–69 days (mean ± SD: 37 ± 22) in 2015 and 2017, and nine juveniles were tracked using passive acoustic transmitters for 69–439 days (mean ± SD: 182 ± 109) from May 2019–September 2021. Satellite-tracked individuals exhibited restricted movements within Wayag lagoon. The minimum core activity space (50% Utilisation Distribution-UD) estimated for these five individuals ranged from 1.1–181.8 km2 and the extent of activity space (95% UD) between 5.3–1,195.4 km2 in area. All acoustically tagged individuals displayed high residency within the nursery area, with no acoustic detections recorded outside the lagoon in the broader Raja Ampat region. These juveniles were detected by receivers in the lagoon throughout the 24 h diel cycle, with more detections recorded at night and different patterns of spatial use of the lagoon between day and night. The observed long-term residency of juvenile M. alfredi provides further compelling evidence that the Wayag lagoon is an important nursery area for this globally vulnerable species. These important findings have been used to underpin the formulation of management strategies to specifically protect the Wayag lagoon, which will be instrumental for the survival and recovery of M. alfredi populations in Raja Ampat region.

The decrease in chick survival has been one of the most important reasons for the decline in the abundance of Grey Partridges Perdix perdix in Europe in the recent decades. Therefore, it is important to know the habits of these birds during the period of raising chicks. The habitat use, movements and home range sizes of partridges rearing their chicks up to three weeks old were studied in western Poland in the years 1995–2001. Twenty one pairs with chicks were localized daily by radiotracking. The partridge broods mostly used cereals (54.4% of their locations), but permanent wild vegetation (19.6%) turned out to be preferred. Most locations (56.8%) took place up to 10 m from field edges. The average distance of daily movements was 160 m (range 0–890 m) and was shorter in the diversified landscape of small fields than in the simplified landscape of large fields. The area of home ranges (100% MCP) during the first three weeks of chick's life averaged 12.0 ha (range 2.9–34.1 ha) and no significant differences were found between the two field types. The size of home ranges decreased with the proportion of cereals and wild vegetation in the regions where individual broods occurred. It was concluded that large-scale crop fields create worse living conditions for Grey Partridge broods than more diverse small fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The Orinoco crocodile (Crocodylus intermedius) is the largest crocodile and the most threatened by extinction in the Neotropics due to overexploitation for the skin trade during the early–middle twentieth century. Knowledge of their ecology is poor in Colombia because long-term armed conflict has restricted fieldwork. In 2015, we reintroduced four captive-reared adult crocodiles, each equipped with a Sirtrack KiwiSat 202 satellite transmitter and monitored their movements from 2015 to 2018. Results Seasonal movements were as far 177 km in males and 115 km in females. Home ranges were as large as 55 km2 for males and 16 km2 for females for a single year and 178 km2 and 21 km2, respectively, for males and females over 2 years. Spatial ecological patterns changed drastically by season, with males increasing their home range and females reducing home range during the wet season. We confirmed that daily activity patterns defined as measure by number of locations across the day were not influenced by season. Conclusions We believe that seasonal changes in the size and shape of home ranges were associated with patrolling or exploratory behaviors after release, while daily activity behavior was independent of season, sex or size of the animal.

Animals exploring a new environment develop cognitive maps using diverse sensory input and, thereby, gain information needed to establish home ranges. Experiencing, and learning information about, resources should be advantageous to the resident of a home range while lack of such information should put invaders into the home range at a disadvantage. Conspecifics, especially, should avoid the home ranges of one another to ensure that they do not experience reduced resource availability caused by resource depression or depletion. Yet, encountering conspecific competitors of different sexes may elicit responses that can lead to spacing on a landscape that has different costs and benefits on males and females. We tested the hypothesis that female fishers (Pekania pennanti) avoid competition from both males and female conspecifics whereas male fishers avoid competition only from other males. We reintroduced fishers onto our study site in the presence or absence of competitors’ home ranges during late 2009 through 2011. Using satellite transmitters (Argos) and land-based (VHF) telemetry, we monitored fishers and estimated their locations, movements and use of the surrounding landscape during their first 500 days after release. All fishers settled in relatively high-quality habitat but females that encountered the home ranges of conspecifics moved farther, explored larger areas, and settled farther from their release locations than did females that did not encounter a conspecific’s home range. Male fishers exhibited diverse responses upon encountering the home ranges of conspecifics. Thus, female fishers avoid conspecific competition from all fishers, but males tolerate, or impose, competition with females, apparently to increase mating opportunities. These observations are consistent with the movements and strategies of other solitary carnivores.

Much of the research on feral cats in Australia has occurred in the continent’s arid and semi-arid regions. Consequently, little is known about the ecology of feral cats in tall forests. Using a combination of both VHF and ‘store on board’ GPS collars, feral cats were tracked in the forests of Far East Gippsland, Victoria, to investigate both home range size and movement patterns. The use of GPS collars to obtain accurate and high volumes of location data allowed the intra-home range movements of feral cats to be examined in ways not previously possible using conventional VHF radio telemetry. Male cats had significantly larger home ranges (MCP 100, mean ± se: 455 ± 126 ha) than females (105 ± 28 ha). Male home ranges overlapped those of females and female ranges overlapped with neighbouring females. Overlaps in female home ranges, in particular of the core areas, indicate that female cats in Far East Gippsland are tolerant of other females and do not actively exclude them. Feral cats in these productive tall forests have smaller home ranges than those in arid and semi-arid regions where food resources are sparse or limited, but larger ranges than those inhabiting farmland and grassland habitats where food resources are generally more abundant. Location data gathered at three different temporal intervals – 6 hourly, hourly, and every 15 minutes, showed that feral cats utilise a Lévy walk-style searching pattern as they move through their home range. Employing a Lévy walk increases the likelihood of encountering prey items that are distributed sparsely in the environment, in turn maximising the potential hunting return for effort expended. These findings will allow managers to adopt a more targeted approach when undertaking feral cat management programs in these habitats by providing information on where to deploy traps, baits or other control measures.

