Predator-prey space use and landscape features influence movement behaviors in a large-mammal community.

Predator hunting strategies, such as stalking versus coursing behaviors, are hypothesized to influence antipredator behaviors of prey and can describe the movement behaviors of predators themselves. Predators and prey may alter their movement in relation to predator hunting modes, yet few studies have evaluated how these strategies influence movement behaviors of free-ranging animals in a multiple-predator, multiple-prey system. We fit hidden Markov models (HMM) with movement data derived from >400 GPS-collared ungulates and large predators in eastern Washington, USA. We used these models to test our hypotheses that stalking (cougars [Puma concolor]) and coursing (gray wolves [Canis lupus]) predators would exhibit different broad-scale movement behaviors consistent with their respective hunting strategies in areas that increased the likelihood of encountering or capturing ungulate prey (e.g., habitats selected by deer [Odocoileus spp.]). Similarly, we expected that broadscale movement behaviors of prey would change in response to background levels of predation risk associated with each predator's hunting strategy. We found that predators and ungulate prey adjusted their broadscale movements in response to one another's long-term patterns of habitat selection but not based on differences in predator-hunting strategies. Predators changed their movement behaviors based on the type of prey, whereas ungulates generally reduced movement in areas associated with large predators, regardless of the predator's hunting strategy. Both predator and prey movements varied in response to landscape features but not necessarily based on habitat that would facilitate specific hunting behaviors. Our results suggest that predators and prey adjust their movements at broad temporal scales in relation to long-term patterns of risk and resource distributions, potentially influencing their encounter rates with one another at finer spatiotemporal scales. Habitat features further influenced changes in movement, resulting in a complex combination of movement behaviors in multiple-predator, multiple-prey systems.

Scale-dependence in elk habitat selection for a reintroduced population in Wisconsin, USA.

Habitat selection is a critical aspect of a species' ecology, requiring complex decision-making that is both hierarchical and scale-dependent, since factors that influence selection may be nested or unequal across scales. Elk (Cervus canadensis) ranged widely across diverse ecoregions in North America prior to European settlement and subsequent eastern extirpation. Most habitat selection studies have occurred within their contemporary western range, even after eastern reintroductions began. As habitat selection can vary by geographic location, available cover, season, and diel period, it is important to understand how a non-migratory, reintroduced population in northern Wisconsin, USA, is limited by the lack of variation in topography, elevation, and vegetation. We tested scale-dependent habitat selection on 79 adult elk from 2017 to 2020 using resource selection functions across temporal (i.e., seasonal) and spatial scales (i.e., landscape and home range). We found that selection varied both spatially and temporally, and elk selected areas with the greatest potential to influence fitness at larger scales, meaning elk selected areas closer to escape cover and further from "risky" features (e.g., annual wolf territory centers, county roads, and highways). We found stronger avoidance of annual wolf territory centers during spring, suggesting elk were selecting safer habitats during calving season. Elk selected habitats with less canopy cover across both spatial scales and all seasons, suggesting that elk selected areas with better access to forage as early seral stage stands have greater forage biomass than closed-canopy forests and direct solar radiation to provide warmth in the cooler seasons. This study provides insight into the complexity of hierarchical decision-making, such as how risky habitat features and land cover type influence habitat selection differently across seasons and spatial scales, influencing the decision-making of elk. Scale-dependent behavior is crucial to understand within specific geographic regions, as these decisions scale up to influence population dynamics.

Economic estimates of invasive wild ungulate damage to livestock producers in Hawai'i.

BACKGROUND: Invasive ungulates (hoofed mammals), including deer, feral pigs, feral goats, and feral sheep, are known to cause damage to agriculture, property, natural resources, and many other commodities. Most of the information regarding the economic impacts of wild ungulates is from North America, where some of these species are native. To evaluate invasive ungulate damage to livestock producers in the Hawaiian Islands, which have no native ungulates, a survey was distributed to livestock producers across the state. RESULTS: Survey results described how total annual costs are distributed among damage, control, and repairs for survey respondents, who represented a significant percentage of total ranchland acreage across the islands. The estimates, excluding fixed fence installation, revealed an annual cost to livestock producers who responded to the survey of US$1.42 million, which ranged from $3.6 million to $7.5 million when extrapolated to the entire state. The large cost contributors included damage to property, pastureland repair, control costs (excluding fencing), supplemental feed, and predation of calves by wild pigs. Additionally, producers reported spending more than $2 million in upfront fence installation costs. Most of these costs were reported by respondents on the islands of Hawai'i and Moloka'i. CONCLUSION: Study results revealed substantial damage to state livestock producers due to wild ungulates and are useful in determining an invasive ungulate management strategy that can appropriately aid the most impacted sectors of Hawai'i. © 2024 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Ixodes ricinus tick presence is associated with abiotic but not biotic factors.

