Sex divergence in space utilisation in the steppe tortoise (Testudo horsfieldi]
Résumé
In animal species without parental care, the fitness of males should increase with the number of females en-countered, court, and fertilise, and the fitness of females depends strongly on the quantity and quality of resources acquired. This should translate into a marked sex differences in the patterns of space utilisation. We analysed the sex divergences in home range and movements pattern in the steppe tortoise (Testudo horsfieldi) in Uzbekistan. From the radio-tracking data of 36 individuals throughout the active season, the home range of the male steppe tortoise was estimated to be smaller than that of the female (24 vs. 57 ha), even when the analysis focused on the mating season only. During the mating season, males intensively patrolled a small area, going back and forth within their territory, thereby covering greater distances than females. The females movements were more unidirectional, resulting in large loops over a very extended home range. We proposed several nonexclusive hypothesis for such a pattern.