In many parts of North America, deer (Odocoileus spp.) have adapted to live in urban areas and are a source of negative human‐wildlife interactions. Management strategies such as culling, immunocontraceptives, sterilization, and translocation have been implemented to manage urban deer populations. In the East Kootenay region of southern British Columbia, urban mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) populations have been increasing, whereas non‐urban mule deer populations have decreased. In 2014 a non‐urban mule deer research project began in the area and in 2016 an urban deer translocation trial was approved in the same region. We fit 121 non‐urban deer with global positioning system (GPS)‐collars and translocated 135 urban mule deer to non‐urban areas, of which 57 were fit with GPS‐collars. We tested if annual survival between urban translocated (i.e., translocated) and non‐urban deer differed, and if translocated deer survival increased in subsequent years after translocation. We also determined if age, body condition, release site, capture area and distance between capture and release sites affected translocated deer survival. We evaluated if translocated deer exhibited different movement behaviors than non‐urban deer by comparing probability of migration, maximum net displacement, home range size, and probability of crossing a paved road. Finally, during our study we observed some translocated deer return to a municipal area after translocation and assessed if any covariates such as age, release site, or capture city could help predict this behavior. Annual survival of translocated deer was 0.48 and was significantly lower than survival of non‐urban deer, which was 0.77. We observed 20 of 57 collared translocated deer return to a town after translocation. Translocated deer had larger net displacements and larger seasonal home range sizes than non‐urban deer. Non‐urban deer were more likely to migrate than translocated deer and crossed fewer paved roads than translocated deer. The management effectiveness of translocation to reduce urban deer densities is mixed because annual survival of translocated deer may be lower than may be acceptable to some stakeholders. Additionally, some translocated deer returned to an urban area, and the large distances traveled by deer after translocation may unintentionally spread disease. © 2020 The Wildlife Society. : Urban translocated mule deer exhibited greater movements but lower survival than non‐urban mule deer in the East Kootenay region of British Columbia, Canada, 2016–2018. A subset of translocated deer also returned to an urban area after translocation, thereby reducing the effectiveness of translocation as a way to reduce urban deer densities and conflicts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the interface between spatial and thermal ecology is integral to understanding energy acquisition and the life histories of ectotherms. Snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) occupy a wide range of habitats that vary greatly in their thermal properties. We studied activity, movements, and thermoregulation of C. serpentina in a small, land-locked lake in central Michigan, USA, using radiotelemetry. Consistent with our a priori predictions, turtles were active within core areas along the lake's edge, showed both diurnal and nocturnal activity, and did not make extensive interwetland movements. Turtles left the lake only for nesting or to hibernate in Sphagnum peat or in the banks of a nearby stream. Home range and core area size estimates of C. serpentina were small compared with other previously studied populations, perhaps in part because of the small dimensions of our lake. Contrary to our prediction of a broad Tset (thermoregulatory set-point) range for a large-bodied, habitat generalist turtle, we found a comparatively low and narrow laboratory-determined Tset range (22°C–26°C). Turtle body temperatures (Tb) cycled between May and August and attained maximal values during the evening hours, a pattern that likely results from thermal inertia, the selection of aquatic thermal patches, or both, as Te (operative temperatures) declined. Turtles most effectively maintained Tb within Tset during July and August when thermal conditions were most favorable. Throughout most of the active season the highly aquatic habits of C. serpentina apparently negated the effects of variations in daily weather conditions and their effects on incoming levels of solar radiation on variation in Tb. However, turtles maintained higher average Tb on sunny days compared with overcast days in April and May, the coolest months of the study. Diel Tb cycling ceased during September and October and average Tb declined despite favorable thermal conditions, at least during September, a pattern that could reflect a downward shift in the Tset range. Comparatively, C. serpentina is less effective at thermoregulating than is a small-bodied species at a similar latitude (Chrysemys picta marginata). Apparently, thermal inertia and lack of atmospheric basking proclivities influenced the thermoregulatory precision in our turtles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Orinoco crocodile (Crocodylus intermedius) is the largest crocodile and the most threatened by extinction in the Neotropics due to overexploitation for the skin trade during the early–middle twentieth century. Knowledge of their ecology is poor in Colombia because long-term armed conflict has restricted fieldwork. In 2015, we reintroduced four captive-reared adult crocodiles, each equipped with a Sirtrack KiwiSat 202 satellite transmitter and monitored their movements from 2015 to 2018. Results: Seasonal movements were as far 177 km in males and 115 km in females. Home ranges were as large as 55 km2 for males and 16 km2 for females for a single year and 178 km2 and 21 km2, respectively, for males and females over 2 years. Spatial ecological patterns changed drastically by season, with males increasing their home range and females reducing home range during the wet season. We confirmed that daily activity patterns defined as measure by number of locations across the day were not influenced by season. Conclusions: We believe that seasonal changes in the size and shape of home ranges were associated with patrolling or exploratory behaviors after release, while daily activity behavior was independent of season, sex or size of the animal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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We used radio-telemetry to investigate the home-range size and movement