Arid
DOI10.1071/WR14196
The effect of research activities and winter precipitation on voiding behaviour of Agassiz’s desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii)
Agha, Mickey1; Murphy, Mason O.2; Lovich, Jeffrey E.3; Ennen, Joshua R.4; Oldham, Christian R.1; Meyer, Kathie; Bjurlin, Curtis5; Austin, Meaghan3; Madrak, Sheila6; Loughran, Caleb7; Tennant, Laura3; Price, Steven J.1
通讯作者Price, Steven J.
来源期刊WILDLIFE RESEARCH
ISSN1035-3712
EISSN1448-5494
出版年2014
卷号41期号:8页码:641-649
英文摘要

Context. There is little information available on how research activities might cause stress responses in wildlife, especially responses of threatened species such as the desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii).


Aims. The present study aims to detect behavioural effects of researcher handling and winter precipitation on a natural population of desert tortoises in the desert of Southwestern United States, over the period 1997 to 2014, through extensive assessments of capture events during multiple research studies, and capture-mark-recapture survivorship analysis.


Methods. Juvenile and adult desert tortoises were repeatedly handled with consistent methodology across 18 years during 10 study seasons. Using a generalised linear mixed-effects model, we assessed the effects of both research manipulation and abiotic conditions on probability of voiding. Additionally, we used a Cormack-Jolly-Seber model to assess the effects of winter precipitation and voiding on long-term apparent survivorship.


Key results. Of 1008 total capture events, voiding was recorded on 83 (8.2%) occasions in 42 different individuals. Our top models indicated that increases in handling time led to significantly higher probabilities of voiding for juveniles, females and males. Similarly, increases in precipitation resulted in significantly higher probabilities of voiding for juveniles and females, but not for males. Tortoise capture frequency was negatively correlated with voiding occurrence. Cormack-Jolly-Seber models demonstrated a weak effect of winter precipitation on survivorship, but a negligible effect for both voiding behaviour and sex.


Conclusions. Handling-induced voiding by desert tortoises may occur during common research activities and years of above average winter precipitation. Increased likelihood of voiding in individuals with relatively low numbers of recaptures suggested that tortoises may have perceived researchers initially as predators, and therefore voided as a defensive strategy. Voiding does not appear to impact long-term survivorship in desert tortoises at this site.


Implications. This study has demonstrated that common handling practices on desert tortoise may cause voiding behaviour. These results suggest that in order to minimise undesirable behavioural responses in studied desert tortoise populations, defined procedures or protocols must be followed by the investigators to reduce contact period to the extent feasible.


英文关键词conservation research manipulation Sonoran Desert survival wildlife handling
类型Article
语种英语
国家USA
收录类别SCI-E
WOS记录号WOS:000353148500002
WOS关键词SOUTHWESTERN NORTH-AMERICA ; WIND-ENERGY FACILITY ; MOJAVE-DESERT ; PLASMA-CORTICOSTERONE ; PHYSIOLOGICAL STRESS ; CLIMATIC VARIATION ; SEASONAL-CHANGES ; 2 POPULATIONS ; PALM SPRINGS ; SURVIVAL
WOS类目Ecology ; Zoology
WOS研究方向Environmental Sciences & Ecology ; Zoology
来源机构United States Geological Survey
资源类型期刊论文
条目标识符http://119.78.100.177/qdio/handle/2XILL650/185322
作者单位1.Univ Kentucky, Dept Forestry, Lexington, KY 40546 USA;
2.Univ Kentucky, Dept Biol, Lexington, KY 40546 USA;
3.US Geol Survey, Southwest Biol Sci Ctr, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA;
4.Tennessee Aquarium Conservat Inst, Chattanooga, TN 37402 USA;
5.Stantec Consulting, Madison, WI 53705 USA;
6.San Diego State Univ, Dept Biol, San Diego, CA 92182 USA;
7.Cent Washington Univ, Dept Biol Sci, Ellensburg, WA 98926 USA
推荐引用方式
GB/T 7714
Agha, Mickey,Murphy, Mason O.,Lovich, Jeffrey E.,等. The effect of research activities and winter precipitation on voiding behaviour of Agassiz’s desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii)[J]. United States Geological Survey,2014,41(8):641-649.
APA Agha, Mickey.,Murphy, Mason O..,Lovich, Jeffrey E..,Ennen, Joshua R..,Oldham, Christian R..,...&Price, Steven J..(2014).The effect of research activities and winter precipitation on voiding behaviour of Agassiz’s desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii).WILDLIFE RESEARCH,41(8),641-649.
MLA Agha, Mickey,et al."The effect of research activities and winter precipitation on voiding behaviour of Agassiz’s desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii)".WILDLIFE RESEARCH 41.8(2014):641-649.
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