And Its Implication for Ethiopian Wolf (Canis Simensis )

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

And Its Implication for Ethiopian Wolf (Canis Simensis ) Behavioral ecology of the African wolf (Canis lupaster) and its implication for Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis ) conservation in the Ethiopian Highlands Tariku Mekonnen Gutema Dissertation presented for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) 2020 Center for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis Department of Biosciences Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences University of Oslo © Tariku Mekonnen Gutema, 2020 Series of dissertations submitted to the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Oslo No. 2298 ISSN 1501-7710 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without permission. Cover: Hanne Baadsgaard Utigard. Print production: Reprosentralen, University of Oslo. Acknowledgments First and foremost, I would like to thank almighty God for giving me health, strength and courage to complete this thesis. This work would not have been possible without the advice and support of many people. Firstly, I would like to acknowledge my principal supervisor Prof. Nils Chr. Stenseth, University of Oslo, for accepting me as a PhD student and for his continued advice, encouragement and unlimited support during the study. He offered me a full academic freedom and flexibility besides of his scientific guidance. I am very grateful to my three co-advisors, Prof Afework Bekele and Dr. Anagaw Atikem, Addis Ababa University, and Prof Claudio Sillero-Zubiri, University of Oxford, for their advice, comments and guidance throughout the study period. I would like to thank Dr. Anagaw Atickem for introducing me to the importance of the study of the recently discovered African wolf ecology and for his support from designing of the study to the write up of the thesis. I thank all my field assistants: Getabalew Asefa, Abebe Gosem, Demeke Fantabel and Fantaw Geto. They worked so hard through all of the harsh weather in the Guassa Community Conservation Areas and Borena Saynt National Park to make this project successful. I thank all those who helped with the capture and radio-telemetry of African wolves, in particular, Alo Hussein, Kassim Kedir and Dr. Alemayehu Lema for capture, immobilization and collaring. I am deeply indebted to the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme (EWCP) for providing me with the capture and immobilization equipment and expertise. I also thank the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority for providing permission for this study and to capture and collar African wolves. I would also like to acknowledge Prof. Peter J. Fashing, Dr. Vivek V. Venkataraman, Dr. Diress Tsegaye, Dr. Dessalegn Chala, Dr. Jorgelina Marino and Dr. Dietmar Zinner for their valuable comments on this thesis. My sincere appreciation is also extended to many friends including Dr. Addisu Mekonnen, Behailu Etana, Dr. Berhun Gebremedhin, Dereje Tesfaye, Ejigu Alemayehu and Misganu Tamirat. This work would not have been possible without the financial support of the Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES) at the University of Oslo, the Norwegian Quota Scheme, Rufford Small Grants Foundation, Mohamed Bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund and Jimma University. I would like to extend my heart-felt gratitude to all of them. i Finally, I owe thanks to a very special person in my life, my wife Tejitu Shiferaw, for her continued and unfailing love, support and understanding during my pursuit of this PhD degree, which made the completion of the thesis possible. She has always been on my side being the base of my career and taking care for our three beloved children, Duran, Berit and Eban. Duran, Berit and Eban – many thanks and my heartfelt gratitude for your understanding, support and love. ii Contents Acknowledgments… ................................................................................................................................................ i Contents… ............................................................................................................................................................ iii Abstract .................................................................................................................................................................. vi List of papers ......................................................................................................................................................... vi 1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 History and distribution of the African wolf .................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Distribution and threats of Ethiopian wolves ................................................................................................. 2 1.3 Competition among mammalian carnivores ................................................................................................ 3 1.4 The effect of competition on carnivores ........................................................................................................ 4 1.5 Resource use and coexistence of sympatric carnivores .................................................................................. 6 1.6 Anthropogenic impacts on carnivores .......................................................................................................... 6 2. Aim of the study ............................................................................................................................................... 