Spatial Patterns and Dynamic Interactions Among Raccoons in Eastern Kansas

Gehrt, Stanley D.; Fox, Lloyd B.

doi:10.1894/0038-4909(2004)049<0116:spadia>2.0.co;2

Cited by 15 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Although raccoons are generally considered to be solitary, adult males (but not females) sometimes form semi-permanent dyads that travel and den together for at least several months (Gehrt and Fritzell, 1998;Chamberlain and Leopold, 2002;Gehrt and Fox, 2004). In fact, we captured 1 adult male in the same trap 5 times during this study.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relative Importance of Demographics, Locale, and Seasonality Underlying Louse and Flea Parasitism of Raccoons (Procyon lotor)

Monello

Gompper

2009

Journal of Parasitology

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A variety of demographic, seasonal, and site-specific variables may influence parasitism, but the relative importance of these variables is generally unclear. We measured the relative ability of host characteristics, season, and site to explain louse (Trichodectes octomaculatus) and flea (Orchopeas howardi) infestation across 10 populations of raccoons (Procyon lotor). Lice are highly dependent on specific hosts and are predicted to display a relatively strong relationship with factors intrinsic to the host, when compared to fleas, which can infest multiple species and survive off-host for weeks without feeding. We developed a priori models that represented explicit hypotheses and contrasted their ability to predict infestation patterns. While the abundance of lice was seasonal, models that included solely host age and sex best predicted prevalence and abundance, in part because males were infested with 3 times the number of lice than were females. Conversely, flea prevalence and abundance, which peaks sharply in the spring, was best predicted by season; factors intrinsic to the host were relatively unimportant for predicting abundance. These, and other, recent findings emphasize the need to simultaneously assess the relative importance of multiple ecological variables between parasite species when attempting to describe general trends and constraints of host-parasite associations.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relative Importance of Demographics, Locale, and Seasonality Underlying Louse and Flea Parasitism of Raccoons (Procyon lotor)

Monello

Gompper

2009

Journal of Parasitology

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“…Early research concluded that an increase in the number of social contacts during the winter mating season leads to peaks in rabies cases a few months later (Bigler, McLean & Trevino 1973). Recent research has led to the conclusion that raccoons are far more social than originally assumed (Gehrt & Fritzell 1998a;Chamberlain & Leopold 2002;Gehrt & Fox 2004;Pitt, Lariviere & Messier 2008;Prange, Gehrt & Hauver 2011;Robert, Garant & Pelletier 2012); males are more social than females (Gehrt & Fritzell 1998a;Chamberlain & Leopold 2002;Gehrt & Fox 2004;Pitt, Lariviere & Messier 2008); adult male-female and adult male-male contacts are more frequent and of longer duration during the winter breeding season (Gehrt & Fritzell 1998a;Prange, Gehrt & Hauver 2011;Hirsch et al 2013a,b); and social contacts range from brief encounters to long-term stable associations between pairs of individuals (Prange, Gehrt & Hauver 2011;Reynolds et al 2015a). In regard to rabies outbreaks, Bigler, McLean & Trevino (1973) posited that an increase in aggressive interactions between male raccoons during the mating season, as well as seasonal increases in home range size, could increase the likelihood of rabies exposure during the winter.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Which mechanisms drive seasonal rabies outbreaks in raccoons? A test using dynamic social network models

Hirsch

Reynolds

Gehrt

et al. 2016

Journal of Applied Ecology

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Summary The timing of raccoon rabies outbreaks in the eastern USA is non‐random and often exhibits a seasonal peak. While fluctuations in disease transmission can be driven by seasonal changes in animal population dynamics, behaviour and physiology, it is still unclear which causal factors lead to seasonal outbreaks of raccoon rabies. We used dynamic network modelling to test which of three seasonally changing factors are most likely responsible for raccoon rabies outbreaks: (i) birth pulses, (ii) changes in social network structure and (iii) changes in social contact duration. In contrast to previous predictions, we found that a change in social contact duration was the single most important driver of rabies seasonality. More specifically, co‐denning for thermoregulation during the winter increases the amount of time individuals spend in close contact, which in turn should lead to peaks in rabies transmission during the winter. Increased time spent in close proximity during cold winter months has implications for seasonal disease patterns in raccoon populations across a latitudinal gradient, as well as potentially being important for pathogens transmitted by close contact in other wildlife hosts. Synthesis and applications. By incorporating detailed empirical data describing variation in raccoon contacts into a network modelling framework, it is possible to determine the likely causal mechanisms driving seasonal disease patterns. This can be crucial information for wildlife and public health officials implementing wildlife disease control programmes.

