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Teffo TR, Katona K, Babocsay G, Sós E, Halpern B. Home Range of the Caspian Whipsnake Dolichophis caspius (Gmelin, 1789) in a Threatened Peri-Urban Population. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13030447. [PMID: 36766335 PMCID: PMC9913663 DOI: 10.3390/ani13030447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 01/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Semi-natural environments within cities can provide habitats for vulnerable reptile species. Better understanding of their habitat use and home range sizes is important for their conservation. We investigated the spatial ecology of Caspian whipsnakes (Dolicophis caspius) in a peri-urban habitat in Budapest, Hungary. We used radiotelemetry to track five adult snakes and analyzed their microhabitat preferences, home range sizes and daily movements. The Caspian whipsnakes intensively utilized areas covered with woody vegetation, with a high density of hibernacula. The tracked snakes used an area of 40.15 ha during the activity period from spring to autumn, but for the winter, they withdrew to a central area of 1.75 ha, abundant in hibernacula. During the activity period the individual home range sizes varied between 6.1 and 15.5 ha, estimated using the minimum convex polygon (MCP); however, for the entire datasets of the individuals, the adaptive kernel method gave the highest mean (13.8 ha), while the LoCoH-R yielded the smallest home ranges (5.19 ha). We found that the average daily displacement for the different individuals ranged between 12.6 and 36.6 m during their main activity season. In the study area, the whipsnakes currently have enough space for foraging, but the restricted spatial distribution of hibernacula, which is mainly available in the central dry rocky forest and partly in the shrubby areas, can limit the extent of the suitable habitat. Human activities and anthropogenic disturbances, especially around hibernacula, may exert pressure on this peri-urban snake population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thabang Rainett Teffo
- Department of Wildlife Biology and Management, Institute for Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Páter Károly u. 1., H-2100 Gödöllő, Hungary
- Correspondence: (T.R.T.); (K.K.)
| | - Krisztián Katona
- Department of Wildlife Biology and Management, Institute for Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Páter Károly u. 1., H-2100 Gödöllő, Hungary
- Correspondence: (T.R.T.); (K.K.)
| | - Gergely Babocsay
- MME Birdlife Hungary, Költő utca 21., H-1121 Budapest, Hungary
- Mátra Museum of the Hungarian Natural History Museum, Kossuth Lajos utca 40., H-3200 Gyöngyös, Hungary
| | - Endre Sós
- Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden, Állatkerti krt. 6-12., H-1146 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Bálint Halpern
- MME Birdlife Hungary, Költő utca 21., H-1121 Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Institute of Biology, Doctoral School of Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
- ELKH-ELTE-MTM Integrative Ecology Research Group, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
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Chandler HC, Jenkins CL, Bauder JM. Accounting for geographic variation in species-habitat associations during habitat suitability modeling. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2504. [PMID: 34866273 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Range-wide species conservation efforts are facilitated by spatially explicit estimates of habitat suitability. However, species-environment relationships often vary geographically and models assuming geographically constant relationships may result in misleading inferences. We present the first range-wide habitat suitability model (HSM) for the federally threatened eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon couperi) as a case study illustrating an approach to account for known latitudinal variation in habitat associations. Specifically, we modeled habitat suitability using interactive relationships between minimum winter temperature and several a priori environmental covariates and compared our results to those from models assuming geographically constant relationships. We found that multi-scale models including interactive effects with winter temperature outperformed single-scale models and models not including interactive effects with winter temperature. Our top-ranked model had suitable range-wide predictive performance and identified numerous large (i.e., ≥1000 ha) potential habitat patches throughout the indigo snake range. Predictive performance was greatest in southern Georgia and northern Florida likely reflecting more restrictive indigo snake habitat associations in these regions. This study illustrates how modeling interactive effects between temperature and environmental covariates can improve the performance of HSMs across geographically varying environmental gradients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Houston C Chandler
- The Orianne Society, Tiger, Georgia, USA
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | | | - Javan M Bauder
- The Orianne Society, Tiger, Georgia, USA
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois, Champaign, Illinois, USA
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Ward M, Marshall BM, Hodges CW, Montano Y, Artchawakom T, Waengsothorn S, Strine CT. Nonchalant neighbors: Space use and overlap of the critically endangered Elongated Tortoise. Biotropica 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Ward
- Suranaree University of Technology Nakhon Ratchasima Thailand
