Laboratory animals are frequently subjected to routine procedures, such as injections or the withdrawal of blood samples. Acute stress caused by such procedures is associated with physiological changes that can have a strong impact on experimental results. This study investigated the integrated effects of cage enrichment, social housing and handling on the acute stress response of animals subjected to routine experimental procedures. Female mice of two inbred strains (BALB/c and C57BL/6) were housed under either minimal husbandry conditions (MH: no cage enrichment, infrequent handling and a period of individual housing) or enriched husbandry conditions (EH: with cage enrichment, frequent handling and social housing at all times). One mouse in each cage was implanted with a radio-telemetry transmitter for measuring heart rate (HR) and body temperature (BT). The animals were subjected to intraperitoneal injections or short periods of restraint. In addition to telemetry measurements, thymus weight and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity were assessed. It was found that individual housing under MH conditions, as compared with social housing under EH conditions, elevated both basal HR and BT, and significantly elevated the relative recovery time following routine experimental procedures. Thymus weight and TH activity suggested a long-term stress response under MH conditions following individual housing, although the influence of transmitter implantation and (repeated) acute stress remains to be investigated. The results emphasise that husbandry conditions should be taken into account when evaluating physiological measures after routine procedures.

We radio-tracked a pack of bush dogs Speothos venaticus (7–10 individuals) near Água Boa in Mato Grosso, Brazil, for 18 months to investigate their use of habitat in cultivated land. The pack's home range was 709 km2 (fixed-kernel 95%), which exceeds estimates of home range for the largest Neotropical carnivore, the jaguar Panthera onca. Of the 245 locations where the dogs were recorded 95% were within native vegetation (savannah and forest), even though these habitats comprised only 34% of the pack's home range. This indicates a preference for native vegetation, and this was reinforced by composition analysis of habitat use, which showed that the pack used savannah and forest more than expected and cultivated areas less than expected. Analysis of activity showed that the bush dogs were moving quickly in more than half of the locations in cultivated areas, foraging in most savannah locations and resting in most forest locations. Our results indicate that bush dogs can live in areas with a high proportion of cultivated land (66%), possibly because of the structural connectivity of the landscape (80% of the native habitat is within a single patch). However, their home range appears to be inflated compared to that of other carnivores, which may have a negative effect on the species in the long term.

The movement patterns of males, females and juveniles of lekking species often differ due to differences in the commitment to lek activities, which may lead to differences in the spatial distribution and dispersal distances of seeds they eat. By sampling seeds in three lek and non-lek areas of the white-bearded manakin (Manacus manacus), we tested whether this lekking species increased the abundance and species richness of seeds in lek areas and, at a finer scale, in 21 displaying courts within lek areas. Combining data on seed defecation or regurgitation rates by free-ranging individuals, the number of seeds in droppings or regurgitations of mist-netted birds, and the distances travelled by birds equipped with radio-transmitters, we estimated the potential spatial distribution of seeds generated by six resident males and six females or juveniles during the morning peak of lek activity and when lek activity decreased in the afternoon. There was no difference in the species richness (46 and 44 morphospecies, respectively) and abundance of seeds (15.4 ± 7.3 seeds and 14.0 ± 1.1 seeds, respectively) between lek and non-lek areas. Within leks both parameters increased in courts (45 spp., 17.6 ± 14 seeds) compared with non-court sites (22 spp., 1.9 ± 1.8 seeds), likely as a consequence of the longer time spent by resident males in perches in or near display courts. Distances moved by juveniles and females per 60-min period (183 ± 272 m) were greater than resident males (42.6 ± 22.0 m) in the mornings, while the opposite happened in the afternoons (55.2 ± 40.7 m and 157 ± 105 m, respectively). We conclude that the spatial aggregation of seeds in lek areas of M. manacus occurs at the court level, and the spatial distribution of deposited seeds varies with manakin lekking status and the daily period of foraging.