9 3. Main Methods ................................................................................................................................................. 10 3.1 Study area ................................................................................................................................................... 10 3.2 Material and methods .................................................................................................................................. 11 3.2.1 Capture and immobilization of African wolves ........................................................................... 11 3.2.2 Competition between African and Ethiopian wolves ................................................................... 12 3.2.3 Foraging ecology of African wolves ........................................................................................... 13 3.2.4 Ranging, habitat, and activity patterns of African wolves ............................................................ 15 3.2.5 African wolf predation on livestock and associated conflict ......................................................... 15 4. Results and discussion ..................................................................................................................................... 17 4.1 Competition between African and Ethiopian wolves ................................................................................... 17 4. 2 Foraging ecology of African wolves ........................................................................................................... 17 4.3 Ranging, habitat, and activity patterns of African wolves ............................................................................ 18 4.4 African wolf predation on livestock and ensuing conflict............................................................................. 19 4.5 Appendix: Capture and immobilization of African wolves .......................................................................... 19 5. Conclusions and future recommendations ....................................................................................................... 21 6. Project in progress ........................................................................................................................................... 22 6.1 Population status and reproduction ecology of African wolves....................................................................... 22 6.2 Promoting the Co-Existence Approaches to Carnivore Conservation .......................................................... 22 7. References ....................................................................................................................................................... 23 iii Abstract Recent rapid increases in human populations are leading to conversion of wildlife habitats into agricultural areas and human settlements. This is forcing wildlife populations to increasingly concentrate into confined protected areas, which in turn increases competition between wildlife species for limited space and food. African wolves (Canis lupaster) and Endangered Ethiopian wolves (C. simensis) are sympatric in parts of the Ethiopian Highlands. The Ethiopian wolf is an ecological specialist and only small populations remaining which makes it sensitive to both exploitative and interference competition from other carnivores. To better understand these dynamics this thesis focuses on the behavioral ecology of the African wolf and its impact on Ethiopian wolves and their conservation. Due to their perceived impact as predators on livestock, I also studied the extent of human-carnivore conflict. The study was carried out from March 2015 to June 2017 in Guassa Menz Community Conservation Area and Borena Saynt Worehimenu National Park in the central Ethiopian Highlands. Focal watches of 14 colalred African wolves were carried out to study their spatial and foraging ecology, and habitat
Recommended publications
  • Wolf Hybrids
    Wolf Hybrids By Claudine Wilkins and Jessica Rock, Founders of Animal Law Source™ DEFINITION By definition, the wolf-dog hybrid is a cross between a domestic dog (Canis familiaris) and a wild Wolf (Canis Lupus). Wolves are the evolutionary ancestor of dogs. Dogs evolved from wolves through thousands of years of adaptation, living and being selectively bred and domesticated by humans. Because dogs and wolves are evolutionarily connected, dogs and wolves can breed together. Although this cross breeding can occur naturally, it is a rare occurrence in the wild due to the territorial and aggressive nature of wolves. Recently, the breeding of a dog with a wolf has become an accepted new phenomenon because wolf-hybrids are considered to be exotic and prestigious to own. To circumvent the prohibition against keeping wolves as pets, enterprising people have gone underground and are breeding and selling wolf-dog hybrids in their backyards. Consequently, an increase in the number of hybrids are being possessed without the minimum public safeguards required for the common domestic dog. TRAITS OF DOGS AND WOLVES Since wolf hybrids are a genetic mixture of wolves and dogs, they can seem to be similar on the surface. However, even though both may appear to be physically similar, there are many behavioral differences between wolves and dogs. Wolves raised in the wild appear to fear humans and will avoid contact whenever possible. Wolves raised in captivity are not as fearful of humans. This suggests that such fear may be learned rather than inherited. Dogs, on the other hand, socialize quite readily with humans, often preferring human company to that of other dogs.
