Studies on animal space use can reveal insights into how animals interact with one another and their environment. Research on the space use patterns of the endangered giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) in China has nevertheless lagged behind that of many other species, as a government moratorium prevented telemetry data collection on pandas from 1995 to 2006. We studied 5 giant pandas using GPS telemetry and estimated home ranges, core areas, and space use using model-based approaches. Home range 95% area was 6 km2 for the single male studied and averaged 4.4 ± 1.2 (± SD) km2 for the 4 females. Pandas occupied several small core areas that they revisited after time lags of up to several months. Pandas also displayed significant space use interactions, especially among the male and 2 different females across several weeks during a fall season, a time of year not previously thought to involve extensive inter-panda interaction.
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1 February 2015
Space use by endangered giant pandas
Vanessa Hull,
Jindong Zhang,
Shiqiang Zhou,
Jinyan Huang,
Rengui Li,
Dian Liu,
Weihua Xu,
Yan Huang,
Zhiyun Ouyang,
Hemin Zhang,
Jianguo Liu
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Journal of Mammalogy
Vol. 96 • No. 1
February 2015
Vol. 96 • No. 1
February 2015
Ailuropoda melanoleuca
biased random bridge
Core area
giant panda
home range
space use
Wolong Nature Reserve