Quantitative study on the activity rhythm and home range of wild camels (Camelus ferus) in the Kumtag Desert

doi:10.17520/biods.2021104

Abstract

Abstract:

Aim: The wild camel (Camelus ferus) is a native species to the deserts of Central Asia. Further, it is considered a first class protected animal in China. This study aims to explore the daily activity rhythm and native ranges of wild camels both spatially and temporally, so as to provide data support for effective protection and management of wild camels in this region.
Methods: GPS tracking collars were used to gather movement data for seven wild camels in the Kumtag Desert from May 2012 to July 2013. This tracking data was then used to infer the daily activity rhythm of the wild camels. A Brownian bridge model was also applied to further investigate the native range of wild camels.
Results: The results of this study suggest that: (1) Daily activity rhythm data for these wild camels indicate a clear bimodal pattern, with peak activity periods occurring in the morning from 6:00 to 9:00 and in the afternoon from 15:00 to 20:00. This finding is consistent with the wild camels being a crepuscular species. (2) The double peak time of the wild camel's crepuscular activity is close to noon, occurring during the transition between the warm season and the cold season. The order of interval times between peaks compared seasonally is: summer > spring > autumn > winter. (3) There are obvious seasonal differences in the daily activity intensity of wild camels. The relationships between daily activity intensity between seasons is: summer > autumn > spring and winter, where no clear difference was observed between spring and winter. (4) Wild camels belong to the core home range utilization type, often utilizing multiple core home ranges. The home ranges of the wild camels in this study exhibit a distribution between the north and south sides of the desert, suggesting that this species can move across the desert. (5) There are significant differences in home ranges among individuals, along with slight differences between sexes. Large variation in the home ranges of wild camels are observed seasonally, with the relative ordering from largest to smallest being: summer (1,256.27 ± 427.45 km²) > spring (556.90 ± 259.35 km²) > autumn (396.77 ± 82.31 km²) > winter (250.83 ± 99.64 km²).

Key words: artiodactyla, wild camel, activity rhythm, home range, Brownian bridge movement model, conservation

Yunjia Wu, Yun Cheng, Lei Yuan, Shi Zhang, Shuo Zhang, Shaochuang Liu. Quantitative study on the activity rhythm and home range of wild camels (Camelus ferus) in the Kumtag Desert[J]. Biodiv Sci, 2021, 29(9): 1206-1214.

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URL: https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/10.17520/biods.2021104

https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/Y2021/V29/I9/1206

Figures/Tables 5

References 34

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野骆驼编号ID	性别 Sex	GPS项圈佩戴时间 Start time of GPS trackers wearing	GPS项圈脱落时间 The time GPS trackers fell off	GPS点位数 GPS locations	家域面积 Home range (km²)	核心家域面积 Core home range (km²)
C_NO1	雌 Female	2012.06.01	2013.05.31	299	2,476.38	416.38
C_NO2	雌 Female	2012.05.05	2012.12.15	797	2,331.44	309.00
C_NO3	雄 Male	2012.10.13	2013.04.01	1,958	481.05	45.97
C_NO4	雌 Female	2012.09.21	2013.07.02	3,364	929.55	56.45
C_NO5	雄 Male	2012.09.29	2013.04.19	2,128	528.08	47.11
C_NO6	雄 Male	2012.09.19	2013.04.25	2,448	806.73	117.52
C_NO7	雌 Female	2012.09.22	2013.05.16	2,658	212.28	27.30

野骆驼编号ID	性别 Sex	GPS项圈佩戴时间 Start time of GPS trackers wearing	GPS项圈脱落时间 The time GPS trackers fell off	GPS点位数 GPS locations	家域面积 Home range (km²)	核心家域面积 Core home range (km²)
C_NO1	雌 Female	2012.06.01	2013.05.31	299	2,476.38	416.38
C_NO2	雌 Female	2012.05.05	2012.12.15	797	2,331.44	309.00
C_NO3	雄 Male	2012.10.13	2013.04.01	1,958	481.05	45.97
C_NO4	雌 Female	2012.09.21	2013.07.02	3,364	929.55	56.45
C_NO5	雄 Male	2012.09.29	2013.04.19	2,128	528.08	47.11
C_NO6	雄 Male	2012.09.19	2013.04.25	2,448	806.73	117.52
C_NO7	雌 Female	2012.09.22	2013.05.16	2,658	212.28	27.30

野骆驼编号 ID	春季 Spring	夏季 Summer	秋季 Autumn	冬季 Winter
C_NO1	865.33	1,506.37	744.52	816.28
C_NO2	1,930.1	1,499.72	563.74	161.91
C_NO3	29.50	-	437.06	197.10
C_NO4	264.10	762.71	308.26	56.12
C_NO5	27.30	-	332.45	125.17
C_NO6	659.95	-	339.36	316.99
C_NO7	122.00	-	52.00	82.28
均值 Mean	556.90 ± 259.35	1,256.27 ± 427.45	396.77 ± 82.31	250.83 ± 99.64

野骆驼编号 ID	春季 Spring	夏季 Summer	秋季 Autumn	冬季 Winter
C_NO1	865.33	1,506.37	744.52	816.28
C_NO2	1,930.1	1,499.72	563.74	161.91
C_NO3	29.50	-	437.06	197.10
C_NO4	264.10	762.71	308.26	56.12
C_NO5	27.30	-	332.45	125.17
C_NO6	659.95	-	339.36	316.99
C_NO7	122.00	-	52.00	82.28
均值 Mean	556.90 ± 259.35	1,256.27 ± 427.45	396.77 ± 82.31	250.83 ± 99.64