Species composition and densities of wild ungulate communities in Europe have changed over the last decades. As ungulates play an important role in the life-cycle of the tick species Ixodes ricinus, these changes could affect both the life-cycle of I. ricinus and the transmission of tick-borne pathogens like Borrelia burgdorferi (s.l.) and Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Due to morphological and behavioural differences among the ungulate species, these species might have different effects on the densities of questing I. ricinus, either directly through a bloodmeal or indirectly via the impact of ungulates on rodent numbers via the vegetation. In this study, we aimed to investigate these direct and indirect effects of five different ungulate species, fallow deer (Dama dama), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), red deer (Cervus elaphus), moose (Alces alces), and wild boar (Sus scrofa), on the presence and abundance of I. ricinus ticks. In the summer of 2019, on 20 1 × 1 km transects in south-central Sweden that differed in ungulate community composition, we collected data on tick presence and abundance (by dragging a cloth), ungulate community composition (using camera traps), vegetation height (using the drop-disc method), temperature above field layer and rodent abundance (by snap-trapping). Using generalized linear mixed models we did not find any associations between vegetation height and tick presence/abundance or ungulate visitation frequencies, or between ungulate visitation frequencies and the presence/abundance of questing I. ricinus. The power of our analyses was, however, low due to very low tick and rodent numbers. We did find a negative association between adult ticks and air temperature, where we were more likely to find adult ticks if temperature in the field layer was lower. We conclude that more elaborate long-term studies are needed to elucidate the investigated associations. Such future studies should differentiate among the potential impacts of different ungulate species instead of treating all ungulate species as one group.

Existing evidence on the effects of climate variability and climate change on ungulates in North America: a systematic map.

BACKGROUND: Climate is an important driver of ungulate life-histories, population dynamics, and migratory behaviors. Climate conditions can directly impact ungulates via changes in the costs of thermoregulation and locomotion, or indirectly, via changes in habitat and forage availability, predation, and species interactions. Many studies have documented the effects of climate variability and climate change on North America's ungulates, recording impacts to population demographics, physiology, foraging behavior, migratory patterns, and more. However, ungulate responses are not uniform and vary by species and geography. Here, we present a systematic map describing the abundance and distribution of evidence on the effects of climate variability and climate change on native ungulates in North America. METHODS: We searched for all evidence documenting or projecting how climate variability and climate change affect the 15 ungulate species native to the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Greenland. We searched Web of Science, Scopus, and the websites of 62 wildlife management agencies to identify relevant academic and grey literature. We screened English-language documents for inclusion at both the title and abstract and full-text levels. Data from all articles that passed full-text review were extracted and coded in a database. We identified knowledge clusters and gaps related to the species, locations, climate variables, and outcome variables measured in the literature. REVIEW FINDINGS: We identified a total of 674 relevant articles published from 1947 until September 2020. Caribou (Rangifer tarandus), elk (Cervus canadensis), and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) were the most frequently studied species. Geographically, more research has been conducted in the western U.S. and western Canada, though a notable concentration of research is also located in the Great Lakes region. Nearly 75% more articles examined the effects of precipitation on ungulates compared to temperature, with variables related to snow being the most commonly measured climate variables. Most studies examined the effects of climate on ungulate population demographics, habitat and forage, and physiology and condition, with far fewer examining the effects on disturbances, migratory behavior, and seasonal range and corridor habitat. CONCLUSIONS: The effects of climate change, and its interactions with stressors such as land-use change, predation, and disease, is of increasing concern to wildlife managers. With its broad scope, this systematic map can help ungulate managers identify relevant climate impacts and prepare for future changes to the populations they manage. Decisions regarding population control measures, supplemental feeding, translocation, and the application of habitat treatments are just some of the management decisions that can be informed by an improved understanding of climate impacts. This systematic map also identified several gaps in the literature that would benefit from additional research, including climate effects on ungulate migratory patterns, on species that are relatively understudied yet known to be sensitive to changes in climate, such as pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) and mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus), and on ungulates in the eastern U.S. and Mexico.

