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196 results for “Free-ranging”
Identification of free-ranging mugger crocodiles by applying deep learning methods on UAV imagery
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Dietary ethanol ingestion by free-ranging spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi)
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Data From: Effects of disease on foraging behaviour and success in an individual free-ranging northern elephant seal
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Spatial and temporal dynamics of space use by free-ranging domestic dogs Canis familiaris in rural Africa
<p>Variation in the spatial ecology of animals influences the transmission of infections and so understanding host behaviour can improve the control of diseases. Despite the global distribution of free-ranging domestic dogs <i>Canis familiaris</i> and their role as reservoirs for zoonotic diseases, little is known about the dynamics of their space use. We deployed GPS loggers on free-ranging dogs from six villages in rural Chad, and tracked the movements of 174 individuals in the dry season and 151 in the wet season. We calculated 95% and core home ranges using auto-correlated kernel density estimates (AKDE<sub>95</sub> and AKDE<sub>core</sub>), determined the degree to which their movements were predictable, and identified correlates of movement patterns. The median AKDE<sub>95 </sub>range in the dry season was 0.54km<sup>2</sup> and in the wet season was 0.31km<sup>2</sup>, while the median AKDE<sub>core </sub>range in the dry season was 0.08km<sup>2</sup> and in the wet season was 0.04km<sup>2</sup>. Seasonal variation was, in part, related to owner activities. Dogs from hunting households had ranges that were five times larger in the dry season. At least 70% of individuals were more predictably 'at home' (<50m from the household) throughout the day in the dry season. 80% of dogs demonstrated periodicity in activity levels (speed) and just over half the dogs exhibited periodicity in location (repeated space use). In the wet season, dogs mostly exhibited 24-hour cycles in activity and location, with peaks at midday. In the dry season, dogs exhibited both 12 and 24-hour cycles, with either a single peak at midday, or one peak between 6am and 12 noon and a second between 6 and 10pm. Strategies to control canine-mediated zoonoses can be improved by tailoring operations to the local spatial ecology of free-ranging dogs. Interventions using a door-to-door strategy in rural Chad would best conduct operations during the dry season, when access to dogs around their household more reliably exceeds 70% throughout the day. Given the importance of use in hunting for explaining variation in dog space-use, targeting approaches to disease control at the household level on the basis of owner activities offers potential to improve access to dogs.</p>
First detection of herpesvirus and mycoplasma in free-ranging Hermann's tortoises (Testudo hermanni), and in potential pet vectors
<p>Two types of pathogens cause highly contagious upper respiratory tract diseases (URTD) in Chelonians: testudinid herpesviruses (TeHV) and a mycoplasma (<em>Mycoplasma agassizii</em>). In captivity, these infections are frequent and can provoke outbreaks. Pet trade generates international flow of tortoises, often without sanitary checking; individuals intentionally or accidentally released in the wild may spread pathogens. A better understanding of the transmission of infectious agents from captivity to wild tortoises is needed. Many exotic individuals have been introduced in populations of the endangered western Hermann’s tortoise (<em>Testudo hermanni hermanni</em>), notably spur-thighed tortoises (<em>Testudo graeca</em>). We assessed the presence of TeHV and mycoplasma in native western Hermann’s tortoises and in potential pet vectors in south-eastern France. Using a large sample (N=572 tortoises), this study revealed the worrying presence of herpesvirus in 7 free-ranging individuals (3 sub-populations). Additionally, <em>Mycoplasma agassizii</em> was detected in 15 of the 18 populations sampled with a frequency ranging from 2.5 to 25%. Exotic spur-thighed tortoises showed high frequency of <em>Mycoplasma </em>infection in captivity (18%) and in individuals (50%) found in native Hermann’s tortoise sub-populations, suggesting that this species could be a significant vector. The paucity of information of TeHV on European tortoise’ URTD in natural settings, especially in combination with mycoplasma, prompts for further studies. Indeed, sick tortoises remain concealed and may not be easily detected in the field. Our results indicate that both the prevalence and health impact of URTD are high should be scrutinized in the field.</p>
Does artificial feeding impact neonate growth rates in a large free-ranging mammal?
