Dingo movement depends on sex, social status and litter size
Territoriality constrains animal movement as resident individuals or social groups defend areas from non-residents. Here, we evaluated space use by dingoes, a territorial and socially monogamous group-living apex predator in Australia. We used data from remote camera traps and hourly fixes from GPS...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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The Royal Society
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Royal Society Open Science |
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| Online Access: | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.250255 |
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| author | Brendan F. Alting Benjamin J. Pitcher Michelle Campbell-Ward Neil R. Jordan |
| author_facet | Brendan F. Alting Benjamin J. Pitcher Michelle Campbell-Ward Neil R. Jordan |
| author_sort | Brendan F. Alting |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Territoriality constrains animal movement as resident individuals or social groups defend areas from non-residents. Here, we evaluated space use by dingoes, a territorial and socially monogamous group-living apex predator in Australia. We used data from remote camera traps and hourly fixes from GPS collars on eight individuals in five packs to identify variations in dingo territoriality and movement leading up to and including their annual breeding season, particularly in relation to an individual’s known social status, sex and competition within their pack. Subdominant male detections increased outside their pack’s home range during the breeding season, while subdominant female detections were unchanged. Furthermore, dominants spent more time (a higher proportion of detections) inside their territory as the number of pups present in their pack from the previous year increased. In common with other carnivores, these results suggest that ranging patterns depend on the sex and breeding status of the individual and potentially on levels of competition. Subdominant males may be exploring breeding opportunities outside of their own range, while dominants may remain in their territory to defend space, resources and reproductive partners. Understanding individual movement within and beyond their home range, can help to guide management actions both spatially and temporally. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e65c0e69e53b495ea23a97a47d775e60 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2054-5703 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | The Royal Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Royal Society Open Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-e65c0e69e53b495ea23a97a47d775e602025-08-20T02:46:13ZengThe Royal SocietyRoyal Society Open Science2054-57032025-07-0112710.1098/rsos.250255Dingo movement depends on sex, social status and litter sizeBrendan F. Alting0Benjamin J. Pitcher1Michelle Campbell-Ward2Neil R. Jordan3Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, AustraliaTaronga Conservation Society Australia, Mosman, New South Wales, AustraliaTaronga Conservation Society Australia, Mosman, New South Wales, AustraliaCentre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, AustraliaTerritoriality constrains animal movement as resident individuals or social groups defend areas from non-residents. Here, we evaluated space use by dingoes, a territorial and socially monogamous group-living apex predator in Australia. We used data from remote camera traps and hourly fixes from GPS collars on eight individuals in five packs to identify variations in dingo territoriality and movement leading up to and including their annual breeding season, particularly in relation to an individual’s known social status, sex and competition within their pack. Subdominant male detections increased outside their pack’s home range during the breeding season, while subdominant female detections were unchanged. Furthermore, dominants spent more time (a higher proportion of detections) inside their territory as the number of pups present in their pack from the previous year increased. In common with other carnivores, these results suggest that ranging patterns depend on the sex and breeding status of the individual and potentially on levels of competition. Subdominant males may be exploring breeding opportunities outside of their own range, while dominants may remain in their territory to defend space, resources and reproductive partners. Understanding individual movement within and beyond their home range, can help to guide management actions both spatially and temporally.https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.250255canidterritorialitycamera trappingreproductiondingoseasonal behaviour |
| spellingShingle | Brendan F. Alting Benjamin J. Pitcher Michelle Campbell-Ward Neil R. Jordan Dingo movement depends on sex, social status and litter size Royal Society Open Science canid territoriality camera trapping reproduction dingo seasonal behaviour |
| title | Dingo movement depends on sex, social status and litter size |
| title_full | Dingo movement depends on sex, social status and litter size |
| title_fullStr | Dingo movement depends on sex, social status and litter size |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dingo movement depends on sex, social status and litter size |
| title_short | Dingo movement depends on sex, social status and litter size |
| title_sort | dingo movement depends on sex social status and litter size |
| topic | canid territoriality camera trapping reproduction dingo seasonal behaviour |
| url | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.250255 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT brendanfalting dingomovementdependsonsexsocialstatusandlittersize AT benjaminjpitcher dingomovementdependsonsexsocialstatusandlittersize AT michellecampbellward dingomovementdependsonsexsocialstatusandlittersize AT neilrjordan dingomovementdependsonsexsocialstatusandlittersize |