Telemetry Research Articles

Habitat preferences of adult Canada Jays (Perisoreus canadensis) during the post-breeding period in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada

Habitat preferences in animals are often examined during the breeding period when individuals are easier to observe. However, habitat use may change once young become independent and if resource availability shifts with seasonality. While Canada Jays ( Perisoreus canadensis (Linnaeus, 1766)) in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, have been studied for several decades, there is no information on habitat use outside of the fall and late-winter nesting period, where they primarily used conifer forests. Using radio telemetry and resource selection functions comparing used versus available habitats, we estimated home-range size and habitat preferences of 12 adult Canada Jays ( n = 334 locations) in the spring and summer. Mean (±SD) home-range size from minimum convex polygons was 84 (±48 ha) and ranged from 35 to 201 ha. Canada Jays strongly preferred forest–wetland edges, showed a weak preference for coniferous forests, a corresponding weak avoidance of shade-tolerant hardwood forests, and used mixed forest and wetlands in proportion to their availability. Our results suggest that, while adult Canada Jays use multiple types of habitat during the post-breeding period, they also key into forest–wetland edges, likely to take advantage of emergent prey while remaining near forested areas to maximize protection from predators.

Evaluating the efficacy of reintroducing fishers (Pekania pennanti) to a landscape managed for timber production

Understanding the role of landscapes managed for timber production in the conservation of forest-obligate species is a priority for preserving ecological integrity and fostering socioeconomic wellbeing. The forest characteristics generally associated with the survival, reproduction, and persistence of forest-obligate species (e.g., large-diameter trees, standing dead trees, understory vegetation, downed logs) are often believed to be at odds with timber production. One such species is the fisher (Pekania pennanti), a mesocarnivoran (member of the order Carnivora) associated with mature forest characteristics whose range has decreased substantially since the mid-1800s. Fishers exemplify the perceived conflict between forest-obligate species and timber production because they generally require areas exhibiting complex forest structure including multiple canopy layers, old trees and standing dead trees with cavities, logs, and understory vegetation that provide sufficient prey, escape cover, and structures to support reproduction and parturition. Consequently, understanding if fishers can persist in landscapes managed for timber production can provide a critical test of the compatibility among forest-obligate species and forest management. We reintroduced 40 fishers (24 females, 16 males) between November 2009 and December 2011 onto a landscape managed for timber production to establish a new fisher population and to evaluate the viability of fisher populations on a forest managed for timber production. We studied this reintroduced population of fishers for 8 years following the reintroduction using annual live-captures and year-round tracking with radio telemetry. Using population modeling with spatial capture-recapture methods, we estimated this population of fishers to be growing during the 7-year study period. The density of the reintroduced fisher population in 2017 (10.8 fishers/100 km2) was within the reported range of fisher densities across the western United States. The reintroduction of fishers to previously occupied portions of their range is an important component of fisher conservation and will play a role in the recovery of the species in western portions of the fisher's range. Our results suggest that forests managed for timber production with landscape conditions similar to our study area may be important for future fisher reintroductions and species recovery.

Movement Ecology of Flattened Musk Turtles (Sternotherus depressus)

Effective species conservation and management plans are informed by spatial ecology. Specifically, a comprehensive understanding of a species' basic needs requires quantitative information pertaining to movement ecology at multiple spatial and temporal scales. In this study, we used radio telemetry to quantify home ranges and core use areas of the Flattened Musk Turtle (Sternotherus depressus; Testudines: Kinosternidae) and evaluate models explaining activity and movement patterns for the species in Alabama, USA. Home ranges averaged 332 m in stream length, whereas 95 and 50% kernel density estimators suggested core use averaged 185 and 86 m, respectively. Turtle activity increased late in the day and at night, as well as with precipitation. Movement distance increased with precipitation and water temperature, as well as during the breeding and nesting season compared with the post-nesting season. Home range size, core use stream lengths, activity patterns, and movement patterns did not differ significantly between males and females. Our study is the first to rigorously model activity and movement patterns of imperiled S. depressus, and we quantify home ranges and core areas of space use over multiple seasons, filling important gaps in our knowledge of this species.

