Na. Slade et al., THE IMPACT OF SUPPLEMENTAL FOOD ON MOVEMENTS OF PRAIRIE VOLES (MICROTUS-OCHROGASTER), Journal of mammalogy, 78(4), 1997, pp. 1149-1155
Intraspecific variation in movements may reflect availability of resou
rces and social systems. We supplemented food of prairie voles (Microt
us ochrogaster) on two of four grids and tested for reduced movements,
measured as the mean-squared distance from the center of activity, of
females. Movements of reproductive voles exceeded those of nonreprodu
ctives and movements of males exceeded those of females on both contro
l and supplemented grids, but, contrary to our predictions, movements
of both sexes were greater on supplemented grids than on controls. Mal
es >40 g moved farther than males <40 g, whereas the opposite pattern
was found for females, Supplemental food produced no pronounced differ
ences in sexual diethism of movements.