<p>Variation and disparity in resource access between individuals in an animal population require attention within human-dominated landscapes where artificial selection processes may be at work. Independent, recreational human-wildlife feeding interactions constitute an increasingly prevalent yet understudied food resource for birds and mammals living in our cities, but only a limited number of risk-taking individuals may access it. Using urban fallow deer as our model species, we hypothesised that if these interactions result in positive effects for the engaging individual, e.g. increased milk quality and yield, then this would result in the increased growth rates of their offspring. Alternatively, if these individuals were prioritising investing time in engagement with humans, resulting in decreased maternal care, then this would result in slower growth rates in offspring. We found that the offspring of those females that regularly interacted with humans displayed significantly faster growth rates than the risk-avoider counterparts. This advantage for fearless mothers in terms of boosted neonatal growth rates could be mirrored in birds accessing garden feeders, seagulls or pigeons utilizing urban resources, or seals approaching city harbours. Here, we add a new piece to the complex puzzle of how humans are manipulating wildlife living within human-dominated landscapes.</p>
Taste aversion training can educate free-ranging crocodiles against toxic invaders
<p>Apex predators play critical ecological roles, making their conservation a high priority. In tropical Australia, some populations of freshwater crocodiles (<em>Crocodylus johnstoni</em>) have plummeted by >70% due to lethal ingestion of toxic invasive cane toads (<em>Rhinella marina</em>). Laboratory-based research has identified conditioned taste aversion (CTA) as a way to discourage consumption of toads. To translate those ideas into landscape-scale management, we deployed 2,395 baits (toad carcasses with toxin removed and containing a nausea-inducing chemical) across four gorge systems in north-western Australia and monitored bait uptake with remote cameras. Crocodile abundance was quantified with surveys. Free-ranging crocodiles rapidly learned to avoid toad baits but continued to consume control (chicken) baits. Toad invasion at our sites was followed by high rates of crocodile mortality (especially for small individuals) at a control site but not at nearby treatment sites. In areas with high connectivity to other waterbodies, repeated baiting over successive years had continuing positive impacts on crocodile survival. In summary, we succeeded in buffering the often-catastrophic impact of invasive cane toads on apex predators.</p>
Accelerometer, gyroscope and pressure data associated with behaviors of free-ranging hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata)
<p> </p> <p> </p> <div> <div> <div> <div> <div> <p>In this paper, we explored the use of transfer learning across species and taxa, employing fully convolutional neural networks to predict the behaviors of critically endangered hawksbill sea turtles from acceleration data. For this purpose, fully convolutional neural networks (V-net and U-net) were pre-trained on a dataset of green turtles (Zenodo link) and human data (Intensive Care Unit (ICU) HAR dataset, <a href="https://doi.org/10.24432/C54S4K" target="_new" rel="noreferrer">https://doi.org/10.24432/C54S4K</a>) before being fine-tuned on the hawksbill dataset. The results reveal a 8% and 4% improvement in F1-score with transfer learning from the green turtle and human datasets, respectively, compared to training the models from random weight initialization (without transfer learning). </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <p> </p> <p>The dataset comprised the raw acceleration, gyroscope and depth sequence of 6 free-ranging hawksbill sea turtles associated with the behaviors. The indiviuals were equipped with a on-board video recorder combined with an accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer and luminosity, temperature and depth sensors using four suction cups and an automatic release system over a two-day periods (see Jeantet et al. 2020 for details and the associated article). The accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer recorded at 20 Hz and the pressure, temperature and luminosity sensors at 1 Hz. The cameras were programmed to record until nightfall (6 pm) and resume at daybreak (6 am). The magnetometer, luminosity and temperature data are provided but not used in the associated study. </p> <p> </p> <div> <div> <div> <div> <div> <p>For each individual, the data collected by the devices was correlated with observed behaviors from video recordings. Unlabeled sequences, mostly comprising night recordings, were excluded, resulting in the creation of one file per day of deployment for each individual. </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div> <div> <div> <div> <div> <p>To process the depth data and increase the sampling rate to 20 Hz, we used a linear interpolation technique. We called this new variable "Pressure_corr". Additionally, we calculated the pressure difference ("Pressure_diff") between each measuring point (originally at 1 Hz).