Does moonlight affect movement patterns of a non‐obligate carnivore? Brown bears do not mind that the moon exists

Abstract

Moonlight plays a significant role in prey–predator relationships. At full moon, predators' hunting success and activity rates generally increase. Even though the analysis of facultative carnivore movement patterns can improve our knowledge of how moonlight can change the behaviour of such a group of species with diverse ecological needs, few studies have been conducted with facultative carnivores and none with telemetric data. Here, we studied whether moonlight influences brown bear, Ursus arctos, movement behaviours. By analysing data collected from 2002 to 2014 for 71 collared individuals inhabiting Finland and Russian Karelia, we found that some internal and external factors are influencing brown bear movement patterns. In particular, this facultative carnivore moves more slowly and over shorter distances during hyperphagia periods than during the mating season. However, moonlight does not affect brown bear movements. Although brown bears are large carnivores, they are opportunistic omnivores with a high fruit diet and, therefore, the prey–predator relationships that are behind the dependence of carnivores on moonlight seem to be weaker than in obligate carnivores.