Climate change and deer in boreal and temperate regions: From physiology to population dynamics and species distributions.

Climate change causes far-reaching disruption in nature, where tolerance thresholds already have been exceeded for some plants and animals. In the short term, deer may respond to climate through individual physiological and behavioral responses. Over time, individual responses can aggregate to the population level and ultimately lead to evolutionary adaptations. We systematically reviewed the literature (published 2000-2022) to summarize the effect of temperature, rainfall, snow, combined measures (e.g., the North Atlantic Oscillation), and extreme events, on deer species inhabiting boreal and temperate forests in terms of their physiology, spatial use, and population dynamics. We targeted deer species that inhabit relevant biomes in North America, Europe, and Asia: moose, roe deer, wapiti, red deer, sika deer, fallow deer, white-tailed deer, mule deer, caribou, and reindeer. Our review (218 papers) shows that many deer populations will likely benefit in part from warmer winters, but hotter and drier summers may exceed their physiological tolerances. We found support for deer expressing both morphological, physiological, and behavioral plasticity in response to climate variability. For example, some deer species can limit the effects of harsh weather conditions by modifying habitat use and daily activity patterns, while the physiological responses of female deer can lead to long-lasting effects on population dynamics. We identified 20 patterns, among which some illustrate antagonistic pathways, suggesting that detrimental effects will cancel out some of the benefits of climate change. Our findings highlight the influence of local variables (e.g., population density and predation) on how deer will respond to climatic conditions. We identified several knowledge gaps, such as studies regarding the potential impact on these animals of extreme weather events, snow type, and wetter autumns. The patterns we have identified in this literature review should help managers understand how populations of deer may be affected by regionally projected futures regarding temperature, rainfall, and snow.

Whole-Genome Analyses Reveal the Distinct Taxonomic Status of the Hainan Population of Endangered Rucervus eldii and Its Conservation Implications.

Eld's deer Rucervus eldii (McClelland, 1842) is an ungulate that lives in tropical lowland forests in several countries of Indochina and Hainan Island of China. Its remaining population is small and scattered, and the species is listed as an Endangered species on the IUCN Red List. The debate over the taxonomic status of the Hainan population has persisted for over a century-as an island-endemic subspecies R. e. hainanus, or an insular population of the subspecies R. e. siamensis, would have significant conservation implications. And, given the Hainan population had experienced both population bottleneck and multiple translocations in the past, conservation genomics would be a powerful tool to evaluate the genetic impacts of these events. In this study, we used conservation genomics assessment to study population differentiation and genetic diversity of R. e. siamensis in Cambodia and three Eld's deer subpopulations on Hainan Island. Based on the unique genetic profile and demographic analysis, this study corroborated previous studies using genetic markers that the Hainan Eld's deer warrants the taxonomic status of a distinct subspecies. The Hainan population exhibits a reduction in genetic diversity and an increase in the level of inbreeding when compared to the population of Cambodia. The signs of purifying selection were found against homozygous loss-of-function mutations to decrease the deleterious burden in the Hainan population. However, there was an accumulation of more deleterious missense mutations. Furthermore, significant differences in genetic diversity and level of inbreeding found among the three Hainan subpopulations indicated population isolation and suboptimal translocation strategies, which calls for urgent, coordinated, and science-based genetic management to ensure the long-term viability of the endemic subspecies hainanus. This study provides guidance for the conservation and management of Eld's deer.

Divergent seed dispersal outcomes: Interactions between seed, disperser, and forest traits.

