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Practical definition of territory and its application to the spatial distribution of voles

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Abstract

The utility of the definition of territory proposed by Davies (1978) (individual animals or groups are spaced out more than would be expected from a random occupation of suitable habitats) was tested by applying it to an analysis of spacing behavior in voles,Clethrionomys rufocanus bedfordiae (Thomas). The examination of the Nearest Neighbor Distance and spatial distribution of home range suggested that, by this definition, adult females had territories in both winter and spring, while adult males had them only in winter. Davies' (1978) definition includes not only exculsive spacing, of which the functions are known, but also some kinds of spacing of which the functions are unknown, while the more rigid definition of Burt (1943) (“any defended area”) excludes the idea of spacing behavior without observation of the maintenance mechanism, even though the functions are known. InC. rufocanus bedfordiae, it seems more practical to consider exclusive spacing as territory, especially when the functions of their spacing behavior have some points in common with the facts already ascertained as functions of territoriality.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Applied Zoology, Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Kita-ku, 060, Sapporo, Japan

    Takashi Saitoh

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  1. Takashi Saitoh
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Saitoh, T. Practical definition of territory and its application to the spatial distribution of voles. J. Ethol. 3, 143–149 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02350305

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02350305

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