The effect of anthropogenic resources on the space-use patterns of golden jackals

Guy Rotem, Haim Berger, Roni King, Pua Bar, David Saltz

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

43 Scopus citations

Abstract

We studied the influence of agricultural villages on space-use patterns of golden jackals (Canis aureus Linnaeus) in the Mediterranean region of Israel. Villages in our research area attract jackals due to poor sanitation conditions in and around villages. As resources in these villages are abundant and predictable, we expected that space-use patterns of jackals near those villages, including home-range characteristics and movement paths, would differ from those of jackals inhabiting more natural areas. Using radio-locations from 16 individuals (8 near villages and 8 from more natural areas), we found that mean home-range size of jackals close to villages was 6.6 ± 4.5 km 2, smaller than mean home-range size of jackals in more natural areas (21.2 ± 9.3 km2, P = 0.001). Similarly, core area size of jackals near villages was 1.2 ± 0.92 km2, compared to 3.5 ± 1.6 km2 for individuals inhabiting more natural areas (P = 0.004). The core area/home-range ratio was greater for jackals near villages than for those occupying more natural areas (0.122 ± 0.045 vs. 0.095 ± 0.037, respectively, P = 0.004). Jackals moved little during the day, with day ranges smaller for jackals near villages than away from them (1.65 ± 0.67 vs. 7.5 ± 5.6 km2, respectively, P = 0.028). However, jackals near villages moved as much at night as did jackals in more natural areas, although movement was in a less directional manner. Changes in distribution and predictability of resources due to anthropogenic activity affect not only the home-range size of jackals, but also how they utilize and move through space.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)132-136
Number of pages5
JournalJournal of Wildlife Management
Volume75
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2011
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • anthropogenic
  • Canis aureus
  • food
  • home range
  • jackal
  • movement persistence
  • utilization distribution

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