Field evaluation of UAV‐based tracking method for localization of small insects

AbstractSmall invasive insects cause a reduction or disappearance of native insects, causing biodiversity problems. Therefore, tracking small insects is emerging as a method for biodiversity protection and ecosystem management; studies using tracking techniques, such as harmonic radar, RFID, and radio telemetry, are being conducted. A system using a mobile vehicle and a mobile robot that enhances the mobility of the existing passive tracking is currently being studied. We confirmed that radio telemetry is suitable for tracking insects by comparing the communication distance, weight, and lifespan of the transmitter in our previous study and developed a UAV‐based tracking method. In this study, we quantified the size of insects and conducted behavior, traceability, and field tests to verify the feasibility and performance of the developed system. We confirmed that the transmitter attachment did not affect the behavior of the insect, and the three‐dimensional movement of the insect did not affect the tracking performance. Furthermore, the tracking experiment was successfully conducted in a real environment. Thus, we quantitatively evaluated the performance of the proposed system and suggested a method to trace small‐sized insects.

Brumation of the clouded monitor lizard Varanus nebulosus in north-eastern Thailand

The clouded monitor lizard (Varanus nebulosus), is a semi arboreal lizard widely distributed throughout much of South and Southeast Asia. Despite its wide distribution there is almost nothing known about the ecology of this species. During the course of an 11-month radio telemetry study, in a reserve with a tropical savannah climate (Köppen Aw), we made the first records of brumation in this monitor lizard. This contrasts with earlier reports of the same species in a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen Am) where no brumation was recorded. We successfully tracked 10 individuals throughout their inactive period and found that seven of the monitors selected tree hollows within the endangered Shorea henryana tree. All tree hollows selected faced between the east and south cardinal points (90 °-180 °). The average brumation period was 100 days (range 86-113 days, standard deviation - 10.7), beginning in November at a time of falling temperatures and humidities and ending in early March when these variables had been restored. Eight of the 10 monitors basked partially or completely out of their shelters on multiple occasions. Of those eight monitors, two individuals moved between shelters during brumation after an extended period in one location. Our observations provide insight into the relationship between V. nebulosus and the tree S.henryana, in the dry evergreen forests of north-eastern Thailand. Future research should investigate how this tree will be affected by climate change in the coming decades and what that could mean for the future persistence of the clouded monitors that appear to rely on it

03. Brumation of the clouded monitor lizard Varanus nebulosus in north-eastern Thailand

The clouded monitor lizard (Varanus nebulosus), is a semi arboreal lizard widely distributed throughout much of South and Southeast Asia. Despite its wide distribution there is almost nothing known about the ecology of this species. During the course of an 11-month radio telemetry study, in a reserve with a tropical savannah climate (Köppen Aw), we made the first records of brumation in this monitor lizard. This contrasts with earlier reports of the same species in a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen Am) where no brumation was recorded. We successfully tracked 10 individuals throughout their inactive period and found that seven of the monitors selected tree hollows within the endangered Shorea henryana tree. All tree hollows selected faced between the east and south cardinal points (90 °-180 °). The average brumation period was 100 days (range 86-113 days, standard deviation - 10.7), beginning in November at a time of falling temperatures and humidities and ending in early March when these variables had been restored. Eight of the 10 monitors basked partially or completely out of their shelters on multiple occasions. Of those eight monitors, two individuals moved between shelters during brumation after an extended period in one location. Our observations provide insight into the relationship between V. nebulosus and the tree S.henryana, in the dry evergreen forests of north-eastern Thailand. Future research should investigate how this tree will be affected by climate change in the coming decades and what that could mean for the future persistence of the clouded monitors that appear to rely on it.

Evolutionary stability inferred for a free ranging lizard with sex-reversal.

