Nesting strategies and use of important in-water habitats for far-ranging marine turtles can be determined using satellite telemetry. Because of a lack of information on habitat-use by marine turtles in the northern Gulf of Mexico, we used satellite transmitters in 2010 through 2012 to track movements of 39 adult female breeding loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) tagged on nesting beaches at ...

Better understanding animal ecology in terms of thermal habitat use has become a focus of ecological studies, in large part due to the predicted temperature increases associated with global climate change. To further our knowledge on how ground-nesting endotherms respond to thermal landscapes, we examined the thermal ecology of Sharp-tailed Grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus) during the nesting p...

Species that occupy the same area and use the same resources must either compete with each other or find ways to minimize competition. For rodents, 1 important resource is nesting sites. In this study I present data from direct behavioral observations in the succulent karoo of South Africa that show aggressive interactions between bush karoo rats (Otomys unisulcatus) and striped mice (Rhabdomys...

Nest site selection by birds is a critically important life history trait as competition for suitable sites can be intense, and because birds are at their most vulnerable to predators during nesting. Previous studies show that the clutch size and nestling period evolve in response to competition for nest sites and nest predation, respectively. This provides the opportunity to study the relative...

Context. Nest-site selection can influence nesting success, and thus population dynamics, of many species of groundnesting birds. Despite the economic importance as a game species, populations of northern bobwhites have been declining throughout the southernUnited States. This paper reports the nesting ecology of northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) on Babcock-Webb Wildlife Management Area,...

Because temperature affects the growth, development, and survival of embryos, oviparous mothers should discriminate carefully among available nesting sites. We combined a radiotelemetric study of animal movements with a spatial mapping of environmental temperatures to test predictions about the nesting behavior of the eastern fence lizard (Sceloporus undulatus). Females made large excursions fr...

A biotelemetry study was undertaken during spring 1995 to identify black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus) nesting sites in two South Dakota water bodies. Individually coded ultrasonic transmitters were implanted into the body cavity of 15 adult male black crappie in each water body prior to spawning. Available habitat characteristics were recorded at 75 randomly selected sites within each water...

Alexander Skutch hypothesized that increased parental activity can increase the risk of nest predation. We tested this hypothesis using ten open-nesting bird species in Arizona, USA. Parental activity was greater during the nestling than incubation stage because parents visited the nest frequently to feed their young during the nestling stage. However, nest predation did not generally increase ...

The habitat selection choices that individuals make in response to thermal environments influence both survival and reproduction. Importantly, the way that organisms behaviorally respond to thermal environments depends on the availability and juxtaposition of sites affording tolerable or preferred microclimates. Although, ground nesting birds are especially susceptible to heat extremes across m...