2019/08/17 by Honora B. Tisell, Allyson L. Degrassi, Ryan B. Stephens +1
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Environmental Science · #Animal Behavior and Reproduction #Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies #Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
paper · doi:10.1139/cjz-2018-0338
openalex publication_date 2019/08/17 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/08
Home range is shaped by an individual’s interactions with the environment and conspecifics, and both size and placement may vary in response to population fluctuations. The method used to collect locational data may also affect home-range estimates. We examined the effect of density, sex, and field method on home range of southern red-backed voles (Myodes gapperi (Vigors, 1830)) inhabiting eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carrière) forests. Twelve mark–recapture grids were used to census M. gapperi from 2014 to 2017. In 2017, individuals were radio-collared. Home-range size, core-area size, and shared space were calculated using kernel density estimators from both mark–recapture and radiotelemetry data. Density effects on home range and core area were analyzed and differences between sex and field method were compared. We found (i) density did not affect home-range size, (ii) male home range was larger than female home range, (iii) females shared space more frequently and to a greater extent with males than other females, and (iv) home-range estimates were not significantly different between mark–recapture and radiotelemetry. Male home range, however, was larger under radiotelemetry and may reflect a truncation effect when mark–recapture grid size is smaller than male home range.