The sex of vertebrates is typically determined genetically, but reptile sex can also be determined by developmental temperature. In some reptiles, temperature interacts with genotype to reverse sex, potentially leading to transitions from a chromosomal to a temperature‐dependent sex determining system. Transitions between such systems in nature are accelerated depending on the frequency and fitness of sex‐reversed individuals. The Central Bearded Dragon, Pogona vitticeps, exhibits female heterogamety (ZZ/ZW) but can have its sex reversed from ZZ male to ZZ female by high incubation temperatures. The species exhibits sex‐reversal in the wild and it has been suggested that climate change and fitness of sex‐reversed individuals could be increasing the frequency of reversal within the species range. Transitions to temperature‐dependent sex determination require low levels of dispersal and high (>50%) rates of sex‐reversal. Here, we combine genotype‐by‐sequencing, identification of phenotypic and chromosomal sex, exhaustive field surveys, and radio telemetry to examine levels of genetic structure, rates of sex‐reversal, movement, space use, and survival of P. vitticeps in a location previously identified as a hot spot for sex‐reversal. We find that the species exhibits low levels of population structure (FST ~0.001) and a modest (~17%) rate of sex‐reversal, and that sex‐reversed and nonsex‐reversed females have similar survival and behavioural characteristics to each other. Overall, our data indicate this system is evolutionary stable, although we do not rule out the prospect of a more gradual transition in sex‐determining mechanisms in the future in a more fragmented landscape and as global temperatures increase.

Vulnerable Neotropical migratory songbird demonstrates flexibility in space use in response to rainfall change

Abstract Behavioral flexibility of individuals is essential if organisms are to ultimately adapt to climate change. As environmental conditions, such as precipitation patterns become increasingly variable, fine-scale spatiotemporal flexibility in space use may allow for individuals to track resources during periods of adverse or atypical conditions. Individual behavioral flexibility is observable over short timeframes and can therefore be used to assess resilience of a species to projected shifts in climate. The goal of our study was to determine if and how individuals modified their space and habitat use in response to rainfall-driven changes in resources throughout a period of atypical seasonal rainfall patterns. We used radio telemetry to estimate home ranges of nonbreeding Swainson’s Warblers (Limnothlypis swainsonii) in 2 time frames (bi-seasonally and bi-weekly) in Jamaica during dry and wet periods. We measured habitat structure and food (leaf litter arthropod) availability within each home range to determine possible predictors of space use change. Individuals modified the area and/or location of their home ranges with changes in precipitation, and those occupying more open habitats had greater changes in home range area as seasonal rainfall increased. As food increased following rain, individuals constricted their home ranges (bi-weekly) or shifted spatially (bi-seasonally) to a novel area with greater food availability. This suggests individuals are able to rapidly respond to how their environment changes, presumably adjusting to trade-offs between home range size and resource availability. This flexibility may be a key behavioral component in enduring long-term increasingly unpredictable environmental variability and may have population-level consequences. These responses are, however, mediated by habitat, suggesting the ability to respond to variable or poor conditions is not homogeneous across a population.

Gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) resource selection within a private working pine (Pinus spp.) forest landscape

Private working forest landscapes provide wildlife habitat and understanding how species interact with these landscapes is critical to identifying conservation opportunities. The gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus; hereafter, tortoise) is a species endemic to the Coastal Plain ecoregion of the southeastern United States, with private working pine (Pinus spp.) forests encompassing a substantive portion of area within the species’ range. Although private working pine forests contain tortoises, uncertainty exists about how tortoises use these landscapes. Specifically, there is limited information regarding tortoise habitat associations within these landscapes relative to current forest management practices. Therefore, we used radio telemetry data from 55 adult tortoises collected over 3 years to estimate resource selection within a private working forest landscape dominated by planted loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) stands in the Upper Coastal Plain ecoregion of Georgia, USA. The strongest predictor of resource selection by tortoises was proximity to permanently open areas, specifically a utility right-of-way and areas adjacent to unpaved forest roads and, to a lesser extent, areas of higher elevation containing soils suitable for tortoises. On our study area, we identified permanently open areas as an important landscape component to adult tortoises. Although adult tortoises persist within these landscapes, more work is needed to understand tortoise recruitment in private working pine forest landscapes.