patterns of the quokka (Setonix brachyurus) in the southern forests of Western Australia to assess the ability of animals to move between increasingly segregated habitat patches and to identify implications for metapopulation function. We found that quokkas in this region have a much larger home range (71 ± 5.8 ha) and move larger distances (up to 10 km per night) than previously reported for this species in other regions. Temporal and sex variations in home-range size, overlap and movement patterns provided insights into the social structure, reproductive strategies and resource availability for the species in this part of its range. Quokkas moved up to 14 km between habitat patches, where these patches were connected by dense riparian vegetation. While riparian vegetation was used exclusively for movement between habitat patches, quokkas spent only 40% of their time in this ecotype. The current management paradigm of protecting linear riparian vegetation as habitat for quokkas is important for maintaining habitat connectivity, but is unlikely to meet broader habitat and spatial requirements. Management of preferred habitat as well as riparian corridors is necessary for the maintenance of a functional metapopulation. We used radio-telemetry to investigate home range and movements of quokkas in the southern forests of Western Australia. We found that quokkas in this region have larger home ranges (71 5.8 ha) and move larger distances (up to 10 km/night) than in other regions. Quokkas used riparian vegetation to move between habitat patches, but spent only 40% of their time in this habitat. Therefore, protecting riparian vegetation is important for quokkas, but it is unlikely to meet their habitat and spatial requirements. Photograph by Karlene Bain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the movements of animals in the wild is critical for providing important information regarding their conservation and management. With this aim in mind, we studied a population of Testudo hermanni in their natural habitat using micro GPS devices. Additionally, using VHF transmitters we tracked six individuals (four females and two males) from May to August 2015. The overall home range size varied from 813 and 123,567 m2. Home range size did not differ significantly between males and females, and was also independent of the size of the individual (expressed as straight carapace length). Individual movements were confined to short distances (males 25.7 m; females 18.5 m). Activity levels were highest in July and August for males and May and July for females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The yellow-spotted river turtle ( Podocnemis unifilis) plays ecological roles in the Amazonian aquatic ecosystem and has cultural and economic significance for indigenous peoples. Because spatial ecology and movement data are nonexistent for this species, we radio tracked 63 individuals in the Napo River between August 2015 and February 2017. Mean linear range size was 16.2 km ( n = 31) and mean home range size was 5.2 km2 ( n = 27). Our results are the first range size estimates for P. unifilis and suggest that the species could be treated as a short-distance facultative migrant with local seasonal movements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying habitat selection and use is important to understand in wildlife management because it informs habitat manipulations, conservation efforts, and species distribution. Habitat selection by sandhill cranes ( Antigone canadensis) has been studied primarily on overwintering areas and a few summering locations. Summer habitat selection by the Lower Colorado River Valley Population of greater sandhill cranes ( A. c. tabida) in the Intermountain West is not widely known, but has been identified as an information need by many wildlife management agencies. We captured and attached satellite platform transmitter terminals to 21 adult sandhill cranes on Cibola and Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuges in Arizona and California, and private lands in California and Idaho. Home ranges of all marked cranes (50% core area: x¯ = 525.4 ha, SE = 155.6; 99% isopleth: x¯ = 6,476.5 ha, SE = 1,637.5) were similar to other studies on summering grounds. Resource analysis indicated that marked sandhill cranes used wetland habitats in greater proportion than their availability for both nocturnal and diurnal locations at the population level, by individuals within the entire landscape, and by individuals within their core area. Wetland habitats consist of ∼7% of the available habitat. Within the Wetland category, the Temperate Flooded and Swamp Forest level (a Formation level in the National Vegetation Classification system) was the most important to summering Lower Colorado River Population sandhill cranes. Wetland managers can concentrate their efforts for conservation, enhancement, and restoration on these type of wetlands to ensure the sustainability of this small population of sandhill cranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canada geese (Branta canadensis) often cause significant damage when they strike aircraft. They are responsible for a reported minimum of $2.6 million in damage per year to civil aviation in the United States. Knowledge of goose movements in relation to airports would allow wildlife managers to allocate time and funds to manage those populations that pose the greatest threat to aircraft. We placed alpha-numeric neck collars on 300 Canada geese within 8 km of both John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFKIA) and LaGuardia Airport in New York, New York. We conducted weekly observations for 2 years within a 12- km radius of JFKIA at locations used by the geese. At the conclusion of the study, 45% of the collared geese remained within an 8-km radius of JFKIA, and four were killed at JFKIA during wildlife control operations. We observed birds at their original banding sites 75% of the time, and within 5 km of the banding location 95% of the time. Geese that remained in the study area were re-sighted at a mean straight-line distance of 3.6 (±3.1) km from their original banding location. We note that 78% of the re-sighting locations used by geese were within 8 km of JFKIA and that movements of these geese could take them over or onto JFKIA. Oiling goose eggs to kill the embryos, rounding up of flightless birds within 8 km of the airport, and bird-control activities at JFKIA and nearby areas all should be continued to reduce the probability of a catastrophic bird strike between aircraft using JFKIA and local Canada geese.

