Ranging behaviour and time budgets of male wood mice Apodemus sylvaticus in different habitats and seasons

Abstract

Radiotelemetry was used to measure the range areas, activity patterns and time budgets of 21 adult male wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus) between May 1991 and August 1992. The study investigated variation in range, total distance travelled, speed of movement and time budgets between wood mice in the nonbreeding and breeding seasons in a deciduous woodland (n = 8 and 6 respectively). We also examined habitat differences by estimating these same parameters for wood mice inhabiting maritime sand-dunes in the breeding season (n = 7). Insufficient males of an appropriate mass for radiotracking were captured to study the sand-dune mice in the nonbreeding season. Significant variation was found across both season and site. In the breeding season, in woodland, range areas were 5 times larger than during the nonbreeding season. Wood mice on the sand-dunes exploited ranges 28 times greater than their woodland counterparts. The pattern of variation in range area was parallelled by significant differences in total distances and average speeds travelled per night. Diurnal activity, c. 60 min day, was frequently recorded, at both sites, but only, in the breeding season, which was attributed to the need to forage in order to maintain energy balance. The comparatively lower availability of food on the sand-dunes was considered the main factor explaining the greater range area, total distance moved, speed travelled and level of activity of animals at this site.

Time–activity budget of greater rheas (Rhea americana, Aves) on a human-disturbed area: the role of habitat, time of the day, season and group size

“…The results of this study indicate that forestry alters greater rheas' habitat use and behaviours; the same results were found for breeding birds in Australia (Recher et al 1985). The results found in this study support the resource availability hypothesis, since smaller greater rhea groups were found mostly during the dry season and that foraging activities were more exhibited in open areas than in the Eucalyptus forests (Corp et al 1997;Daly et al 1990;Sommer 2000).…”

“…During dry seasons, when food sources tend to be scarce, strong intragroup competition will favour the formation of smaller groups; in the other hand, during wet seasons, food tended to be abundant, diminishing competition between the animals. In this case, the risk of predation instead of the competition for food will mainly act favouring larger groups (Corp et al 1997;Daly et al 1990;Sommer 2000).…”

Human-mediated dispersal of seeds over long distances

“…Livestock are excluded, and small rodents that may gather seeds have relatively small foraging ranges (e.g. !300 m diameter for Apodemus sylvaticus in a coastal area; Corp et al 1997).…”

Foraging behavior of golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) in the wild

“…A semi-fossorial animal's best line of defense against predators is to remain in its burrow, yet we were unable to find many studies that systematically recorded the time spent in the burrow throughout the day and night, probably because of the difficulty of collecting continuous data (see Corp et al 1997;Sharpe and Rosell 2003;Koprowski and Corse 2005;Rehmeier 2005 for some exceptions).…”

“…European ground squirrels Everts et al (2004) Spermophilus tridecemlineatus Thirteen-lined ground squirrels Vispo and Bakken (1993) Apodemus sylvaticus Wood mice Corp et al (1997) Octodon degus Degus Kenagy et al (2002) Most of day or night…”