Migration tactics and connectivity of a Nearctic-Neotropical migratory shorebird.

During long-distance spring migrations, birds may rest and refuel at numerous stopover sites while minimizing the time to reach the breeding grounds. If habitat is limited along the migration route, pre-breeding birds optimize flight range by having longer stopovers at higher quality sites compared to poorer quality sites. Stopover duration also depends on distance remaining to breeding grounds, ecological barriers and individual characteristics. We assessed spring migration tactics and connectivity of a Nearctic-Neotropical migratory shorebird, the semipalmated sandpiper Calidris pusilla, at two sites with known relative habitat quality on the northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM) coast, the first land encountered after crossing the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). We used automated radio telemetry (Motus) to estimate stopover duration and probability of departure. Migration speed was estimated for individuals detected at subsequent receivers on the Motus network. To measure migratory connectivity, we used morphometrics and the Motus network to assign general breeding regions. Additionally, feather stable isotope ratios of C and N provided coarse information about overwintering regions. Stopover duration declined with higher fuel loads at capture as expected under a time-minimizing strategy. After accounting for fuel load, stopover duration was approximately 40% longer at the higher quality site. We found no detectable effect of age, sex or breeding location on stopover behaviour. The probability of departure was strongly affected by humidity and also by tailwind and weather conditions. Birds stopping at the higher quality site had earlier apparent arrival to the breeding grounds. The Louisiana coast is an apparent stopover hub for this species, since the individuals were departing to range-wide breeding regions and isotope values suggested birds were also using widespread wintering regions. Our study shows how high-quality, coastal wetlands along the NGOM coast serve a critical role in the annual cycle of a migratory shorebird. Stopover behaviour indicated that high-quality habitat may be limited for this species during spring migration. As threats to the GOM coast increase, protection of these already limited wetlands is vitally important.

Cognitive Raman Amplifier Control Using an Evolutionary Optimization Strategy

In this work, a cognitive Raman amplifier controller using an evolutionary optimization strategy for both in-field device calibration and optimal pump power configuration design is presented. The conceived methodology allows to jointly characterize the physical layer properties of the optical fiber span, such as the fiber attenuation profile, the entities of the lumped losses due to mechanical connectors or splices, the polarization coefficients between each Raman pump pair and the Raman efficiency curve. The developed framework expects to work using optical channel monitors (OCMs) as telemetry device and it has been experimentally validated, obtaining outstanding results in terms of precision on a C-band setup.

Soman (GD) Rat Model to Mimic Civilian Exposure to Nerve Agent: Mortality, Video-EEG Based Status Epilepticus Severity, Sex Differences, Spontaneously Recurring Seizures, and Brain Pathology.

Modeling a real-world scenario of organophosphate nerve agent (OPNA) exposure is challenging. Military personnel are premedicated with pyridostigmine, which led to the development of OPNA models with pyridostigmine/oxime pretreatment to investigate novel therapeutics for acute and chronic effects. However, civilians are not premedicated with pyridostigmine/oxime. Therefore, experimental models without pyridostigmine were developed by other laboratories though often only in males. Following OPNA exposure, prolonged convulsive seizures (CS) or status epilepticus (SE) are concerning. The duration and severity of CS/SE determine the extent of brain injury in survivors even after treating with medical countermeasures (MCM)/antidotes such as atropine, an oxime, and an anticonvulsant such as diazepam/midazolam. In this study, using a large mixed sex cohort of adult male and female rats, without pretreatment, we demonstrate severe SE lasting for >20 min in 82% of the animals in response to soman (GD,132 μg/kg, s.c.). Atropine sulfate (2 mg/kg, i.m.) and HI-6 (125 mg/kg, i.m.) were administered immediately following soman, and midazolam (3 mg/kg, i.m.) 1 h post-exposure. Immediate MCM treatment is impractical in civilian exposure to civilians, but this approach reduces mortality in experimental models. Interestingly, female rats, irrespective of estrous stages, had an average of 44 min CS (stage ≥ 3), while males had an average of 32 min CS during SE, starting from soman exposure to midazolam treatment. However, in telemetry device implanted groups, there were no significant sex differences in SE severity; males had 40 min and females 43 min of continuous CS until midazolam was administered. No animals died prior to midazolam administration and less than 5% died in the first week after soman intoxication. In telemetered animals, there was a direct correlation between EEG changes and behavioral seizures in real-time. In the long-term, convulsive spontaneously recurring seizures (SRS) were observed in 85% of randomly chosen animals. At 4-months post-soman, the brain histology confirmed reactive gliosis and neurodegeneration. The novel findings of this study are that, in non-telemetered animals, the SE severity following soman intoxication was significantly greater in females compared to males and that the estrous cycle did not influence the response.

