Recent use of telemetry for assessing home ranges, habitat use and mortality in free ranging vertebrates

N.W. van den Brink, H.A.H. Jansman, D.R. Lammertsma, F.F.J. Niewold, and G.J.D.M. Müskens

Alterra, Wageningen UR, Wageningen, The Netherlands

Radio-telemetry is a long proven methodology to assess the whereabouts of vertebrates. Nevertheless, the field of radio telemetry is still evolving, developing new applications and miniaturizing transmitters. In the current paper the use of telemetry is illustrated, for assessing home ranges, habitat use, and dispersal in studies focused on wild ranging animals. At Alterra, or its predecessors, several studies have been conducted in the assessment of behavior of birds, mammals and even amphibians using telemetry. These studies have used implantable transmitters for animals large enough to carry one. In case of smaller animals, especially birds, external transmitters have been applied. The former have the advantage that the animals do not lose them, and that they do not obstruct the animals. The latter are easily applied, but animals may lose transmitter or when applied in a wrong way the transmitter may hamper the animal. In the paper different case studies will be presented, both on mammals and birds.

Paper presented at Measuring Behavior 2005 , 5^th International Conference on Methods and Techniques in Behavioral Research, 30 August - 2 September 2005, Wageningen, The Netherlands.

© 2005 Noldus Information Technology bv