Just Accepted Manuscripts
Short Note

Home Range Analysis of Teratoscincus roborowskii in the Turpan Basin, Northwestern China: Insights from VHF Tagging Technology

PDF
  • WENJUAN JING,
  • HAN YAN,
  • XUEJUN MA,
  • Feng Xu
WENJUAN JING
Key Laboratory of Special Environment Biodiversity Application and Regulation in Xinjiang, Xinjiang Kay 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
HAN YAN
State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences
XUEJUN MA
Xinjiang Key Laboratory for Ecological Adaptation and Evolution of Extreme Environment Biology, College of Life Sciences, Xinjiang Agricultural University
Feng Xu
Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences
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. 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.

Crossref
Scopus
Google Scholar
Europe PMC

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=10). A significant correlation was found between snout-vent length (SVL) and HR size (v=55, p=0.002, n=10), 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.

PDF

References

  1. anderson, D. J. (1982): The Home Range - a New Nonparametric-Estimation Technique. Ecology, 63: 103-112.
  2. Aragon, P., Lopez, P., Martin, J. (2001) Seasonal Changes In Activity and Spatial and Social Relationships of The Iberian Rock Lizard, Lacerta Monticola. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 79: 1965-1971.
  3. Ariano-Sánchez d, Mortensen r m, Reinhardt s, Et Al. 2020. Escaping Drought: Seasonality Effects On Home Range, Movement Patterns and Habitat Selection of The Guatemalan Beaded Lizard. Global Ecology and Conservation , 23: E01178.
  4. Armstrong JT (1965) Breeding Home Range In The Nighthawk and Other Birds - Its Evolutionary and Ecological Significance. Ecology , 46: 619-629.
  5. Baird TA, Timanus DK, Sloan CL (2003). Intra- and Intersexual Variation In Social Behavior Effects of Ontogeny, Phenotype, Resources, and Season. Lizard Social Behavior: 7-46.
  6. Balouch D, Driscoll DA, Naseer A. (2022) Impacts of Land Cover On Reptile Movement and Habitat Use In Farming Landscapes. Animal Conservation , 25: 837-848.
  7. Bergstrom BJ (1988) Home Ranges of 3 Species of Chipmunks (Tamias) As Assessed By Radiotelemetry and Grid Trapping. Journal of Mammalogy , 69: 190-193.
  8. Blundell GM, Maier JAK, Debevec EM (2001) Linear Home Ranges: Effects of Smoothing, Sample Size, and Autocorrelation On Kernel Estimates. Ecological Monographs , 71: 469-489.
  9. Boerger L, Dalziel BD, Fryxell JM (2008) Are There General Mechanisms of Animal Home Range Behaviour? A Review and Prospects For Future Research. Ecology Letters, 11: 637-650.
  10. Burt WH (1943) Territoriality and Home Range Concepts As Applied To Mammals. Journal of Mammalogy, 24: 346-352.
  11. Cagnacci F, Boitani L, Powell RA.(2010). Animal Ecology Meets Gps-Based Radiotelemetry: A Perfect Storm of Opportunities and Challenges. Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society b-Biological Sciences, 365: 2157-2162.
  12. Calenge C (2006) The Package "Adehabitat" For The r Software: A Tool For The Analysis of Space and Habitat Use By Animals. Ecological Modelling, 197: 516-519.
  13. Clement VE, Schluckebier R, Rodder D (2022) About Lizards and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: Assessing Home Range and Habitat Selection In Lacerta Agilis. Salamandra, 58: 24-42.
  14. De Solla SR, Bonduriansky R, Brooks RJ (1999) Eliminating Autocorrelation Reduces Biological Relevance of Home Range Estimates. Journal of Animal Ecology, 68: 221-234.
  15. Fieberg J, Kochanny CO (2005). Quantifying Home-Range Overlap: The Importance of The Utilization Distribution. Journal of Wildlife Management, 69: 1346-1359.
