In this paper, we report on range use patterns of birds in relation to tropical forest fragmentation. Between 2003 and 2005, three understorey passerine species were radio-tracked in five locations of a fragmented and in two locations of a contiguous forest landscape on the Atlantic Plateau of São Paulo in south-eastern Brazil. Standardized ten-day home ranges of 55 individuals were used to determine influences of landscape pattern, season, species, sex and age. In addition, total observed home ranges of 76 individuals were reported as minimum measures of spatial requirements of the species. Further, seasonal home ranges of recaptured individuals were compared to examine site fidelity. Chiroxiphia caudata, but not Pyriglena leucoptera or Sclerurus scansor, used home ranges more than twice as large in the fragmented versus contiguous forest. Home range sizes of C. caudata differed in relation to sex, age, breeding status and season. Seasonal home ranges greatly overlapped in both C. caudata and in S. scansor. Our results suggest that one response by some forest bird species to habitat fragmentation entails enlarging their home ranges to include several habitat fragments, whereas more habitat-sensitive species remain restricted to larger forest patches.

Eight aardvarks Orycteropus afer were fitted with radio-transmitters at Tussen die Riviere Nature Reserve between June 1996 and December 1997. Two became habituated and could be approached to a distance of 1 m. Activity patterns, home ranges and burrow use were investigated using telemetry and direct observations. In winter, aardvarks emerged above ground earlier, returned to burrows earlier and were active for shorter periods than in summer. They were nocturnal except occasionally in winter when some individuals foraged above ground before sunset. Home ranges varied between 133 ha and 302 ha and range overlap occurred within and between both sexes. Densities were c. eight animals per 1000 ha. Aardvarks used steep slopes (>15°) less than would have been expected according to availability. Average lengths of consecutive burrow use for three aardvarks were 4.9, 6.9 and 8.6 days, with some burrows being abandoned after only 1 day and one burrow being used for 38 days.

The resource dispersion hypothesis (RDH) proposes that in a spatially and temporally heterogeneous environment the territory size of social carnivores increases as the dispersion of limited resources is more widely spaced, whereas group size is limited, independently, by the richness or abundance of those resources or key habitats. To assess if white-nosed coatis Nasua narica behave in accordance with the RDH, the relationship between home-range size and spatio-temporal availability of resources in Mexican tropical dry forests with marked seasonal rainfall was examined. Specifically, home-range sizes were compared at two study sites that were broadly similar but contrasting in resource abundance and dispersion. Home-range estimates for seven white-nosed coati bands varied between 45 and 362 ha. Home-range size did not correlate with food resource abundance and was better explained by the dispersion of water sources during the dry season. Average home-range size was three times greater at the site where water sources were more widely separated during the dry season. These results are in accordance with the predictions of the RDH, and provide an example where the critical resource determining range size and configuration is water.

Captive-born mountain gazelles (Gazella gazella), including 28 radio-collared and 54 tagged animals, were freed in Hawtah Reserve, Saudi Arabia, during 1991–95. The size (as minimum-area convex polygons) and spatial distribution of their individual ranges were determined from daytime radiotracking and sightings. Some adult males were territorial and territorial fidelity was >94%. Territories were maintained year-round and were arranged linearly along the wadi floor. Initially, the size of territories decreased as their density increased, but after density stabilized, median territory area was 0.6 km2. The ranges of up to four released females were centred on each territory and female core areas were arranged in clusters along the wadi. Female ranges became smaller as the density of territories increased. After females had dispersed, their annual range averaged about 1 km2 during both 1993 and 1994 in wadis without domestic livestock and where, consequently, plant standing crop was high. Where camels foraged and plant standing crop was low, female ranges averaged 4.6 and 1.6 km2 during these two years. Some females shifted their core area, and their annual range was twice as large. The range area of non-territorial males averaged 6.7 km2 and extensively overlapped the ranges of other bachelors. Bachelor males occasionally passed through territories, but some wadi sections were used often by bachelors and seldom by females. The size and spatial distribution of gazelle ranges did not change seasonally, despite the temporal variation in rainfall. Runoff concentrated in wadis and the consistent food supply there allowed gazelles to occupy small ranges, even though annual rainfall was low (<150 mm).