Estimating home range size under spatial constraints: a comparative approach using the semi-aquatic European mink (Mustela lutreola)
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Abstract
Accurate home range knowledge is essential for conserving species that are highly constrained by spatial features. The critically endangered European mink ( Mustela lutreola ) is a wetland specialist whose movements are constrained along rivers or in wetlands. In dendritic landscapes, conventional home range estimators such as Minimum Convex Polygons tend to include unsuitable areas in estimated home ranges. Using VHF telemetry data from 16 individual-years tracked in France between 1996–1999 and 2020–2022, we compared four methods: Kernel Density Estimator (KDE), an adaptative sphere-of-influence local convex hull (a-LoCoH), a newly developed Ecological Home Range method (EHR), and a Generalized Additive Model (GAM) approach integrating hydrographic covariates. Our objective is to determine which method best accounts for the European mink’s specialization in wetlands, considering the spatial distribution of locations. Evaluation with a wetland-specific metric showed KDE consistently overestimated range extent and included unsuitable areas, and a-LoCoH yielded mixed results, but these indicated that the method was not effective in excluding unused areas. It was EHR and GAM methods that aligned more closely with ecological constraints. We therefore recommend GAM because it matches our objective and has the capacity to integrate additional environmental variables. Using the GAM, male home ranges averaged 3,074 ha—26 times larger than female ranges (116 ha)—and were significantly larger in river than marsh landscapes. These are the largest ranges reported for the species. Large spatial requirements heighten vulnerability to road fatality and predation, both significant threats for remaining French populations. Our findings highlight the need for conservation strategies that integrate precise, spatial-constraint-based range estimates. The GAM method offers a robust, adaptable framework for managing European mink and other semi-aquatic species in complex landscapes.
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Estimating the area occupied by a single individual is far from straightforward. As early as 1943, William Henry Burt clearly distinguished between an animal’s (in the case of his work, mammal’s) territory and its home range, defining the latter as the area within which an individual moves while carrying out its normal activities, such as foraging, reproduction, and parental care. Thus, since the mid-twentieth century, we have known what should be considered when describing the space used by animals. The question of how to measure it, however, remains open.
There are a great many possible methodological approaches that attempt to accurately estimate home ranges (e.g., Kie et al. 2010). However, it appears that none of them is universally applicable. A particular challenge is estimating the home range of species whose occurrence is …
Estimating the area occupied by a single individual is far from straightforward. As early as 1943, William Henry Burt clearly distinguished between an animal’s (in the case of his work, mammal’s) territory and its home range, defining the latter as the area within which an individual moves while carrying out its normal activities, such as foraging, reproduction, and parental care. Thus, since the mid-twentieth century, we have known what should be considered when describing the space used by animals. The question of how to measure it, however, remains open.
There are a great many possible methodological approaches that attempt to accurately estimate home ranges (e.g., Kie et al. 2010). However, it appears that none of them is universally applicable. A particular challenge is estimating the home range of species whose occurrence is limited by the specific nature of the environment in which they live, for example, species associated with the presence of rivers. The landscape they occupy has a branched structure, which can be described as ‘dendritic’.
Bodinier et al. (2026) estimated a home range of a semi-aquatic mammal, European mink Mustela lutreola. The study was conducted in three locations in France, with 16 individuals telemetrically tracked during two periods of time (24 individual-years radiotracking in total). The authors compared four different methods: Kernel Density Estimator (KDE), an adaptative sphere-of-influence local convex hull (a-LoCoH), Ecological Home Range method (EHR), and Generalized Additive Model (GAM) and chose GAM as the most reliable approach.
The results showed that male minks home range averaged 3074 ha, the largest value reported for this species so far. The females’ home range was considerably smaller (116 ha). In addition, the home range significantly differed between the landscape types, being much larger for river than for marsh type. The authors compare their findings with other published data, pointing to two possible reasons for the observed differences. The first is the method used, and the second is ecological differences between the regions studied, resulting in varying population densities and/or differing environmental quality.
Another very important aspect of this work is the fact that Mustela lutreola has a status of critically endangered species (Maran et al. 2016). Thus, the information collected during the research provides a better understanding of the biology of this species and enables the planning of measures aimed at ensuring the conservation of existing populations.
References
Burt, W. H. 1943. Territoriality and home range concepts as applied to mammals. J Mammal, 24, 346-352. https://academic.oup.com/jmammal/article-abstract/24/3/346/894801?redirectedFrom=fulltext
Kie, J. G. et al. 2010. The home-range concept: are traditional estimators still relevant with modern telemetry technology? Phil Trans R Soc B, 365, 2221-2231. https://royalsocietypublishing.org/rstb/article-abstract/365/1550/2221/21266/The-home-range-concept-are-traditional-estimators?redirectedFrom=fulltext
Maran, T., Skumatov, D., Gomez, A., Põdra, M., Abramov, A.V. & Dinets, V. 2016. Mustela lutreola. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T14018A45199861. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T14018A45199861.en
Stephane Aulagnier, Yoann Bressan, Romain Beaubert, Christine Fournier-Chambrillon, Sebastien Devillard, Pascal Fournier, Remi Bodinier (2026) Estimating home range size under spatial constraints: a comparative approach using the semi-aquatic European mink (Mustela lutreola) . bioRxiv, ver.3 peer-reviewed and recommended by PCI Ecology https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.04.13.718143
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