HOME RANGE OF GOLDEN TAKIN (BUDORCAS TAXICOLOR BEDFORDI) IN FOPING NATURE RESERVE, SHAANXI,CHINA

Abstract

The home range sizes of four takins ( Budorcas taxicolor bedfordi ) were determined by radio tracking technique in Foping Nature Reserve in Shaanxi Province from August 1995 to August 1996. The yearly home range sizes of the four radio collared takins, M1, M2, F1, F2, were 50 1 km 2, 35 2 km 2, 43 5 km 2, 98 5 km 2 respectively, the mean size was 56 8 km 2 Migratory behavior of the takins produced a great effect on their home range sizes. The mean size of home range in each season was varied for three radio collared individuals (M1, F1, F2), 26 9 km 2 for spring, 19 5 km 2 for summer, 22 1 km 2 and 11 1 km 2 for autumn and winter respectively Food quality, availability and distribution in the study area were the partially explanation for the seasonal difference in home range sizes. The monthly mean size of the home ranges was 6 3±4 0 km 2( n =19), which is 4 1%～18 1% of the yearly mean home ranges Subadult seemed to hold a lager home range than that adults did in the study area. Social behavior related to ages might explain for that difference. Characters of topography was considered to produce affects on the home range sizes in the study area, too. Overlapping in home ranges of the four radio collared animals was found, but the takins were never observed to appear in the overlapped area at same time. The radio collared takins tended to use the relatively same home range at different year in the study area. No defense behaviors for the home ranges were recorded in the field during the study period.