Papers by Tserendorj Munkhzul
Corsac foxes (Vulpes corsac) and red foxes (V. vulpes) range widely across northern and central A... more Corsac foxes (Vulpes corsac) and red foxes (V. vulpes) range widely across northern and central Asia, occupying a variety of arid biotopes. In Mongolia, both species live sympatrically throughout most of the country, but few details of their habitat associations exist. We examined the biotope of corsac and red foxes in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve in Dornogobi Aimag, Mongolia, which lies at the confl uence of steppe and semi-desert vegetation zones. We evaluated the extent to which both species occur in these two zones and the habitats within them based on locations of scats (n = 1,967), opportunistic sightings (n = 219), and captures (n = 35) collected from August 2004 to August 2007. Corsac and red foxes occurred in both steppe and semi-desert zones and all habitat types in the reserve. However, corsacs occurred more frequently than expected in steppe zone and red foxes occurred more than expected in semi-desert zone. Corsac locations associated positively with steppe habitats, including grass, shrub, and semi-shrub plains, whereas red fox locations fell mainly in drier, more rugged semi-desert habitats, suggesting ecological separation exists between species. As corsac and red foxes appear to be declining in Mongolia, our results suggest that protection efforts in Ikh Nart should focus on steppe habitats for corsacs and semi-desert habitats for red foxes.
Journal of Mammalogy, 2016
The Pallas’ cat Otocolobus manul is a unique, arid-adapted cat that ranges across the steppes of ... more The Pallas’ cat Otocolobus manul is a unique, arid-adapted cat that ranges across the steppes of Central Asia. Known to occur from Tibet in the south to Siberia in the north, the Pallas’ cat inhabits a wide variety of grassland, semidesert, and desert habitats (Heptner & Naumov 1992). Despite its range, little is known of the ecology or behaviour of the species and few details exist on its population and conservation status. The paucity of information on the species poses considerable challenges to wildlife managers and conservationists in Asia.
Pallas' cat in the Ikh Nartiin Chuluu Nature Reserve, Dornogobi, Mongolia. Pallas' cats often use... more Pallas' cat in the Ikh Nartiin Chuluu Nature Reserve, Dornogobi, Mongolia. Pallas' cats often use rock crevices for shelter and protection from predators during the day (Photo: R. P. Reading).
The corsac fox (Vulpes corsac) and red fox (Vulpes vulpes) range widely across northern and centr... more The corsac fox (Vulpes corsac) and red fox (Vulpes vulpes) range widely across northern and central Asia and may be declining in many regions due to overhunting and other causes. However, details of the fundamental causes of survival and mortality of both species remain largely unquantified, but may be crucial for understanding interspecific relationships and developing effective conservation actions. We studied a radiomarked population of sympatric corsac and red foxes in central Mongolia to quantify survival and cause-specific mortality rates from April 2005 to April 2007. Survival probability was 0.34 for corsacs (n 5 18) and 0.46 for red foxes (n 5 17) and did not vary by year within or between each species. Among both foxes, mortality occurred mainly from hunting by humans, but also from predation by larger canids and unknown causes. Our results suggest that illegal human hunting represents the principal source of mortality for both species and that a recently initiated ranger patrol program in the study area did not affect fox survival. As such, more stringent protective measures will likely be necessary to halt declines of both foxes. Our results also suggest that interference competition occurs between species as red foxes killed but did not consume corsacs. Our results will be useful for developing science-based management strategies to protect foxes in Mongolia, and in understanding the competitive relationships between them.
Corsac foxes (Vulpes corsac) and red foxes (V. vulpes) range widely across northern and central A... more Corsac foxes (Vulpes corsac) and red foxes (V. vulpes) range widely across northern and central Asia, occupying a variety of arid biotopes. In Mongolia, both species live sympatrically throughout most of the country, but few details of their habitat associations exist. We examined the biotope of corsac and red foxes in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve in Dornogobi Aimag, Mongolia, which lies at the confl uence of steppe and semi-desert vegetation zones. We evaluated the extent to which both species occur in these two zones and the habitats within them based on locations of scats (n = 1,967), opportunistic sightings (n = 219), and captures (n = 35) collected from August 2004 to August 2007. Corsac and red foxes occurred in both steppe and semi-desert zones and all habitat types in the reserve. However, corsacs occurred more frequently than expected in steppe zone and red foxes occurred more than expected in semi-desert zone. Corsac locations associated positively with steppe habitats, including grass, shrub, and semi-shrub plains, whereas red fox locations fell mainly in drier, more rugged semi-desert habitats, suggesting ecological separation exists between species. As corsac and red foxes appear to be declining in Mongolia, our results suggest that protection efforts in Ikh Nart should focus on steppe habitats for corsacs and semi-desert habitats for red foxes.
