Using a substitute species to inform translocation of an endangered territorial mammal.
Description
We used a surrogate subspecies, Tamiasciurus fremonti fremonti to test different translocation techniques to inform on potential management actions with regards to the endangered Mt. Graham red squirrel (Tamiasciurus fremonti grahamensis). Individuals of both subspecies defend year-round territories in similar mixed conifer forests at elevations between 2650 - 2750 m, where they store cones to survive over winter. We fitted VHF radio collars to 54 animals, and we monitored their survival and movements until individuals settled on a new territory. We considered the effect of season, translocation technique (soft or hard release), and body mass on survival, distance moved after release, and time to settlement of translocated animals.
Files
Steps to reproduce
The R script is here attached with all the steps used for the analysis. More information in the paper "Using a substitute species to inform translocation of an endangered territorial mammal." by Morandini and Koprowski