Investigating patterns of juvenile dispersal in golden mantled ground squirrels, <i>Callospermophilus lateralis</i>
Abstract
Dispersal is the permanent relocation of an individual away from its natal burrow. This phenomenon is male biased in many mammal species and potential causes include inbreeding avoidance or resource competition. In this study, the dispersal behavior and exploratory excursion distances were recorded and analyzed for the golden-mantled ground squirrel pups (Callospermophilus lateralis) at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL). Daily observations of pup distances from natal burrows were recorded and compared between male and females pups and males with their sisters and their non-sisters. There was no difference in mean exploratory travel distances for males and females or the distances between males and their sisters vs. non-sisters. This could be because of high space availability, which may discourage pups from traveling farther than is necessary. An alternative hypothesis is that it is still too early in the active season to know whether or not dispersal will occur. Further studies should be made to know the dispersal behavior more confidently.
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References (10)
2 in Knowledge Hub, 8 external