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Spatial ecology of a ubiquitous Australian anteater, the short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus)
Citation
Nicol, SC and Vanpe, C and Sprent, J and Morrow, G and Andersen, NA, Spatial ecology of a ubiquitous Australian anteater, the short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus), Journal of Mammalogy, 92, (1) pp. 101-110. ISSN 0022-2372 (2011) [Refereed Article]
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Copyright Statement
Copyright © 2011 The American Society of Mammalogists
Official URL: http://www.mammalsociety.org/journal-mammalogy
DOI: doi:10.1644/09-MAMM-A-398.1
Abstract
The only specialized ant-eating mammal in Australia and New Guinea is the egg-laying short-beaked echidna
(Tachyglossus aculeatus), and this single species occurs throughout Australia in a wide range of habitats.
Despite the diversity of habitats and density and distribution of prey species, home-range sizes throughout
Australia seem remarkably similar. We radiotracked echidnas in a population in Tasmania over a 13-year period
and calculated home-range sizes using the fixed kernel method and the minimum convex polygon method. No
relationship was found between body mass and home-range size, and mean annual home-range size of males
(90% kernels) was 107 ha 6 48 SD, twice that of females (48 6 28 ha). Male home ranges overlapped
considerably and also overlapped with those of several females. The echidna follows the pattern seen in many
solitary eutherian mammals: both sexes are promiscuous, and males have larger home ranges than females.
Echidnas show a high degree of home-range fidelity but can make rare excursions out of their normal area.
Hibernating echidnas move between shelters during their periodic arousals, resulting in home-range sizes
similar to those of the active period. Consistent with their very low metabolic rate, echidnas have home-range
sizes considerably smaller than predicted for carnivorous or omnivorous mammals. Examination of data from
other ant-eating mammals shows that as a group anteaters not only have smaller than predicted home ranges but
they depart significantly from the normal relationship between home-range size and body mass.
Item Details
| Item Type: | Refereed Article |
|---|---|
| Keywords: | anteaters, home range, kernel, mating system, monotremes, myrmecophagy, short-beaked echidna, spatial ecology |
| Research Division: | Biological Sciences |
| Research Group: | Ecology |
| Research Field: | Ecological physiology |
| Objective Division: | Environmental Management |
| Objective Group: | Terrestrial systems and management |
| Objective Field: | Terrestrial biodiversity |
| UTAS Author: | Nicol, SC (Associate Professor Stewart Nicol) |
| UTAS Author: | Sprent, J (Dr Jennifer Sprent) |
| UTAS Author: | Morrow, G (Ms Gemma Morrow) |
| UTAS Author: | Andersen, NA (Dr Niels Andersen) |
| ID Code: | 67449 |
| Year Published: | 2011 |
| Web of Science® Times Cited: | 17 |
| Deposited By: | Zoology |
| Deposited On: | 2011-03-03 |
| Last Modified: | 2017-11-01 |
| Downloads: | 1 View Download Statistics |
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