Sex differences in TLR4 expression in SHR do not contribute to sex differences in blood pressure or the renal T cell profile.

Hypertension is a primary risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease. Mechanisms controlling blood pressure (BP) in men and women are still being investigated; however, there is increasing evidence supporting a role for the innate immune system. Specifically, Toll-like receptors (TLRs), and TLR4 in particular, have been implicated in the development of hypertension in male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Despite established sex differences in BP control and inflammatory markers in hypertensive males and females, little is known regarding the role of TLR4 in hypertension in females. Our hypotheses were that male SHR have greater TLR4 expression compared with females, and that sex differences in TLR4 contribute to sex differences in BP and the T cell profile. To test these hypotheses, initial studies measured renal TLR4 protein expression in 13-wk-old male and female SHR. Additional SHR were implanted with telemetry devices and randomized to treatment with either IgG or TLR4 neutralizing antibodies. Untreated control male SHR have greater TLR4 protein expression in the kidney compared with females. However, treatment with TLR4 neutralizing antibody for 2 wk did not significantly alter BP in either male or female SHR. Interestingly, neutralization of TLR4 increased renal CD3+ T cells in female SHR, with no alteration in CD4+ T cells or CD8+ T cells in either sex. Taken together, our data indicate that although male SHR have greater renal TLR4 expression than females, TLR4 does not contribute to the higher BP and more proinflammatory renal T cell profile in males versus females.

Presence And Temporal Activities Of Serrated Hinged Terrapin (Pelusios sinuatus) And Marsh Terrapin (Pelomedusa galeata) In KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, Assessed Using Telemetry

Background and Aims For the first time in Africa, two freshwater turtle species (hereafter terrapin) presence and temporal activity in their habitats were investigated using radio telemetry. Methods Telemeter tags were attached to Pelusios sinuatus ( n = 10) at Ndumo Reserve and Pelomedusa galeata ( n = 10) at Tala Reserve. Pelusios sinuatus tagged individuals were monitored between August–December 2016 at Ndumo, while P. galeata individuals were monitored between November 2017–July 2018 at Tala. Sensors on the tag determined the tag temperature and temporal activity. We examined both species' frequency distributions of inactivity to time of day. Activity trends for both species in comparison with ambient temperature and tag temperature were analyzed. Results Tags showed individuals presence or absence as detected by fixed remote networks at the study sites. Tagged P. sinuatus in Ndumo disappeared after a flood without returning after the flood receded. Both species were diurnal, with P. galeata showing a greater ability to maintain tag temperature above ambient temperature in the first 10 h of a day than P. sinuatus. Climatic data, including ambient temperature, rainfall, and wind, were retrieved from weather stations. The most significant climatic variable that affected activity was ambient temperature. Rainfall also showed a significant effect, but wind showed no significant effect. Implications for Conservation This method can become a valuable tool for long-term remote monitoring of other semi-aquatic reptiles in wetlands that are increasingly under anthropogenic and climatic pressure. Thus, its implications for conservation are significant.

