Comparative spatial cognition in wild Tanganyikan cichlids: navigation performance varies with home range and shelter availability.

Cats are among the most beloved and affectionate companion animals to humans. Historically, they have been utilised to manage pests or offer comfort and companionship, a practice that continues today. Due to human malpractice, unowned free-roaming cats (as stray pets or feral cats) are now considered amongst the 100 worst invasive species, and are responsible for the decline and even the disappearance of many wild species worldwide. Free-roaming cats maintain their hunting instincts, causing problems for native species, which is recognised as a major issue in island biodiversity. Despite their impact, limited studies have been conducted to understand the spatial activity of free-roaming cats in the Mediterranean when they are away from their caregivers (owners who feed and care for their cats while allowing unrestricted outdoor roaming). To investigate this, we used GPS tracking collars to monitor 15 free-roaming cats on the island of Cyprus, during spring-autumn 2022. The monitored cats were active in a spectrum of different habitats, from forests and farmland to shrublands and the suburbs. We monitored cats for 5.6 days, on average, to investigate their home range sizes (KDE 95%; median: males = 55,678 m2; females = 11,377 m2), daily distance travelled (median: males = 1233 m; females = 538 m), and daily/nocturnal activity, and the factors that influence these patterns. The animals' sex, shelter availability, and the type of coverage in an area show statistically significant differences in relation to their home range, while activity peaked during the afternoon hours, a finding that is also statistically confirmed. Although the sample size of the study is relatively small, the influence of environmental and anthropogenic factors on the home range of free-roaming cats in Cyprus is revealed. These findings offer quantitative evidence and can contribute to wildlife conservation and free-roaming cat management.

The heterogeneity of resource distribution in arid environments plays an important role in habitat selection by consumers. The productivity of the riparian zones of intermittently flowing creeks is typically prolonged, relative to the hinterland, as moisture and nutrients concentrate there. Short-beaked echidnas, Tachyglossus aculeatus, sustain arid populations, attributed to ant and termite availability, low predation, and an ability to exploit habitat remnants. However, the scale of their movements in arid habitats is poorly understood. Thus, we investigated echidna home ranges and the importance of food and shelter availability in habitat selection over one winter. We focussed on the riparian zone of a creek at Mount Wood in Sturt National Park, north-western New South Wales, Australia. Radio tracking (VHF and GPS), scat and habitat selection analyses were conducted. Mean core and peripheral home range areas were 0.16 and 1.042 km2, respectively, with a mean home range overlap of 0.56 km2. Habitat selection differed between juveniles and adults and may have been driven by prey availability (predominantly ants). The preferred shelter was thick leaf litter. We concluded that habitat selection patterns were driven by prey availability (ants) and shelter (leaf litter).

In this study we investigated the relationships between dominance rank and access to shelters in captive groups of Lipophrys pholis and Coryphoblennius galerita, as well as the effects of group size and shelter availability. Dominance rank was strongly correlated with size in juvenile L. pholis and with sex and size in adult C. galerita, males being dominant over females of similar size. Access to shelters was significantly correlated with dominance rank. For both species, most interactions occurred out of shelters. Direct disputes over shelters were always initiated by the dominant fish and the initiator was always the winner. The rate of aggression per fish per unit time decreased with an increase in the number of fish in L. pholis but not in C. galerita. No significant differences were found in groups differing in the number of shelters. C. galerita showed a higher rate of agonistic interactions and a higher proportion of overt aggression than L. pholis. It is suggested that one of the functions of agonistic interactions in these fishes is the control of a set of shelters, in the network of pathways used by each individual within its home range, minimising the time required to hide in case of danger.

