Spatial behaviour of adult male Alpine ibex (Capra ibex ibex) in the Gran Paradiso National Park
Abstract
During a two year preliminary study, the spatial organization of a group of males of Alpine ibex (Capra ibex ibex) was examined in the Gran Paradiso National Park, Western Italian Alps. Annual, seasonal, and rut home ranges were determined as well as altitudinal migration of a group of radio-collared adult Alpine ibexes from December 1995 to January 1998. The small annual home range size showed a traditional use of space, confirmed also by the high overlapping values between home ranges of consecutive years: the ibexes returned to the same places from year to year. For the rut period home ranges we obtained lower overlapping values. Rut home ranges size changed from winter to winter, depending on the snow cover which limited the movements of the ibex. Winter and spring home ranges were smaller than summer and autumn ones. Mean vertical movement patterns were similar in the two years, the highest altitudes were reached in summer and the lowest in spring.
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