SPATIAL AND ACTIVITY PATTERNS OF WILD BOARS IN TUSCANY, ITALY

Home ranges and core areas of 25 radiocollared wild boars (Sus scrofa) in Tuscany, Italy, were studied by a method of building a buffer area on both sides of the lines connecting radiolocation points in chronological order. Core areas of males were more scattered within the entire ranges and less intensively used than core areas of females. All core areas were < 1.0 km2, while mean monthly home ranges varied from 1.1 to 3.9 kM2 With largest areas in October-December. Home ranges of females overlapped extensively, whereas those of males appeared to be more exclusive. Habitat choices did not show significant trends except for some specific situations, suggesting that analyses of the internal anatomies of home ranges are of limited use in the absence of information on the social and ecological contexts. The wild boar were mostly nocturnal and rested during daytime in forested habitats. Comparison with previous work suggests a remarkable plasticity of the spatial and activity patterns of the species.