</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <p> </p> <p>"In total, 69.7 hours of multi-sensor sequences were labelled from six different hawksbill turtles (approximately 11.6 hours of recording per individual, max = 17.8 hours, min = 6.3 hours, standard deviation = 3.6 hours). The predominant behavior observed in the videos was <em>Feeding</em>, totaling over 38.6 hours, followed by <em>Resting</em> and <em>Swimming</em>, with 19.1 hours and 7.9 hours, respectively. The other behaviors were expressed in minority (<em>Breathing</em>: 2.2 hours, <em>Gliding</em>: 1 hour, <em>Scratching</em>: 0.8 hour and <em>Other</em>: 0.1 hour). " </p> <p> </p> <p>The folder contains 10 Python matrices, each with 15 columns (AccX, AccY, AccZ, GyrX, GyrY, GyrZ, MagX, MagY, MagZ, Depth, Light, Temperature, Pressure_corr, Pressur_diff, Behavior) and a number of rows corresponding to the deployment duration. The title of each file indicates the camera number used (CC-09-XX) and the deployment day (DD-MM-YYYY), with the last digit specifying whether the matrix corresponds to the first or second day of deployment.</p> <p> </p> <p>The folder also contains two dictionaries (behInd_to_behName, behName_to_behInd) that specify the behaviors associated with each number used as a label in the Behavior column. Additionally, there is a dictionary (dico_info) that provides the names of the matrix columns and the frequence of recording.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p>
Uncovering the little known impact of a millennia-old traditional use of temperate oak forests: free-ranging domestic pigs markedly change the herb layer, but barely affect the shrub layer
<p>This excel file contains data on ground, herb and shrub layer characteristics of hardwood floodplain forests under different disturbance intensity by free-ranging domestic pigs, a millennia-old practice in Eurasia. We used these dataset to create figures 3, 4, 5, 6 (a) (b), 7, 8 presented in the paper „Uncovering the little known impact of a millennia-old traditional use of temperate oak forests: free-ranging pigs markedly change the herb layer, but barely affect the shrub layer”. Vegetation surveys were conducted in the spring and late summer periods of 2017 and 2018. The bare soil surface and litter cover were visually estimated within each 0.25 ha sampling plot. The cover and composition of the herb layer were recorded using 30 subsamples (1 m2) at each SP (altogether 1680 subsamples). 28 subsamples were located along the four cardinal directions at 2 m distances running from the centre of sampling plots and 2 other subsamples were randomly positioned. The total cover of the upper (higher than 130 cm) and lower (50-130 cm) shrub layer, and the cover of each species by layers, were visually estimated in each 0.25 ha SP. The browsing, rooting and rubbing impacts of pigs were measured along a 56-m-long transect running through the centre of the SPs from north to south. We sampled altogether from 3138 to 3282 woody specimens depending on variables used to describe pigs impacts on specimens.</p>
Fig. 4 in Gastrointestinal parasites in captive and free-ranging Cebus albifrons in the Western Amazon, Ecuador
Fig. 4. Cumulative egg and cyst count of parasites from each sample.
Fig. 2 in Gastrointestinal parasites in captive and free-ranging Cebus albifrons in the Western Amazon, Ecuador
Fig. 2. Cumulative richness from the first sample to the third sample for the 26 animals sampled.
Fig. 3 in Gastrointestinal parasites in captive and free-ranging Cebus albifrons in the Western Amazon, Ecuador
Fig. 3. Cumulative prevalence of parasites from each sample.
Fig. 2 in Urinary capillariosis in a free-ranging Marsican brown bear (Ursus arctos marsicanus)
Fig. 2. Urinary bladder, histology. Scattered eosinophils in the submucosa. Hematoxylin-eosin, 10X.
Fig. 2 in Syngamus trachea in free-ranging white stork (Ciconia ciconia) nestlings in Switzerland
Fig. 2. Stereo microscope image of a Syngamus trachea pair locked in permanent copulation.
Fig. 1 in Raccoons contraband - The metazoan parasite fauna of free-ranging raccoons in central Europe
Fig. 1. Geographic origin of examined Procyon lotor (N = 234).
