KNOWLEDGE BASE

In this article, scientists investigated how wolf diets influence the distribution of parasites across an ecosystem. They examined wolf carcasses in Canada to understand their diet and the parasites they carry. Results showed that wolves consuming more beavers - not their prey of choice - had fewer parasites. This shows that food webs are not just affected by direct predation, but also by how predation enables (or not) certain parasites to reproduce.

In the USA, researchers studied the effects of radio transmitters on the survival of North American beavers. Both short-term and long-term survival and welfare wasn't affected by transmitter type and compared well to ear-tagged beavers. Transmitters caused greater winter weight loss, though, which might suggest a small impact on beaver survival and condition. On the whole, the authors say there is no reason not to continue using these tools for monitoring beavers.

Tail-mounted transmitters for tracking North American beavers were tried out for the first time in the northern USA. On average, the transmitters stayed on for only 133 days, with males and females showing similar retention times. Transmitters often detached due to beavers chewing antennas or damaging attachment points. This result is shorter than in warmer regions, and the authors suggested why this might be the case.

Understanding the impact and distribution of invasive North American beavers in Patagonia is crucial for ecology and conservation. Researchers used satellite imagery to estimate that over 31,000 hectares of the Tierra del Fuego Island had been affected by beavers. This makes beavers the largest impact on sub-Antarctic forests since humans began agriculture. The text described how this study could be useful for future management approaches.

The study examined how Eurasian beavers use space across seasons and habitat types. By tracking 42 beavers in the Czech Republic from autumn to spring, researchers found varying home range sizes. Spring ranges were largest while winter ranges were smallest. Overall, habitat type influenced range size more than age or sex.