The distribution of the Near Threatened Caucasian grouse Tetrao mlokosiewiczi, endemic to the Caucasus, was examined to model the species’ nesting habitat, and thus facilitate its conservation and the identification of Key Biodiversity Areas in the Caucasus. The species’ occurrence was defined by field surveys and radio-telemetry. Data were managed and analysed using a geographical information system and various modelling techniques. Grouse locations were divided into training and testing datasets. Habitat variables measured at training locations were used to develop models, and testing locations were used to validate the models. The final best-fit model suggested that Caucasian grouse prefer open habitat, and the most important independent variables accounting for the species' distribution were annual mean temperature, mean temperature of warmest quarter, precipitation seasonality and proximity to deciduous broad-leaf forest. The incorporation of human disturbance and ruggedness into the final model significantly increased its predictive power. This model provides a tool to improve search effectiveness for Caucasian grouse in the Caucasus and for the conservation and management of the species. The model can predict the probable distribution of Caucasian grouse and the corridors between known populations. Threatened and endemic species are often used as species for setting site-based conservation priorities, and this habitat model could help to identify new Key Biodiversity Areas for protection in the Caucasus. The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Georgia is going to use the results of this study to reshape existing protected areas and identify new ones.

The Rideau Canal in Canada was constructed in the 1800s to enable strategic military andcommercial transport in eastern Ontario between Lake Ontario and the Ottawa River. Today,the Rideau Canal is managed by Parks Canada and remains an engineered ecosystem,particularly in the urban Ottawa reach (7 km long) where it is largely channelized and ispartially drained during the winter to protect canal infrastructure (i.e., locks) andprovide recreational opportunities (i.e., skating). Interestingly, the Ottawa reach of theRideau Canal supports one of the few wild urban muskellunge (Esoxmasquinongy) fisheries in North America supported by natural reproduction.However, little is known about the spatial ecology, residency patterns or survival of thisapex freshwater predator in urban environments or canal systems. Radio-telemetry was usedto study adult (N = 10; total size range of 64 to 122 cm) muskellunge inthe Ottawa reach of the Rideau Canal over a multiple year period. The seasonal movementsand home range of muskellunge were greatest during spring corresponding with the periodwhen water levels in the canal were raised and muskellunge were presumably seeking outsuitable spawning habitats following ice-off. During the summer fish ranged throughout theentire 7 km urban reach of the canal and by early fall muskellunge moved to the deeperparts of the reach and became largely restricted to an embayment known as Dow’s Lake priorto the lowering of the canal where they stayed for the entire winter. The same pattern ofseasonal movements persisted across several years. None of the tagged muskellunge werestranded from the fall canal drainage. One fish emigrated from the urban reach of thecanal during the study period, moving upstream through a lock to an exurban reach. Inaddition, a single tagged fish died from a winterkill event. Environmental influences suchas seasonality and water depth (associated with canal operations) are believed to be theprimary mechanisms contributing to habitat selection and movement patterns of muskellungein this reach of the Rideau Canal. Data on the spatial ecology of muskellunge in the urbanreaches of the Rideau Canal will inform management of this unique population of fish toensure that the historic and ecological values are balanced to preserve this iconicCanadian natural heritage site and its biota.

An animal's fitness is in part based on its ability to manage the inherent risks (foraging costs, predation, exposure to disease) with the benefits (resource gain, access to mates, social interactions) of activity (Abrams 1991, Altizer et al. 2003, Lima & Bednekoff 1999, Rubenstein & Hohmann 1989, Wikelski et al. 2001). Thus, understanding an animal's pattern of activity is key to understanding behavioural and ecological processes. However, while numerous laboratory methodologies are available to continuously quantify activity over long periods of time, logistical difficulties have greatly hindered activity studies of animals in the field (DeCoursey 1990).

This study performed in the Patapédia River (Québec, Gaspésie) was designed to examine the space utilization and mobility patterns of individual Atlantic salmon parr over short time scales with frequent detections of position. In August 2004, n = 7 radio-tagged Atlantic salmon parr were located every 20 min during 10 tracking periods chosen to take into account the dawn, day, dusk and night periods. Parr showed important inter individual variability in space utilization and mobility patterns, occupying large home ranges (123 to 5602 m2) and sometimes migrating 2 km upstream in the river. No differences were observed in the mean distance travelled among the four daily periods by individual fish, but the estimated home ranges utilized during the four daily periods overlapped only partially, demonstrating that parr partly occupy different areas of the river during different parts of the daily cycle. The results suggest that an intense survey on a small number of fish may contribute to a complementary comprehension of space utilization and mobility patterns of Atlantic salmon parr when viewed in association with results from studies surveying larger number of fish at lower frequency.

