Assisting vizcacha (Lagostomus maximus) reintroduction: How to increase their safe foraging range?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25260/EA.23.33.1.0.1961Keywords:
transfer, translocation, refuges, habitat management, soft releaseAbstract
The reintroduction of fossorial mammals could be limited by the availability of satellite burrows that provide refuge from predators while foraging away from their permanent burrows, and by availability of short grasses. In order to generate information to assist in the reintroduction of vizcachas (Lagostomus maximus), we asked: 1) what type of satellite burrow do they accept based on burrow complexity, entrance size and distance from permanent burrows?, and 2) how did the provision of burrows and mowing affect their foraging range? We carried out the study in the Sierras of Cordoba, Argentina, with 13 vizcachas transferred to two adaptation pens equipped with permanent burrows. We mowed part of the vegetation around the pens and we dug 14 satellite burrows of two types: simple with only a tunnel, and complex with a tunnel and underground chamber. Burrows were situated between 1 and 16 m from the pens. For six months we evaluated satellite burrow occupancy. We also counted feces, estimated bare soil, and height of the vegetation in 15-m-long transects originating in the entrances of highly used burrows, which were distributed in two sectors. Occupancy was 2 and 67% for simple and complex satellite burrows, respectively, and was negatively related to burrow entrance size. There was no relationship between burrow occupancy and distance to adaptation pens. Transect sampling showed that 91% of the pellets were within 4 m of the pens or satellite burrows, and that they preferred cut to uncut grass. We conclude that building complex satellite burrows and mowing vegetation will increase secure foraging range for translocated vizcachas.
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