Using high-resolution short-term location data to describe territoriality in Pacific martens

Abstract

The home range is one of the most frequently sought-after characteristics of an animal’s behavior and ecology. However, most techniques for evaluating home ranges were developed before GPS collar technology. We use VHF and GPS location data collected in tandem on Pacific marten (Martes caurina) to determine the minimum length of time in which frequent GPS locations defined their annual home ranges. We fitted VHF transmitters to 38 individuals, collecting data for an average of 19.9 (8.7) months. We collected data using micro-GPS collars estimating locations at a 5-minute interval (n = 40 deployments, 19 individuals). For most martens, 80% of maximum VHF home range size was reached after 72 hours of GPS monitoring, and we could accurately estimate annual home range in <1 week. Size or location of annual or seasonal home ranges did not differ depending on data type. The ability to estimate annual home ranges within days could greatly improve the efficiency of addressing other research questions such as how home ranges vary with density, resource availability, and demography.

Citation

Moriarty, K.M.; Linnell, M.A.; Chasco, B.E.; Epps, C.W.; Zielinski, W.J. 2017. Using high-resolution short-term location data to describe territoriality in Pacific martens. Journal of Mammalogy. 98(3): 679-689.