Home-range size of the European wildcat (<i>Felis silvestris silvestris</i>): a report from two areas in Central Italy

Anile, Stefano; Bizzarri, L.; Lacrimini, Moreno; Sforzi, Andrea; Ragni, Bernardino; Devillard, Sébastien

doi:10.1515/mammalia-2016-0045

Cited by 16 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…This high variability observed in home range sizes led to a statistically nonsignificant difference between genders, although median values of home range areas for males were larger than for females, which was expected as it should reflect different selective pressures for reproductive success (Gehrt & Fritzell, ). This tendency has been reported in other wildcat BGUs (Anile et al., ; Liberek, ; Stahl, Artois, & Aubert, ), as well as in other solitary felids (Ferreras, Beltrán, Aldama, & Delibes, ; Herfindal, Linnell, Odden, Nilsen, & Andersen, ; Tucker, Clark, & Gosselink, ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 73%

“…While the flexibility in male home range size reflects a pattern observed throughout its distribution range, we detected much higher variability than ever reported for females. Male home ranges are known to vary between 3.03 km 2 (Anile et al, 2017) and 53.30 km 2 (Liberek, 1999). Conversely, females' have been reported to range between <1.5 km 2 (Germain, Benhamou, & Poulle, 2008) and 6.23 km 2 (Jerosch, Götz, & Roth, 2017).…”

Section: Home Range Sizementioning

confidence: 99%

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Females know better: Sex‐biased habitat selection by the European wildcat

Oliveira

Urra

López‐Martín

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

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The interactions between animals and their environment vary across species, regions, but also with gender. Sex‐specific relations between individuals and the ecosystem may entail different behavioral choices and be expressed through different patterns of habitat use. Regardless, only rarely sex‐specific traits are addressed in ecological modeling approaches. The European wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris) is a species of conservation concern in Europe, with a highly fragmented and declining distribution across most of its range. We assessed sex‐specific habitat selection patterns for the European wildcat, at the landscape and home range levels, across its Iberian biogeographic distribution using a multipopulation approach. We developed resource selection functions in a use‐availability framework using radio‐telemetry data from five wildcat populations. At the landscape level, we observed that, while both genders preferentially established home ranges in areas close to broadleaf forests and far from humanized areas, females selected mid‐range elevation areas with some topographic complexity, whereas males used lowland areas. At the home range level, both females and males selected areas dominated by scrublands or broadleaf forests, but habitat features were less important at this level. The strength of association to habitat features was higher for females at both spatial levels, suggesting a tendency to select habitats with higher quality that can grant them enhanced access to shelter and feeding resources. Based on our results, we hypothesize that sex‐biased behavioral patterns may contribute to the resilience of wildcats’ genetic integrity through influencing the directionality of hybridization with domestic cats. Our study provides information about European wildcats’ habitat use in an Iberian context, relevant for the implementation of conservation plans, and highlights the ecological relevance of considering sex‐related differences in environmental preferences.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 73%

Section: Home Range Sizementioning

confidence: 99%

Females know better: Sex‐biased habitat selection by the European wildcat

Oliveira

Urra

López‐Martín

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

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“…Female dispersal is likely limited during the nursing period where she has to stay close to young kittens and/or are unable to move larger distances (Sandell, 1989;Nakanishi et al, 2005;Chen et al, 2016). Weighing 2.3 kg, LC-A is a large dominant male that maintained an extensive home-range overlapping 3-4 female home-ranges similar to that recorded for other cat species (Stander et al, 1997;Sliwa, 2004;Simcharoen et al, 2008;Goodrich et al, 2010;Anile et al, 2017;Nuñez-Perez and Miller, 2019) suggesting that overlapping home-range results from males attempting to monopolize access to females. In some cases, LC-A overlapped a breeding female home-range 52.65% and fought off a smaller male, LC-H (1.8 kg), at a time when LC-H attempted to mate with a female inside LC-A's home-range.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 76%

Activity and Ranging Behavior of Leopard Cats (Prionailurus bengalensis) in an Oil Palm Landscape

Putra¹,

Amran²,

Huda³

et al. 2021

Front. Environ. Sci.

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The leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) is the most widespread feline in Asia. It has been recorded in a range of habitats, including monoculture landscapes, such as oil palm plantations. Here, we report on a study on the presence, home range, activity patterns and diet of the species in an oil palm landscape to assess their viability as biological pest controller of rats. The study took place in United Plantations/PT SSS estate in Central Kalimantan, Borneo, Indonesia. From July 2014 to March 2018, we captured 11 leopard cats in purpose-built cage-traps and fitted them with VHF radio-transmitters. They were tracked for a 44 months study period, during which we collected a total of 2.031 GPS locations used for estimating the respective cats’ activities and home-ranges. The cats are strictly nocturnal and prefer to hide and rest in thick bush, primarily consisting of sword-fern (Nephrolepis sp.) during day-time, but forage both on the ground and in the palm canopy at night. The average home range (95% FK) for male leopard cats is 1.47 km2 (n = 7; SD = 0.62 km2) with slightly smaller home range for females at 1.29 km2 (n = 4; SD = 0.28 km2). All individuals studied were recorded strictly within the oil palm plantation landscape, although mangrove forest habitat makes up 7% of the greater plantation landscape. In conclusion, leopard cats survive and reproduce well in oil palm habitats and are effective biological controllers of rats that can replace the traditionally used expensive and environmentally polluting chemical rat poisons.

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“…The wildcat and the porcupine have similar size and both move along trails (Mori 2017;Anile et al 2019), hence camera trap displacement was appropriate to study both species and cameras were equally triggered. Moreover, the site spacing suited both the wildcat and the porcupine since the minimum home range for a wildcat in a Mediterranean habitat (Monterroso et al 2009;Anile et al 2018) is about the size of the average porcupine home range (Lovari et al 2013;Mori et al 2014a). Finally, both species are associated to areas characterized by vegetation cover (Lovari et al 2017;Anile et al 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The value of by-catch data: how species-specific surveys can serve non-target species

2019

Self Cite

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Camera trapping has a wide range of research application but, while research designs are often focused on the study of a single focal species, cameras can also record other non-target species. Occupancy modelling using bycatch data can be a valuable resource to gain information on these species maximizing the scientific effort and efficiency of wildlife surveys. In this study we used by-catch data from a European wildcat (Felis sylvestris sylvestris) survey in Southern Italy to assess the habitat covariates determinant for the occupancy of the crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata). We recorded 33 detections at 17 out of 51 cameras (naïve occupancy = 0.33). The best models fitted the data well and porcupine occupancy estimate was 0.58 (SE ± 0.09) with a detection probability of 0.11 (SE ± 0.03). Average model showed that woodlands and number of shrub patches increased porcupine occupancy, while the reverse was true for altitude. Our results have improved the insights on the habitat use and ecological needs of this understudied species and it is the first study that develops occupancy models for the porcupine using presence/absence data obtained from a camera trap survey. Our study is an example of how camera trap surveys are often an under-exploited source of valuable information on a wider spectrum of sympatric species beyond the focal species for which camera traps were deployed. Minimum requirements for a camera trap survey to provide robust occupancy estimates for non-target species are discussed.

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Home-range size of the European wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris): a report from two areas in Central Italy

Abstract: Although the behavioural ecology of the European wildcat (

Cited by 16 publications

References 29 publications

Females know better: Sex‐biased habitat selection by the European wildcat

Females know better: Sex‐biased habitat selection by the European wildcat

Activity and Ranging Behavior of Leopard Cats (Prionailurus bengalensis) in an Oil Palm Landscape

The value of by-catch data: how species-specific surveys can serve non-target species

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