The fewer forests, the more space giant anteaters need, study finds
GPS-tagged anteaters reveal differences in space use according to sex,
body size and forest cover

Date:
August 18, 2021
Source:
PLOS
Summary:
Giant anteaters living in less forested habitats make use of larger
home ranges, according to a new study. This behavior may allow them
to incorporate forest patches into their territory, the authors say.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Giant anteaters living in less forested habitats make use of larger home ranges, according to a study by Aline Giroux at the Federal University of
Mato Grosso do Sul and colleagues, publishing August 18 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE. This behavior may allow them to incorporate forest
patches into their territory, the authors say.


========================================================================== Giant anteaters (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) are found across Central and
South America in savannah habitats made up of a mosaic of forests,
grasslands, and wetlands. Their bodies are relatively poor at
thermoregulation, so they rely on forest patches -- which are thermal
shelters -- to help regulate body temperature. To understand how these
gentle giants make use of their space, the researchers caught, measured,
and GPS-tagged 19 wild giant anteaters in Santa Barbara Ecological Station
in Sa~o Paulo state and Bai'a das Pedras Ranch in Mato Grosso do Sul
state in Brazil. The researchers analysed the effects of sex, body size,
and forest cover on movement and home range size, and found that males
tended to range across a larger area and use the space more intensively
than females of a similar body size, possibly to increase their chances
of finding a mate. In habitats with a lower proportion of tree cover,
both male and female anteaters had larger home ranges, which may allow
them to access forest fragments as a refuge from extreme temperatures.

As climate change brings increasingly frequent and severe extreme weather events, the milder microclimate of forest patches is likely to become
more important for these vulnerable mammals, putting the species at
increasing risk from deforestation. The authors highlight the role of
forests as an important thermal resource influencing how much space
giant anteaters need. They also suggest that conservation management
efforts should focus on protecting forest fragments within anteaters'
home ranges to help them behaviorally thermoregulate.

The authors add: "The authors highlight the role of forests as an
important thermal resource driving how much space giant anteaters need." ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by PLOS. Note: Content may be edited
for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Aline Giroux, Zaida Ortega, Luiz Gustavo Rodrigues Oliveira-Santos,
Nina
Attias, Alessandra Bertassoni, Arnaud Le'onard Jean Desbiez. Sexual,
allometric and forest cover effects on giant anteaters' movement
ecology.

PLOS ONE, 2021; 16 (8): e0253345 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253345 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210818153714.htm

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