    [Show full text]
  • Production of Pathogen-Tested Herbaceous Ornamentals
    EuropeanBlackwell Publishing Ltd and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization PM 4/34 (1) Organisation Européenne et Méditerranéenne pour la Protection des Plantes Schemes for the production of healthy plants for planting Schémas pour la production de végétaux sains destinés à la plantation Production of pathogen-tested herbaceous ornamentals Specific scope Specific approval and amendment This standard describes the production of pathogen-tested First approved in 2007-09. material of herbaceous ornamental plants produced in glasshouse. This standard initially presents a generalized description of the 2. Maintenance and testing of candidate plants performance of a propagation scheme for the production of for nuclear stock pathogen tested plants and then, in the appendices, presents details of the ornamental plants for which it can be used 2.1 Growing conditions together with lists of pathogens of concern and recommended test methods. The performance of this scheme follows the general The candidate plants for nuclear stock should be kept ‘in sequence proposed by the EPPO Panel on Certification of quarantine’, that is, in an isolated, suitably designed, aphid-proof Pathogen-tested Ornamentals and adopted by EPPO Council house, separately from the nuclear stock and other material, (OEPP/EPPO, 1991). According to this sequence, all plant where it can be observed and tested. All plants should be grown material that is finally sold derives from an individual nuclear in individual pots containing new or sterilized growing medium stock plant that has been carefully selected and rigorously that are physically separated from each other to prevent any tested to ensure the highest practical health status; thereafter, direct contact between plants, with precautions against infection the nuclear stock plants and the propagation stock plants by pests.
    [Show full text]
  • Rabies and Distemper Outbreaks in Smallest Ethiopian Wolf Population
    RESEARCH LETTERS Therefore, the new H7N9 viruses were highly pathogenic live-poultry markets in Guangdong, China. PLoS One. 2015; to chickens when compared with the early H7N9 virus and 10:e0126335. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0126335 4. Shi J, Deng G, Liu P, Zhou J, Guan L, Li W, et al. Isolation and could transmit among chickens by contact. characterization of H7N9 viruses from live poultry markets— The biological features of H7N9 virus and its pandemic implication of the source of current H7N9 infection in humans. potential have caused global concern (8). The early H7N9 vi- Chin Sci Bull. 2013;58:1857–63. https://doi.org/10.1007/ ruses lacked the basic HA cleavage site, exhibited low patho- s11434-013-5873-4 5. Ramos I, Krammer F, Hai R, Aguilera D, Bernal-Rubio D, genicity, and caused mild or no disease in poultry (9). The Steel J, et al. H7N9 influenza viruses interact preferentially with α2,3- cleavage site in HA protein of the isolates we analyzed were linked sialic acids and bind weakly to α2,6-linked sialic acids. J Gen KGKRTAR¯G or KRKRTAR¯G. They had high pathoge- Virol. 2013;94:2417–23. http://dx.doi.org/10.1099/vir.0.056184-0 nicity and replication in chickens and could transmit among 6. Li Z, Chen H, Jiao P, Deng G, Tian G, Li Y, et al. Molecular basis of replication of duck H5N1 influenza viruses in a chickens by contact. Therefore, these new H7N9 viruses could mammalian mouse model. J Virol. 2005;79:12058–64.
    [Show full text]
  • Wolf Interactions with Non-Prey
    University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center US Geological Survey 2003 Wolf Interactions with Non-prey Warren B. Ballard Texas Tech University Ludwig N. Carbyn Canadian Wildlife Service Douglas W. Smith US Park Service Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/usgsnpwrc Part of the Animal Sciences Commons, Behavior and Ethology Commons, Biodiversity Commons, Environmental Policy Commons, Recreation, Parks and Tourism Administration Commons, and the Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons Ballard, Warren B.; Carbyn, Ludwig N.; and Smith, Douglas W., "Wolf Interactions with Non-prey" (2003). USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center. 325. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/usgsnpwrc/325 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the US Geological Survey at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. 10 Wolf Interactions with Non-prey Warren B. Ballard, Ludwig N. Carbyn, and Douglas W. Smith WOLVES SHARE THEIR ENVIRONMENT with many an­ wolves and non-prey species. The inherent genetic, be­ imals besides those that they prey on, and the nature of havioral, and morphological flexibility of wolves has the interactions between wolves and these other crea­ allowed them to adapt to a wide range of habitats and tures varies considerably. Some of these sympatric ani­ environmental conditions in Europe, Asia, and North mals are fellow canids such as foxes, coyotes, and jackals. America. Therefore, the role of wolves varies consider­ Others are large carnivores such as bears and cougars.
