Mesechinus Dauuricus) in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, Mongolia

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Mesechinus Dauuricus) in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, Mongolia © 2012 Journal compilation ISSN 1684-3908 (print edition) http://biology.num.edu.mn Mongolian Journal of Biological http://mjbs.100zero.org/ Sciences MJBS Volume 10(1-2), 2012 ISSN 2225-4994 (online edition) Original Ar cle Home Range Characteristics and Habitat Selection by Daurian Hedgehogs (Mesechinus dauuricus) in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, Mongolia Mirka Zapletal1, Batdorj Sodnompil2, Jon Atwood3, James D. Murdoch4 and Richard P. Reading5 1Antioch University New England, P.O. Box 205, Lincoln, NH 03251, Fax: +1-603-745-2250, Tel.: +1-603-715- 4688, e-mail: [email protected] 2Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Biology, Ulaanbaatar 210351, Mongolia, e-mail: [email protected] 3Biodiversity Research Institute, 652 Main Street, Gorham, Maine 04038 USA, e-mail: [email protected] 4University of Vermont, Wildlife and Fisheries Biology Program, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, George Aiken Center, Burlington, Vermont 05405 USA, e-mail: [email protected] 5Denver Zoological Foundation, Conservation Biology Department, 2300 Steele Street, Denver, Colorado 80205 USA, e-mail: [email protected] Abstract Key words: We examined home range characteristics and habitat selection of Daurian compositional analysis, hedgehogs in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, Mongolia. Home ranges of Daurian hedgehog, hedgehogs varied from 113.15 ha to 2,171.97 ha, and were larger in early habitat selection, home summer than late summer. Hedgehogs showed relative preference for rocky range, Mesechinus, outcrops and low-density shrub habitats, and relative avoidance of high- Mongolia, steppe Article information: density shrub areas. Habitat selection also changed between early and late Received: 31 Jul. 2012 summer, shifting to greater use of low-density shrub areas and decreased use Accepted: 04 Dec. 2012 of forb-dominated short grass. Our baseline data on home ranges and habitat Published: 25 Dec. 2012 selection expand understanding of hedgehog ecology and provide guidance Correspondence: for future management decisions in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve and elsewhere [email protected] in Mongolia. Cite this paper as: Zapletal, M., Batdorj, S., Atwood, J., Murdoch, J. D. & Reading, R. P., 2012. Home range characteristics and habitat selection by Daurian hedgehogs (Mesechinus dauuricus) in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, Mongolia. Mong. J. Biol. Sci., 10(1-2): 41- 50. Introduction Daurian hedgehogs (Mesechinus dauuricus) research has focused on Daurian hedgehogs. are insectivores found in eastern Mongolia and All hedgehogs share a number of anatomical adjacent areas of Siberia and China (Stubbe et features, such as spines, the orbicularis muscle, al., 2008). Researchers have studied several and a body-plan described as ‘basic’ (Reeve, aspects of European hedgehog (Erinaceus 1994), but behaviors and ecological requirements europaeus) ecology (Reeve, 1982; Boitani & of populations vary among species and Reggiani, 1984; Micol et al., 1994; Doncaster environmental conditions (e.g. food availability, et al., 2001; Riber, 2006), but less ecological predator density, human impact on the landscape, 41 42 Running title: Zapletal et al. Daurian hedgehog habitat use in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, Mongolia and other factors [Doncaster, 1992; Cassini & opportunistically while checking under rock Krebs, 1994; Micol et al., 1994; Hubert et al., ledges. We captured a second male (originally 2011]). captured in 2010) after it emerged from Understanding a species’ ecology begins with hibernation, and located 2 females using a basic research examining patterns of resource spotlight at night. We attached a 7g Very High use. Home range analysis, assessing the area Frequency (VHF) radio transmitter (Advanced used by an individual during its normal activities, Telemetry Systems, Isanti, Minnesota, USA) provides a measure of the spatial requirements to an area of clipped quills on the back of for a species (Millspaugh & Marzluff, 2001), each captured animal using dental composite and analysis of location data provides insight (Protemp 4 Garant, 3M ESPE Dental Products, into patterns of habitat selection (Johnson, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA) (Murdoch et al., 1980; Horne & Garton, 2006). We studied home 2006). As part of a parallel morphologic study, range characteristics and habitat use by Daurian we weighed, sexed, and measured each hedgehog hedgehogs in a semi-arid environment to gain for total length, girth at the chest, inner ear baseline information on the species’ ecology. length, outer ear length, foreleg, hind leg, hind The objectives of our study were to 1) quantify foot, and tail. We also attached a numbered ear the home range characteristics, including size tag (model 1005-1, National Band and Tag, and shape of Daurian hedgehogs, and 2) assess Newport, Kentucky, USA) to each hedgehog. patterns of habitat selection at multiple spatial We chemically restrained each hedgehog scales. using ketamine anesthesia (up to 80 mg/kg body weight) following a Denver Zoological Materials and Methods Foundation protocol. We held captured hedgehogs for up to 24 hours and provided them Study area. We conducted the study in Ikh with insects, meat, and water ad libitum, before Nart Nature Reserve (45.723° N, 108.645° E). releasing them back at their capture sites. Ikh Nart was established in 1996 in Dornogobi We tracked hedgehogs using hand-held Aimag, which lies at the northeast edge of antennas and radio receivers (model R-1000, the Gobi Desert and consists mainly of semi- Communications Specialists, Orange, California, arid steppe habitats, including rocky outcrops, USA). To investigate if the temporal changes shrublands, grasslands, and forb-dominated in European hedgehog space-use seen by areas (Jackson et al., 2006; Murdoch et al., Boitani & Reggiani (1984) extended to Daurian 2010; Reading et al., 2011). The area features a hedgehogs, we divided the summer into 2 dry continental climate, and receives <200 mm periods: June 11- July 17 (Early Summer) of precipitation annually (Reading et al., 2011). and July 21- August 31 (Late Summer) and Temperature is highly variable and ranges from continuously tracked each animal 5 times per -40°C in winter (December to March) to +45°C period (0-2 times per week) using focal-animal in summer (June to August). Several freshwater sampling (Altmann, 1974). Following Riber springs provide a majority of the available (2006), our tracking methodology usually water, although these springs are rare throughout involved fi nding the daytime resting location the reserve. Plant communities feature semi- (day-nest) of a hedgehog approximately 1-hour desert steppe varieties, including grasses with before sunset, and then following that individual some forbs in fl atter sections, and primarily from a distance of 10-40 m once it emerged shrubs in rockier terrain (Reading et al., 2011). and became active (typical follow distance = Two species of hedgehogs occur in this reserve 20-30 m, within the range used by Boitani & including Daurian hedgehog and long-eared Reggiani [1984], Riber [2006], and Dowding et hedgehog (Hemiechinus auritus) (Murdoch et al. [2010]). At times we located the focal animal al., 2006). after emergence, we recorded its location every Capture and tracking. We quantifi ed home 10 minutes using a handheld Global Positioning range characteristics and habitat selection by System (GPS), and logged the complete track of capturing, marking, and tracking the movements the followed hedgehog. Tracking sessions lasted of individual hedgehogs. We captured hedgehogs 4-9 hours until the focal animal entered a day- in May and June 2011. We captured 1 male nest (typically at daybreak). Mongolian Journal of Biological Sciences 2012 Vol. 10(1-2) 43 Home ranges and habitat selection. We zones (we omitted 1 female from this analysis analyzed location data using Geographic because she showed no overlap). We report all Information Systems software (ArcGIS10, mean estimates with ± 1 S.D. ESRI, Redlands, California, USA) with a We generated 8 random MCP home ranges Geospatial Modelling Environment (GME) in GME for comparison with the 8 actual MCP extension (Spatial Ecology, Toronto, Canada). home ranges generated over the summer to We estimated home ranges as 100% Minimum investigate non-random habitat use in home Convex Polygons (MCP- Minimum Convex Hull range placement. We classifi ed the 4 largest in ArcMap10) and kernel densities (in GME) for random home ranges (mean area = 1,007.05 Early Summer and Late Summer. We created ± 169.57 ha) as Early Summer and 4 smallest MCPs by connecting all available data for an (mean area = 286.02 ± 163.82 ha) as Late individual within each time period to provide a Summer (Fig. 1). We generated alternate simple home range ‘snapshot’ (Mohr, 1947). hedgehog trails in GME to investigate habitat MCPs provide a standard home range estimate selection during nightly foraging and used that is easily comparable to estimates from correlated random walks (CRW), following elsewhere (Harris et al., 1990). Kernel densities Maude (2010). Each CRW contained 36 provide probability estimates for an animal’s use segments (Early Summer mean = 142.22 ± of each ‘kernel’ based upon data (Worton, 1989); 117.87 m; Late Summer mean = 56.42 ± 48.09 the resulting estimates provide more-nuanced m) to simulate 6 hours of tracking with GPS analyses of home range data based not only on points collected every 10 minutes. We used an animal’s locations, but also the frequency of a normal turn-angle distribution (mean = 5 ± locations within an area. We visually separated randomly set 1-3°). kernel density values into 7 classes using natural Using vegetation maps created by Jackson et breaks. We combined the area within the top 2 al. (2006), we calculated the proportion of each classes (44.50% of Early Summer kernel values habitat type (e.g. rocky outcrop, high-density and 41.86% of Late Summer kernel values) by shrub, low-density shrub, forb-dominated short study animal, clipped any overlapping sections grass, semi-shrub, tall vegetation, and water) between Early Summer and Late Summer, and within the study area, real and random home considered the resulting polygons repeated-use ranges, and repeated-use zones.
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