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Bauder JM, Peterman WE, Spear SF, Jenkins CL, Whiteley AR, McGarigal K. Multiscale assessment of functional connectivity: Landscape genetics of eastern indigo snakes in an anthropogenically fragmented landscape in central Florida. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:3422-3438. [PMID: 33978288 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Landscape features can strongly influence gene flow and the strength and direction of these effects may vary across spatial scales. However, few studies have evaluated methodological approaches for selecting spatial scales in landscape genetics analyses, in part because of computational challenges associated with optimizing landscape resistance surfaces (LRS). We used the federally threatened eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon couperi) in central Florida as a case study with which to compare the importance of landscape features and their scales of effect in influencing gene flow. We used genetic algorithms (ResistanceGA) to empirically optimize LRS using categorical land cover surfaces, multiscale resource selection surfaces (RSS), and four combinations of landscape covariates measured at multiple spatial scales (multisurface multiscale LRS). We compared LRS where scale was selected using pseudo- and full optimization. Multisurface multiscale LRS received more empirical support than LRS optimized from categorical land cover surfaces or RSS. Multiscale LRS with scale selected using full optimization generally outperformed those with scale selected using pseudo-optimization. Multiscale LRS with large spatial scales (1200-1800 m) received the most empirical support. Our results highlight the importance of considering landscape features across multiple spatial scales in landscape genetic analyses, particularly broad scales relative to species movement potential. Different effects of scale on home range-level movements and dispersal could explain weak associations between habitat suitability and gene flow in other studies. Our results also demonstrate the importance of large tracts of undeveloped upland habitat with heterogenous vegetation communities and low urbanization for promoting indigo snake connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javan M Bauder
- Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA.,Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - William E Peterman
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Stephen F Spear
- The Orianne Society, Tiger, GA, USA.,Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA.,The Wilds, Cumberland, OH, USA.,Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, U.S. Geological Survey, La Crosse, WI, USA
| | | | - Andrew R Whiteley
- Department of Ecosystems and Conservation Sciences and Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Kevin McGarigal
- Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
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French JT, Wang HH, Grant WE, Tomeček JM. Dynamics of animal joint space use: a novel application of a time series approach. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2019; 7:38. [PMID: 31867110 PMCID: PMC6902482 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-019-0183-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Animal use is a dynamic phenomenon, emerging from the movements of animals responding to a changing environment. Interactions between animals are reflected in patterns of joint space use, which are also dynamic. High frequency sampling associated with GPS telemetry provides detailed data that capture space use through time. However, common analyses treat joint space use as static over relatively long periods, masking potentially important changes. Furthermore, linking temporal variation in interactions to covariates remains cumbersome. We propose a novel method for analyzing the dynamics of joint space use that permits straightforward incorporation of covariates. This method builds upon tools commonly used by researchers, including kernel density estimators, utilization distribution intersection metrics, and extensions of linear models. METHODS We treat the intersection of the utilization distributions of two individuals as a time series. The series is linked to covariates using copula-based marginal beta regression, an alternative to generalized linear models. This approach accommodates temporal autocorrelation and the bounded nature of the response variable. Parameters are easily estimated with maximum likelihood and trend and error structures can be modeled separately. We demonstrate the approach by analyzing simulated data from two hypothetical individuals with known utilization distributions, as well as field data from two coyotes (Canis latrans) responding to appearance of a carrion resource in southern Texas. RESULTS Our analysis of simulated data indicated reasonably precise estimates of joint space use can be achieved with commonly used GPS sampling rates (s.e.=0.029 at 150 locations per interval). Our analysis of field data identified an increase in spatial interactions between the coyotes that persisted for the duration of the study, beyond the expected duration of the carrion resource. Our analysis also identified a period of increased spatial interactions before appearance of the resource, which would not have been identified by previous methods. CONCLUSIONS We present a new approach to the analysis of joint space use through time, building upon tools commonly used by ecologists, that permits a new level of detail in the analysis of animal interactions. The results are easily interpretable and account for the nuances of bounded serial data in an elegant way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin T. French
- Department of Wildlife & Fisheries Science, Texas A&M University, 534 John Kimbrough Blvd., College Station, 77843 USA
| | - Hsiao-Hsuan Wang
- Department of Wildlife & Fisheries Science, Texas A&M University, 534 John Kimbrough Blvd., College Station, 77843 USA
| | - William E. Grant
- Department of Wildlife & Fisheries Science, Texas A&M University, 534 John Kimbrough Blvd., College Station, 77843 USA
| | - John M. Tomeček
- Department of Wildlife & Fisheries Science, Texas A&M University, 534 John Kimbrough Blvd., College Station, 77843 USA
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Folt B, Bauder J, Spear S, Stevenson D, Hoffman M, Oaks JR, Wood PL, Jenkins C, Steen DA, Guyer C. Taxonomic and conservation implications of population genetic admixture, mito-nuclear discordance, and male-biased dispersal of a large endangered snake, Drymarchon couperi. