Mapping the distribution of dholes, Cuon alpinus (Canidae, Carnivora), in Thailand

Abstract

No recent attempt has been made to survey dhole distribution, or to estimate remaining population numbers. We surveyed 15 protected areas in Thailand with camera traps from 1996 to 2010. We used the photo locations of dholes (n = 96) in the maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model along with six environmental variables to model current dhole distribution, as well as species predictive occurrence layers for sambar, red muntjac, wild boar, tiger, and leopard. The MaxEnt model identifi ed the predicted probability of the presence of leopards and sambar as positive and the most important variables in modeling dhole presence, indicating that maintaining a suffi cient prey base may be the most important factor determining continued survival of dholes. Roughly 7 % of the total land area in Thailand is potentially suitable for dholes. However, surveys to date have focused on protected areas, which make up just a third of the potential suitable areas for dholes. Only in four protected areas do they occur across the entire landscape, suggesting that in the majority of places where they occur, habitats are not uniformly suitable. Using the model, we identifi ed several potential areas where dholes have not been reported, and therefore status surveys are needed, and where future research of the species might be focused.

Predicted distributions and conservation status of two threatened Southeast Asian small carnivores: the banded civet and Hose’s civet

“…Presence-only ecological niche modelling (ENM) can be a useful tool for predicting the distributions of poorly known species in remote and inaccessible regions (Gaubert et al 2006, Papes and Gaubert 2007, Wilting et al 2010, Jennings and Veron 2011, Jenks et al 2012. The outputs of ENM can aid conservation planning by highlighting potential unknown populations and key areas for fieldwork and conservation initiatives (Peterson 2006 , Thorn et al 2009 , Jackson andRobertson 2011 ).…”

<b>Distribution and habitat use of the endangered Dhole <I>Cuon alpinus</I> (Pallas, 1811) (Mammalia: Canidae) in Jigme Dorji National Park, western Bhutan</b>

“…All the layers were converted to raster format with a standardized cell size of 30 m, in line with the standard projection and coordinate system for Bhutan (i.e., PCS_DRUKREF_03_TM), and the geographic extent of JDNP boundary. As with Jenks et al (2012), we used the default setting in MaxEnt model of 500 iterations with convergence threshold of 0.00001, a regularization multiplier of 1, and a maximum background point of 10,000, but with 50 random test percentage using JDNP boundary as the mask. We assessed the model's performance using the AUC (Area under the Receiver Operating Curve).…”

“…The MaxEnt model could provide good distribution data from even a limited number of occurrence data points (Phillips et al 2004(Phillips et al , 2006. In fact, the model has already been successfully applied to predict Dhole distribution in Thailand by Jenks et al (2012). Therefore, we believe that the MaxEnt model of Dhole distribution in JDNP is highly reliable considering the appropriateness of the model used and its high predictability indicated by high AUC values.…”

“…Likewise, the variable "Land cover" (implicit of vegetation cover) also contributed merely 2.7%. This could be because Dholes are found in wide range of land cover types (Jenks et al 2012).…”

Non-invasive endocrine monitoring indicates seasonal variations in gonadal hormone metabolites in dholes (Cuon alpinus)

“…Specifically, the native pair exhibited breeding behaviours in April and September, which coincided with increased gonadal metabolite concentrations in both male and female. A camera-trap study conducted in eastern Thailand documented a photograph of two juveniles (~6 months old) in May, indicating that breeding probably occurred in September or October in wild individuals (Jenks et al ., 2012). Furthermore, a lactating female was captured in a Thai protected area in mid-February, suggesting that this individual probably bred in late October to early November (N.S., personal observation).…”