Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Assessment of space-use patterns in the hispid cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus)

  • Original Papers
  • Published:
Oecologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Ecological interpretation of space use patterns often suffers from two methodological problems: inadequate number of captures per individual and pooling of data over time intervals. Insufficient sample size biases the computation of spatial areas, while pooling data over time intervals may mask shifts in space use due to changes in resource abundance. Radiotelemetry was used to alleviate these problems in an analysis of space use by the hispid cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus). Home range area was greater for males than females, was largest during summer and winter months, was positively correlated with body hass, and was negatively correlated with population dencity. Exclusivity of home range revealed a high degree of ntolerance (41% exclusivity) and was positively correlated with body mass for males. In addition, like-sex categories (male-male, female-female) were more exclusive than unlike sex categories (male-female).

Habitat composition of home ranges of females was significantly different from that of males and from that available. This result suggested home ranges of females were responsive to habitat composition (and quality), while males may respond more to female occurrence than resource availability.

Space-use patterns of the hispid cotton rat indicated a solitary existence with greater tolerance of individuals of the opposite sex. Home range size decreased as population size increased, whereas home range overlaps were not affected by population density. These results reinforced the view of a dominance hierarchy in this species and suggested the existence of a polygynous mating system.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abramsky Z, Tracy CR (1980) Relation between home range size and regulation of population size in Microtus ochrogaster. Oikos 34:347–355

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson DJ (1982) The home range: a new nonparametric estimation technique. Ecology 63:103–112

    Google Scholar 

  • Banks EM, Brooks RJ, Schnell J (1975) A radio-tracking study of home range and activity of the brown lemming (Lemmus trimucronatus). J Mammal 56:888–901

    Google Scholar 

  • Bateman AJ (1948) Intrasexual selection in Drosophila. Heredity 2:349–368

    Google Scholar 

  • Blair WF (1942) Size of home range and notes on the life history of the woodland deer mouse and eastern chipmunk in northern Michigan. J Mammal 23:27–36

    Google Scholar 

  • Brooks RJ, Banks EM (1971) Radiotracking study of lemming home range. Comm Behav Biol 6:1–5

    Google Scholar 

  • Burt WH (1943) Territoriality and home range concepts as applied to mammals. J Mammal 24:346–352

    Google Scholar 

  • Cameron GN (1977) Experimental species removal: demographic responses by Sigmodon hispidus and Reithrodontomys fulvescens. J Mammal 58:488–506

    Google Scholar 

  • Cameron GN, Kincaid WB, Carnes BA (1977) Experimental species removal: temporal activity patterns of Sigmodon hispidus and Reithrodontomys fulvescens. J Mammal 60:195–197

    Google Scholar 

  • Damuth J (1981) Home range, home range overlap, and species energy use among herbivorous mammals. Biol J Lin Soc 15:185–193

    Google Scholar 

  • Dunn JE, Gipson PS (1977) Analysis of radio telemetry data in studies of home range. Biometrics 33:85–101

    Google Scholar 

  • Fleharty ED, Mares MA (1973) Habitat preference and spatial relations of Sigmodon hispidus on a remnant prairie in westcentral Kansas. Southwest Nat 18:21–29

    Google Scholar 

  • Forsyth DJ, Smith DA (1973) Temporal variability in home ranges of eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus) in a southeastern Ontario woodlot. Am Midl Nat 90:107–117

    Google Scholar 

  • Fretwell SD, Lucas HL Jr (1970) On territorial behavior and other factors influencing habitat distribution in birds. I. Theoretical development. Acta Biotheor 19:16–36

    Google Scholar 

  • Gaines MS, Johnson ML (1982) Home range size and population dynamics in the prairie vole, Microtus ochrogaster. Oikos 39:63–70

    Google Scholar 

  • Goertz JW (1964) The influence of habitat quality upon density of cotton rat populations. Ecol Monogr 34:358–381

    Google Scholar 

  • Harestad AS, Bunnell FL (1979) Home range and body weight —a reevaluation. Ecology 60:389–402

    Google Scholar 

  • Horn JB (1974) Aggression as a component of relative fitness in four inbred strains of mice. Behav Genet 4:373–381

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Huck UW, Banks EM (1982a) Male dominance status, female choice and mating success in the brown lemming, Lemmus trimucronatus. Anim Behav 30:665–675

    Google Scholar 

  • Huck UW, Banks EM (1982b) Differential attraction of females to dominant males: olfactory discrimination and mating preference in the brown lemming (Lemmus trimucronatus). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 11:217–222

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huck UW, Banks EM, Wang SC (1981) Olfactory discrimination of social status in the brown lemming.Behav Neural Biol 33:364–371

