Abstract
Solitary species show several patterns of space use and relatedness. Individuals may associate randomly or may live near female or male kin, often as a result of natal philopatry or dispersal patterns. Although usually described as solitary or asocial, woodchucks (Marmota monax) are behaviorally flexible marmots that exhibit greater sociality in some populations than others. I examined relationships between kinship, geographic distance, and home range overlap, as well as dispersal and philopatry, to determine the extent to which kin associated spatially. I used a combination of microsatellite DNA analysis, long-term behavioral observations, and radiotelemetry to test predictions that females, but not males, would associate with kin. Indeed, woodchucks lived closer and shared a greater proportion of their home range with more closely related animals. Overlap of females' and males' home ranges was positively correlated with kinship, and male–female dyads shared more area with closer kin. Most juveniles delayed dispersal beyond their first summer. Females often remained philopatric and settled near their natal range. Although males often dispersed as yearlings, some males also established territories within or immediately adjacent to their natal home ranges. A combination of factors can explain these spatial patterns, including high population density associated with the study site's location within a suburban environment, high dispersal costs, and abundant food. Thus, despite their asocial and solitary reputation, woodchucks displayed spatial patterns seen in other, more social species of ground-dwelling sciurids.
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Acknowledgments
I am grateful to the staff of the Maine Audubon Society for permission to work at Gilsland Farm Sanctuary and for their assistance over the years. I thank K. Armitage, E. Lacey, F. Walker, and three anonymous reviewers for comments on previous versions. Special thanks to J. Rhymer for hosting me in her lab and to her and J. Muhlin for their assistance with microsatellite DNA analyses, to S. Zervanos and C. Salsbury for training on surgical techniques, and to C. Radding for performing surgeries; and to over 60 undergraduate assistants, particularly T. Daigle, S. Long, Y. Seko, and J. Wright, and especially M. Duron for her dedicated work in both the field and the lab. This work was funded by the National Science Foundation (IBN-0074458), University of Southern Maine Faculty Senate Research Grants, University of Southern Maine Summer Research Award, and the Maine Economic Improvement Fund. All procedures were approved by the University of Southern Maine's Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee and comply with current laws of the USA.
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Maher, C.R. Genetic relatedness and space use in a behaviorally flexible species of marmot, the woodchuck (Marmota monax). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 63, 857–868 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-009-0726-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-009-0726-5