High frequency GPS bursts and path-level analysis reveal linear feature tracking by red foxes.

Area of Science:

• Wildlife ecology
• Behavioral ecology
• Landscape ecology

Background:

• Linear features are common in landscapes and influence wildlife movement.
• Quantifying wildlife interactions with linear features, such as linear feature tracking (LFT), is challenging.
• Previous studies often fail to capture the short-duration nature of LFT.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify and understand linear feature tracking (LFT) in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes).
• To assess the propensity of foxes to track natural and man-made linear features.
• To demonstrate a novel method for detecting fine-scale spatial behaviors.

Main Methods:

• Employed short-term, intensive GPS monitoring of red foxes in southern Norway.
• Utilized periodic bursts of high-frequency GPS position fixes.
• Applied modified path selection analyses to estimate LFT propensity.

Main Results:

• Red foxes primarily tracked forest edges and roads.
• Forty-three percent of encounters with linear features resulted in LFT.
• LFT was a short-lived behavior, with median abandonment times around two minutes.
• Movement speeds were highest along roads.

Conclusions:

• LFT is a significant but often overlooked behavior in wildlife spatial ecology.
• Intensive, high-frequency GPS monitoring is crucial for detecting fine-scale behaviors like LFT.
• The methodology can be applied to study other short-duration spatial behaviors in various species.