    [Show full text]
  • Helichrysum Persicum (Asteraceae, Inuleae), a New Species from NE Iran
    Ann. Bot. Fennici 42: 73–76 ISSN 0003-3847 Helsinki 16 February 2005 © Finnish Zoological and Botanical Publishing Board 2005 Helichrysum persicum (Asteraceae, Inuleae), a new species from NE Iran Farrokh Ghahremaninejad* & Nasrin Noori Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Univ. of Tarbiat-Moaallem (Teacher Training Univ. of Tehran), 49 Dr. Mofatteh Avenue, 15614 Tehran, Iran (*e-mail: ghahremaninejad@saba.tmu.ac.ir) Received 27 July 2004, revised version received 19 Nov. 2004, accepted 3 Dec. 2004 Ghahremaninejad, F. & Noori, N. 2005: Helichrysum persicum (Asteraceae, Inuleae), a new spe- cies from NE Iran. — Ann. Bot. Fennici 42: 73–76. A new species, Helichrysum persicum F. Ghahremani. & Noori (Asteraceae, Inuleae), is described and illustrated from Iran. It is related to and compared with H. davisianum Rech.f. and H. artemisioides Boiss. & Hausskn. Key words: Asteraceae, Helichrysum, Inuleae, new species, taxonomy We describe a new species of the genus Heli- TYPE: Iran. Khorassan Province, 30 km N Torbat–e Hey- chrysum from Khorassan province, NE Iran. The darieh, 1900 m, 15.VII.1976 M. Assadi & A. A. Maasoumi 21312 (holotype TARI). genus comprises nearly 600 species (Beentje 2000), mostly occurring in warm areas of the Old Perennial, 25–40 cm tall, greyish, glandu- World. According to Georgiadou et al. (1980), lar, white-hairy. Stems erect, unbranched, terete, in Iran there are 19 species, of which eight densely arachnoid-tomentose, arising from a are endemic there. There are 20 species in the short, stout, woody caudex. Resting buds ovoid, Flora Iranica region of which only H. subsimile, basal, ca. 1 cm long, 4–5 mm in diameter, endemic in Afghanistan, does not occur in Iran densely lanate.
    [Show full text]
  • Wolf Family Values
    Wolf family values The exquisitely balanced social life of the wolf has implications far beyond the pack, says Sharon Levy ORDON HABER was tracking a wolf pack Wolf Project. Despite many thousands of he had known for over 40 years when his hours spent in the field, Haber published G plane crashed on a remote stretch of the little peer-reviewed documentation of his Toklat river in Denali national park, Alaska, work. Now, however, in the months following last October. The fatal accident silenced one his sudden death, Smith and other wolf of the most outspoken and controversial biologists have reported findings that support advocates for wolf protection. Haber, an some of Haber’s ideas. independent biologist, had spent a lifetime Once upon a time, folklore shaped our studying the behaviour and ecology of wolves thinking about wolves. It is only in the past and his passion for the animals was obvious. two decades that biologists have started to “I am still in awe of what I see out there,” he build a clearer picture of wolf ecology (see wrote on his website. “Wolves enliven the “Beyond myth and legend”, page 42). Instead northern mountains, forests, and tundra like of seeing rogue man-eaters and savage packs, no other creature, helping to enrich our stay we now understand that wolves have evolved on the planet simply by their presence as other to live in extended family groups that include Few places remain highly advanced societies in our midst.” a breeding pair – typically two strong, where wolves can live His opposition to hunting was equally experienced individuals – along with several as nature intended intense.