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“…One strategy used by several species is the formation of a flexible 'fission-fusion' social system, which can break up or aggregate as desired to maximize fitness (e.g., African elephants, Loxodonta africana: Wittemyer et al 2005; Moss & Lee 2011; bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus: Connor et al 2000;Lusseau et al 2003; chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes and bonobos, Pan paniscus: Nishida & Hiraiwa-Hasegawa 1987;Stumpf 2011; spider monkeys, Ateles spp. In addition, raccoons exhibit a large degree of social system flexibility Ethology 119 (2013) 769-778 © 2013 Blackwell Verlag GmbH across seasons, between the sexes, and across different populations (Gehrt & Fritzell 1998;Chamberlain & Leopold 2002;Gehrt & Fox 2004;Pitt et al 2008;Prange et al 2011). By studying the costs and benefits of sociality in these socially flexible species, it is possible to better understand the evolution of sociality .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While not typically considered in discussions of fission-fusion social systems, raccoons (Procyon lotor) often sleep and travel with other raccoons, but do not live in stable social groups (Enders & Smith 1993;Gehrt & Fritzell 1998). In addition, raccoons exhibit a large degree of social system flexibility across seasons, between the sexes, and across different populations (Gehrt & Fritzell 1998;Chamberlain & Leopold 2002;Gehrt & Fox 2004;Pitt et al 2008;Prange et al 2011). It is conceivable that this flexibility in raccoon social organization is a response to fluctuating costs and benefits of group living.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Raccoons are often considered a solitary species (Ewer 1973;Barash 1974;Kaufmann 1982;Sandell 1989), yet several recent studies have documented varying degrees of sociality in raccoon populations (Gehrt & Fritzell 1998;Chamberlain & Leopold 2002;Gehrt & Fox 2004;Pitt et al 2008;Prange et al 2011;Robert et al 2012;Hirsch et al 2013). In contrast to adult males, adult females typically associate with their dependent offspring and spend less time with other adults (Gehrt & Fritzell 1998;Chamberlain & Leopold 2002;Gehrt & Fox 2004;Pitt et al 2008;Prange et al 2011). While adult male-male associations are more common than female-female and male-female associations, adult females in some dense populations frequently associate with other adult females (Prange et al 2011;Robert et al 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Age, but not Sex or Genetic Relatedness, Shapes Raccoon Dominance Patterns

et al. 2013

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Raccoons are generally regarded as solitary, yet several studies have found that raccoons frequently form social affiliations. One benefit to sociality in many mammal species is that relatives and close associates can form coalitions against third parties during agonistic encounters. We tested whether raccoon dominance patterns were influenced by age, sex, genetic relatedness, and association patterns at two anthropogenic feeding stations in an urban forest. We found that genetic relatedness had no significant effect on patterns of agonism at one of the feeding stations. At the second feeding station, raccoons were more likely to act aggressively toward close relatives, which is opposite of the predicted pattern. However, when we controlled for the number of times raccoons arrived at feeding stations in close proximity, the effect of relatedness on dominance patterns was not significant at either feeding station. These results suggest that relatedness plays little or no role in shaping dominance patterns of raccoons. Older raccoons were ranked significantly higher in the dominance hierarchies regardless of sex. This pattern leads us to conclude that age is the primary factor driving the outcome of aggressive interactions in raccoons at our study site. Despite frequent social interactions at the study site, the patterns of raccoon dominance more closely resemble patterns found in solitary animals. To confirm the generality of these results and to better understand the evolution of raccoon social behavior, similar studies need to be undertaken in other raccoon populations.

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Spatial Patterns and Dynamic Interactions Among Raccoons in Eastern Kansas

Cited by 15 publications

References 28 publications

Relative Importance of Demographics, Locale, and Seasonality Underlying Louse and Flea Parasitism of Raccoons (Procyon lotor)

Relative Importance of Demographics, Locale, and Seasonality Underlying Louse and Flea Parasitism of Raccoons (Procyon lotor)

Which mechanisms drive seasonal rabies outbreaks in raccoons? A test using dynamic social network models

Age, but not Sex or Genetic Relatedness, Shapes Raccoon Dominance Patterns

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