Vol. 20 No. 1 (2025)
Short Note

Home range analysis of Teratoscincus roborowskii in the Turpan Basin, Northwestern China: insights from VHF tagging technology

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  • Wenjuan Jing,
  • Han Yan,
  • Xuejun Ma,
  • Feng Xu
Wenjuan Jing
Key Laboratory of Special Environment Biodiversity Application and Regulation in Xinjiang, Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Special Species Conservation and Regulatory Biology, International Center for the Collaborative Management of Cross-border Pest in Central Asia, School of Life Sciences, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi 830054, China
Han Yan
State Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, China-Tajikistan Belt and Road Joint Laboratory on Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Use, Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Conservation and Application in Arid Lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
Xuejun Ma
State Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, China-Tajikistan Belt and Road Joint Laboratory on Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Use, Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Conservation and Application in Arid Lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
Feng Xu
State Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, China-Tajikistan Belt and Road Joint Laboratory on Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Use, Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Conservation and Application in Arid Lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36253/a_h-16715

Published 2025-05-06

Keywords

  • Kernel density estimation method,
  • Minimum convex polygon,
  • Radio-tracking,
  • Movement ecology,
  • Reproduction period

How to Cite

Jing, W., Yan, H., Ma, X., & Xu, F. (2025). Home range analysis of Teratoscincus roborowskii in the Turpan Basin, Northwestern China: insights from VHF tagging technology. Acta Herpetologica, 20(1), 83–91. https://doi.org/10.36253/a_h-16715

Copyright (c) 2025 Wenjuan Jing, Han Yan, Xuejun Ma, Feng Xu

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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Abstract

The home range (HR) of an animal encompasses the area utilized during activities such as foraging, mating, and other routine behaviors, with its size reflecting behavioral patterns and ecological niche. Factors influencing HR size include sex, body size, and diet, with sex and body size being the most significant determinants. The Teratoscincus roborowskii, or Turpan Wonder Gecko, is endemic to the Turpan Basin of Xinjiang, northwestern China, yet its HR during the breeding period remains understudied. This research employed radio-tracking methods to evaluate the HR of T. roborowskii during the breeding season, focusing on influences from sex and body size. Our study involved radio telemetry of 11 individuals from June to July in 2020 and 2021. We quantified total and core HR sizes using the Minimum Convex Polygon (MCP) and Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) methods. Results via MCP revealed total and core HR sizes of 7894.06 ± 2672.87 m2 and 4852.41 ± 2045.55 m2, respectively. Males exhibited larger HRs than females; however, the difference was not statistically significant (df = 3, p = 0.196, n = 11). A significant correlation was found between Snout-vent Length (SVL) and HR size (r = 55, p = 0.002, n = 11), indicating that lizards with larger SVLs occupied larger HRs, regardless of sex. Comparison with mark-recapture methods showed that HR sizes were 4-5 times larger when measured via radio-tracking. This study provides critical insights into the activity range and influencing factors of T. roborowskii during the breeding period, contributing essential data for its conservation efforts.

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