    Google Scholar 

  • Jannett FJ Jr (1978) The density-dependent formation of extended maternal families of the montane vole, Microtus montanus nanus. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 3:245–263

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jenkins SH (1981) Common patterns in home range-body size relationships of birds and mammals. Amer Nat 118:126–128

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Joule J, Cameron GN (1974) Field estimation of demographic parameters: influence of Sigmodon hispidus population structure. J Mammal 55:309–318

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones EN, Sherman LJ (1983) A comparison of meadow vole home ranges derived from grid trapping and radiotelemetry. J Wild Mgmt 47:558–561

    Google Scholar 

  • Kincaid WB, Cameron GN (in press) Interactions of hispid cotton rats with a patchy environment: dietary responses and habitat selection. Ecology

  • Kincaid WB, Cameron GN, Carnes BA (1983) Patterns of habitat utilization in sympatric rodents on the Texas coastal prairie. Ecology 64:1471–1480

    Google Scholar 

  • Layne JN (1974) Ecology of small mammals in a flatwoods habitat in north-central Florida, with emphasis on the cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus). Amer Mus Nov 2544:1–48

    Google Scholar 

  • Lotze JH (1979) The raccoon (Procyon lotor) on St. Catherines Island, Georgia. 4. Comparisons of home ranges determined by livetrapping and radiotracking. Amer Mus Nov 2664:1–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Madison DM (1980) Space use and social structure in meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 7:65–71

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mares MA, Watson MD, Lacher TE Jr (1976) Home range perturbations in Tamias striatus. Oecologia 25:1–12

    Google Scholar 

  • Mares MA, Willig MR, Bitar NA (1980) Home range size in eastern chipmunks, Tamias striatus, as a function of number of captures: statistical biases of inadequate sampling. J Mammal 61:661–669

    Google Scholar 

  • Mares MA, Lacher TE Jr, Willig MR, Bitar NA, Adams R, Klinger A, Tazik D (1982) An experimental analysis of social spacing in Tamias striatus. Ecology 63:267–273

    Google Scholar 

  • Mace GM, Harvey PH (1983) Energetic constraints on home range size. Amer Nat 121:120–132

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maza BG, French NR, Aschwanden AP (1973) Home range dynamics in a population of heteromyid rodents. J Mammal 54:405–425

    Google Scholar 

  • McNab BK (1963) Bioenergetics and the determination of home range size. Amer Nat 97:133–141

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nie NH, Hull CH, Jenkins JG, Steinbrenner K, Bent DH (1975) SPSS: Statistical package for the social sciences. McGraw-Hill, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Richards L (1980) A test of Bateman's hypothesis in terms of male and female time division strategies. Unpubl. MS thesis, Kansas State Univ, Manhattan, 41 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanderson GC (1966) The study of mammal movement-a review. J Wild Mgmt 30:215–235

    Google Scholar 

  • Schoener TW (1981) An empirically based estimate of home range. Theor Pop Biol 20:281–325

    Google Scholar 

  • Schoener TW, Schoener A (1982) Intraspecific variation in homerange size in some Anolis lizards. Ecology 63:809–823

    Google Scholar 

  • Schroder GD (1979) Foraging behavior and home range utilization of the bannertail kangaroo rat (Dipodomys spectabilis). Ecology 60:657–665

    Google Scholar 

  • Siegel S (1956) Nonparametric statistics for the behavioral sciences. McGraw-Hill, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Slade NA, Swihart RK (1983) Home range indices for the hispid cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus) in northeastern Kansas. J Mammal 64:580–590

    Google Scholar 

  • Sokal RR, Rohlf FJ (1981) Biometry. 2nd ed. WH Freeman. San Francisco

    Google Scholar 

  • Southwood TRE (1978) Ecological method with particular reference to the study of insect populations. Second edition. John Wiley and Sons, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Spencer SR, Cameron GN (1983) Behavioral dominance and its relationship to habitat patch utilization by the hispid cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 13:27–36

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Summerlin CT, Wolfe JL (1973) Social influences on trap response of the cotton rat, Sigmodon hispidus. Ecology 54:1156–1159

    Google Scholar 

  • Webster AB, Brooks RJ (1981) Social behavior of Microtus pennsylvanicus in relation to seasonal changes in demography. J Mammal 62:738–751

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Program in Evolutionary Biology, Department of Biology, University of Houson, 77004, Houston, TX, USA

    Guy N. Cameron & Stephen R. Spencer

Authors
  1. Guy N. Cameron
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Stephen R. Spencer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cameron, G.N., Spencer, S.R. Assessment of space-use patterns in the hispid cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus). Oecologia 68, 133–139 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00379485

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00379485

Keywords

Search

Navigation