Spatio-temporal behaviour of female wild boar in an agro-forestry-pastoral landscape of Southern Italy

Among large-sized mammals, the wild boar Sus scrofa is the main agricultural pest in Mediterranean countries. Despitebeing a widely studied species, its physiological adaptability requires a high number of research works assessing its ecologyin different habitat types. Furthermore, little is known about ecology of the wild boar at the southernmost limits of its distributionrange. We studied home range size, habitat selection and activity rhythms of female wild boar in a protected area ofSouthern Italy, at the limits of its distribution range. Population density was also assessed through drive counts. We monitoredGPS collar-tagged, adult wild boar for at least 6 months. Female family groups selected deciduous woodland throughout theyear, whereas scrubland and cultivations were selected only during the summer. Locations of wild boar were much closer tothe forest edge than expected by chance alone. Throughout the year, female wild boar were mostly active between dusk anddawn with no significant inter-seasonal differences in the activity time; diurnal activity occurred principally in winter andspring. Wild boar were more active in the darkest nights, while their activity decreased in the full moon nights, possibly tolimit encounters with the main predator, the grey wolf Canis lupus.