Distribution, group size and activity rhythm of wolves (Canis lupus) in the Gongga Mountains, Sichuan Province
Received date: 2021-03-22
Accepted date: 2022-11-08
Online published: 2023-05-18
The wolf (Canis lupus) is one of the largest and most widely distributed carnivores in the world. Historically, it occurred throughout mainland China, but its range has shrunk dramatically due to habitat loss and human persecution. We conducted wildlife camera trapping in 1 km grid cells, with 195 cells and 286 sites in total, in Mt. Gongga from 2011 to 2020. Wolves were detected in 46 cells and at 56 sites, with 278 independent detections. The detection percentage was 23.6% and 19.6% for grid cells and sites, respectively. Wolves were found at altitudes ranging from 3 097 m to 4 563 m. The group size of wolves averaged (1.2 ± 0.5) ind., with no significant variance among vegetation types or between seasons (t = -1.119, P = 0.266; t = -0.251, P = 0.801). Wolves were active at 03: 00 - 07: 00 and 15: 00 - 17: 00 in the dry season (November - April), and were active at 03: 00 - 07: 00 and 13: 00 - 15: 00 in the rainy season (May - October). The temporal activity pattern significantly overlapped between wolves and sympatric herbivores. The highest degree of overlap was with the Chinese serow Capricornis milneedwardsii (Δ4 = 0.908) in the dry season and with the sambar deer Rusa unicolor (Δ4 = 0.895) in the rainy season. This study determined the distribution, population size and activity rhythm of wolves in Mt. Gongga for the first time, providing reliable information for further studies and large carnivore management in the nature reserve.
Key words： Canis lupus; Camera traps; Gongga Mountains; Distribution; Group size; Activity rhythm
Jiang QIAO , Xiaoli GONG , Wei JIA , Guoqing JIA , Yong JIANG , Huaming ZHOU , Jiaqi LI , Anxiang WEN , Jie WANG . Distribution, group size and activity rhythm of wolves (Canis lupus) in the Gongga Mountains, Sichuan Province[J]. ACTA THERIOLOGICA SINICA, 2023 , 43(3) : 248 -257 . DOI: 10.16829/j.slxb.150542
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