RANGING BEHAVIOR AND TIME BUDGETS OF MALE WOOD MICE APODEMUS-SYLVATICUS IN DIFFERENT HABITATS AND SEASONS

Radiotelemetry was used to measure the range areas, activity patterns and time budgets of 21 adult male wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus) betw een May 1991 and August 1992. The study investigated variation in rang e, total distance travelled, speed of movement and time budgets betwee n wood mice in the nonbreeding and breeding seasons in a deciduous woo dland (n = 8 and 6 respectively). We also examined habitat differences by estimating these same parameters for wood mice inhabiting maritime sand-dunes in the breeding season (n = 7). Insufficient males of an a ppropriate mass for radiotracking were captured to study the sand-dune mice in the nonbreeding season. Significant variation was found acros s both season and site. In the breeding season, in woodland, range are as were 5 times larger than during the nonbreeding season. Wood mice o n the sand-dunes exploited ranges 28 times greater than their woodland counterparts. The pattern of variation in range area was parallelled by significant differences in total distances and average speeds trave lled per night. Diurnal activity, c. 60 min day(-1), was frequently re corded, at both sites, but only, in the breeding season, which was att ributed to the need to forage in order to maintain energy balance. The comparatively lower availability of food on the sand-dunes was consid ered the main factor explaining the greater range area, total distance moved, speed travelled and level of activity of animals at this site.