During 2000 and 2001, Elk (Cervus canadensis) were restored to the Bancroft, Ontario area. The objective of this study was to determine the home range and movements of six social units of Elk, 5-12 years after restoration, in an area of about 2500 km2 near Bancroft. Home range and movements were calculated from 40 221 Global Positioning System locations acquired from 56 collared Elk (16 bulls and 40 cows) between 2006 and 2013. Annual home ranges were found to be significantly greater (mean 110.3 km2, standard error [SE] 11.2) for Elk in areas where winter feeding by humans did not occur compared with those (mean 5 1.0 km2, SE 9.0) where winter feeding was prevalent. Elk in winter feeding areas had smaller ranges in winter than other seasons. On a seasonal basis, home range size was larger for Elk in areas where winter feeding did not occur; mean winter home range for Elk in non-feeding areas was 73.4 km2 (SE 34.0) compared with 8.3 km2 (SE 2.6) for Elk in areas where winter feeding occurred. The 20 Elk that were monitored for multiple years exhibited home range fidelity among years. The entire range of all radio-collared Elk within the social groups studied covered 1716.4 km2 during 2006-2013. Average daily movements of Elk in the study area ranged from 1.0 to 2.1 km/day with greatest movements occurring during spring and summer. However, some Elk were capable of moving an average of 5-7 km in a 12-h interval. Movements (about 5 km) to winter range occurred during October to December each year. Cows moved to calving areas in May with mean movements of Elk to spring/summer range about 6 km. Cow/calf groups moved to fall ranges by early September with mean movements of about 4 km. During the rut, mean bull movements of 16.0 km to cow groups over 1-5 days occurred in early September. Hunting of Elk during the fall of 2011 and 2012 did not appear to significantly affect the movements and dispersion of Elk in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satellite telemetry was used to investigate summer and winter home ranges for resident and migrant American White Pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) captured in the southeastern United States between 2002 and 2007. Home range utilization distributions were calculated using 50% and 95% kernel density estimators with the plug-in bandwidth selector. Mean summer home ranges (95%) varied from 177 to 4,710 km2 and mean winter home ranges (95%) ranged from 185 to 916 km2. Mean 50% and 95% home ranges of adult American White Pelicans during summer tended to be larger than those during winter, whereas mean 50% and 95% home ranges of immature pelicans during summer tended to be smaller than those during winter. Home ranges for all American White Pelicans encompassed the latitude range of 24°-55° N, including wintering, stop over, and nesting habitat. These data provide baseline movement and home range data for future studies of American White Pelican ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The disjunct Eastern Ribbonsnake (Thamnophis sauritus) population in southwest Nova Scotia is listed as "threatened" by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. A study of the movements of the species at two lakeshore locations known to support a high density of Eastern Ribbonsnakes was undertaken in 2007 and 2008. Average seasonal movements at both sites ranged from 17 m to 84 m for juvenile snakes and 21 m to 130 m for adults; one neonate was recaptured during the study after travelling 32 m. The maximum distance travelled by an individual snake was 391 m in one season. The best-fit model to explain differences in daily movement patterns included year (P = 0.041), indicating that there is annual variation in the movements of this species. Low recapture rates precluded accurate estimates of home-range size, which varied roughly from 0.16 ha to 0.78 ha. Both movements and home ranges were larger than previously documented in Nova Scotia, but maximum distances travelled were consistent with a previous study in Michigan. Most documented movements were along the lakeshore within contiguous, suitable habitat. More work is needed to understand the frequency of large movements and triggers that initiate movements, e.g., changes in water levels, habitat suitability, or prey availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Resident (non-migratory) Canada goose ( Branta canadensis) populations in suburban environments pose risks to human health and safety. Specifically, the relatively large size and gregarious behavior of geese combined with an overlap in aircraft flight space pose substantial risk of property damage and human fatalities from goose-aircraft collisions. We estimated home range and core use areas of resident Canada geese and evaluated goose movements to better define the risk of goose-aircraft collisions around Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA. We placed satellite transmitters on 16 of 763 neck- and leg-banded geese to identify and track individuals over an 18-month study period. The frequency of satellite-tagged goose movements peaked daily within the first 2 hours after sunrise (28.1%) and again near sunset (27.2%). All in-flight goose movements occurred ≤64 m above ground level. Geese flying at these altitudes posed a risk to aircraft in the take-off and landing phases of flight. For all in-flight movements, the number of movements per day was 0.13 during the molt (1 Jun-15 Jul), 0.42 during early post-molt 2008 (16 Jul-31 Oct), 0.36 during late post-molt (1 Nov-31 Jan), 0.58 during breeding/nesting (1 Feb-31 May), and 0.58 during the early post-molt 2009. Satellite-tagged geese traveled a mean distance ranging from 2.0 km (SE = 0.3) to 4.9 km (SE = 0.4) per day, depending on sex and season, which supports the need for intensive goose management within a minimum distance of 8 km from airports. Mean fixed 95% kernel home range and 50% core use area were 991.8 ha (SE = 241.1) and 120.4 ha (SE = 24.6), respectively. Additionally, we monitored site recolonization of nuisance geese after the controlled removal of 60 resident geese from 1 site, which eliminated 24.2% of those initially banded at the site in 2008, but other geese began to recolonize the site within 27 days. Rapid recolonization of the removal site suggests that lethal removal should be conducted at all molt locations within a minimum distance of 8 km of suburban airports and any additional removal or management resources should be applied to greater distances to prevent recolonization of these sites by geese in close proximity to the removal site. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of spatial memory in the movement of animals through landscapes remains elusive. To examine spatial memory and home range affinity of White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in northeastern Minnesota during 1995-2007,1 translocated 17 adult does with known home ranges to unfamiliar sites and radio-tracked them after their release. Twelve does wearing transmitting radio-collars returned to their home ranges. Death and collar expiration precluded determination of whether the remaining five does would have returned to home ranges. Three of five does wearing global positioning system collars traveled throughout hundreds of square kilometres, circling, backtracking, and returning to release sites, while two others exhibited directional movement for tens of kilometres. Four does that survived to parturition stopped traveling and moved at hourly rates similar to those of control does during the first three weeks of the typical fawn-rearing period, but continued traveling later. Their aberrant extensive travel before and after interruption by parturition suggests that they recognized they were in unfamiliar areas, demonstrating both their capacity and propensity to search for and occupy the familiar space of their individual home ranges. Their successful return to home ranges provided experimental evidence of spatial memory and further elucidated its pervasive role in White-tailed Deer spatial ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study that aims to identify individual home range sizes in released hares, in annual and seasonal terms, as well as the evaluation of the degree to which released hares were sedentary or inclined to move around. It presents the very first data on the spatial organisation of a group of hares originating in captivity but released into their natural habitat. The study is cited to be a part of larger brown hare project that comprises studies of population dynamic, spatial organisation and habitat use of released hares. The research was conducted between November 2005 and November 2009 in Central Poland (Mazowia), on the territory of the community of Maciejowice.