Animals disperse seeds in various ways that affect seed deposition sites and seed survival, ultimately shaping plant species distribution, community composition, and ecosystem structure. Some animal species can disperse seeds through multiple pathways (e.g., defecation, regurgitation, epizoochory), each likely producing distinct seed dispersal outcomes. We studied how seed traits (size and toughness) interact with disperser species to influence seed dispersal pathway and how this ultimately shapes the proportion of seeds deposited in various habitat types. We focused on three frugivorous species of duikers (African forest antelopes) in the Dja Faunal Reserve, a tropical rainforest in southern Cameroon. Duikers can both defecate and regurgitate seeds, the latter predominantly occurring during rumination at their bedding sites (or "nests"). We located duiker nests and dungs along 18 linear 1-km-transects to assess: (1) how seed traits affect the likelihood of dispersal via defecation versus regurgitation, (2) if defecated versus regurgitated seeds are deposited at different rates in different forest types (assessed by indigenous Baka), microhabitats, and forest structural attributes (measured by drone lidar), and (3) if these differ between three duiker species that vary in size and diel activity patterns. We found that duikers predominantly defecated small seeds (<3 mm length) and regurgitated larger and tougher seeds (>10 mm length), the latter including 25 different plant species. The three duiker species varied in their nesting habits, with nocturnal bay duikers (Cephalophus dorsalis) nesting in dense understory vegetation at proportions 3-4 times higher than Peter's and yellow-backed duikers (Cephalophus callipygus and Cephalophus silvicultor). As a result, bay duikers deposited larger regurgitated seeds at a higher rate in habitats with denser understory where lianas and palms predominate and near fallen trees. This directed regurgitation seed deposition likely plays an important and unique role in forest succession and structure. This study highlights the importance of ungulate seed dispersal by regurgitation, a vastly understudied process that could impact many ecosystems given the prevalence of ruminating ungulates worldwide.

Tree-Climbing Behavior of a Forest-Dwelling Ungulate: The Formosan Serow.

Ungulates are terrestrial herbivores, basically adapted to running fast on the ground; tree-climbing behavior has been reported only in seven species, and five of them live in open habitats (Capra hircus, C. aegagrus, C. falconeri, C. cylindricornis, Oreotragus oreotragus). Tree-climbing behavior may also be evolved in ungulates inhabiting dense forests with abundant trees; however, this has rarely been reported in such species (Moschus leucogaster, M. moschiferus), probably due to the difficulty of observing in the wild. The numerous publicly available records in social networks hold potentially valuable information on the atypical behaviors of wild ungulates. Here, we explored the tree-climbing behavior of a forest-dwelling ungulate, the Formosan serow in Taiwan, a subtropical island, by extracting information from online social media platforms. We researched images and videos of Formosan serows through Facebook and YouTube and collected a total of 15 tree-climbing events. In these materials, Formosan serows climbed 10 tree species, including evergreen coniferous and broad-leaved trees, and a variety of parts, ranging in height from 0.6 to 4 m, and from branches of shrubs to trunks of tall trees. Tree-climbing behavior was recorded throughout Taiwan and from lowlands to subalpine zones, suggesting that tree climbing may be a common behavior in this species. Foraging while climbing trees was frequently observed (53.3%), suggesting that the purpose or benefit for climbing is to obtain additional food other than plants growing near the ground surface. In contrast to other tree-climbing ungulates, Formosan serows climbed trees not only in winter, but also in other seasons, when food is relatively abundant. This is the first scientific report of tree-climbing behavior in the Formosan serow that is typically a forest dweller.

Nutritional Partitioning among Sympatric Ungulates in Eastern Tibet.

Wild ungulates play crucial roles in maintaining the structure and function of local ecosystems. The alpine musk deer (Moschus chrysogaste), white-lipped deer (Przewalskium albirostris), and red serow (Capricornis rubidus) are widely distributed throughout the Nyenchen Tanglha Mountains of Tibet. However, research on the mechanisms underlying their coexistence in the same habitat remains lacking. This study aimed to investigate the mechanisms underlying the coexistence of these species based on their dietary preferences through DNA barcoding using the fecal samples of these animals collected from the study area. These species consume a wide variety of food types. Alpine musk deer, white-lipped deer, and red serow consume plants belonging to 74 families and 114 genera, 62 families and 122 genera, and 63 families and 113 genera, respectively. Furthermore, significant differences were observed in the nutritional ecological niche among these species, primarily manifested in the differentiation of food types and selection of food at the genus level. Owing to differences in social behavior, body size, and habitat selection, these three species further expand their differentiation in resource selection, thereby making more efficient use of environmental resources. Our findings indicate these factors are the primary reasons for the stable coexistence of these species.

Unveiling the roles of temporal periodicity, the spatial environment and behavioural modes in terrestrial animal movement.