To obtain data on home range, movements, activity and habitat use by giant anteaters Myrmecophaga tridactyla, seven animals were captured, radio-collared and monitored from March to December 2001 in a 104-km2 study area in the Pantanal wetland, Brazil. Four of five males used areas that covered 4.0–7.5 km2 (5.7±1.7 km2), and one of two females monitored occupied a larger area (11.9 km2) than the males, but none of the curves of cumulative area unequivocally reached the asymptote. Generally, there was considerable overlap among individual areas used. The home-range estimates were calculated using the 100% minimum convex polygon, and 95% adaptive kernel methods. The areas used by the giant anteaters in the Pantanal wetland were larger than home ranges of giant anteaters in the Serra da Canastra National Park, Brazil. The habitat types were generally used in the same order as they occurred in each home range. Two giant anteaters previously monitored with VHF radio-telemetry were subsequently tracked with a modified global positioning (GPS) system in different periods. The modified GPS acquired data on activity and habitat use for c. 9 days. Giant anteaters did not show a similar pattern of habitat use during the period of study using the modified GPS unit, but their activity patterns were similar. One of the ranges recorded over 9 days with this method was larger than the range obtained over 252 days by standard VHF radio-telemetry.

Natterer's bat Myotis nattereri is one of the least known European bats, using roosts inaccessible to humans and shifting to alternative roosts every few days. The characteristics of day and night roosts used by maternity colonies during summer was assessed. Roosts were located by radio-tracking. Roost sites (which may contain more than one roost) were concentrated mainly in core areas of up to 2 km2, within which roost site density ranged from 7 to 15 per km2. Day roosts included tree cavities, apices of attics, mortises in attics and in barns, soffit boxes at eaves, tops of gable walls, crevices in stone walls and a modern cavity wall. Trees comprised 67% of roost sites. Two maternity colonies each used between 21 and 31 roosts distributed across 15 to 25 roost sites. During late summer, the temperature of roosts adjacent to a roof covering averaged 22.5 °C during the day and were significantly warmer than roosts in trees, which averaged 17.3 °C. Attic mortise roosts were intermediate at 20.0 °C. The maximum ambient roost temperature in which bats remained was 32 °C and the maximum body surface temperature recorded while roosting was 37.6 °C. Thus, bats seem to require access to a large number of roosts with a range of temperatures that they can use depending on their reproductive state and energy requirements. The study colonies also exhibited high inter-annual fidelity to roosts. Attic maternity roosts used during late gestation and early lactation were reused for the same function in successive years, as were heavily timbered barns during late lactation and post-lactation. This continuing dependence upon established roosts indicates that these types of maternity roost should be given high conservation priority. Field boundaries should also be managed to maintain mature trees with cavities for potential day roosts and hedges suitable as night perches.

The leopard cat Prionailurus bengalensis is a relatively common, small felid ranging throughout Asia. During the past 15 years the natural history of leopard cats has been the topic of five studies; however, the mean sample size of study animals has been low ($ \bar{x}$ = 6.8, range 4–10). We report on the most comprehensive study of leopard cats to date. Between June 1999 and February 2003, 20 leopard cats (14 males and six females) were radio-collared and tracked from 3 to 20 months in Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand. Spatial organization of the leopard cats was characterized as weakly territorial with similar intrasexual range sizes and minimal seasonal variation. Mean (± SD) annual home-range (95% minimum convex polygon) size for males was 12.4 km2 (n = 1211 locations, ± 7.1, range 2.2–28.9), whereas females exhibited a mean home-range size of 14 km2 (n = 470, ± 12.2, range 4.4–37.1). Core area (50% minimum convex polygon) averaged 2.0 km2, and the mean 1-day movement was 1298 m (± 981, range 35–8653). Habitat use was generally in proportion to occurrence, and the mean activity (52%) was arrhythmic with crepuscular and nocturnal peaks. Analysis of scats indicated that murids dominated leopard cat diet.

