Mating effort and space use of an alpine ungulate during the rut |
| |
Authors: | Julien H Richard Kevin S White Steeve D Côté |
| |
Institution: | 1. Département de biologie and Centre d’études nordiques, Université Laval, 1045 avenue de la Médecine, G1V 0A6, Québec, Canada 2. Division of Wildlife Conservation, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, 802 Third Street, PO Box 110024, Douglas, AK, USA
|
| |
Abstract: | In ungulates, the rut generally leads to increased intra and interpopulation movements for males. Because movements induce energetic costs and missed feeding opportunities, they could be an indication of male mating effort. We studied space use of 44 male mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus) from three neighboring subpopulations in southeast Alaska, during the rut from 2005 to 2008. Using mixed models and an information theoretic approach with AIC, we analyzed the relationships between individual traits of males and their space use. We found no indication of breeding migration between subpopulations. Distances between individual seasonal ranges were not related to any individual trait. Daily movements, home range sizes, and total distance traveled during the rut did not vary with mass or age of individuals. As such, effects of individual traits on male space use during the rut appear weak and observed space use patterns do not support any of the main mating effort hypotheses. |
| |
Keywords: | |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|