BACKGROUND: Animal movement arises from complex interactions between animals and their heterogeneous environment. To better understand the movement process, it can be divided into behavioural, temporal and spatial components. Although methods exist to address those various components, it remains challenging to integrate them in a single movement analysis. METHODS: We present an analytic workflow that integrates the behavioural, temporal and spatial components of the movement process and their interactions, which also allows for the assessment of the relative importance of those components. We construct a daily cyclic covariate to represent temporally cyclic movement patterns, such as diel variation in activity, and combine the three components in a multi-modal Hidden Markov Model framework using existing methods and R functions. We compare the trends and statistical fits of models that include or exclude any of the behavioural, spatial and temporal components, and perform variance partitioning on the model predictions that included all components to assess their relative importance to the movement process, both in isolation and in interaction. RESULTS: We apply our workflow to a case study on the movements of plains zebra, blue wildebeest and eland antelope in a South African reserve. Behavioural modes impacted movement the most, followed by diel rhythms and then the spatial environment (viz. tree cover and terrain slope). Interactions between the components often explained more of the movement variation than the marginal effect of the spatial environment did on its own. Omitting components from the analysis led either to the inability to detect relationships between input and response variables, resulting in overgeneralisations when drawing conclusions about the movement process, or to detections of questionable relationships that appeared to be spurious. CONCLUSIONS: Our analytic workflow can be used to integrate the behavioural, temporal and spatial components of the movement process and quantify their relative contributions, thereby preventing incomplete or overly generic ecological interpretations. We demonstrate that understanding the drivers of animal movement, and ultimately the ecological phenomena that emerge from it, critically depends on considering the various components of the movement process, and especially the interactions between them.

Why Were Zebras Not Domesticated? A Review of Domesticability Traits and Tests of Their Role in Ungulate Domestications with Macroevolutionary Models.

Since Darwin, many evolutionary and behavioral researchers have considered the role of phenotypic traits that favor the domestication of nonhuman animals. Among such proposed traits are a species' social structure, level of intra- and interspecific agonistic interactions, sociosexual behaviors, parental strategies, reaction to humans, habitat preference, dietary habits, developmental trajectories, and utility to humans. However, little to no comparative phylogenetic evidence exists concerning the importance of these attributes for the domestication of animals. Moreover, rather than considering domestication as a dichotomous event (non-domesticated vs. domesticated), humans and their potential domesticates encountered numerous socioecological challenges/obstacles during the domestication process before reaching the stage of full domestication. The present study explored the influence of adult body mass, gregariousness, dietary breadth, and reaction to humans on the domestication process of ungulates. The phylogenetic comparative model revealed that capture myopathy (CM), as a proxy for reaction to humans, negatively and significantly influenced the domestication process. The present paper also explored the evolution of CM in equine species in response to the presence of large carnivoran predators during the Pleistocene. Ecologies that preserved most of the large carnivoran predators of equine species also featured more equine taxa with CM (e.g., zebras), which were thus less suitable for domestication.

Maternal behaviors influence survival of ungulate neonates under heavy predation risk.

Predators impose top-down forces on prey populations, with the strength of those effects often varying over space and time and among demographic groups. In ungulates, predation risk is typically greatest for neonatal offspring, with some suggesting that predators can key in on adult activity to locate hidden neonates. However, few field studies to date have been able to directly assess the influence of maternal care on ungulate neonate survival. Using a population of white-tailed deer under heavy coyote predation pressure, we tested the maternal dispersion hypothesis, which suggests the dispersion of maternal activity temporally and spatially attenuates risk of predation for ungulate neonates during this vulnerable altricial phase. We compared support for this hypothesis with more commonly tested hypotheses regarding the influence of habitat conditions and intrinsic factors on neonatal survival. Fawn survival to 16 weeks was 27.7%, with coyotes accounting for 59% of fawn mortalities. In support of our maternal temporal diffusion hypothesis, we found that neonatal survival decreased as more maternal visits (proportionally) occurred at night. The only other significant (p < .1) predictor of fawn survival was birth timing, with fawn survival decreasing as the season progressed. Given that fawn survival declined as the proportion of nighttime visits increased, and that wild pig presence and human disturbance can push doe and fawn activity toward nocturnal hours, additional research is needed to determine whether managing pig and human disturbance can decrease fawn mortality. More broadly, given the importance of recruitment in ungulate population dynamics, our finding opens a potentially important new line of inquiry on how maternal behaviors influence predation risk in large animal predator-prey ecology.

