Sex-specific adjustments in habitat selection contribute to buffer mouflon against summer conditions

摘要: In the context of global warming, investigating how animals buffer against hottest conditions is a crucial issue. We focused on habitat selection in French Mediterranean mouflon population during 2010–2012 summers. Using locations and temperatures recorded GPS-collared individuals, we assessed thermal cover provided by different habitats analyzed sex- scale-specific its consequences for mouflon. At home range scale, females (n = 26) avoided unsafe plateaux selected steep refuges, trading off with better lamb survival. Larger males 18), not constrained young rearing expected to respond more strongly than smaller hot conditions, rather forests providing cover. terms movements, both sexes days. Males also took advantage food moorlands until twilight, whereas traded refuges. Thermal significantly influenced when temperature at closest weather station exceeded 17.1 °C (95% confidence interval 14.9–19.7) 15.5 13.9–16.5) females. Above these thresholds, ambient experienced increased slowly (males: 0.77 [95% 0.74–0.79] per 1 rise station, females: 0.75 0.73–0.76]) below thresholds 0.89 0.85–0.93], 0.94 0.89–0.98]). These findings suggested that contributes summer but raised questions energetic fitness costs areas where are predicted increase further.