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0214439. [PMID: 30913266 PMCID: PMC6435180 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Accurate species delimitation and description are necessary to guide effective conservation of imperiled species, and this synergy is maximized when multiple data sources are used to delimit species. We illustrate this point by examining Drymarchon couperi (Eastern Indigo Snake), a large, federally-protected species in North America that was recently divided into two species based on gene sequence data from three loci and heuristic morphological assessment. Here, we re-evaluate the two-species hypothesis for D. couperi by evaluating both population genetic and gene sequence data. Our analyses of 14 microsatellite markers revealed 6–8 genetic population clusters with significant admixture, particularly across the contact zone between the two hypothesized species. Phylogenetic analyses of gene sequence data with maximum-likelihood methods suggested discordance between mitochondrial and nuclear markers and provided phylogenetic support for one species rather than two. For these reasons, we place Drymarchon kolpobasileus into synonymy with D. couperi. We suggest inconsistent patterns between mitochondrial and nuclear DNA are driven by high dispersal of males relative to females. We advocate for species delimitation exercises that evaluate admixture and gene flow in addition to phylogenetic analyses, particularly when the latter reveal monophyletic lineages. This is particularly important for taxa, such as squamates, that exhibit strong sex-biased dispersal. Problems associated with over-delimitation of species richness can become particularly acute for threatened and endangered species, because of high costs to conservation when taxonomy demands protection of more individual species than are supported by accumulating data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Folt
- Department of Biological Sciences and Auburn University Museum of Natural History, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Javan Bauder
- The Orianne Society, 11 Fruitstand Lane, Tiger, Georgia, United States of America
- Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois, Champaign, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Stephen Spear
- The Orianne Society, 11 Fruitstand Lane, Tiger, Georgia, United States of America
- The Wilds, Cumberland, Ohio United States of America
| | - Dirk Stevenson
- The Orianne Society, 11 Fruitstand Lane, Tiger, Georgia, United States of America
- Altamaha Environmental Consulting, Hinesville, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Michelle Hoffman
- The Orianne Center for Indigo Conservation, Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens, Sanford, Florida, United States of America
| | - Jamie R. Oaks
- Department of Biological Sciences and Auburn University Museum of Natural History, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Perry L. Wood
- Department of Biological Sciences and Auburn University Museum of Natural History, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Christopher Jenkins
- The Orianne Society, 11 Fruitstand Lane, Tiger, Georgia, United States of America
| | - David A. Steen
- Georgia Sea Turtle Center, Jekyll Island Authority, Jekyll Island, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Craig Guyer
- Department of Biological Sciences and Auburn University Museum of Natural History, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, United States of America
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Marshall BM, Strine CT, Jones MD, Artchawakom T, Silva I, Suwanwaree P, Goode M. Space fit for a king: spatial ecology of king cobras (Ophiophagus hannah) in Sakaerat Biosphere Reserve, Northeastern Thailand. AMPHIBIA-REPTILIA 2019. [DOI: 10.1163/15685381-18000008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
A species’ spatial ecology has direct implications for that species’ conservation. Far-ranging species may be more difficult to conserve because their movements increase their chances of encountering humans. The movements can take them out of protected areas, which is especially risky for species that are routinely persecuted. The king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah), a large venomous elapid, is subject to anthropogenic pressures, such as persecution and habitat loss. Here we present results from a study using radio telemetry to quantify movements and habitat use of nine king cobras in and around a protected area in Northeast Thailand. This study is the first investigation into the movements and habitat use of king cobras outside of the Western Ghats, India. On average, the tracked king cobra’s use areas of 493.42 ± 335.60 ha (95% fixed kernel), moving 183.24 ± 82.63 m per day. King cobras did not remain in intact forested area. Five of the individuals frequently used the human-dominated agricultural areas surrounding the protected area, appearing to make regular use of irrigation canals. Two adult males showed increases in movements during the breeding season. One male’s increased breeding season range caused him to venture beyond the protected area, shifting his habitat use from intact forests to scrub in human-dominated areas. King cobras’ large home range and willingness to use anthropogenic landscapes merits special consideration from conservation planners.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Colin Thomas Strine
- 1Sakaerat Conservation and Snake Education Team, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand
- 2Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand
| | - Max Dolton Jones
- 1Sakaerat Conservation and Snake Education Team, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand
- 2Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand
| | - Taksin Artchawakom
- 3Sakaerat Environmental Research Station, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand
| | - Ines Silva
- 4King Mongkutt’s University of Technology, Thonburi, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Matt Goode
- 5School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
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Stahlschmidt ZR, Walman RM, Mills AM. Red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) and seasonality influence community refuge use. Biol Invasions 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-018-1737-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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Bennitt E, Bonyongo MC, Harris S. Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer caffer) social dynamics in a flood-pulsed environment. Behav Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Lewis JS, Logan KA, Alldredge MW, Theobald DM, VandeWoude S, Crooks KR. Contact networks reveal potential for interspecific interactions of sympatric wild felids driven by space use. Ecosphere 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jesse S. Lewis
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Graduate Degree Program in Ecology Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado 80523 USA
| | | | | | | | - Sue VandeWoude
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado 80523 USA
| | - Kevin R. Crooks
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Graduate Degree Program in Ecology Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado 80523 USA
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