Patch use and site selection by a rock hyrax (Procavia capensis) in a human-dominated landscape in the West Bank of Palestine-Reference-Cited by-同舟云学术

Patch use and site selection by a rock hyrax (Procavia capensis) in a human-dominated landscape in the West Bank of Palestine

Published:2020-03-14 Issue:6 Volume:84 Page:569-573
ISSN:1864-1547
Container-title:Mammalia
language:en
Short-container-title:

Author:

Salah Ikram¹²^ORCID,Khalilieh Anton²,Kotler Burt¹

Affiliation:

1. Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology , Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Sede Boqer Campus , 8499000 Midreshet Ben-Gurion , Israel

2. Nature Palestine Society , Rammalah , Palestine

Abstract

Abstract Populations of rock hyraxes (Procavia capensis) increasingly occur in urbanizing areas of the Palestinian West Bank, and throughout the Middle East, in part due to construction methods that create rock piles that shelter hyraxes. We quantified activity densities of the hyraxes, environmental variables, and plant cover at four sites that differ in urbanization. The highest numbers occurred in the most urban site and peaked in June and October, with hyraxes traveling farther distances from their dens late in the season (October). Sites with higher activity densities of hyraxes had higher vapor pressures, signifying more mesic conditions. Thus, urbanization aids the expansion of hyraxes.

Publisher

Walter de Gruyter GmbH

Subject

Animal Science and Zoology,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

Link

https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/mammalia-2019-0147/pdf

Reference25 articles.

1. Altmann, S.A. and J. Altmann. 1970. Baboon Ecology, University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

2. Biggins, D.E., J.G. Sidle, D.B. Seery, A.E. Ernst and J.L. Hoogland. 2006. Estimating the abundance of prairie dogs. In: (J.L. Hoogland, ed.) Conservation of the black-tailed prairie dog: saving North America’s western grasslands. Island Press, Washington, DC, USA. pp. 94–107.

3. Brown, J.S. 1988. Patch use as an indicator of habitat preference, predation risk, and competition. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 22: 37–47.

4. Brown, J.S. 1992. Patch use under predation risk: I. Models and predictions. Ann. Zool. Fenn. 22: 301–309.

5. Druce, D.J., J.S. Brown, J.G. Castley, G.I. Kerley, B.P. Kotler, R. Slotow and M.H. Knight. 2006. Scale-dependent foraging costs: habitat use by rock hyraxes (Procavia capensis) determined using giving-up densities. Oikos 115: 513–525.