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Lessons from the use of non-invasive genetic sampling as a way to estimate Eurasian otter population size and sex ratio

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Abstract

Given the difficulties in establishing population parameters of elusive animals in the wild by traditional methods, such as trapping, much attention has been given in recent years to non-invasive genetic sampling. Our work compared estimates of population size and sex ratio derived from genetic sampling with the known number and sex of animals released during an otter reintroduction and reports on the pitfalls and opportunities that may be encountered in studies of this kind. This study makes use of 121 samples of otter spraints (faeces) collected over 7 months during a reintroduction in the Upper Thames (UK) where a total of 17 otters was released in two consecutive phases. Spraints were processed with a multiple tubes approach and seven microsatellites were used. Of all collected samples, 19 % were complete for at least five loci, the minimum required for discrimination between individuals. Six out of nine of the otters that were released in the first phase were detected, four males and two females, while none of the otters released in the second phase was detected probably due to a combination of sampling pitfalls and otter behaviour. In particular, the specific sex (mostly females) and dominance composition (lower) of the individuals in the second release group may explain our failure to detect individuals in this group. Taken together, our results add further evidence that genetic sampling approaches represent a potentially accurate and non-invasive route to census populations of otters but that the sampling design should take into account factors like the sex ratio and dominance composition of the population in order to maximise detection and minimise error.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the Otter Trust for letting us study the released otters and the late Joe Chubb and Sarianne Drury for permission to work on their land. J. Dallas kindly provided the DNA profiles of 17 of the released otters and 11 DNA extracts from the blood samples to be re-typed. K. Wolff kindly made the laboratory at Newcastle University available. We would like to thank all the people that helped us with advice in the field, laboratory and on the manuscript and in particular M. Ben-David, P. Chanin, M. Charleston, A. Cooper, K. Coxon, J. Dallas, the late X. Domingo-Roura, R. Feber, P. Ganis, F. Mathews, N. Mucci, L. Richardson, R. Shooter, D. Stirling, T. Zerjal, and the anonymous reviewers. Special thanks to B. Harmsen for his assistance in the field. We would also like to thank A. Driver, G. Scholey, and T. Sykes for help and support. The work was sponsored by PTES (Mammals Trust UK), by the Environment Agency and by Hampshire Wildlife Trust. L.B. was supported by a Marie Curie Fellowship.

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  1. Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House, Tubney, Oxon, OX13 5QL, UK

    Laura Bonesi & David W. Macdonald

  2. School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand

    Marie Hale

  3. c/o Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EQ, UK

    Laura Bonesi

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  1. Laura Bonesi
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Correspondence to Laura Bonesi.

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Communicated by: Jan Wójcik

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Bonesi, L., Hale, M. & Macdonald, D.W. Lessons from the use of non-invasive genetic sampling as a way to estimate Eurasian otter population size and sex ratio. Acta Theriol 58, 157–168 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13364-012-0118-5

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