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Movement of the Cape dwarf chameleon (Bradypodion pumilum): are they vulnerable to habitat fragmentation?
Includes bibliographical references.
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| Main Author: | |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Department of Biological Sciences
2015
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| _version_ | 1867613302255779840 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Rebelo, Alexander Douglas |
| author2 | Tolley, Krystal A |
| author_browse | Rebelo, Alexander Douglas Tolley, Krystal A |
| author_facet | Tolley, Krystal A Rebelo, Alexander Douglas |
| author_sort | Rebelo, Alexander Douglas |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Includes bibliographical references. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/12724 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:33:59.204Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2015 |
| publishDateRange | 2015 |
| publishDateSort | 2015 |
| publisher | Department of Biological Sciences |
| publisherStr | Department of Biological Sciences |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/12724 Movement of the Cape dwarf chameleon (Bradypodion pumilum): are they vulnerable to habitat fragmentation? Rebelo, Alexander Douglas Tolley, Krystal A Altwegg, Res Includes bibliographical references. Habitat fragmentation threatens the persistence of natural populations globally. Dispersal between populations can mitigate the negative impacts of habitat fragmentation. The Cape dwarf chameleon (Bradypodion pumilum) occupies heavily fragmented habitat and yet few studies have investigated their ability to disperse and thus persist. In this study I monitored chameleon movements and habitat use in the semi-transformed Noordhoek Wetlands, South Africa. Radio-telemetry was used to track adult chameleons (N=11) over 10 days during March 2010 and April 2014. Data were analysed using linear mixed effects models including relevant predictor variables. The chameleon habitat use, such as perch height, thickness and vegetation cover, including their GPS positions, was recorded hourly during the day. The increase in area used by chameleons over time increased at a relatively constant rate. Male and females showed similar areas of utilisation and daily displacement. However, males perched in higher, in less dense vegetation and on relatively thicker stems than females, although the latter two were not statistically supported. Additionally, chameleon vegetation use varied between day and night, but not between early morning, midday and late afternoon, where chameleons perched in higher and less dense vegetation at night than during the day. Habitats surrounded by wide spaces devoid of vegetation could isolate populations of Cape dwarf chameleons. However, the chameleon movement is unhindered by constraints of territory and by connecting habitat fragments together with corridors of suitable vegetation, the effects of fragmentation could be mitigated. 2015-05-04T07:14:02Z 2015-05-04T07:14:02Z 2014 Bachelor Thesis Honours BSc (Hons) http://hdl.handle.net/11427/12724 eng application/pdf Department of Biological Sciences Faculty of Science University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Rebelo, Alexander Douglas Movement of the Cape dwarf chameleon (Bradypodion pumilum): are they vulnerable to habitat fragmentation? |
| thesis_degree_str | Bachelor's / Honours |
| title | Movement of the Cape dwarf chameleon (Bradypodion pumilum): are they vulnerable to habitat fragmentation? |
| title_full | Movement of the Cape dwarf chameleon (Bradypodion pumilum): are they vulnerable to habitat fragmentation? |
| title_fullStr | Movement of the Cape dwarf chameleon (Bradypodion pumilum): are they vulnerable to habitat fragmentation? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Movement of the Cape dwarf chameleon (Bradypodion pumilum): are they vulnerable to habitat fragmentation? |
| title_short | Movement of the Cape dwarf chameleon (Bradypodion pumilum): are they vulnerable to habitat fragmentation? |
| title_sort | movement of the cape dwarf chameleon bradypodion pumilum are they vulnerable to habitat fragmentation |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/12724 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT rebeloalexanderdouglas movementofthecapedwarfchameleonbradypodionpumilumaretheyvulnerabletohabitatfragmentation |