Sexual, allometric and forest cover effects on giant anteaters’ movement ecology
Metadatos
Mostrar el registro completo del ítemEditorial
Public Library of Science
Fecha
2021-08-18Referencia bibliográfica
Giroux A... [et al.] (2021) Sexual, allometric and forest cover effects on giant anteaters’ movement ecology. PLoS ONE 16(8): e0253345. [https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0253345]
Patrocinador
Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES) 001 PROEX 88887.360861/2019-00 PNPD 1694744; Junta de Andalucia 401; Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP) 2013/18526-9 2013/04957-8Resumen
Knowing the influence of intrinsic and environmental traits on animals’ movement is a
central interest of ecology and can aid to enhance management decisions. The giant anteater
(Myrmecophaga tridactyla) is a vulnerable mammal that presents low capacity for
physiological thermoregulation and uses forests as thermal shelters. Here, we aim to provide
reliable estimates of giant anteaters’ movement patterns and home range size, as
well as untangle the role of intrinsic and environmental drivers on their movement. We
GPS-tracked 19 giant anteaters in Brazilian savannah. We used a continuous-time movement
model to estimate their movement patterns (described by home range crossing
time, daily distance moved and directionality), and provide an autocorrelated kernel density
estimate of home range size. Then, we used mixed structural equations to integratively
model the effects of sex, body mass and proportion of forest cover on movement
patterns and home range size, considering the complex net of interactions between these
variables. Male giant anteaters presented more intensive space use and larger home
range than females with similar body mass, as it is expected in polygynous social mating
systems. Males and females increased home range size with increasing body mass, but
the allometric scaling of intensity of space use was negative for males and positive for
females, indicating different strategies in search for resources. With decreasing proportion
of forest cover inside their home ranges, and, consequently, decreasing thermal quality
of their habitat, giant anteaters increased home range size, possibly to maximize the
chances of accessing thermal shelters. As frequency and intensity of extreme weather
events and deforestation are increasing, effective management efforts need to consider
the role of forests as an important thermal resource driving spatial requirements of this
species. We highlight that both intrinsic and environmental drivers of animal movement
should be integrated to better guide management strategies.