SPACING PATTERNS AND TERRITORIALITY OF THE STONE MARTEN

Sixteen stone martens (Martes foina) were intensively radio-tracked in central Italy in order to assess their spacing patterns. Home-range s izes and distances travelled per night were analysed with respect to s ex, age, season, and habitat. Intrasexual territoriality is confirmed for the species; home-range edges appeared to be determined by the dis persion of neighbours' territories. Home-range size was positively cor related with the presence of woodland (less abundant and more disperse d resources). Males travelled longer distances than females, although home-range sizes did not differ significantly by sex; males did not mo ve more during the rutting season than in other seasons. Subadults wer e tolerated by adults for varying periods, then in some cases they sta rted an exploring phase before settling into a vacant territory. Stone martens' spacing patterns were affected by sex, age, social interacti ons, and resources. In particular, social patterns appear to be a key influencing factor, as territoriality, parental behaviour, mating inte ractions. and dispersal of young can account for site fidelity, disper sion of home ranges, and distance travelled. In particular, our data i ndicate the importance of the extended relationship between the mating pair, which is probably related to male parental investment, in deter mining the spacing patterns of the species.