Content. An unknown number (n = four or five) and sex of sika deer (Cervus nippon yakushimae) were introduced to the Delmarva Peninsula, Maryland, in 1916. Since introduction, their population has grown exponentially. Aims. The purpose of our study was to investigate dispersal and home-range size to enable better management of this exotic species in the presence of native white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Methods. We collected telemetry locations on 60 males (captured during their first winter) from 2008 to 2010. Animals were classified into three movement groups, including local, migratory and nomadic post-dispersal. Key results. Average home-range sizes ranged from 464 to 4121 ha and were influenced by season and deer movement grouping (P= 0.0001). Of 20 deer that dispersed, 19 did so at 1 year of age. Dispersal distance and direction were random across the landscape (P= 0.899). Local deer were the most common movement group (70%;42 of 60) and were characterised by short movements confined to a well established home range. We observed 14 deer migrations, characterised by round-trip movements associated with seasons and directionality (P= 0.003). Four deer were classified as nomadic and had longdistance movements across the landscape unassociated with seasons. Conclusions. To aid managers in controlling the expansion of the population, we provide data regarding the manner, distance and direction that sika deer move. Our results show that sika deer have variable movement strategies and large home ranges. Implications. Variation in movement types will influence spread of the population, confounding species interactions, management and harvest strategies. The present results may have implications to other areas that also have sika populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2007, Grand Teton National Park authorized construction of several paved, non-motorized pathways situated within existing road corridors, primarily designed for pedestrian and bicycle use. Construction of the first 13-km section was completed during 2008. The pathway resulted in direct loss of wildlife habitat, new human activities, and a wider zone of human use. We examined how these changes affected American black bear (Ursus americanus) movements, habitat use, activity, corridor crossings, and visibility to human visitors. Thirty (12F, 18M) bears, fitted with global positioning system (GPS) radiocollars, were monitored during 1-3 study periods: pre-pathway (2001-07), construction (2008), and pathway (2009-10). During 2009-10, we deployed 6 trail counters to document human use of the pathway. Counts of humans ranged from 0 to 148 detections/counter/hour. Mean counts peaked during mid- summer (15 Jun-30 Aug) and during midday (1100-1600 hrs). Bears did not shift their home ranges in response to human use of the pathway, nor did they reduce their frequency of corridor crossings. Instead, bears altered the way they used the areas near the corridor. Across the study periods, bears showed greater selection for steep slopes and for areas farther from the corridor, and they were increasingly likely to cross the corridor in areas providing vegetative cover. Near the corridor, bears decreased their activity by approximately 35% during midday and increased their activity by about 10% during morning and evening. Proportion of corridor crossings occurring at night also increased 20-40%. These behavioral changes allowed bears to continue using areas near the corridor while reducing encounter rates with humans on the pathway. However, the observed shift of activity toward morning, evening, and night may increase the likelihood that human--bear encounters would occur during the low light conditions of dawn and dusk and increase the probability of vehicle collisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding wildlife movements and habitat selection are critical to drafting conservation and management plans. We studied a population of eastern Hermann's tortoise ( Testudo hermanni boettgeri) in a traditionally managed rural landscape in Romania, near the northern edge of the species geographic distribution. We used telemetry to radio-track 24 individuals between 2005 and 2008 and performed a Euclidian distance-based habitat selection analysis to investigate habitats preferred by tortoises at both landscapes (second-order order selection) and individual (third-order selection) home range scales. The home range size for tortoises in our study area was 3.79 ± 0.62 ha and did not differ by gender or season (pre- and post-nesting seasons). Their movement ecology was characterized by short-distance movements (daily mean = 31.18 ± 1.59 m), apparently unaffected by habitat type. In contrast to other studies, movements of males and females were of similar magnitude. At the landscape (population home range) scale, grasslands and shrubs were preferred, but tortoises also showed affinity to forest edges. At the individual home range scale, tortoises selected grassland and shrub habitats, avoided forests, and used forest edges randomly. Creeks were avoided at both spatial scales. Our results suggest that tortoise home ranges contain well-defined associations of habitats despite a higher selection for grasslands. As such, avoiding land conversion to other uses and maintaining habitat heterogeneity through traditional practices (e.g., manual mowing of grasslands, livestock grazing) are critical for the persistence of tortoise populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moose (Alces alces) have recently re-occupied a portion of their range in the temperate deciduous forest of the northeastern United States after a >200 year absence. In southern New England, moose encounter different forest types, more human development, and higher temperatures than in other parts of their geographic range in North America. We analyzed seasonal minimum convex polygon home ranges, utilization distributions, movement rates, and home range composition of GPS-collared moose in Massachusetts. Seasonal home range sizes were not different for males and females and were within the range reported for low latitudes elsewhere in North America. Seasonal movement patterns reflected the seasonal changes in metabolic rate and the influence of the species' reproductive cycle and weather. Home ranges consisted almost entirely of forested habitat, included large amounts of conservation land, and had lower road densities as compared to the landscape as a whole, indicating that human development may be a limiting factor for moose in the region. The size and configuration of home ranges, seasonal movement patterns, and use relative to human development have implications for conservation of moose and other wide-ranging species in more highly developed portions of their ranges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on statistical analysis performed in the U.S. Southern States where there is an increase in population of double-crested cormorants. This increase happened within last 30 years following development of aquaculture sector in the region. There have been several conflicts between cormorants and farmers. Different interest groups looked to find an ecologically sound solution to resolve this conflict. Telemetry studies were performed to determine their winter and summer habits.