    [Show full text]
  • Controlled Animals
    Environment and Sustainable Resource Development Fish and Wildlife Policy Division Controlled Animals Wildlife Regulation, Schedule 5, Part 1-4: Controlled Animals Subject to the Wildlife Act, a person must not be in possession of a wildlife or controlled animal unless authorized by a permit to do so, the animal was lawfully acquired, was lawfully exported from a jurisdiction outside of Alberta and was lawfully imported into Alberta. NOTES: 1 Animals listed in this Schedule, as a general rule, are described in the left hand column by reference to common or descriptive names and in the right hand column by reference to scientific names. But, in the event of any conflict as to the kind of animals that are listed, a scientific name in the right hand column prevails over the corresponding common or descriptive name in the left hand column. 2 Also included in this Schedule is any animal that is the hybrid offspring resulting from the crossing, whether before or after the commencement of this Schedule, of 2 animals at least one of which is or was an animal of a kind that is a controlled animal by virtue of this Schedule. 3 This Schedule excludes all wildlife animals, and therefore if a wildlife animal would, but for this Note, be included in this Schedule, it is hereby excluded from being a controlled animal. Part 1 Mammals (Class Mammalia) 1. AMERICAN OPOSSUMS (Family Didelphidae) Virginia Opossum Didelphis virginiana 2. SHREWS (Family Soricidae) Long-tailed Shrews Genus Sorex Arboreal Brown-toothed Shrew Episoriculus macrurus North American Least Shrew Cryptotis parva Old World Water Shrews Genus Neomys Ussuri White-toothed Shrew Crocidura lasiura Greater White-toothed Shrew Crocidura russula Siberian Shrew Crocidura sibirica Piebald Shrew Diplomesodon pulchellum 3.
    [Show full text]
  • The Nature of Teller Coyotes Physical Description Coyotes (Canis Latrans
    The Nature of Teller Coyotes Physical Description Coyotes (Canis latrans) are members of the canine family. Of the 19 subspecies, the mountain coyote is the one you’ll encounter in Teller County. They have gray, white, tan, and brown fur. The coyote in the photograph was taken from Edlowe Road. They are about the size of a medium-size dog, weighing 20 to 50 pounds. Their long, bushy tails are helpful species identifiers. Coyotes run with their tails down while domestic dogs run with tails up and wolves run with tails straight out. Life History In many areas, coyotes are solitary outside of the breeding season; but their social organization is influenced by prey size. In populations where the majority of prey are small rodents, coyotes tend to be solitary. In populations where larger animals are available (elk and deer), large groups of coyotes (packs) may form. Like other canines, coyotes do not hibernate. A male and female will pair off and remain together for several years, although they may not be life mates. Mating occurs between January and March. They establish dens abandoned by other animals, or dig one themselves. Litters of 5-7are born sightless and hairless two months after mating. Their eyes open after 10 days, and they leave the den between 8-10 weeks of age. Movement of pups from one den to another is common. The reason is unknown, but disturbance and infestation by parasites may be factors. Coyotes in captivity may live as long as 18 years, but in wild populations few coyotes live more than 6 to 8 years.
    [Show full text]
  • Downloaded on 12 January 2021
    bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.08.12.456157; this version posted August 12, 2021. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY 4.0 International license. 1 TITLE PAGE 2 Research article 3 Article full title: 4 Effects of land-use and landscape drivers in the species richness and distribution of 5 carnivores in Faragosa-Fura Landscape of Southern Rift Valley, Ethiopia 6 Article short title: 7 Anthropogenic drivers of carnivores in Southern Rift Valley of Ethiopia 8 9 10 11 Authors’ name 12 Berhanu Gebo1* (ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3876-0948)│ Serekebirhan Takele1 13 (ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1701-2871)│Simon Shibru1 (ORCID: 14 http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2673-3272) 15 16 Authors Affiliation 17 1Department of Biology, Natural and Computational Sciences College, Arba Minch 18 University, Arba Minch, Ethiopia 19 20 *Corresponding author: 21 Email: berhanugebogetoab@gmail.com, 22 ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3876-0948 1 bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.08.12.456157; this version posted August 12, 2021. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY 4.0 International license. 23 2 bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.08.12.456157; this version posted August 12, 2021.
