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Ranging behavior and habitat selection of pacas (Cuniculus paca) in central Belize

Ranging behavior and habitat selection of pacas (Cuniculus paca) in central Belize
Ranging behavior and habitat selection of pacas (Cuniculus paca) in central Belize
Habitat loss and fragmentation present major challenges for wildlife conservation since connectivity between suitable habitat patches is needed for dispersal, allowing for genetic exchange between populations. These exchanges can be particularly important in marginal habitats as they ensure the persistence of populations that are often most vulnerable to natural occurrences or anthropogenic activities. Medium-sized mammals can be particularly susceptible to changes in the landscape and their absence can be an indicator of habitat degradation. In this study, 6 pacas (Cuniculus paca), medium-sized mammals that are an important prey of large felids and a popular game species for hunters in Belize, were radiotracked in the Central Belize Corridor. Home range estimates for these were larger than those documented for pacas inhabiting broadleaf forests of Panama and Costa Rica. When broadleaf habitats were inaccessible due to flooding, pacas selected a savannah habitat with dense vegetation over more open grass savannahs. Knowledge of how pacas and other wildlife use the landscape in the wildlife corridor will allow more effective management by guiding the development of adequate regulations for hunting and resource exploitation.
corridor, telemetry, prey species, marginal habitat, human-influenced, home range
0022-2372
542-550
Gutierrez, Said M.
5c3760e4-f831-4ebc-9f87-cc9ad72e626f
Harmsen, Bart J.
c84e0703-d49d-4b09-980a-423b09fd5536
Doncaster, Charles
0eff2f42-fa0a-4e35-b6ac-475ad3482047
Kay, Elma
3f4d93ad-aac8-4210-a452-f0879dc74731
Foster, Rebecca J.
c811528a-908b-4629-a32f-c605855b060f
Gutierrez, Said M.
5c3760e4-f831-4ebc-9f87-cc9ad72e626f
Harmsen, Bart J.
c84e0703-d49d-4b09-980a-423b09fd5536
Doncaster, Charles
0eff2f42-fa0a-4e35-b6ac-475ad3482047
Kay, Elma
3f4d93ad-aac8-4210-a452-f0879dc74731
Foster, Rebecca J.
c811528a-908b-4629-a32f-c605855b060f

Gutierrez, Said M., Harmsen, Bart J., Doncaster, Charles, Kay, Elma and Foster, Rebecca J. (2017) Ranging behavior and habitat selection of pacas (Cuniculus paca) in central Belize. Journal of Mammalogy, 98 (2), 542-550. (doi:10.1093/jmammal/gyw179).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Habitat loss and fragmentation present major challenges for wildlife conservation since connectivity between suitable habitat patches is needed for dispersal, allowing for genetic exchange between populations. These exchanges can be particularly important in marginal habitats as they ensure the persistence of populations that are often most vulnerable to natural occurrences or anthropogenic activities. Medium-sized mammals can be particularly susceptible to changes in the landscape and their absence can be an indicator of habitat degradation. In this study, 6 pacas (Cuniculus paca), medium-sized mammals that are an important prey of large felids and a popular game species for hunters in Belize, were radiotracked in the Central Belize Corridor. Home range estimates for these were larger than those documented for pacas inhabiting broadleaf forests of Panama and Costa Rica. When broadleaf habitats were inaccessible due to flooding, pacas selected a savannah habitat with dense vegetation over more open grass savannahs. Knowledge of how pacas and other wildlife use the landscape in the wildlife corridor will allow more effective management by guiding the development of adequate regulations for hunting and resource exploitation.

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Gutierrez et al 2016 JMamm ~ Ranging behavior and habitat selection of p...
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More information

Accepted/In Press date: 19 October 2016
e-pub ahead of print date: 10 November 2016
Published date: 2017
Keywords: corridor, telemetry, prey species, marginal habitat, human-influenced, home range
Organisations: Biological Sciences, Environmental

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 410891
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/410891
ISSN: 0022-2372
PURE UUID: fd3b15c2-08fa-4c21-b6a9-6311e2fd8f03
ORCID for Charles Doncaster: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-9406-0693

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 09 Jun 2017 16:31
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 02:49

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Contributors

Author: Said M. Gutierrez
Author: Bart J. Harmsen
Author: Elma Kay
Author: Rebecca J. Foster

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