Spatio–temporal hotspots of satellite–tracked arctic foxes reveal a large detection range in a mammalian predator
Abstract Background The scale at which animals perceive their environment is a strong fitness determinant, yet few empirical estimates of animal detection ranges exist, especially in mammalian predators. Using daily Argos satellite tracking of 26 adult arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) during a single w...
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ftdatacite:10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3624983 2023-05-15T14:47:06+02:00 Spatio–temporal hotspots of satellite–tracked arctic foxes reveal a large detection range in a mammalian predator Lai, Sandra Bêty, Joël Berteaux, Dominique 2015 https://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3624983 https://figshare.com/collections/Spatio_temporal_hotspots_of_satellite_tracked_arctic_foxes_reveal_a_large_detection_range_in_a_mammalian_predator/3624983 unknown Figshare https://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40462-015-0065-2 CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 CC-BY Ecology FOS Biological sciences 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified Developmental Biology Cancer Collection article 2015 ftdatacite https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3624983 https://doi.org/10.1186/s40462-015-0065-2 2021-11-05T12:55:41Z Abstract Background The scale at which animals perceive their environment is a strong fitness determinant, yet few empirical estimates of animal detection ranges exist, especially in mammalian predators. Using daily Argos satellite tracking of 26 adult arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) during a single winter in the High Canadian Arctic, we investigated the detection range of arctic foxes by detecting hotspots of fox activity on the sea ice. Results While maintaining territories in the tundra, these solitary foragers occasionally used the sea ice where they sometimes formed spatio–temporal hotspots, likely scavenging on marine mammal carcasses. We detected 35 movements by 13 individuals forming five hotspots. Foxes often traveled more than 10 km, and up to 40 km, to reach hotspots, which lasted one–two weeks and could gather up to 12 individuals. The likelihood of a fox joining a hotspot was neither influenced by its distance from the hotspot nor by the distance of its home range to the coast. Conclusions Observed traveling distances may indicate a high detection range in arctic foxes, and our results suggest their ability to detect food sources on the sea ice from their terrestrial home range. While revealing a wide knowledge gap regarding resource detection abilities in mammalian predators, our study provides estimates of detection range useful for interpreting and modeling animal movements. It also allows a better understanding of foraging behavior and navigation capacity in terrestrial predators. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Sea ice Tundra Vulpes lagopus DataCite Metadata Store (German National Library of Science and Technology) Arctic |
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Ecology FOS Biological sciences 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified Developmental Biology Cancer |
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Ecology FOS Biological sciences 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified Developmental Biology Cancer Lai, Sandra Bêty, Joël Berteaux, Dominique Spatio–temporal hotspots of satellite–tracked arctic foxes reveal a large detection range in a mammalian predator |
topic_facet |
Ecology FOS Biological sciences 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified Developmental Biology Cancer |
description |
Abstract Background The scale at which animals perceive their environment is a strong fitness determinant, yet few empirical estimates of animal detection ranges exist, especially in mammalian predators. Using daily Argos satellite tracking of 26 adult arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) during a single winter in the High Canadian Arctic, we investigated the detection range of arctic foxes by detecting hotspots of fox activity on the sea ice. Results While maintaining territories in the tundra, these solitary foragers occasionally used the sea ice where they sometimes formed spatio–temporal hotspots, likely scavenging on marine mammal carcasses. We detected 35 movements by 13 individuals forming five hotspots. Foxes often traveled more than 10 km, and up to 40 km, to reach hotspots, which lasted one–two weeks and could gather up to 12 individuals. The likelihood of a fox joining a hotspot was neither influenced by its distance from the hotspot nor by the distance of its home range to the coast. Conclusions Observed traveling distances may indicate a high detection range in arctic foxes, and our results suggest their ability to detect food sources on the sea ice from their terrestrial home range. While revealing a wide knowledge gap regarding resource detection abilities in mammalian predators, our study provides estimates of detection range useful for interpreting and modeling animal movements. It also allows a better understanding of foraging behavior and navigation capacity in terrestrial predators. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Lai, Sandra Bêty, Joël Berteaux, Dominique |
author_facet |
Lai, Sandra Bêty, Joël Berteaux, Dominique |
author_sort |
Lai, Sandra |
title |
Spatio–temporal hotspots of satellite–tracked arctic foxes reveal a large detection range in a mammalian predator |
title_short |
Spatio–temporal hotspots of satellite–tracked arctic foxes reveal a large detection range in a mammalian predator |
title_full |
Spatio–temporal hotspots of satellite–tracked arctic foxes reveal a large detection range in a mammalian predator |
title_fullStr |
Spatio–temporal hotspots of satellite–tracked arctic foxes reveal a large detection range in a mammalian predator |
title_full_unstemmed |
Spatio–temporal hotspots of satellite–tracked arctic foxes reveal a large detection range in a mammalian predator |
title_sort |
spatio–temporal hotspots of satellite–tracked arctic foxes reveal a large detection range in a mammalian predator |
publisher |
Figshare |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
https://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3624983 https://figshare.com/collections/Spatio_temporal_hotspots_of_satellite_tracked_arctic_foxes_reveal_a_large_detection_range_in_a_mammalian_predator/3624983 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic Sea ice Tundra Vulpes lagopus |
genre_facet |
Arctic Sea ice Tundra Vulpes lagopus |
op_relation |
https://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40462-015-0065-2 |
op_rights |
CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3624983 https://doi.org/10.1186/s40462-015-0065-2 |
_version_ |
1766318238741823488 |