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27 February 2024 Home range in genus Capra: from polygons to Brownian bridges of scabietic and healthy Iberian ibexes (Capra pyrenaica)
Marta Valldeperes, Roberto Pascual-Rico, Paulino Fandos, Ramón C. Soriguer Escofet, Jesús M. Pérez, Francisco J. Cano-Manuel León, Paloma Prieto Yerro, Jorge Ramón López-Olvera, José Enrique Granados
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Abstract

Home range and home range overlap can be used to describe use of space and movement of wildlife. During the last years, advancements in technology have greatly improved our understanding of animal movement, especially among large herbivores. Wild ungulate abundance and distribution have increased in temperate areas. Moreover, their diseases—including sarcoptic mange in the Iberian Ibex (Capra pyrenaica)—have become a cause of concern for livestock, public health, and wildlife conservation. In this study, we first reviewed existing literature on the home range of species in the genus Capra. We then analyzed data from 52 GPS-GSM-collared Iberian ibexes, of which 33 were healthy and 19 were affected by sarcoptic mange from 3 different populations in the southeastern Iberian Peninsula to analyze: (1) differences in size and characteristics of home ranges obtained by the 3 most commonly used methodologies—minimum convex polygon, kernel density estimation, and Brownian bridges movement models (BBMMs); and (2) the impact of endemic sarcoptic mange on Iberian Ibex home range. The literature review revealed that available information on spatial behavior of Capra spp. was based only on 3 species, including the Iberian Ibex, estimated through a diversity of methods which made it difficult to compare results. We found positive correlations among the different home range estimation methods in the Iberian Ibex, with BBMMs proving to be the most accurate. This study is the first to use BBMMs for estimating home range in this species, and it revealed a marked seasonal behavior in spatial use, although sarcoptic mange smoothed such seasonal pattern. The seasonal overlaps obtained suggest that core areas of the Iberian Ibex change within wider home range areas, which are ecological parameters relevant to identifying key areas for species management and conservation.

Marta Valldeperes, Roberto Pascual-Rico, Paulino Fandos, Ramón C. Soriguer Escofet, Jesús M. Pérez, Francisco J. Cano-Manuel León, Paloma Prieto Yerro, Jorge Ramón López-Olvera, and José Enrique Granados "Home range in genus Capra: from polygons to Brownian bridges of scabietic and healthy Iberian ibexes (Capra pyrenaica)," Journal of Mammalogy 105(3), 621-632, (27 February 2024). https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyae013
Received: 1 February 2023; Accepted: 31 January 2024; Published: 27 February 2024
KEYWORDS
Brownian bridge
Capra pyrenaica
GPS-GSM
Kernel Density Estimation
minimum convex polygon
sarcoptic mange
spatial behavior
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