Home Range Analysis of Teratoscincus roborowskii in the Turpan Basin, Northwestern China: Insights from VHF Tagging Technology
The home range (HR) of an animal encompasses the area utilized during activities such as foraging, mating, and other routine behaviors, with its size reflecting behavioral patterns and ecological niche. Factors influencing HR size include sex, body size, and diet, with sex and body size being the m...
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Firenze University Press
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Acta Herpetologica |
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| Online Access: | https://oaj.fupress.net/index.php/ah/article/view/16715 |
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| author | WENJUAN JING HAN YAN XUEJUN MA Feng Xu |
| author_facet | WENJUAN JING HAN YAN XUEJUN MA Feng Xu |
| author_sort | WENJUAN JING |
| collection | DOAJ |
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The home range (HR) of an animal encompasses the area utilized during activities such as foraging, mating, and other routine behaviors, with its size reflecting behavioral patterns and ecological niche. Factors influencing HR size include sex, body size, and diet, with sex and body size being the most significant determinants. The Teratoscincus roborowskii, or Turpan Wonder Gecko, is endemic to the Turpan Basin of Xinjiang, northwestern China, yet its HR during the breeding period remains understudied. This research employed radio-tracking methods to evaluate the HR of T. roborowskii during the breeding season, focusing on influences from sex and body size. Our study involved radio telemetry of 11 individuals from June to July in 2020 and 2021. We quantified total and core HR sizes using the minimum convex polygon (MCP) and kernel density estimation (KDE) methods. Results via MCP revealed total and core HR sizes of 7894.06±2672.87 m2 and 4852.41±2045.55 m2, respectively. Males exhibited larger HRs than females; however, the difference was not statistically significant (df=3, p=0.196, n=10). A significant correlation was found between snout-vent length (SVL) and HR size (v=55, p=0.002, n=10), indicating that lizards with larger SVLs occupied larger HRs, regardless of sex. Comparison with mark-recapture methods showed that HR sizes were 4-5 times larger when measured via radio-tracking. This study provides critical insights into the activity range and influencing factors of T. roborowskii during the breeding period, contributing essential data for its conservation efforts.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a4c045bdceb8490f8edb84dd55060ca6 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1827-9635 1827-9643 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Firenze University Press |
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| series | Acta Herpetologica |
| spelling | doaj-art-a4c045bdceb8490f8edb84dd55060ca62025-08-20T03:11:32ZengFirenze University PressActa Herpetologica1827-96351827-96432025-05-0110.36253/a_h-16715Home Range Analysis of Teratoscincus roborowskii in the Turpan Basin, Northwestern China: Insights from VHF Tagging TechnologyWENJUAN JING0HAN YAN1XUEJUN MA2Feng Xu3Key Laboratory of Special Environment Biodiversity Application and Regulation in Xinjiang, Xinjiang Kay Laboratory of Special Species Conservation and Regulatory Biology, International Center for the Collaborative Management of Cross-border Pest in Central Asia, School of Life Sciences, Xinjiang Normal UniversityState Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of SciencesXinjiang Key Laboratory for Ecological Adaptation and Evolution of Extreme Environment Biology, College of Life Sciences, Xinjiang Agricultural UniversityXinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences The home range (HR) of an animal encompasses the area utilized during activities such as foraging, mating, and other routine behaviors, with its size reflecting behavioral patterns and ecological niche. Factors influencing HR size include sex, body size, and diet, with sex and body size being the most significant determinants. The Teratoscincus roborowskii, or Turpan Wonder Gecko, is endemic to the Turpan Basin of Xinjiang, northwestern China, yet its HR during the breeding period remains understudied. This research employed radio-tracking methods to evaluate the HR of T. roborowskii during the breeding season, focusing on influences from sex and body size. Our study involved radio telemetry of 11 individuals from June to July in 2020 and 2021. We quantified total and core HR sizes using the minimum convex polygon (MCP) and kernel density estimation (KDE) methods. Results via MCP revealed total and core HR sizes of 7894.06±2672.87 m2 and 4852.41±2045.55 m2, respectively. Males exhibited larger HRs than females; however, the difference was not statistically significant (df=3, p=0.196, n=10). A significant correlation was found between snout-vent length (SVL) and HR size (v=55, p=0.002, n=10), indicating that lizards with larger SVLs occupied larger HRs, regardless of sex. Comparison with mark-recapture methods showed that HR sizes were 4-5 times larger when measured via radio-tracking. This study provides critical insights into the activity range and influencing factors of T. roborowskii during the breeding period, contributing essential data for its conservation efforts. https://oaj.fupress.net/index.php/ah/article/view/16715Kernel density estimation methodMinimum convex polygonRadio-trackingMovement ecologyReproduction period |
| spellingShingle | WENJUAN JING HAN YAN XUEJUN MA Feng Xu Home Range Analysis of Teratoscincus roborowskii in the Turpan Basin, Northwestern China: Insights from VHF Tagging Technology Acta Herpetologica Kernel density estimation method Minimum convex polygon Radio-tracking Movement ecology Reproduction period |
| title | Home Range Analysis of Teratoscincus roborowskii in the Turpan Basin, Northwestern China: Insights from VHF Tagging Technology |
| title_full | Home Range Analysis of Teratoscincus roborowskii in the Turpan Basin, Northwestern China: Insights from VHF Tagging Technology |
| title_fullStr | Home Range Analysis of Teratoscincus roborowskii in the Turpan Basin, Northwestern China: Insights from VHF Tagging Technology |
| title_full_unstemmed | Home Range Analysis of Teratoscincus roborowskii in the Turpan Basin, Northwestern China: Insights from VHF Tagging Technology |
| title_short | Home Range Analysis of Teratoscincus roborowskii in the Turpan Basin, Northwestern China: Insights from VHF Tagging Technology |
| title_sort | home range analysis of teratoscincus roborowskii in the turpan basin northwestern china insights from vhf tagging technology |
| topic | Kernel density estimation method Minimum convex polygon Radio-tracking Movement ecology Reproduction period |
| url | https://oaj.fupress.net/index.php/ah/article/view/16715 |
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