Utilisation de l'espace, chez la marmotte alpine, Marmota marmota, données de recherche àlong terme. Space use in alpine marmot Marmota marmota L.): data from a long term research.

Résumé

Five social groups of individually identified marmots were observed at Gran Paradiso National Park, Italy from Summer 1985 to 1988. Home range size varied from 12,500 sm to 28,125 sm (mean = 18,977). Core areas, were at least 10% of fixes were found had a mean size of 1,818 sm. In each home range only one hibernating burrows utilized across years by different social groups was found, mean number of burrows used during summer was 2.81 (range 1 - 6). Spotting points, that is rocks or logs without burrows varied from 2 to 13 (mean 5.64%) and were located at the periphery of the home ranges. No relationship was found between number of animals in a social group and home range sizes or between home range sizes and number of observation places. Behavioural plasticity in use of spatial resources and the social and ecological factors influencing dimensions of home ranges and number of other resources is discussed.