SPATIAL DYNAMICS OF FOX SQUIRRELS (SCIURUS-NIGER) IN FRAGMENTED LANDSCAPES

We examined the spatial dynamics of fox squirrels (Sciurus niger) occu pying 12 woodland sites in a predominantly agricultural landscape of w est-central Indiana. The 12 sites represented woodlands of varying deg rees of isolation and size. Forty-nine adult fox squirrels were fitted with radio collars and monitored from May 1993 through September 1994 . No movements of collared adults were observed between wooded sites d uring the study, although squirrels traveled 200-500 m from woodlots a long hedgerows, and 2.6% of observations occurred in agricultural fiel ds. Multiple regression revealed a positive linear relationship betwee n home-range size and woodland size, with larger home ranges in the gr owing season. Home-range size was not related to woodland isolation, s quirrel density, or sex. We found no evidence of spatial interactions between pairs of squirrels (i.e., male-male, male-female, female-femal e) at resolutions of 20, 40, or 100 m. Excursions beyond a core area w ere of relatively greater magnitude for squirrels occupying continuous forest. Agriculturally induced fragmentation of forests appears to re strict movements of adult fox squirrels, despite the well-documented a bility of the species to persist in such a landscape.