MALE-BIASED MOVEMENT IN A HIGH-DENSITY POPULATION OF THE EURASIAN BADGER (MELES MELES)

We investigated movement patterns in a high-density population of Eurasian badgers (Meles meles) to explore how the costs and benefits of dispersal and other forms of movement differed among individuals in the population. We analyzed a 17-year data set comprising 5,255 trapping events for members of...

Cur síos iomlán

Sonraí bibleagrafaíochta
Príomhchruthaitheoirí: Macdonald, D, Newman, C, Buesching, C, Johnson, P
Formáid: Journal article
Teanga:English
Foilsithe / Cruthaithe: 2008
_version_ 1826270880711311360
author Macdonald, D
Newman, C
Buesching, C
Johnson, P
author_facet Macdonald, D
Newman, C
Buesching, C
Johnson, P
author_sort Macdonald, D
collection OXFORD
description We investigated movement patterns in a high-density population of Eurasian badgers (Meles meles) to explore how the costs and benefits of dispersal and other forms of movement differed among individuals in the population. We analyzed a 17-year data set comprising 5,255 trapping events for members of a population of Eurasian badgers at Wytham Woods, Oxford, United Kingdom. For a subset of badgers with a sufficient trapping history, we were able to identify dispersal events. Permanent dispersal was not common. Of 267 badgers 1st trapped as young and caught on a minimum of 4 occasions spanning 400 days or more, the majority (75.8%) were never captured at more than 2 social groups. Only 51 (19.1%) of these animals satisfied our definition of dispersal; 96 (35.8%) were never captured outside of their natal social group. Male badgers moved between groups more than did females and accumulated more wounds in the process. Dispersing males tended to move to larger groups and to groups with a preponderance of females, but dispersal rate did not change as the density of the population increased. However, evidence of extraterritorial matings suggests that inbreeding may be alleviated without dispersal. We consider the implications of these findings for the mating system and social behavior of the badger. © 2008 American Society of Mammalogists.
first_indexed 2024-03-06T21:47:48Z
format Journal article
id oxford-uuid:4a3232ee-1cb4-41d2-b76f-a4640d839a43
institution University of Oxford
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-06T21:47:48Z
publishDate 2008
record_format dspace
spelling oxford-uuid:4a3232ee-1cb4-41d2-b76f-a4640d839a432022-03-26T15:36:06ZMALE-BIASED MOVEMENT IN A HIGH-DENSITY POPULATION OF THE EURASIAN BADGER (MELES MELES)Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:4a3232ee-1cb4-41d2-b76f-a4640d839a43EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2008Macdonald, DNewman, CBuesching, CJohnson, PWe investigated movement patterns in a high-density population of Eurasian badgers (Meles meles) to explore how the costs and benefits of dispersal and other forms of movement differed among individuals in the population. We analyzed a 17-year data set comprising 5,255 trapping events for members of a population of Eurasian badgers at Wytham Woods, Oxford, United Kingdom. For a subset of badgers with a sufficient trapping history, we were able to identify dispersal events. Permanent dispersal was not common. Of 267 badgers 1st trapped as young and caught on a minimum of 4 occasions spanning 400 days or more, the majority (75.8%) were never captured at more than 2 social groups. Only 51 (19.1%) of these animals satisfied our definition of dispersal; 96 (35.8%) were never captured outside of their natal social group. Male badgers moved between groups more than did females and accumulated more wounds in the process. Dispersing males tended to move to larger groups and to groups with a preponderance of females, but dispersal rate did not change as the density of the population increased. However, evidence of extraterritorial matings suggests that inbreeding may be alleviated without dispersal. We consider the implications of these findings for the mating system and social behavior of the badger. © 2008 American Society of Mammalogists.
spellingShingle Macdonald, D
Newman, C
Buesching, C
Johnson, P
MALE-BIASED MOVEMENT IN A HIGH-DENSITY POPULATION OF THE EURASIAN BADGER (MELES MELES)
title MALE-BIASED MOVEMENT IN A HIGH-DENSITY POPULATION OF THE EURASIAN BADGER (MELES MELES)
title_full MALE-BIASED MOVEMENT IN A HIGH-DENSITY POPULATION OF THE EURASIAN BADGER (MELES MELES)
title_fullStr MALE-BIASED MOVEMENT IN A HIGH-DENSITY POPULATION OF THE EURASIAN BADGER (MELES MELES)
title_full_unstemmed MALE-BIASED MOVEMENT IN A HIGH-DENSITY POPULATION OF THE EURASIAN BADGER (MELES MELES)
title_short MALE-BIASED MOVEMENT IN A HIGH-DENSITY POPULATION OF THE EURASIAN BADGER (MELES MELES)
title_sort male biased movement in a high density population of the eurasian badger meles meles
work_keys_str_mv AT macdonaldd malebiasedmovementinahighdensitypopulationoftheeurasianbadgermelesmeles
AT newmanc malebiasedmovementinahighdensitypopulationoftheeurasianbadgermelesmeles
AT bueschingc malebiasedmovementinahighdensitypopulationoftheeurasianbadgermelesmeles
AT johnsonp malebiasedmovementinahighdensitypopulationoftheeurasianbadgermelesmeles