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Ecological and Life History Factors Influence Habitat and Tool Use in Wild Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops sp.)
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Patterson, Eric M. |
| Copyright Year | 2012 |
| Abstract | Habitat use and home range studies provide some of the most basic and essential data for understanding an animal’s behavioral ecology. Such studies are also critical for effective management and wildlife protection, but difficult to conduct in marine environments. Here we investigate habitat use, home ranges, and their relationship to sex and seasonality for one of the best-studied populations of wild bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.). Consistent with previous research, we find marked intraspecific variation in habitat use and home ranges. Dolphins fell into one of four habitat use clusters. Across clusters, males had greater habitat use diversity and larger home ranges, which is consistent with sex-specific mating strategies: males roam further in search of females, while females tend to specialize in habitat specific foraging tactics. Other sex and seasonal differences depended greatly on cluster. Thus, for this behaviorally plastic species habitat use and ranging depend on both sex and season, but moreover, on the individual animal itself. Our study suggests that an understanding of individual variation is essential for managers to make informed decisions concerning marine protected areas (MPAs) and wildlife |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://repository.library.georgetown.edu/bitstream/handle/10822/557522/Patterson_georgetown_0076D_11991.pdf?sequence=1 |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
