Drivers of site fidelity in ungulates

While the tendency to return previously visited locations—termed ‘site fidelity’—is common in animals, cause of this behaviour is not well understood. One hypothesis that site fidelity shaped by an animal's environment, such animals living landscapes with predictable resources have stronger fidelity. Site may also be conditional on success animals’ recent visits location, and it become age as animal accumulates experience their landscape. Finally, differences between species, way memory shapes attractiveness, interact environmental drivers modulate strength We compared inter-year 669 individuals across eight ungulate species fitted GPS collars occupying a range conditions North America Africa. used distance-based index tested hypothesized using linear mixed effects models, while accounting for variation annual size. Mule deer Odocoileus hemionus moose Alces alces exhibited relatively strong fidelity, wildebeest Connochaetes taurinus barren-ground caribou Rangifer tarandus granti had weak was strongest where vegetative greening occurred at regular intervals over time (i.e. high temporal contingency). Species differed response spatial heterogeneity greenness constancy). varied seasonally some but remained constant others. Elk employed ‘win-stay, lose-switch’ strategy, which successful resource tracking springtime resulted following spring. did vary any tested. Our results provide support hypothesis, particularly regularity phenology inter-annual scale. Large unexplained suggest other factors, possibly species-specific attraction known sites, contribute expression behaviour. Understanding groups organisms different environments provides important behavioural context predicting how will respond change.