Animals concentrate their activities within areas we call home ranges because information about places increases fitness. Most animals, and certainly all mammals, store information about places in cognitive maps--or neurally encoded representations of the geometric relations among places--and learn to associate objects or events with places on their map. I define the value of information as a time-dependent increment it adds to any appropriate currency of fitness for an informed versus an uninformed forager, and integrate it into simple conceptual models that help explain movements of animals that learn, forget, and use information. Unlike other space-use models, these recognize that movement decisions are based on an individual's imperfect and ever-changing expectancies about the environment--rather than omniscience or ignorance. Using simple, deterministic models, I demonstrate how the use of such dynamic information explains why animals use home ranges, and can help explain diverse movement patterns, including systematic patrolling or "traplining," shifting activity or focal areas, extra-home-range exploration, and seemingly random (although goal-directed and spatially contagious) movements. These models also provide insights about interindividual spacing patterns, from exclusive home ranges (whether defended as territories or not) to broadly overlapping or shared ranges. Incorporating this dynamic view of animal expectancies and information value into more-complex and realistic movement models, such as random-walk, Bayesian foraging, and multi-individual movement models, should facilitate a more comprehensive and empirical understanding of animal space-use phenomena. The fitness value of cognitive maps and the selective exploitation of spatial information support a general theory of animal space use, which explains why mammals have home ranges and how they use them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial distributions and movements of aquatic animals are typically defined by the dimensions of the aquatic system in which they live. Aquatic turtles often confound such definitions with terrestrial movements, and movements within the aquatic system remain largely undescribed. We studied the movements of adult female painted turtles (Chrysemys picta) and red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta) in Reelfoot Lake, a large aquatic system. We determined the distance moved, home-range size, and habitat use to investigate interspecific variation, as well as the influence of habitat dimensions on turtle spatial ecology. Daily movements peaked for both species between May and August. Trachemys scripta exhibited longer movements, maintained larger home ranges, and selected deeper areas of the lake than did C. picta. Compositional analysis indicated that the shoreline habitat was used most frequently by both species, relative to its availability. However, although C. picta selected the shoreline above all other habitat types, T. scripta selected the open water areas of the lake as well. Morphological differences and dietary preferences likely explain much of the interspecific variation we observed. Turtle movements and home-range sizes we report are remarkably larger than previous estimates and may be related to the abundance of suitable habitat within Reelfoot Lake. These results demonstrate that turtle spatial ecology is strongly influenced by local environmental factors and illustrate the potential pitfalls of describing "typical" movements of aquatic turtles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Translocating birds to a new area of habitat to restore or supplement depleted populations may pose a significant threat to the translocated individuals. While for many species, translocated individuals appear to move larger distances than resident animals, species with poor dispersal capacity may be restricted in movements and translocation methods may need to accommodate differences in movements to ensure success. In this study, designed to provide insights to inform our broader programme of translocations in New South Wales, Australia, we investigated post-release movements in the endangered, semi-flightless Eastern Bristlebird ( Dasyornis brachypterus). We predicted that movements would be minimal, with few differences between males and females, similar to published information for a resident un-manipulated population. Following the release of 45 birds at a host location at Jervis Bay, NSW, over a 3-year programme, we followed individuals for up to 2 weeks using radio-tracking. The translocated birds had larger maximum movements and moved through much larger home ranges than non-translocated individuals from the resident population. Translocated birds moved 300 m further after release when conspecifics were present. Males moved further than females and tended to have larger home ranges, although average daily displacement did not differ. We concluded that the semi-flightlessness of the species does not result in minimal movements. Release at a small number of locations in the new habitat was considered appropriate for the species, as animals seem to move enough to find new unoccupied areas in a relatively short period. This work provided us with increasing confidence to continue with further translocations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A common strategy for reptile conservation is to establish reserves around nesting or hibernation sites. The government of British Columbia, Canada, mandates protection of 200-300 ha wildlife habitat areas (WHAs) around hibernation sites of the federally threatened Great Basin Gophersnakes ( Stejneger, 1893), but practical constraints result in a mean size of 193 ha. To evaluate the efficacy of this reserve size, we radio-tracked 39 adult Gophersnakes at four study sites in the Okanagan Valley in 2006 and 2007. Home ranges averaged 10.5 ± 1.7 ha. The maximum distance traveled from a hibernation site was 2400 m, whereas the maximum distance dispersed averaged 520 ± 65 m. An idealized circular WHA of 193 ha with the hibernation site at the centre would be large enough to contain Gophersnake home ranges, but the dispersal data show that only 85% of snakes would stay within that area. Small or asymmetrical WHAs likely protect even fewer Gophersnake locations. We recommend that WHAs be expanded if possible because the high mobility of Gophersnakes suggests that current reserves may not offer adequate protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population monitoring and evaluation of spatial requirements of species are key actions for the conservation of wild populations, especially for endemic and threatened species. We estimated the abundance of the endemic species Mesoclemmys dahli in 2 streams in Cesar, Colombia, from February 2008 to February 2009, by using aquatic sampling. We monitored fluctuations in abundance through the year and used mark--recapture sampling and the Jolly--Seber model to estimate population size and density. Home ranges and movement patterns were studied by using very high frequency (VHF) radio telemetry. We calculated home ranges for the year and for the wet and dry season independently. Estimated population size for the 2 streams varied during the year from 16 (95% CI, 7-30) to 175 (95% CI, 32-298) turtles. Densities ranged from 16 turtles/ha in April to approximately 170 turtles/ha in June, which is lower than other populations of M. dahli in Colombia as well as other South American chelids. Individuals captured during the wet season had a significantly higher mean body mass than those captured during the dry season, which suggests that larger animals may leave the streams during the dry months or that animals may lose weight during this period. Home ranges for 1 year varied from 1.6 to 30.8 ha when using the minimum convex polygon method and from 9.2 to 22.5 ha when using the fixed kernel density estimator. There were no significant differences in the mean movements during the dry and wet seasons. However, the greatest movements were documented either during the transition from wet to dry months or during the dry months. Conservation of M. dahli will require protection of the few streams where it occurs, as well as the associated riparian vegetation and surrounding areas used by the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on how the design of marine protected areas (MPAs) is affected by the movement of small adult black rockfish known as Sebastes melanops. The movements of the rockfish were analyzed by implanting them with acoustic transmitters in Carmel Bay, California. The tagged fish were monitored from August 2006 to January 2008 and their vertical movements were correlated with various environmental variables. Based from the result of the study, the researchers concluded that the understanding of the differences in fish movements among age classes is needed in designing MPAs that are intended for the protection of all life stages of a species.

