Publications by authors named "Nancy A Barker"
Mammals show faster recovery from capture and tagging in human-disturbed landscapes.
Nat Commun
September 2024
Article Synopsis
- Wildlife tagging is important for understanding animal behavior and ecology, but the stress from this process can affect their movement and activity levels after being released.
- An analysis of 1585 individuals from 42 mammal species showed that over 70% exhibited significant behavioral changes post-tagging, with herbivores traveling farther while omnivores and carnivores were less active initially.
- Recovery from stress was generally quick, typically within 4-7 days, and animals in areas with a high human presence adapted faster, suggesting that tracking durations should be longer and consider species and location when designing studies.
Resource partitioning promotes coexistence among guild members, and carnivores reduce interference competition through behavioral mechanisms that promote spatio-temporal separation. We analyzed sympatric lion and spotted hyena movements and activity patterns to ascertain the mechanisms facilitating their coexistence within semi-arid and wetland ecosystems. We identified recurrent high-use (revisitation) and extended stay (duration) areas within home ranges, as well as correlated movement-derived measures of inter- and intraspecific interactions with environmental variables.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Improved understanding of vector-borne pathogens in wildlife can reveal their impacts on host species in response to environmental changes, which is crucial for conservation efforts.
- Tissue samples from brown and spotted hyenas in Namibia and Tanzania were tested for various pathogens using PCR techniques, revealing significant differences in pathogen frequency and genetic diversity among the populations.
- Results showed higher occurrences of Anaplasmataceae and Babesia lengau-like piroplasms in brown and spotted hyenas compared to their Tanzanian counterparts, with new findings about Rickettsia raoultii and indications of potential undiscovered species within the filarioids.