  16. Garcia-Rosales A, Ramirez-Bautista A, Octavio-Aguilar P (2021) Aggressive Sexual Behaviour and Spatial Distribution of The Polymorphic Lizard Sceloporus Minor (Squamata: Phrynosomatidae) From Central Mexico. Salamandra, 57: 151-161.
  17. Gitzen RA, Millspaugh JJ, Kernohan BJ (2006) Bandwidth Selection For Fixed-Kernel Analysis of Animal Utilization Distributions. Journal of Wildlife Management, 70: 1334-1344.
  18. Guerrero-Sanchez S, Majewski K, Orozco-Terwengel P. (2022) The Effect of Oil Palm-Dominated Landscapes On The Home Range and Distribution of a Generalist Species, The Asian Water Monitor. Ecology and Evolution , 12.
  19. Harestad AS, Bunnell FL (1979) Home Range and Body-Weight - Re-Evaluation. Ecology , 60: 389-402.
  20. Harris S, Cresswell WJ, Forde PG. (1990) Home-Range Analysis Using Radio-Tracking Data - a Review of Problems and Techniques Particularly As Applied To The Study of Mammals. Mammal Review, 20: 97-123.
  21. Huey RB, Peterson CR, Arnold SJ. (1989). Hot Rocks and Not-So-Hot Rocks - Retreat-Site Selection By Garter Snakes and Its Thermal Consequences. Ecology, 70: 931-944.
  22. Kearney MR, Munns SL, Moore D .(2018). Field Tests of a General Ectotherm Niche Model Show How Water Can Limit Lizard Activity and Distribution. Ecological Monographs , 88: 672-693.
  23. Kie JG, Matthiopoulos J, Fieberg J, (2010) The Home-Range Concept: Are Traditional Estimators Still Relevant With Modern Telemetry Technology? Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society b-Biological Sciences, 365: 2221-2231.
  24. Knapp C, Owens AK (2005) An Effective New Radio Transmitter Attachment Technique For Lizards. Herpetological Review, 36: 264-266.
  25. Kusaka C, Valdivia J (2021) Methods of Estimating Lizard Space Use: A Comparison of Methods Across Species, Sex, and Age Classes. Integrative and Comparative Biology , 61: E486-e486.
  26. Laver PN, Kelly MJ (2008) A Critical Review of Home Range Studies. Journal of Wildlife Management, 72: 290-298.
  27. Li W, Song Y, Shi L (2013) Home Range of Teratoscincus Roborowskii (Gekkonidae): Influence of Sex, Season, and Body Size. Acta Ecologica Sinica , 33: 395-401.
  28. Lira PK, Dos Santos Fernandez FA (2009) A Comparison of Trapping- and Radiotelemetry-Based Estimates of Home Range of The Neotropical Opossum Philander Frenatus. Mammalian Biology, 74: 1-8.
  29. Maher CR, Lott DF (2000). A Review of Ecological Determinants of Territoriality Within Vertebrate Species. American Midland Naturalist, 143: 1-29.
  30. Mitchell MS, Powell RA (2004) A Mechanistic Home Range Model For Optimal Use of Spatially Distributed Resources. Ecological Modelling, 177: 209-232.
  31. Morrison SF, Biciloa P, Harlow PS. (2013) Spatial Ecology of The Critically Endangered Fijian Crested Iguana, Brachylophus Vitiensis, In An Extremely Dense Population: Implications For Conservation. Plos One, 8.
  32. Mysterud A, Perez-Barberia FJ, Gordon IJ (2001) The Effect of Season, Sex and Feeding Style On Home Range Area Versus Body Mass Scaling In Temperate Ruminants. Oecologia, 127: 30-39.
  33. Noonan MJ, Tucker MA, Fleming CH. (2019). A Comprehensive Analysis of Autocorrelation and Bias In Home Range Estimation. Ecological Monographs, 89.
  34. Nunn CL, Barton RA (2000). Allometric Slopes and Independent Contrasts: A Comparative Test of Kleiber's Law In Primate Ranging Patterns. American Naturalis , 156: 519-533.
  35. Payne E, Spiegel O, Sinn DL. (2022) Intrinsic Traits, Social Context, and Local Environment Shape Home Range Size and Fidelity of Sleepy Lizards. Ecological Monographs, 92.