Activity patterns of Hawaiian forest birds in a fragmented and continuous landscape

Activity patterns are a key component of avian life history and behavior, and decisions about how activity periods are structured can have important fitness implications. Despite the importance of activity patterns, individual variability in activity is poorly studied in small birds. We used automated radio telemetry to track Hawaiian forest birds from three dietary guilds in a continuous forest, and in a similar forest that was naturally fragmented in the 1800s by lava flows but supports stable populations of native birds. We generated kernel density profiles of activity (KDEs) over the full tracking period of each bird and used the KDEs to derive seven activity metrics that characterized daily activity patterns. We identified three distinct activity strategies using a cluster analysis of the activity metrics and assessed day‐to‐day variability in activity strategy to understand intraindividual consistency in activity behavior. We also evaluated the influence of landscape structure, dietary guild and sex on the suite of activity metrics using constrained ordination. Most birds (61%) exhibited high levels of sustained activity throughout the day, while 23% showed irregular activity most of the day followed by a peak in the late afternoon, and 16% were mainly active in the morning. Though activity patterns varied by sex and dietary guild, landscape structure had the strongest influence on activity patterns. Birds sustained high levels of activity throughout the day in the fragmented landscape regardless of dietary guild, suggesting they needed to be more active to obtain necessary resources. However, activity patterns of birds in the fragmented landscape varied more day‐to‐day, indicating they retained a method for adjusting behavior to match internal and external conditions. This study reveals how a diverse suite of tropical birds has adapted to long‐term fragmentation in Hawaiʻi and demonstrates the utility of automated radio telemetry for studying the activity strategies of birds.

Optimizing trilateration estimates for tracking fine-scale movement of wildlife using automated radio telemetry networks.

A major advancement in the use of radio telemetry has been the development of automated radio tracking systems (ARTS), which allow animal movements to be tracked continuously. A new ARTS approach is the use of a network of simple radio receivers (nodes) that collect radio signal strength (RSS) values from animal‐borne radio transmitters. However, the use of RSS‐based localization methods in wildlife tracking research is new, and analytical approaches critical for determining high‐quality location data have lagged behind technological developments. We present an analytical approach to optimize RSS‐based localization estimates for a node network designed to track fine‐scale animal movements in a localized area. Specifically, we test the application of analytical filters (signal strength, distance among nodes) to data from real and simulated node networks that differ in the density and configuration of nodes. We evaluate how different filters and network configurations (density and regularity of node spacing) may influence the accuracy of RSS‐based localization estimates. Overall, the use of signal strength and distance‐based filters resulted in a 3‐ to 9‐fold increase in median accuracy of location estimates over unfiltered estimates, with the most stringent filters providing location estimates with a median accuracy ranging from 28 to 73 m depending on the configuration and spacing of the node network. We found that distance filters performed significantly better than RSS filters for networks with evenly spaced nodes, but the advantage diminished when nodes were less uniformly spaced within a network. Our results not only provide analytical approaches to greatly increase the accuracy of RSS‐based localization estimates, as well as the computer code to do so, but also provide guidance on how to best configure node networks to maximize the accuracy and capabilities of such systems for wildlife tracking studies.

Evaluation and development of wireless monitoring systems for an autonomous sailboat

In this study, the performance of the Long-Range (LoRa) communication and 3DR Radio Telemetry modules was evaluated. The suitability of these two communication options was assessed for the application on an autonomous sailboat prototype. The communication range and power consumption of each module are the primary factors for selection. The test results found that LoRa technology can send data stably with a range of up to 10.5 km, while the 3DR Radio Telemetry module can only send data stably up to 300 m. The LoRa technology consumes 9.56 Wh of electrical energy per day for the autonomous sailboat application, while the 3DR Radio Telemetry consumes 11.07 Wh of electrical energy per day. It was decided that LoRA technology would be implemented on the autonomous sailboat.

