A reliance on human habitats is key to the success of an introduced predatory reptile.
Understanding the success of animals in novel environments is increasingly important as human-mediated introductions continue to move species far beyond their natural ranges. Alongside these introductions, inhabited and agricultural areas are spreading, and correspondingly most animal introductions...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2025-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0310352 |
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| _version_ | 1823861012613300224 |
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| author | Tom Major Lauren Jeffrey Guillem Limia Russel Rebecca Bracegirdle Antonio Gandini Rhys Morgan Benjamin Michael Marshall John F Mulley Wolfgang Wüster |
| author_facet | Tom Major Lauren Jeffrey Guillem Limia Russel Rebecca Bracegirdle Antonio Gandini Rhys Morgan Benjamin Michael Marshall John F Mulley Wolfgang Wüster |
| author_sort | Tom Major |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Understanding the success of animals in novel environments is increasingly important as human-mediated introductions continue to move species far beyond their natural ranges. Alongside these introductions, inhabited and agricultural areas are spreading, and correspondingly most animal introductions occur in populated areas. Commensal species which can live alongside humans by making use of specific conditions, structures, or prey, have a significant advantage. Introduced mammal species often use anthropogenic features in their environment and demonstrate a higher tolerance of human disturbance, but their importance remains understudied in ectotherms. The Aesculapian snake (Zamenis longissimus) is an ectotherm which has been introduced beyond the northern extremities of its natural range. To understand their persistence, we radio-tracked snakes daily over two active seasons, including high-frequency tracking of a subset of males. We investigated snake home range size using Autocorrelated Kernel Density Estimators (AKDE). Using AKDE-weighted Habitat Selection Functions we identified preferences for habitat features in a mosaic of habitats, and we used Integrated Step Selection Functions to further explore how these features influence movement. We revealed a particular preference for buildings in male snakes, while females preferred woodland. We demonstrate that the success of this ectothermic predator is likely tied to a willingness to use human features of the landscape. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1cee0adc52194fbf88cd9203378c87fe |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj-art-1cee0adc52194fbf88cd9203378c87fe2025-02-10T05:30:38ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032025-01-01202e031035210.1371/journal.pone.0310352A reliance on human habitats is key to the success of an introduced predatory reptile.Tom MajorLauren JeffreyGuillem Limia RusselRebecca BracegirdleAntonio GandiniRhys MorganBenjamin Michael MarshallJohn F MulleyWolfgang WüsterUnderstanding the success of animals in novel environments is increasingly important as human-mediated introductions continue to move species far beyond their natural ranges. Alongside these introductions, inhabited and agricultural areas are spreading, and correspondingly most animal introductions occur in populated areas. Commensal species which can live alongside humans by making use of specific conditions, structures, or prey, have a significant advantage. Introduced mammal species often use anthropogenic features in their environment and demonstrate a higher tolerance of human disturbance, but their importance remains understudied in ectotherms. The Aesculapian snake (Zamenis longissimus) is an ectotherm which has been introduced beyond the northern extremities of its natural range. To understand their persistence, we radio-tracked snakes daily over two active seasons, including high-frequency tracking of a subset of males. We investigated snake home range size using Autocorrelated Kernel Density Estimators (AKDE). Using AKDE-weighted Habitat Selection Functions we identified preferences for habitat features in a mosaic of habitats, and we used Integrated Step Selection Functions to further explore how these features influence movement. We revealed a particular preference for buildings in male snakes, while females preferred woodland. We demonstrate that the success of this ectothermic predator is likely tied to a willingness to use human features of the landscape.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0310352 |
| spellingShingle | Tom Major Lauren Jeffrey Guillem Limia Russel Rebecca Bracegirdle Antonio Gandini Rhys Morgan Benjamin Michael Marshall John F Mulley Wolfgang Wüster A reliance on human habitats is key to the success of an introduced predatory reptile. PLoS ONE |
| title | A reliance on human habitats is key to the success of an introduced predatory reptile. |
| title_full | A reliance on human habitats is key to the success of an introduced predatory reptile. |
| title_fullStr | A reliance on human habitats is key to the success of an introduced predatory reptile. |
| title_full_unstemmed | A reliance on human habitats is key to the success of an introduced predatory reptile. |
| title_short | A reliance on human habitats is key to the success of an introduced predatory reptile. |
| title_sort | reliance on human habitats is key to the success of an introduced predatory reptile |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0310352 |
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