    [Show full text]
  • Follow-Up Visits to Alatash – Dinder Lion Conservation Unit Ethiopia
    Follow-up visits to Alatash – Dinder Lion Conservation Unit Ethiopia & Sudan Hans Bauer, Ameer Awad, Eyob Sitotaw and Claudio Sillero-Zubiri 1-20 March 2017, Alatash National Park, Ethiopia 30 April - 16 May 2017, Dinder National Park, Sudan Report published in Oxford, September 2017 Wildlife Conservation Research Unit - University of Oxford (WildCRU); Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme (EWCP); Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority (EWCA); Mekele University (MU); Sudan Wildlife Research Centre (SWRC). Funded by the Born Free Foundation and Born Free USA. 1 Contents Summary ................................................................................................................................................. 3 Teams ...................................................................................................................................................... 4 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 5 Methods .................................................................................................................................................. 5 Area description - Alatash ....................................................................................................................... 6 Area description - Dinder ........................................................................................................................ 7 Results - Alatash .....................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Glimpse of an African… Wolf? Cécile Bloch
    $6.95 Glimpse of an African… Wolf ? PAGE 4 Saving the Red Wolf Through Partnerships PAGE 9 Are Gray Wolves Still Endangered? PAGE 14 Make Your Home Howl Members Save 10% Order today at shop.wolf.org or call 1-800-ELY-WOLF Your purchases help support the mission of the International Wolf Center. VOLUME 25, NO. 1 THE QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER SPRING 2015 4 Cécile Bloch 9 Jeremy Hooper 14 Don Gossett In the Long Shadow of The Red Wolf Species Survival Are Gray Wolves Still the Pyramids and Beyond: Plan: Saving the Red Wolf Endangered? Glimpse of an African…Wolf? Through Partnerships In December a federal judge ruled Geneticists have found that some In 1967 the number of red wolves that protections be reinstated for of Africa’s golden jackals are was rapidly declining, forcing those gray wolves in the Great Lakes members of the gray wolf lineage. remaining to breed with the more wolf population area, reversing Biologists are now asking: how abundant coyote or not to breed at all. the USFWS’s 2011 delisting many golden jackals across Africa The rate of hybridization between the decision that allowed states to are a subspecies known as the two species left little time to prevent manage wolves and implement African wolf? Are Africa’s golden red wolf genes from being completely harvest programs for recreational jackals, in fact, wolves? absorbed into the expanding coyote purposes. If biological security is population. The Red Wolf Recovery by Cheryl Lyn Dybas apparently not enough rationale for Program, working with many other conservation of the species, then the organizations, has created awareness challenge arises to properly express and laid a foundation for the future to the ecological value of the species.
    [Show full text]
  • Ecology of the European Badger (Meles Meles) in the Western Carpathian Mountains: a Review
    Wildl. Biol. Pract., 2016 Aug 12(3): 36-50 doi:10.2461/wbp.2016.eb.4 REVIEW Ecology of the European Badger (Meles meles) in the Western Carpathian Mountains: A Review R.W. Mysłajek1,*, S. Nowak2, A. Rożen3, K. Kurek2, M. Figura2 & B. Jędrzejewska4 1 Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Pawińskiego 5a, 02-106 Warszawa, Poland. 2 Association for Nature “Wolf”, Twardorzeczka 229, 34-324 Lipowa, Poland. 3 Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland. 4 Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Waszkiewicza 1c, 17-230 Białowieża, Poland. * Corresponding author email: robert.myslajek@igib.uw.edu.pl. Keywords Abstract Altitudinal Gradient; This article summarizes the results of studies on the ecology of the European Diet Composition; badger (Meles meles) conducted in the Western Carpathians (S Poland) Meles meles; from 2002 to 2010. Badgers inhabiting the Carpathians use excavated setts Mustelidae; (53%), caves and rock crevices (43%), and burrows under human-made Sett Utilization; constructions (4%) as permanent shelters. Excavated setts are located up Spatial Organization. to 640 m a.s.l., but shelters in caves and crevices can be found as high as 1,050 m a.s.l. Badger setts are mostly located on slopes with southern, eastern or western exposure. Within their territories, ranging from 3.35 to 8.45 km2 (MCP100%), badgers may possess 1-12 setts. Family groups are small (mean = 2.3 badgers), population density is low (2.2 badgers/10 km2), as is reproduction (0.57 young/year/10 km2). Hunting by humans is the main mortality factor (0.37 badger/year/10 km2).
    [Show full text]