Intraspecific variation in space use of a coastal population of lace monitors (Varanus varius)
Juan Lei
A B and David T. Booth A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A School of Biological Science, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia.
B Corresponding author. Email: lj881204@gmail.com
Australian Journal of Zoology 65(6) 398-407 https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO17078
Submitted: 19 November 2017 Accepted: 19 July 2018 Published: 7 August 2018
Abstract
The lace monitor (Varanus varius) is a carnivorous scavenger that inhabits lowland forests and coastlines throughout south-eastern Australia. Here we used global positioning system (GPS) devices to remotely monitor adult lace monitor behaviour across two summer seasons in a coastal habitat adjacent to a sea turtle nesting beach at Wreck Rock, Queensland, Australia. GPS tracking showed that lace monitors spent most of their time in woodland habitat away from the seafront dune areas. Both adult males and females occupied relatively large home ranges (0.005 to 1.467 km2 calculated by the Kernel Brownian Bridge method) and individual home ranges overlapped each other to a large extent. The space use patterns of individual lace monitors could be classified as ‘linear’ or ‘clumped’, indicating plasticity in this species’ movement behaviour. Because lace monitors rarely visited the frontal dune area where sea turtles nest, they do not pose a significant threat to sea turtle nests.
Additional keywords: GPS tracking, home range, movement.
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