Red (Vulpes vulpes) and corsac foxes (V. corsac) live sympatrically throughout most of Mongolia, ... more Red (Vulpes vulpes) and corsac foxes (V. corsac) live sympatrically throughout most of Mongolia, but few details of their home range characteristics exist. We captured and radio-tagged 13 red fox (♂ = 5, ♀ = 8) and 15 corsac foxes (♂ = 8, ♀ = 7) between 2004 and 2008. We tracked their movements to estimate home range sizes and examined the effects of four factors on home range size, including sex, age, season, and year. We determined mean home range size for 12 red and 10 corsac foxes that had suffi cient data using fi xed kernel methods. Mean home range size (90 % kernel) was 15.4 ± 2.2 SE km 2 for red foxes and 4.5 ± 0.8 SE km 2 for corsac foxes. Core areas within home ranges (50 % kernels) averaged 3.59 ± 0.68 km 2 for red foxes and 1.43 ± 0.32 km 2 for corsac foxes. Home ranges varied by sex, age, season, and year for both species and we found signifi cant effects of sex among corsacs, with males occupying larger ranges than females; age among red foxes, with adults occupying larger ranges than yearlings; and year among red fox home ranges. We believe that resource availability probably infl uenced patterns of home range variability along with the signifi cant variables we found. Our results provide among the fi rst quantitative estimates of red and corsac fox home range size in Mongolia and a baseline for developing management and conservation actions.
Competition often occurs between sympatric species that exploit similar ecological niches. Among ... more Competition often occurs between sympatric species that exploit similar ecological niches. Among canids, competition may be reduced by partitioning resources such as food, time, and habitat, but the mechanisms of coexistence remain poorly understood, particularly among fox species. We described the food habits of two foxes that live sympatrically across northern and central Asia, the corsac fox (Vulpes corsac) and red fox (V. vulpes), by analyzing scats collected during a field study in Mongolia. We analyzed 829 corsac and 995 red fox scats collected from April 2005 to August 2007 and tested the extent to which food partitioning occurred. The diets of both species consisted mainly of insects followed by rodents, but also included birds, reptiles, large mammal remains (carrion), plant material (including fruits and seeds), and garbage. Despite high overlap in the proportion of food items consumed, differences existed between species in overall diet with corsacs more frequently consuming beetles, but proportionally fewer crickets and large mammal remains than red foxes. We detected interspecific differences during the pup rearing and dispersal seasons, when prey was abundant, but not during the breeding season, when prey was scarce and diet overlap highest. Each species' diet also differed seasonally and exhibited moderate overall breadth. Corsacs consumed proportionally more beetles and rodents during pup rearing and crickets during dispersal relative to other seasons, whereas red foxes consumed proportionally more crickets during pup rearing and dispersal and more rodents and large mammals during pup rearing and breeding relative to other seasons. Our results suggest that partitioning of food resources during most of the year facilitates coexistence, and that the potential for competition is highest during winter months.
Short Communication The Endangered Siberian marmot Marmota sibirica as a keystone species? Observ... more Short Communication The Endangered Siberian marmot Marmota sibirica as a keystone species? Observations and implications of burrow use by corsac foxes Vulpes corsac in Mongolia J a m e s D. M u r d o c h , T s e r e n d o r j M u n k h z u l , S u u r i B u y a n d e l g e r R i c h a r d P. R e a d i n g and C l a u d i o S i l l e r o-Z u b i r i Abstract The Siberian marmot Marmota sibirica is a social, colonial-living rodent that ranges widely throughout northern Asia. In Mongolia the species has declined substantially in recent years due to overharvesting for fur, meat and body parts, used locally and traded illegally in international markets. The Siberian marmot is often considered a keystone species because its burrows appear to represent an important resource for a variety of taxa, including carnivores. However, few studies have quantified marmot burrow use by other species, although such use may be important for developing conservation strategies. We monitored patterns of burrow use by 10 radio-collared corsac foxes Vulpes corsac during a study in Mongolia during May–November 2006. Corsacs used marmot burrows regularly and at rates greater than expected by chance, suggesting that burrows represent an important resource for foxes and supporting the notion of the Siberian marmot as a keystone species. As corsacs are also declining in Mongolia we contend that targeted patrols of marmot colonies in certain areas would provide a cost-effective means of protecting both species.
Changes in red fox home range size in relation to environmental and intrinsic factors were studie... more Changes in red fox home range size in relation to environmental and intrinsic factors were studied using radio-telemetry during 2006–2008 in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, southeastern Mongolia. We captured a total of 12 red foxes (8 females and 4 males) and fi tted them with VHF radio-collars. Marked animals were tracked up to fi ve times a week to estimate home ranges. We also trapped small mammal and insects in different biotopes for 3 years to estimate relative abundance of prey. Our results showed that mean individual home range sizes varied widely and differed among years. There was variation in home ranges between adults versus juveniles, but no signifi cant difference was found between males versus females. In addition, mean home range size did not differ seasonally for pooled years. Variation in home ranges was best explained by a model that included covariates of year and age. We suggest that spatiotemporal changes in resource availability across years infl uenced home range dyn...
Changes in red fox home range size in relation to environmental and intrinsic factors were studie... more Changes in red fox home range size in relation to environmental and intrinsic factors were studied using radio-telemetry during 2006–2008 in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, southeastern Mongolia. We captured a total of 12 red foxes (8 females and 4 males) and fi tted them with VHF radio-collars. Marked animals were tracked up to fi ve times a week to estimate home ranges. We also trapped small mammal and insects in different biotopes for 3 years to estimate relative abundance of prey. Our results showed that mean individual home range sizes varied widely and differed among years. There was variation in home ranges between adults versus juveniles, but no signifi cant difference was found between males versus females. In addition, mean home range size did not differ seasonally for pooled years. Variation in home ranges was best explained by a model that included covariates of year and age. We suggest that spatiotemporal changes in resource availability across years infl uenced home range dyn...
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Papers by Tserendorj Munkhzul