Movements of male white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are of great concern with respect to spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD) across landscapes because most yearlings males disperse and adult males have higher prevalence of CWD than do females and younger deer. We radiocollared and monitored 85 male white-tailed deer in the middle Missouri River Valley of eastern Nebraska and western Iowa, USA from 2004 to 2008. Average size (±SE) of fixed-kernel annual home ranges (95%) and core areas (50%) for resident deer were 449 (±32) ha and 99 (±7) ha, respectively. Resident deer exhibited a highdegree of fidelity to their home ranges. Mean overlap between consecutive annual home ranges and core areas was 81% and 74%, respectively. Average dispersal distance was 17.7 ± 4.5 km (range = 3-121 km) for 22 radio-marked and 6 ear-tagged yearlings. Mean spring dispersal distance (25 km) was 150% greater than fall (10 km). Dispersal direction from Desoto National Wildlife Refuge (DNWR) was bimodal on a northwest to southeast axis that followed the Missouri River corridor. Of 22 yearlings that dispersed 18 (82%) established adult home ranges within the river valley. Dispersal movements of yearling males represent the greatest risk for rapid spread of diseases from infected source populations. Disease management efforts in riparian habitats should target male fawns and yearling males for removal in areas within or immediately adjacent to river corridors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of movements, range size and spatial overlap of sympatric deer is integral to understanding chronic wasting disease (CWD) in endemic areas and can assist resource managers in modeling the spread of the disease. We radiocollared 70 deer (30 mule deer Odocoileus hemionus and 40 white-tailed deer O. virginianus) in the North Platte River Valley in western Nebraska, USA, from 2004 to 2007 to document movements, size and spatial overlap of home range and resource selection of these sympatric species of deer. We compared home-range size and overlap and resource selection among male and female mule deer and white-tailed deer to examine relative use of space in order to understand the potential for indirect spread of CWD better. We identified forested, riparian habitats as high selection of use and these habitats could likely contribute to the potential spreading of CWD between sympatric deer that concentrate in these areas.Wefound that migration, size of home range of female mule deer, and similarities in resource selection could contribute to sustaining or spreading CWD in Nebraska. The role of female mule deer in the spread of CWD coupled with selection for riparian corridors by both species should be investigated further, because these factors may be a primary determinant of disease spread in the historical range of mule deer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 28 Striped Skunks (Mephitis mephitis) were fitted with radio-transmitters and their movements were monitored in Scarborough (Toronto), Ontario, in 1986 and 1987. Mean annual home range size for combined sex and age classes of Striped Skunks was 0.9 km2 (SD = 1.4) (range = 0.1-5.0 km2). Home ranges were smaller during winter (χ = 0.04 km2, SD = 0.05) than during fall (χ = 0.67 km2, SD = 1.09) (P = 0.055) but not different from ranges during spring (χ = 0.25 km2, SD = 0.31) or summer (χ = 0.27 km2, SD = 0.43). Nightly movements ranged between 0.1 km and 3.0 km and were greatest during October. Skunks were located more often in field habitats (56% of observations) than in residential (23%), field/industrial (10%), or industrial (8%) habitats. Ecological data on Striped Skunks were used in the design of rabies control tactics for use in urban areas in Ontario, Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapidly increasing urbanization creates novel environmental conditions for mammals even in already human-dominated, agricultural landscapes. Previous research on the behavioral responses of mammals to urbanization has focused on carnivores. Herbivores may respond to similar factors as carnivores, but herbivores also could respond to landscape alterations that generate variation in predation risk. We examined movements of 35 radiomarked, adult woodchucks (Marmota monax) located across an urbanization gradient within an agricultural landscape in central Illinois from 2007 to 2008. As predicted, home-range size was related negatively to urbanization. Home-range size of woodchucks in urban areas was ,10% of that of rural woodchucks. Urbanization had stronger effects on home-range sizes of males compared to females. Woodchucks are multiple central-place foragers, and their use of burrows within home ranges also was influenced by urbanization, with number of burrows per individual decreasing with urbanization. Because number of burrows was not scaled proportionally to home-range size, however, distances between burrows decreased in urban areas, and predation risk during interburrow movements should be reduced for urban woodchucks. Our results demonstrate the ability of woodchucks to exhibit substantial behavioral plasticity in response to urbanization and provide insights into how space use by multiple central-place foragers relates to predation risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Populations of carpet pythons Morelia spilota have declined across much of inland Australia, apparently because of anthropogenic disturbances, yet continue to persist in areas that have been heavily modified by humans along the eastern seaboard of Australia. To help to clarify this paradox, we undertook a radio-telemetric study of M. spilota in a semi-arid, agricultural landscape in inland Australia, making comparisons at two spatial scales. First, we compared activity and space use at the local regional level, between an area of high human modification: a homestead; and one that has experienced low human disturbance: a nearby woodland. During spring and summer, snakes inhabiting woodland environments moved more frequently and farther than those inhabiting human-modified environments. Home-range sizes did not differ between landscapes. Home ranges of M. spilota from semi-arid Australia were nearly five times smaller than those of conspecifics from coastal eastern Australia, yet daily distances moved were more than three times larger in semi-arid inland populations. Although a number of factors could explain differences in the spatial ecology between inland and coastal populations, the surprisingly ‘healthy’ population at the homestead, a modified area adjacent to relatively intact woodland, suggests the absence or reduction of processes threatening inland M. spilota at other locations. This scenario supports the idea that declines of inland M. spilota are related to habitat loss. For instance, most inland areas differ from our homestead site in having (1) greater fragmentation and thus smaller, more isolated woodland remnants; (2) a higher loss of understorey vegetation, which provides concealment from both predators and prey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population structure and patterns of habitat use among ringed seals ( Phoca hispida) are poorly known, in part because seasonal