Survival of rehabilitated and released red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis)

Wildlife rehabilitation provides responsible care for sick, injured or orphaned wild animals with the goal of releasing fully recovered individuals back into the environment. Post-release survival data for these animals remain sparse but necessary to measure and assess the impact of wildlife rehabilitation as a conservation strategy. This study used national banding data to quantitatively compare annual survival of wild-caught (non-rehabilitated) and rehabilitated red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis). In addition, 13 rehabilitated and released red-tailed hawks from Dane County Humane Society’s Wildlife Center (DCHS, Madison, WI) were monitored using radio telemetry. Annual survival of rehabilitated and radio-tagged red-tailed hawks from DCHS was 36% over 85 weeks of monitoring. Nationally, wild red-tailed hawk annual survival (0.777; 95% CI [0.768, 0.777]) was largely equivalent to estimates reported in other published studies. These estimates reflect average survival over 40 years in a fully time-dependent model (variance component estimated using the Delta Method; Powell 2007). Rehabilitated red-tailed hawks had an annual survival of 0.549 (95% CI: 0.523, 0.575]) over 43 years. These values reflect model-averaged estimates from time-independent survival models (recovery was time dependent) that were equivalent in terms of likelihood (Brownie = Seber = wi = 0.50). Consequently, survival of rehabilitated red-tailed hawks was approximately 22% lower than wild-caught individuals. Furthermore, young (hatch-year) red-tailed hawks experienced increased mortality (34%) relative to those rehabilitated as adults (0.255; 95% CI [0.199, 0.321] versus 0.598; 95% CI [0.571, 0.624], respectfully). The results of this study demonstrate the need for additional post-release monitoring and may guide future management decisions regarding wildlife rehabilitative criteria, practice and viability.

MAST (Movement Analysis Software for Telemetry data), for the semi-automated removal of false positives from radio telemetry data

IntroductionRadio telemetry, one of the most widely used techniques for tracking wildlife and fisheries populations, has a false-positive problem. Bias from false-positive detections can affect many important derived metrics, such as home range estimation, site occupation, survival, and migration timing. False-positive removal processes have relied upon simple filters and personal opinion. To overcome these shortcomings, we have developed MAST (Movement Analysis Software for Telemetry data) to assist with false-positive identification, removal, and data management for large-scale radio telemetry projects.MethodsMAST uses a naïve Bayes classifier to identify and remove false-positive detections from radio telemetry data. The semi-supervised classifier uses spurious detections from unknown tags and study tags as training data. We tested MAST on four scenarios: wide-band receiver with a single Yagi antenna, wide-band receiver that switched between two Yagi antennas, wide-band receiver with a single dipole antenna, and single-band receiver that switched between five frequencies. MAST has a built in a k-fold cross-validation and assesses model quality with sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value, false-positive rate, and precision-recall area under the curve. MAST also assesses concordance with a traditional consecutive detection filter using Cohen’s κ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\kappa$$\\end{document}.ResultsOverall MAST performed equally well in all scenarios and was able to discriminate between known false-positive detections and valid study tag detections with low false-positive rates (< 0.001) as determined through cross-validation, even as receivers switched between antennas and frequencies. MAST classified between 94 and 99% of study tag detections as valid.ConclusionAs part of a robust data management plan, MAST is able to discriminate between detections from study tags and known false positives. MAST works with multiple manufacturers and accounts for receivers that switch between antennas and frequencies. MAST provides the framework for transparent, objective, and repeatable telemetry projects for wildlife conservation surveys, and increases the efficiency of data processing.

Habitat selection by non-native masked palm civets in a Japanese rural landscape, incorporating individual differences

Abstract Animals that succeed as non-native species may have highly plastic characteristics. We conducted a radio telemetry survey for introduced masked palm civets (Paguma larvata), which inhabit rural landscapes in almost all of Japan, to clarify their habitat selection and intraspecific variation. We compared two generalized linear mixed models, one that did not consider individual differences and another that did, which indicated the importance of incorporating individual differences for evaluating habitat selection by this species. We obtained results of habitat selectivity for all individuals (i.e., common effect on the species) and for each individual using coefficients of fixed effects or fixed effects with random effects. Masked palm civets significantly selected deciduous broad-leaved forests, artificial structures, rice fields, and orchards as a common effect for all individuals. However, these habitats were not necessarily selected as a significant effect for each individual. Deciduous broad-leaved forests and artificial structures were more important than other habitats. The wide range of possible environments and the plasticity of habitat selection shown in this study may partly explain the success of this species in expanding its distribution in Japan.