DAILY HOME-RANGE AND ACTIVITY OF WILD BOAR IN A MEDITERRANEAN AREA FREE FROM HUNTING

Seventeen adult wild boar (Sus scrofa) were radiotracked in the Maremm a Natural Park fron March to September 1993, to determine home range s ize and the patterns of daily activity; 24-hr home range size averaged 33.2 ha (SE = 2.81) and 25.1 (SE = 1.73) calculated by the 100% and t he 95% Minimum Convex Polygon respectively. No sex-or month-related di fferences were found in home range size nor in the daily activity. All the wild boar spent about 65% of their time being active. Activity us ually started before sunset and stopped after sunrise, and was more sy nchronized to sunrise in all months except July. Most 24-hr cycles sho wed two active bouts: one nocturnal bout and a smaller one during the day. None of the radiocollared females bred, this could explain why se x related differences in home range size and activity patterns were no t found. Wild boar were more diurnal if compared to those of other stu dies, and this could be due to the absence of human disturbance.