Human-elephant conflict (HEC) is a severe conservation, socio-economic and environmental issue of forests and ecosystems in elephant inhabiting countries, including Sri Lanka. Due to the rapid growth of human and elephant populations, both struggles to share limited land resources. The major causes and contexts of HEC in Sri Lanka include land use change, habitat loss due to human population growth, crop raiding behavior, problem elephants, and changes in agriculture practices. Since 2019, 125 people and 370 elephants have killed annually on average due to the conflict. Also, Sri Lanka has recorded the highest annual elephant deaths and second-highest human deaths due to HEC. The human death rate has increased by approximately 42% over previous three decades. The Sri Lankan government provides compensation for death and disability of the human caused by elephants and for elephant-damaged houses or properties. The Sri Lankan elephant (Elephas maximus maximus) is an endangered subspecies. It’s home range is restricted to 50–150 km2and depends on the availability of food, water, and shelter of the habitat in which they live. Various management strategies have been developed by the government and villagers to prevent and mitigate HEC. Today, Sri Lankan elephants are protected under Sri Lankan law, with punishment by fines and jail terms. This article reviews the history, present status, and traditional conflict management of HEC in Sri Lanka. We suggest a satellite data fusion approach with GIS modeling to identify risk zones of HEC to develop further protective measures for humans and elephants.

Human land use intensified over the last century and simultaneously, extreme weather events have become more frequent. However, little is known about the interplay between habitat structure, direct short-term weather effects and indirect seasonal effects on animal space use and behavior. We used the European hare (Lepus europaeus) as model to investigate how habitat structure and weather conditions affect habitat selection and home range size, predictors for habitat quality and energetic requirements. Using > 100,000 GPS positions of 60 hares in three areas in Denmark and Germany, we analyzed habitat selection and home range size in response to seasonally changing habitat structure, measured as vegetation height and agricultural field size, and weather. We compared daily and monthly home ranges to disentangle between direct short-term weather effects and indirect seasonal effects of climate. Habitat selection and home range size varied seasonally as a response to changing habitat structure, potentially affecting the availability of food and shelter. Overall, habitat structure and seasonality were more important in explaining hare habitat selection and home range size compared to direct weather conditions. Nevertheless, hares adjusted habitat selection and daily home range size in response to temperature, wind speed and humidity, possibly in response to thermal constrains and predation risk. For effective conservation, habitat heterogeneity should be increased, e.g. by reducing agricultural field sizes and the implementation of set-asides that provide both forage and shelter, especially during the colder months of the year.

Since the first long-term field study of mantled howler monkeys carried out by Clarence R. Carpenter on Barro Colorado Island about 80 years ago, howler movement patterns and range use have been studied in several species and study sites throughout Mexico, Central, and South America. Howler monkeys often use small home ranges (<30 ha) and travel short distances each day (<1,000 m) compared with other atelines. Home range size, day range length, and patterns of use of space may vary both within- and between-species in response to differences in forest structure, patterns of resource distribution and phenology, the area of habitat available, group size, and population density. Within-species variability has been shown to increase with increasing sample size. In addition, howlers present a pattern of repetitive use of a limited number of routes to travel between feeding and sleeping sites that has been related to a strategy aimed at reducing the distance travelled while allowing them to keep track of the phenology of important food sources. In this chapter we present the results of a comprehensive review of the literature on the ranging behavior of Alouatta (spp.). We used Generalized Linear Models (GLMs) to test whether home range is affected by (1a) fragment size, (1b) population density, (1c) group size, and (1d) group biomass, and whether day range is affected by (2a) fragment size, (2b) population density, (2c) group size, and the contribution of (2d) fruits and (2e) leaves to the diet. We also included species and method of estimating home range as factors in the models. We found that the size of the home range is negatively influenced by population density, and that there are differences between species (A. palliata uses significantly larger home ranges), and estimating methods. We also found that the length of the day range is negatively affected by population density, and the contribution of fruits and leaves to the diet, but positively affected by group size. Interspecific comparisons showed that A. guariba clamitans tends to travel farther daily than A. palliata. Cognitively, recent evidence supports the idea that howler monkeys are capable of encoding, processing, updating, and recalling a topological spatial representation of a set of landmarks (including major feeding and resting sites) as prominent beacons for navigating along commonly used routes within their home ranges.