  36. Perry G, Garland T (2002) Lizard Home Ranges Revisited: Effects of Sex, Body Size, Diet, Habitat, and Phylogeny. Ecology, 83: 1870-1885.
  37. Powell GL, Russell AP (1985) Growth and Sexual Size Dimorphism In Alberta Populations of The Eastern Short-Horned Lizard, Phrynosoma-Douglassi-Brevirostre. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 63: 139-154.
  38. Powell RA (2000) Animal Home Ranges and Territories and Home Range Estimators. Research Techniques In Animal Ecology: 65-110.
  39. Powell RA, Mitchell MS (2012) What Is a Home Range? Journal of Mammalogy, 93: 948-958.
  40. Renet J, Dokhelar T, Thirion F. (2022) Spatial Pattern and Shelter Distribution of The Ocellated Lizard (Timon Lepidus) In Two Distinct Mediterranean Habitats. Amphibia-Reptilia , 43: 263-276.
  41. Ryberg WA, Garrett TB, Adams CS. (2019) Life In The Thornscrub: Movement, Home Range, and Territorialityof The Reticulate Collared Lizard (Crotaphytus Reticulatus). Journal of Natural History, 53: 1707-1719.
  42. Salido CA, Vicente NS (2019) Sex and Refuge Distance Influence Escape Decision In a Liolaemus Lizard When It Is Approached By a Terrestrial Predator. Behaviour, 156: 909-925.
  43. Schoener TW 1968. Sizes of Feeding Territories Among Birds. Ecology, 49: 123.
  44. Seaman D E, Millspaugh JJ, Kernohan BJ, (1999) Effects of Sample Size On Kernel Home Range Estimates. Journal of Wildlife Management, 63: 739-747.
  45. Seaman D E, Powell R A (1996) An Evaluation of The Accuracy of Kernel Density Estimators For Home Range Analysis. Ecology, 77: 2075-2085.
  46. Sillero N, Dos Santos, Teodoro A C. (2021). Ecological Niche Models Improve Home Range Estimations. Journal of Zoology, 313: 145-157.
  47. Silverman B W (1986) Density Estimation For Statistics and Data Analysis. Chapman & Hall , London.
  48. Stamps J A, Krishnan V V (1994) Territory Acquisition In Lizards .1. First Encounters. Animal Behaviour, 47: 1375-1385.
  49. Team R C (2019) A Language and Environment For Statistical Computing. r Foundation For Statistical Computing. Vienna, Austria.
  50. Tisell H B, Degrassi A L, Stephens R B, (2019) Influence of Field Technique, Density, and Sex On Home Range and Overlap of The Southern Red-Backed Vole (Myodes Gapperi). Canadian Journal of Zoology, 97: 1101-1108.
  51. Turner F B, Jennrich R I, Weintraub J D (1969) Home Ranges and Body Size of Lizards. Ecology, 50: 1076.
  52. Utsumi K, Staley C, Nunez H. (2022) The Social System of The Lava Lizard, Microlophus Atacamensis: The Interplay Between Social Structure and Social Organization. Revista Chilena De Historia Natural, 95.
  53. Ventura S, Vaclav A, Pinheiro L. (2022) Habitat Suitability Or Female Availability? What Influences Males' Home-Range Size In a Neotropical Montane Lizard? Canadian Journal of Zoology .
  54. Verwaijen D, Van Darnme R (2008) Wide Home Ranges For Widely Foraging Lizards. Zoology, 111: 37-47.
  55. Warner D A, Shine R (2008) Maternal Nest-Site Choice In a Lizard With Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination. Animal Behaviour, 75: 861-870.
  56. Williams H J, Taylor L A, Benhamou S,. (2020) Optimizing The Use of Biologgers For Movement Ecology Research. Journal of Animal Ecology, 89: 186-206.
  57. Worton B J 1995. Using Monte-Carlo Simulation To Evaluate Kernel-Based Home-Range Estimators. Journal of Wildlife Management, 59: 794-800.
  58. Zhao X L, Yu W, Zhu Z Y,. (2022). Factors Influencing Home Ranges of The Qinghai Toad-Headed Lizard (Phrynocephalus vlangalii) On The Dangjin Mountain, Gansu. Asian Herpetological Research, 13: 137-144.
  59. Zhong, Y X, Chen C W, Wang Y P (2021) Biological and extrinsic correlates of extinction risk in chinese lizards. Current zoology, 68: 285-293.