Spatiotemporal analyses reveal infectious disease-driven selection in a free-ranging ungulate
<p>Infectious diseases play an important role in wildlife population dynamics by altering individual fitness, but detecting disease-driven natural selection in free-ranging populations is difficult due to complex disease-host relationships. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal infectious prion disease in cervids for which mutations in a single gene have been mechanistically linked to disease outcomes, providing a rare opportunity to study disease-driven selection in wildlife. In Wyoming, USA, CWD has gradually spread across mule deer (<i>Odocoileus hemionus</i>) populations, producing natural variation in disease history to evaluate selection pressure. We used spatial variation and a novel temporal comparison to investigate the relationship between CWD and a mutation at codon 225 of the mule deer prion protein gene that slows disease progression. We found that individuals with the "slow" 225F allele were less likely to test positive for CWD, and the 225F allele was more common in herds exposed to CWD longer. We also found that in the past two decades, the 225F allele frequency increased more in herds with higher CWD prevalence. This study expanded on previous research by analyzing spatiotemporal patterns of individual- and herd-based disease data to present multiple lines of evidence for disease-driven selection in free-ranging wildlife.</p>
The multidimensional nutritional niche of fungus-cultivar provisioning in free-ranging colonies of a neotropical leafcutter ant
<p>Foraging trails of leafcutter colonies are iconic scenes in the Neotropics, with ants collecting freshly-cut plant fragments to provision a fungal food crop. We hypothesized that the fungus-cultivar's requirements for macronutrients and minerals govern the foraging niche breadth of <i>Atta colombica </i>leafcutter ants. Analyses of plant fragments carried by foragers showed how nutrients from fruits, flowers, and leaves combine to maximize cultivar performance. While the most commonly foraged leaves delivered excess protein relative to the cultivar's needs, <i>in vitro </i>experiments showed that the minerals P, Al, and Fe may expand the leafcutter foraging niche by enhancing the cultivar's tolerance to protein-biased substrates. A suite of other minerals reduces cultivar performance in ways that may render plant fragments with optimal macronutrient blends unsuitable for provisioning. Our approach highlights how the nutritional challenges of provisioning a mutualist can govern the multidimensional realized niche available to a generalist insect herbivore. </p>
Quantifying the age-structure of free-ranging delphinid populations: testing the accuracy of Unoccupied Aerial System-photogrammetry
<p><span>Understanding the population health status of long-lived and slow-reproducing species is critical for their management. However, it can take decades with traditional monitoring techniques to detect population-level changes in demographic parameters. Early detection of the effects of environmental and anthropogenic stressors on vital rates would aid in forecasting changes in population dynamics and therefore inform management efforts. Changes in vital rates strongly correlate with deviations in population growth, highlighting the need for novel approaches that can provide early warning signs of population decline (e.g., changes in age-structure). We tested a novel and frequentist approach, using Unoccupied Aerial System- (UAS) photogrammetry, to assess the population age-structure of small delphinids. First, we measured the precision and accuracy of UAS-photogrammetry in estimating total body length (TL) of trained bottlenose dolphins (<em>Tursiops</em> <em>truncatus</em>). Using a log-transformed linear model, we estimated TL using the blowhole-to-dorsal-fin-distance (BHDF) for surfacing animals. To test the performance of UAS-photogrammetry to age-classify individuals, we then used length measurements from a 35-year dataset from a free-ranging bottlenose dolphin community to simulate UAS-estimates of BHDF and TL. We tested five age-classifiers and determined where young individuals (<10 years) were assigned when misclassified. Finally, we tested whether UAS-simulated BHDF only or the associated TL estimates provided better classifications. TL of surfacing dolphins was overestimated by 3.3% ±3.1% based on UAS-estimated BHDF. Our age-classifiers performed best in predicting age-class when using broader and fewer (two and three) age-class bins with ~80% and ~72% assignment performance, respectively. Overall, 72.5-93% of the individuals were correctly classified within two years of their actual age-class bin. Similar classification performances were obtained using both proxies. UAS-photogrammetry is a non-invasive, inexpensive, and effective method to estimate TL and age-class of free-swimming dolphins. UAS-photogrammetry can facilitate the detection of early signs of population changes, which can provide important insights for timely management decisions.</span></p>