Sex differences in home range and cognitive maps in eight-year old children

The hippocampus is well known for its roles in spatial navigation and memory, but it is organized into regions that have different connections and functional specializations. Notably, the region CA2 has a role in social and not spatial cognition, as is the case for the regions CA1 and CA3 that surround it. Here, we investigated the evolution of the hippocampus in terms of its size and organization in relation to the evolution of social and ecological variables in primates, namely home range, diet and different measures of group size. We found that the volumes within the whole cornu ammonis coevolve with group size, while only the volume of CA1 and subiculum can also be predicted by home range. On the other hand, diet, expressed as a shift from folivory towards frugivory, was shown to not be related to hippocampal volume. Interestingly, CA2 was shown to exhibit phylogenetic signal only against certain measures of group size, but not with ecological factors. We also found that sex differences in the hippocampus are related to body size sex dimorphism. This is in line with reports of sex differences in hippocampal volume in non-primates that are related to social structure and sex differences in behaviour. Our findings support the notion that in primates, the hippocampus is a mosaic structure evolving in line with social pressures, where certain subsections evolve in line with spatial ability too.

In order to re-establish a population of Mountain Gazelles (Gazella gazella(Pallas, 1776)) in the Tuwayq Mountains, central Saudi Arabia, a re-introduction program was initiated in 1990, with 11 releases between 1990 and 2007. The number of gazelles in the Ibex Reserve initially increased during the 5 years after the first release but then diminished dramatically. After about 10 years the decrease levelled out and the population remained more or less stable at about 0.9–1.9 gazelles/km2 (60–80 gazelles) in the two wadi systems into which gazelles were released. This population is likely to remain small due to limited food as a result of droughts and also to competition with livestock, both of which apparently lead to increased dispersal to sites outside the Reserve. This, in turn, results in increasing conflict with humans. Food and shelter availability and the effects on home range size, dispersal behaviour, and population density of the already existent population on further repatriation success, and population establishment are reviewed in more detail. Further releases of Mountain Gazelles into the Ibex Reserve need to be carefully considered. Improved protection of the naturally occurring Mountain Gazelle population is imperative for the survival of this species in Saudi Arabia.

I performed a displacement experiment with free-ranging adults of Anolis cristatellus, a tropical lizard species whose year-around space-use requirements are limited to small arboreal territories. Because A. cristatellus is a relatively sedentary species, selection for a generalized spatial orientation would seem unlikely. However, more than two-thirds of 25 lizards returned to home territories within an average of 3 d when relocated 11–62 m (equivalent to 2–26 territory diameters) to presumably unfamiliar release localities. Within the conditions of the study, there was no significant effect on returning success by displacement distance, sex, or body size. The returning performance of A. cristatellus supported two inferences. First, considering the costs and risks of traveling through unfamiliar habitat, returning to a specific location from a distant release point indicated the relative importance of a familiar home range to survival and reproduction by both sexes. Second, returning performance indicated that A. cristatellus can at least generalize between familiar and unfamiliar views of landmarks to determine a novel route between its displaced site and its home locality (i.e., pilotage). I suggest that the spatial ability demonstrated by A. cristatellus has not been selected in the context of “homing,” a phenomenon absent to this non-ranging species. Instead, the spatial cognition demonstrated by pilotage could be selected as a social mechanism, whereby a resident can spatially place itself, mates, competitors, and predators relative to its three-dimensional home range. By avoiding surprise, a resident who can anticipate encountering specific individuals at particular localities within its home range will gain a social advantage.

An animal’s ability to navigate its home range in search of essential resources is a key aspect of its ecology. To reach these resources, animals employ varying navigational processes depending on their exocentric or egocentric view of their environment. The goal of this study was to determine if the Javan slow loris (Nycticebus javanicus), a nocturnal arboreal primate found in southeast Asia, uses some form of cognitive map and spatial memory while navigating their environment. Using behavioural and GPS data of six males and seven females collected at the Little Fireface Project field station based in West Java, Indonesia, we measured their frequency of revisiting important feeding trees, route overlap, and points where individuals significantly changed directions. We found that all individuals predominantly used four tree species while feeding and foraging. The lorises also displayed a high level of route overlap, leading us to conclude that they likely utilize a route-based cognitive map where certain landmarks are integral to their nightly movement. Few studies have specifically focused on strepsirrhine spatial cognition in the wild; here, we show the navigational mechanism used by the Javan slow loris to reach distant/out-of-sight resources. The evident reliance on spatial cognition in a strepsirrhine species suggest that it could be an important selective pressure for primates at the earliest stages of primate cognitive evolution. In addition to the importance of spatial memory in theoretical discourse, understanding slow loris movement has practical applications to conservation, particularly regarding the numerous translocations undertaken by individuals rescued from the illegal wildlife trade. We discuss the importance of considering soft release training and monitoring in such releases.