Vocal repertoire and individuality in the plains zebra (Equus quagga).

Acoustic signals are vital in animal communication, and quantifying them is fundamental for understanding animal behaviour and ecology. Vocalizations can be classified into acoustically and functionally or contextually distinct categories, but establishing these categories can be challenging. Newly developed methods, such as machine learning, can provide solutions for classification tasks. The plains zebra is known for its loud and specific vocalizations, yet limited knowledge exists on the structure and information content of its vocalzations. In this study, we employed both feature-based and spectrogram-based algorithms, incorporating supervised and unsupervised machine learning methods to enhance robustness in categorizing zebra vocalization types. Additionally, we implemented a permuted discriminant function analysis to examine the individual identity information contained in the identified vocalization types. The findings revealed at least four distinct vocalization types-the 'snort', the 'soft snort', the 'squeal' and the 'quagga quagga'-with individual differences observed mostly in snorts, and to a lesser extent in squeals. Analyses based on acoustic features outperformed those based on spectrograms, but each excelled in characterizing different vocalization types. We thus recommend the combined use of these two approaches. This study offers valuable insights into plains zebra vocalization, with implications for future comprehensive explorations in animal communication.

Direct and indirect effects of cougar predation on bighorn sheep fitness.

Predation has direct effects on prey population dynamics through mortality, and it can induce indirect effects through fear. The indirect effects of predation have been documented experimentally, but few studies have quantified them in nature so that their role in prey population dynamics remains controversial. Given the expanding or reintroduced populations of large predators in many areas, the quantification of indirect effects of predation is crucial. We sought to evaluate the direct and indirect fitness effects of intense cougar (Puma concolor) predation using 48 years of data on marked bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) on Ram Mountain, Alberta, Canada. We compared years of intense cougar predation with years with no or occasional cougar predation. We first quantified the effects of predation on neonatal, weaning, and overwinter lamb survival, three metrics potentially affected by direct and indirect effects. We then investigated the possible indirect effects of intense cougar predation on lamb production, female summer mass gain, and lamb mass at weaning. We found strong effects of cougar predation on lamb survival, lamb production, and seasonal mass gain of lambs and adult females. In years with high predation, neonatal, weaning, and overwinter lamb survival declined by 18.4%, 19.7% and 20.8%, respectively. Indirect effects included a 14.2% decline in lamb production. Female summer mass gain decreased by 15.6% and lamb mass at weaning declined by 8.0% in years of intense cougar predation. Our findings bring key insights on the impacts of predation on prey fitness by reporting moderate to large effects on recruitment and illustrate the importance of indirect effects of predation on population dynamics.

First detection of Tetraparvovirus ungulate 1 in diseased cattle (Chinese Simmental) from Hunan province, China.

Tetraparvovirus is an emerging parvovirus infecting a variety of mammals and humans, and associated with human diseases including severe acute respiratory infection and acute encephalitis syndrome. In the present study, a Tetraparvovirus ungulate 1 (formerly known as bovine hokovirus) strain HNU-CBY-2023 was identified and characterized from diseased Chinese Simmental from Hunan province, China. The nearly complete genome of HNU-CBY-2023 is 5346 nt in size and showed genomic identities of 85-95.5% to the known Tetraparvovirus ungulate 1 strains from GenBank, indicating a rather genetic variation. Phylogenetic and genetic divergence analyses indicated that Tetraparvovirus ungulate 1 could be divided into two genotypes (I and II), and HNU-CBY-2023 was clustered into genotype II. This study, for the first time, identified Tetraparvovirus ungulate 1 from domestic cattle from mainland China, which will be helpful to understand the prevalence and genetic diversity of Tetraparvovirus ungulate 1.

Proactive cursorial and ambush predation risk avoidance in four African herbivore species.