movements have not been adequately documented. We monitored the movements of 98 ringed seals in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas between 1990 and 2006 using three forms of telemetry. In the winter—spring period (when the seals were occupying shorefast ice), we used radio and ultra-sonic tags to track movements above and below the ice, respectively. We used satellite-linked transmitters in summer and fall (when the seals ranged away from their winter sites) to track at-sea movements. In the shorefast ice habitat, the home ranges of 27 adult males ranged from <1 to 13.9 km2 (median = 0.628) while the home ranges of 28 adult females ranged from <1 to 27.9 km2 (median = 0.652). The 3-dimensional volumes used by 9 seals tracked acoustically under the ice averaged 0.07 (SD = 0.04) km3 for subadults and adult males and 0.13 (SD = 0.04) km3 for adult females. Three of the radio-tracked seals and 9 tracked by satellite ranged up to 1,800 km from their winter/spring home ranges in summer but returned to the same small (1–2 km2) sites during the ice-bound months in the following year. The restricted movements of ringed seals during the ice-bound season—including the breeding season—limits their foraging activities for most of the year and may minimize gene flow within the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: To document movement patterns, home range, nesting behaviour and social organization of 5 individuals (3 males and 2 females) of a common species of tree-shrew, Tupaia glis (T. glis) surrounding houses of otoacariasis cases. Methods: Each shrew was fitted with a transmitter chip radio-collar which operates between the frequencies of 154.13 MHz to 154.21 MHz. Each transmitter was then tracked with a Portable Telemetry Receiver (Sirtrack, New Zealand) fitted with a 3-element Yagi antenna. Collared shrews were located using standard methods of ground-based triangulation. Each location was taken from at least 2 directional fixes and a minimum of 3 compass bearings. Fixes were taken hourly for each collared individual from the time of emergence from nest (beginning of activity) till time of entry into the nest (end of activity) every day for 5 to 7 continuous days. Three series of radio telemetry observations were carried out. The bearings, time and positions of an observer were recorded and later plotted on a graph paper in order to derive coordinates of the collared animal. [These coordinates then analyzed using Ecological Software Solutions (Biotas Version 1.03)]. Results: Nests were found in a jack fruit tree, long bushes, and 2 houses. Daily telemetry detections demonstrated 2 individuals of different sex having nests (or a nest) in the same house. All shrews emerged from and returned to their nests between 0601 to 0659 hours and 1901 to 1959 hours, respectively. Both the time of exit from and entry into nest were the same between sexes (P>0.05). Their average total active period was 4.90 to 7.00 hours with a total daily travel distant of 270 m to 382 m. A male and a female shrew can move as far as 3 285 m and 4 591 m, respectively. Active movements of T. glis were during daytime. They regularly entered some houses in the area during day and night except for one individual which visited during daytime only. The sizes of home range and core area for the shrews were 2.00–3.40 ha and 0.05–0.42 ha, respectively. Generally, the mean home range size of females was 20.8% larger than that of males. Females covered a 15.4% slightly higher daily movement range compared to males. Conclusions: This is the first radio telemetry study in Malaysia to monitor movements and home range of shrews carrying ticks on their body. It demonstrates that shrews are potential carriers of ticks from wild into the houses and their compounds based on their total active periods spent moving around from fruit orchards, secondary forest, plantations and other vegetations to trees in compound of 4 to 7 houses and vice versa. There are also evidences showing shrews have close contact with humans. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article discusses research on the home range, movements and survival of rehabilitated raccoons in southern Ontario during 2004 to 2007. Radio collars were fitted to the raccoons, which were released within one kilometer of their acquisition location around the cities of Newcastle, Napanee and Bobcaygeon. The findings revealed that the survival of the raccoons was 0.384, suggesting that raccoon survival is a function of time and not affected by rehabilitation status. It is recommended by the researchers that the rehabilitated raccoons should be released in the general area where they were acquired to minimize movements.

The article focuses on a study that quantified and test changes in spatial behaviour, habitat use and activity levels of female red deer tagged with global positioning system (GPS)-and activity-loggers. The researchers found that diurnal activity did not change significantly on the hunting day but was lower than normal the day after the hunt. The researchers analysed day and night values separately because deer in diurnally hunted populations behave differently during daylight and darkness hours.

It is often difficult to test hypotheses about how and why animal movement responds to environmental conditions, and at what spatial scales movement decisions are made, all of which are critical for sound management. We used fractal dimension (D) as a measure of tortuosity because it described animal movement patterns and was useful for testing hypotheses about effects of sex, home-range size, monthly rainfall, and reproductive phase on movement paths and for detecting changes in movement patterns of animals across a range of movement distances. We captured and fitted 33 (18 females and 15 males) white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) with global positioning system collars. We found that females moved more tortuously (D = 1.75 ± 0.035 SE) than males (D = 1.549 ± 0.025). These differences in movement were related to home-range size of females but not of males. Rainfall predicted D for females; thus, females may have been able to forage more intensively in a smaller area due to increased forage availability. Fractal D of females was greatest during the parturition period (1.468 ± 0.02), likely due to restricted movements in smaller areas or increased foraging. Home-range size of males was similar in spring and rut, but D was lower during rut, indicating that deer changed movement patterns within previously established home ranges. Movement patterns were similar at path lengths related to foraging patches and home ranges, whereas movement patterns changed as path length approximated the size of habitat patches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a study that examined home range, daily movement and seasonal variations of male Reeves' pheasants Syrmaticus reevesii in the Dabie Mountains in central China. It aims to estimate home range, quantify daily movements and examine home range fidelity among seasons and years. The researchers found that daily movements in spring were almost twice than that of winter. It mentions that estimating home range size can provide an important insight into important ecological processes.