Spacing patterns of individuals within an island population of the Central American spiny rat Proechimys semispinosus were studied by radio-tracking eight adults for 2 months during the rainy season and eight adults for 1 month during the dry season in central Panama. All trees ≥10 cm diameter at breast height on the island were mapped, tagged, identified to species, and inventoried monthly to determine fruit production. Diurnal telemetry was conducted to locate daytime resting burrows. Burrow habitat was quantified by measuring nine variables at each burrow site. Individuals had larger home ranges and greater home-range overlap during the rainy season, and males had marginally larger home ranges than females. No evidence was found of attraction, avoidance or exclusive use of space by adult spiny rats. Thirty-six located burrows had nine instances of co-occupancy. Burrows were located close to water and had little herbaceous cover. The presence of broadly overlapping home ranges, larger home ranges of males vs females, greater numbers of burrows of females in home ranges of males vs those of females, and larger home ranges of sexually active males suggest that P. semispinosus had a promiscuous mating system within this population.

The relationships between radio-collaring/tracking and 12 biometric parameters in a population of badgers (Meles meles) that were live-trapped in south-west England were investigated. The length of time for which a badger had worn a radio-collar was selected as an explanatory variable in generalized linear models of three biometric parameters (body condition, body weight and testes volume) irrespective of whether or not age class was included as a variable in the analyses. There was evidence that badgers that had been carrying a radio-collar for 1–100 days had lower body condition scores both when compared to badgers that had not been collared and with those that had been collared for longer than 100 days, suggesting a post-collaring acclimation period. In addition, the time period between first and last capture was longer for radio-collared than non-collared badgers. It is unlikely that this was due to an effect of collaring on trappability or to non-random selection of badgers for collaring. Although testes size differed between non-collared badgers and badgers that had been tagged for > 100 days, the relationship between radio-collaring and reproductive output remained unproven. These results highlight not only the need to assess the welfare aspects of radio-collaring but also the potential intricacy of corollaries of collaring. Explorations such as that reported here are important to the validity of studies that make use of radio-telemetry.

Leisler's bats Nyctalus leisleri, from two nursery colonies were radio-tracked from April to August in 2 years. They commuted directly to foraging sites up to 13.4 km away at speeds often exceeding 40 km h-1. Except during lactation, individuals occasionally day-roosted away from the nursery in buildings or hollow trees. These were also sometimes used as night roosts, especially during rain, which also stimulated return to the nursery. On most nights the first flight lasted the longest. During preparturition, when distances from roost to foraging site were greatest, and time spent flying per night (tF) was least, there was often only one flight, with a second towards dawn on warmer nights, and occasionally a third. After parturition, in June, tF and the number of flights (NF) increased up to weaning, corresponding to rising energy demands. But distances to foraging sites fell, rising only slightly in postlactation, presumably because insects, and thus feeding patches, were more abundant than in preparturition. NF fell to preparturition levels after lactation. Exploratory behaviour by juveniles intensified with time – distances to feeding sites, tF and the total distance flown each night all increased; the distance flown each night was eventually greater than any recorded for adults. Roosting away from the nursery was also more common. Before dispersal, there were extended migrations by juveniles outside the summer range of the adults. Distances moved by two dispersed juveniles exceeded 34 km. Two-thirds of the recorded foraging time was over pasture or drainage canals. Foraging over other habitats, particularly lake and conifer forest, was greatest in preparturition. Other habitats foraged included lights, estuary, stream, beach and dunes.

Leisler's bat Nyctalus leisleri was studied at sites around Bristol and Kent in southern Britain. Its diet was studied by faecal analysis, and habitat use was monitored by radio-telemetry and time-expanding bat-detectors. The diet, which varied between the two sites and also with the season, consisted primarily of small Nematoceran Diptera plus smaller numbers of Coleoptera and Lepidoptera. Foraging ranges were relatively large – bats flew a mean maximum distance of 4.2 km from the roost. Minimum area convex polygons enclosed an average of 7.4 km2, but were up to 18.4 km2. Bats significantly preferred foraging in areas of woodland and along scrub-lined roads in Kent, but over pasture around Bristol. Urban and arable areas were avoided at both sites. Bat-detector transects showed a significant preference for bats to forage along woodland margins.