Data from: Glucocorticoids negatively relate to body mass on the short-term in a free-ranging ungulate
<p>Environmental fluctuations force animals to adjust glucocorticoids (GCs) secretion and release to current conditions. GCs are a widely used proxy of an individual stress level. While short-term elevation in GCs is arguably beneficial for fitness components, previous studies have documented that the relationship between long-term baseline GCs elevation and fitness components can vary according to ecological and individual factors and according to the life-history of the species studied. Using longitudinal data on roe deer (<em>Capreolus capreolus</em>) from two populations facing markedly different environmental contexts, we tested whether baseline GC levels negatively correlate with body mass – a trait positively associated with demographic individual performance – on the short- to long-term. In support, higher baseline GC concentrations were associated to lighter body mass, both measured during the same capture event, in adults of both populations. Overall, we showed that despite the marked environmental and demographic differences between populations and despite the between-sex differences in life history (<em>i.e.</em> reproductive tactics), the relationship between body mass and GCs is consistent across environmental contexts, but might differ according to the life history stage of an individual. This work opens promising perspectives to further explore the relationship between GC and fitness-related traits according to life history stages in free-ranging mammals across seasonal and environmental contexts. The timing and context-dependence of GC levels highlight the complexity of studying stress responses in the wild.</p>
Data from: To eat, or not to eat: A phantom decoy affects information-gathering behavior by a free-ranging mammalian herbivore
<p><span>When foraging, making appropriate food choices is crucial to an animal's fitness. Classic foraging ecology theories assume animals choose food of greatest benefit based on their absolute value across multiple dimensions. Consequently, poorer options are considered irrelevant alternatives that should not influence decision-making among better options. But heuristic studies demonstrate that irrelevant alternatives (termed decoys) can influence decisions of some animals, indicating they use a relative rather than absolute evaluation system. Our aim was to test whether a decoy influenced the decision-making process – i.e. information-gathering and food choice – of a free-ranging mammalian herbivore. We tested swamp wallabies, <em>Wallabia bicolor</em>, comparing their behavior towards, and choice of, two available food options over time in the absence or presence of the decoy. We used a phantom decoy—unavailable option—and ran two trials in different locations and seasons. Binary preferences (decoy absent) for the two available food options differed between trials. Irrespective of this difference, across both trials the presence of the decoy resulted in animals more likely to overtly investigate available food options. But the decoy only shifted food choice, weakly, in one trial. Our results indicate that the decoy influenced the information-gathering behavior during decision-making, providing first evidence that decoys can affect decision-making process of free-ranging mammalian herbivores in an ecologically realistic context. I</span><span>t is premature to say these findings confirm the use of relative evaluation systems. </span><span>Whether the foraging outcome is more strongly affected by other decoys, food dimensions, or ecological contexts, is yet to be determined.</span></p>
ScienceDex guides
Understand access before you commit
These curated guides explain access requirements, typical timelines, costs, and reuse considerations for widely used research datasets.
Allen Brain Atlas
Allen Brain Atlas is an Allen Institute collection of brain map atlases, datasets, APIs, and analysis tools covering mouse, human, and non-human primate brain resources.
Annotated Behaviour and Observability Dataset (ABODe)
ABODe is a University of Edinburgh DataShare dataset for behavior classification in group-housed mice using home-cage video, identities, bounding boxes, ground-plate positions, and annotator labels.
DANDI Archive for NWB datasets
DANDI is a BRAIN Initiative archive for publishing and sharing neurophysiology data, including electrophysiology, optophysiology, and behavioral data packaged as NWB and related standards.
International Brain Laboratory public data
The International Brain Laboratory public data releases expose standardized mouse decision-making experiments, including Neuropixels recordings, widefield calcium imaging, behavior, and session metadata accessed through the ONE API.
OpenNeuro
OpenNeuro is a free, open platform for sharing neuroimaging datasets, with public search, dataset pages, and download paths for web, S3, DataLad, and the OpenNeuro CLI.