Spatial memory and adaptive specialization of the hippocampus.

Many avian migrants perform the most impressive long-distance flights between breeding and wintering areas sometimes located several thousands of kilometres apart. These birds clearly have adapted to a mobile life style where fuel economy and navigation performance must have played a major role in the selection process shaping these extraordinary abilities. Perhaps one of the most fascinating capabilities is the solo migration flights by many young migratory songbirds, for which a complete migration program inherited from their parents is stored in their genes coding flight distance and direction, which enables the individual bird to fly completely alone from the site of birth to a sometimes very distant wintering area (for review see Berthold 1996). However, not less impressive is the ability possessed by many birds to relocate known sites of importance, like breeding sites, wintering territories and even stopover sites located between these areas (e.g. Mewaldt 1964; Per-deck 1967; Moreau 1972). Furthermore, each individual bird must possess the capability of performing a diverse array of behaviours to cope with navigational tasks over distances of a few meters up to several thousands of kilometres. For instance, most birds are central place foragers during the breeding period with short-distance movements within their home range. The functional characteristics of the navigational program and the cues that are of importance to locate known sites are, however, not very well known. In navigation studies of birds mainly homing pigeons, Columba livia, have been used for experimental convenience (for recent reviews see, for example, Papi 1982, 1991; Walcott 1996; Wallraff 1991, 2001), and much less effort have been invested in studying similar phenomena in migratory birds (e.g. Alerstam 1991; Berthold 1996; Matthews 1968; Wiltschko 1989). Therefore, detailed understanding of long-distance navigation in migratory birds is still very limited.

Amphibians are organisms which mainly have a biphasic life cycle. When at the larval stage, their habitat is generally aquatic, and when adults, they become terrestrial. Pond-breeding amphibians are sensitive to some disturbances in their environment which lead to the decline of a population. The interactions between the species and their environment are performed through movement. Movement ecology combines and explains the movement data of organisms with biotic and abiotic factors and because of this, knowing the movement of these creatures is of great ecological importance. We used the spool-and-line methodology in individuals of the treefrog Phyllomedusa burmeisteri, at the Reserva Ecologica Michelin, located in the southern region of Bahia in Brazil to study their movement patterns in different environments inside and outside of the forest. We monitored 19 P. burmeisteri individuals that presented a mean total movement distance of 2160.76 cm (S.D. 1152.42). We found no significant difference in the trajectories of individuals in forested and open areas, as well as a positive relationship between the distances individuals moved and their weight only in forested areas. no relationship between distance and weight of these individuals. We observed that individuals followed non-linear paths and the number of steps from one place to another varied among individuals. Our movement ecology data allows us to answer questions about short-term movement patterns of Phyllomedusa burmeisteri. This is the first step to start understanding the spatial cognition of treefrogs from the Atlantic Forest and to fill gaps about life habits of these frogs. Information on the movement patterns of a species, as well as its home range can help to create conservation strategies, regarding the creation or delimitation of protected areas, for example.

Current views of the hippocampus assign this structure, and its prominent theta rhythms, a key role in both cognition and affect. We studied this duality of function in humans, where no direct evidence exists. Whole-head magnetoencephalographic (MEG) data were recorded to measure theta activity while healthy participants (N = 25) navigated two virtual Morris water mazes, one in which they risked receiving aversive shocks without warning to induce anxiety and one in which they were safe from shocks. Results showed that threat of shock elevated anxiety level and enhanced navigation performance as compared to the safe condition. MEG source analyses revealed that improved navigation performance during threat was preferentially associated with increased left septal (posterior) hippocampal theta (specifically 4-8 Hz activity), replicating previous research that emphasizes a predominant role of the septal third of the hippocampus in spatial cognition. Moreover, increased self-reported anxiety during threat was preferentially associated with increased left temporal (anterior) hippocampal theta (specifically 2-6 Hz activity), consistent with this region's involvement in mediating conditioned and innate fear. Supporting contemporary theory, these findings highlight simultaneous involvement of the human hippocampus in spatial cognition and anxiety, and clarify their distinct correlates.