Most herbivores must balance demands to meet nutritional requirements, maintain stable thermoregulation and avoid predation. Species-specific predator and prey characteristics determine the ability of prey to avoid predation and the ability of predators to maximize hunting success. Using GPS collar data from African wild dogs, lions, impala, tsessebes, wildebeest and zebra in the Okavango Delta, Botswana, we studied proactive predation risk avoidance by herbivores. We considered predator activity level in relation to prey movement, predator and prey habitat selection, and preferential use of areas by prey. We compared herbivore behaviour to lion and wild dog activity patterns and determined the effect of seasonal resource availability and prey body mass on anti-predator behaviour. Herbivore movement patterns were more strongly correlated with lion than wild dog activity. Habitat selection by predators was not activity level dependent and, while prey and predators differed to some extent in their habitat selection, there were also overlaps, probably caused by predators seeking habitats with high prey abundance. Areas favoured by lions were used by herbivores more when lions were less active, whereas wild dog activity level was not correlated with prey use. Prey body mass was not a strong predictor of the strength of proactive predation avoidance behaviour. Herbivores showed stronger anti-predator behaviours during the rainy season when resources were abundant. Reducing movement when top predators are most active and avoiding areas with a high likelihood of predator use during the same periods appear to be common strategies to minimize predation risk. Such valuable insights into predator-prey dynamics are only possible when using similar data from multiple sympatric species of predator and prey, an approach that should become more prevalent given the ongoing integration of technological methods into ecological studies.

First dispersal records of the endangered banteng (Bos javanicus) in Thung Yai Naresuan West Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand.

Banteng (Bos javanicus) is listed as an endangered species because of a global population decline of at least 50% over the last 25 years. The Western Forest Complex (WEFCOM) of Thailand has been identified as a priority site for banteng population recovery, and Huai Kha Keang Wildlife Sanctuary (HKK) is the most important source site for this species within the WEFCOM. We have provided evidence and discussed banteng dispersal from HKK to Thung Yai Naresuan West Wildlife Sanctuary (TYW). We sampled an area of 147 km2 in banteng habitat next to the border between HKK and TYW using camera traps. We divided the sampled area into four grid cells and placed camera traps during January to December 2022. We setup the camera traps near saltlicks and natural water sources, as important resources for banteng, to maximize capture probability. In total, 2835 trap days were obtained. Bantengs were captured in all seasons (RAI = 1.66), especially in dry dipterocarp forest, which contains the ground forage availability for banteng, and the low-slope area with elevation 600-700 m adjacent to the border between HKK and TYW. The results highlighted that banteng, which had never been reported in TYW before, appeared there for the first time. They most likely dispersed from the population source in HKK and settled in a habitat that is considered suitable for them. The habitat management and protection are significant for the future recovery of banteng populations in the TYW and the rest of protected areas in the WEFCOM.

Climatically robust multiscale species distribution models to support pronghorn recovery in California.

We combined two climate-based distribution models with three finer-scale suitability models to identify habitat for pronghorn recovery in California now and into the future. We used a consensus approach to identify areas of suitable climate now and future for pronghorn in California. We compared the results of climate models from two separate hypotheses about their historical ecology in the state. Under the migration hypothesis, pronghorn were expected to be limited climatically by extreme cold in winter and extreme heat in summer; under the niche reduction hypothesis, historical pronghorn of distribution would have better represented the climatic limitations of the species. We combined occurrences from GPS collars distributed across three populations of pronghorn in the state to create three distinct habitat suitability models: (1) an ensemble model using random forests, Maxent, classification and regression Trees, and a generalized linear model; (2) a step selection function; and (3) an expert-driven model. We evaluated consensus among both the climate models and the suitability models to prioritize areas for, and evaluate the prospects of, pronghorn recovery. Climate suitability for pronghorn in the future depends heavily on model assumptions. Under the migration hypothesis, our model predicted that there will be no suitable climate in California in the future. Under the niche reduction hypothesis, by contrast, suitable climate will expand. Habitat suitability also depended on the methods used, but areas of consensus among all three models exist in large patches throughout the state. Identifying habitat for a species which has undergone extreme range collapse, and which has very fine scale habitat needs, presents novel challenges for spatial ecologists. Our multimethod, multihypothesis approach can allow habitat modelers to identify areas of consensus and, perhaps more importantly, fill critical knowledge gaps that could resolve disagreements among the models. For pronghorn, a better understanding of their upper thermal tolerances and whether historical populations migrated will be crucial to their potential recovery in California and throughout the arid Southwest.